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Post by Malc on Jun 1, 2022 6:46:17 GMT
Just working off last nights memory which, admittedly, is fading a tad these days - and I THINK I may have missed one or two inclusions ? Thoughts ?
King Midas in Reverse I Can’t Let Go Jennifer Eccles Sorry Suzanne Gasoline Alley Bred Magic Woman Touch Weakness I Cant Tell The Bottom From The Top On A Carousel Look Through Any Window Carrie Anne Here I Go Again I’m Alive Yes I Will Bus Stop The Baby Priceless Sandy Just One Look Stay Stop Stop Stop He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother The Air That I Breathe Long Cool Woman
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Post by johnt on Jun 1, 2022 8:04:43 GMT
The set list looks very similar to the previous pre-Covid concerts. I was hoping for a few more surprises on this 60th Anniversary tour.
I'm going to see them on 11th June so I'll let you know if there have been any changes.
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Post by baz on Jun 1, 2022 10:32:57 GMT
Looks like the same songs listed here on Setlist. Looking through the setlists over the last few years, their setlists look rather samey. A pity they haven't dug up anything new for the anniversary.
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jun 1, 2022 12:34:15 GMT
Looks like the same songs listed here on Setlist. Looking through the setlists over the last few years, their setlists look rather samey. A pity they haven't dug up anything new for the anniversary. Maybe their memories are getting as bad as Malc's? (kidding) But really, if one judges by 90% of the comments on the "Official" Facebook page, the ticket-buying fans don't want surprises, they want what they know. And that doesn't include deep cuts.
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Post by ahkyahnan on Jun 1, 2022 16:36:24 GMT
“I’m totally your absolute biggest fan on Earth there ever has been but I only listen to 5 of your songs!”
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Post by JamesT on Jun 1, 2022 20:32:52 GMT
I'm seeing them on the penultimate date of this tour, up in Aberdeen. Really looking forward to hearing 'Magic Woman Touch' in particular.
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Post by knut on Jun 1, 2022 22:07:31 GMT
The full version of Gasoline Alley bred has not been performed for many years to my knowledge
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Post by Malc on Jun 2, 2022 5:01:12 GMT
The full version of Gasoline Alley bred has not been performed for many years to my knowledge I thought it was interesting how Steve L took the lead with Tony taking the 'Terry' part...
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Post by Gralto on Jun 2, 2022 14:45:33 GMT
Thanks Malc for posting.
One day they will surprise us all with a heavily overhauled set list and song order… Yeah right. They never will.
Reading this is a disappointment but also entirely expected. If ever they were going to mine a few more back catalogue album cuts, it should have been on this tour. With two years of little work, Bobby and Tony had ample time to relisten to their past albums and maybe fall back in love with some older, non-45 songs.
And finishing with the same 3 songs in pretty much every Hollies concert since 1974 eternally does my head in…this also provides the answer for anyone wondering why contemporary music critics stopped writing about them beyond 1975.
I love The Hollies but they rarely fail to frustrate me in their refusal to acknowledge their expansive back catalogue in a live venue. Nobody’s asking them to play live ‘For Certain Because’ both sides, start to finish, but maybe we could have SOMETHING else from that album, or a B-Side like I’ve Got A Way Of My Own. Or a lost gem from Romany. Then again, the only time the band has EVER really supported a new album on stage was when Rickfors was around, and that was only due to necessity! (Sigh…)
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jun 2, 2022 14:46:18 GMT
“I’m totally your absolute biggest fan on Earth there ever has been but I only listen to 5 of your songs!” Bus Stop!!
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Post by baz on Jun 2, 2022 20:30:46 GMT
With two years of little work, Bobby and Tony had ample time to relisten to their past albums and maybe fall back in love with some older, non-45 songs. And finishing with the same 3 songs in pretty much every Hollies concert since 1974 eternally does my head in…this also provides the answer for anyone wondering why contemporary music critics stopped writing about them beyond 1975. I love The Hollies but they rarely fail to frustrate me in their refusal to acknowledge their expansive back catalogue in a live venue. Well said. After an enforced two year hiatus, to return with the virtually identical setlist is disappointing and lazy and I think that the closing trio of songs remaining permanently fixed in place for almost half a century is lame. I've always believed that you should challenge yourself when you go onstage. Sure, keep 80% of the numbers that everyone expects to hear but mix the order up from tour to tour and try out some old faves not played in years along with a newer song or two... to just assume that each concert is attended by "casual" fans who know little more than the hits is an insult to the core fanbase that have been there for countless years some of whom must surely be bored with hearing the same songs year after year. I remember years ago Bobby taking offence at the suggestion that The Hollies were an "oldies" band but when the setlists remain rigid, firmly fixed on the same old same old, what else are we supposed to think and feel?
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Post by gee on Jun 2, 2022 23:28:43 GMT
In truth this inflexible 'safety first' attitude goes way back and tells us why the group were content to be 'the bridesmaid not the bride' in many ways...
never can such a MAJOR group...have been so 'set in their ways'
- like say later them putting out slow ballad after slow ballad after slow ballad despite no UK or USA chart placings...then doing an album of...slow ballads !
- this is really a major reason why Graham Nash, Allan Clarke (twice) and Terry Sylvester all grew frustrated over time and each 'walked' from the group....
They were always rather 'conservative' and reluctant to move forward fully - for every 'So Lonely' / 'When I Come Home To You'...there was a 'That's My Desire', for a 'Hard Hard Year' there was a 'Sweet Little Sixteen'....half of 'Distant Light' was ground breaking rock styled tracks...peppered with some more commercial pop style songs to 'balance it out' etc
they produced some great music but there was always a rather staid more 'reserved' element within the band that opted to not go all out (only 'Butterfly' did that - and flopped ! - even 'Romany' after going acoustic and electric rock...added some more pop style with 'Lizzy and The Rainman')
so minus Clarke, Nash, Sylvester...we can now clearly see where that 'more cautious' attitude within the group itself came from (Ron Richards was partly responsible for putting that idea into certain heads - but only partly)
opting back from 'King Midas' to 'Jennifer Eccles' / 'Listen To Me' / 'Sorry Suzanne' was giving the public what they wanted / expected...and playing it safe
which continues on to this day - Carl Wayne woke up 'The Baby' so that and later 'Magic Woman Touch' being added as they remembered the 'Rickfors era' that Tony said; 'We had pretty much forgotten...' (I heard him say that to us) tells us why those two are in the set - note too only 'Weakness' and 'Priceless' another two tracks are permitted from the current group's recordings ! - surely by now something fresh from their tracks could be in the live show - 'One Touch' would at least also employ Tony's guitar/sitar...
they will be essentially churning out the bulk of '20 Golden Greats...until it grates' for older fans and I would not expect alot to change...
re plugging an album, they did plug 'Dylan' in a few TV concerts and specials but again they never seemed very confident in plugging anything besides hit singles - even preferring covers of others songs in the latter Clarke era to their own vast and SO underrated album and 'B' side catalogue
curious the songs The Everlys liked and chose to cover way back in 1966 on 'Two Yanks in England' - Don & Phil seemed to have far more faith in Hollies original songs that were NOT hits...than The Hollies ever had or still have to this day it appears...
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Post by dirtyfaz on Jun 3, 2022 3:39:43 GMT
Set list is simply the same one for a couple of decades. Hey let put together a tour with little preparation. Yeah we will do the same songs again. Needs little or no rehearsal so we can do tours anywhere at the drop of a hat (oh they don't tour much out of UK do they). That way they don't have to work up new tunes.
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Post by JamesT on Jun 3, 2022 7:03:05 GMT
Any conversation I've overheard from other attendees at gigs suggests they're simply there to hear 'the hits'. Even the reactions to lesser known hits like Curly Billy and Hey Willy are more reserved. There was a little bit more variation between old, new and lesser known around the time of the release of Then, Now, Always. Subsequently, it has fallen back again to being mostly a hits selection and not much else. It's still a superb evening of entertainment, but you can't help but feel it could be much more.
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Post by gee on Jun 3, 2022 11:21:57 GMT
While it will NEVER happen I'm certain just imagine how a 24 song set list could look if they had a more modern adventurous approach
not to everyone's choice (we all have our fav songs of course) and although I hate medleys here it would serve a purpose to please those expecting to hear some older hits, and besides 'Just One Look' (in medley) and rock & roll songs otherwise going NO further back than 1965 here is a suggested Hollies concert setlist featuring a few more current group recordings and album / 'B' sides of choice for us to consider (then just put in your own fav tracks if you want to compile your own listings...)
I would shake the set up a bit with two 12 song performances
First set:
1.Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) 2.I Can't Let Go 3.Sandy (4th of July Asbury Park) 4.Hollies Hits Medley: Just One Look / I'm Alive / Bus Stop / On A Carousel / Sorry Suzanne 5.Weakness 6.The Baby 7.Magic Woman Touch 8.One Touch 9.I've Got A Way of My Own - Vocal: Steve Lauri (Nash), Ray Stiles (Clarke) 10.Gasoline Alley Bred - vocals Steve Lauri & Tony Hicks 11.Have You Ever Loved Somebody 12.The Air That I Breathe
Second Set:
1.The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam Magee 2.I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top 3.King Midas in Reverse 4.48 Hour Parole 5.Emotions 6.Look Through Any Window 7.Priceless 8.Confessions Of A Mind 9.Stop Stop Stop 10.He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother
Encore: 11. Rock & Roll medley: Sweet Little Sixteen / Lucille / Take Your Time (1966 style version) 12. Transatlantic Westbound Jet (extended version)
'Carrie Anne' could alternate with 'Gasoline Alley Bred' while a few other songs could alternate too ('Have You Ever Loved Somebody' with 'Step Inside' or 'When You're Lights Turned On' etc) - or maybe 'Sandy' with 'Don't Let Me Down' etc - but overall I would try to give the public a fair chunk of famous hits, mostly the later ones, cover the sixties pop hits with the medley (as they were doing in that Feb 1969 concert on BBC), and add in a few more unexpected album tracks, the odd 'B' side (which again could alternate) and generally try to update the concert show a bit with the album catalogue covered a bit more
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jun 3, 2022 13:16:51 GMT
Considering the "Official" Hollies Facebook page and Twitter feed, should we expect anything different? The band is going to reflect the "official" PR and visa versa and they cater to those who bought the Greatest Hits compilation, not the studio albums.
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Post by anthony on Jun 3, 2022 14:24:26 GMT
I have to agree the set list is a bit stale, Jennifer Eccles, Sorry Suzanne, Yes I will could all go, to be honest I do like their three big hits at the end. Songs like Pay you back with interest, a Tony Hicks solo would be great, Pegasus would fit the bill, Maybe even Daddy don’t mind, it’s a rockier number.
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Post by ahkyahnan on Jun 3, 2022 14:24:46 GMT
This set list issue is common to all legacy artists, not unique to The Hollies and no reflection on them personally I don’t think. I see fans of mega-ticket selling artists like The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney complaining of the same thing. The bands can see from the stage which songs the majority of people get into and which ones they sit still for or go grab a beer. Same reason most have stopped releasing new material.
Unfortunately it’s part of the “life cycle” for most pop artists. 40s and 50s artists were doing the same thing 20+ years ago.
Ironic but sometimes an artists “fans” are their worst enemy. That’s who deserve whatever blame there is to go around rather than the artists, IMHO.
Mark
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Post by Malc on Jun 3, 2022 20:04:25 GMT
This set list issue is common to all legacy artists, not unique to The Hollies and no reflection on them personally I don’t think. Mark I have to note here but when the Beach Boys come to the UK these days, albeit the Mike Love/Bruce Johnston touring band, they tend to extend their shows to include a number 'deeper' cuts (All This is That, Kiss Me Baby, All I Wanna Do, Ballad Of Ol' Betsy etc) but, ironically, when they play in their home country all the fans want to hear are the 'hits'. Surf's up, dude...
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Post by sandy on Jun 4, 2022 11:25:30 GMT
I think we have to be realistic and cut the guys some slack, live, to be honest! Bobby is pushing 82(ish?), Tony won't be far off 80, Bobby has had covid, and they've endured two years of pandemic too, just as we all have.The exhausting traveling and performing schedule, and the life they lead for months on end at their age is staggering, quite frankly! I know we fans who treasure the whole of their back catalogue, not just the hits, would LOVE to hear all those other faves from albums, but we are, putting it bluntly, the minority now🤪 The fans are older, and as we all know, the bulk of the audience want to relive the hits of their youth. Their ( on the whole ..)priorities are probably not music in such a serious way any more. It's right that they clap politely for any ' off piste' album tracks, but roar approval when they get back to the hits again, so you can't blame the band for doing what their audience want- they are in the business of ' putting bums on seats ',after all- and they are still doing it very successfully, so why change? Artistically, they seem happy, so....( Allan, if he were still with them, wouldn't be, I suspect...but that's why he's still writing and recording!) We have to also remember the commitment involved in trawling through such a vast back catalogue, and working out arrangements etc. They are not spring chickens, much as we want them to be. The muscles, the hands- it won't come easy anymore, and why would they want to make more work for themselves at this stage in their lives? It's not laziness, it's recognising limitations of what they are able and willing to do after 60 long years.Its not as if they would be recreating the original sound of any deep cuts- the voices and the original blend aren't there anyway. I doubt that The Stones, in their up and coming 60 years tour, will do any deep cuts- and their fans will happily boogie along to their greatest hits too😉 The fact that they are still on the road at all,and on such a large scale is extraordinary enough!..We have those treasures on vinyl still to listen to, and we can hear them whenever we want, and that's fine by me. ( I know, I still get frustrated on all the websites though, when ALL they can talk about is Bus Stop!🙄🙄🙄 But, guys....we have each other to talk to!!!!😘❤️😉
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jun 4, 2022 13:32:30 GMT
I'm probably happier than most because I'll never see them in concert! Whee! There are advantages to living in The Middle Of Nowhere, Canada!!
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Post by knut on Jun 5, 2022 6:18:09 GMT
A few years ago they tested Dear Eloise, Stewball and Very last day in Sweden. When they came to Norway they had to drop Very last day due to poor reaction even if it was a top 10 hit here
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Post by JamesT on Jun 5, 2022 7:08:37 GMT
A few years ago they tested Dear Eloise, Stewball and Very last day in Sweden. When they came to Norway they had to drop Very last day due to poor reaction even if it was a top 10 hit here Who sang Dear Eloise, Knut? Steve Lauri?
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Post by baz on Jun 5, 2022 15:24:17 GMT
( I know, I still get frustrated on all the websites though, when ALL they can talk about is Bus Stop!🙄🙄🙄 But, guys....we have each other to talk to!!!!😘❤️😉 He he he... that's how I ended up amongst us lot as I was originally on the old official Hollies forum which was to put it kindly, a strange place which took fanaticism to the levels of the absurd with endless posts about how "cute" Tony was, the embarrassing birthday posts and so on. Along came "Staying Power", some of us were disappointed and said so and... well... we were no longer welcome and fortunately there was EO for more saner and sensible discussion!
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Post by anthony on Jun 6, 2022 0:05:22 GMT
A few years ago they tested Dear Eloise, Stewball and Very last day in Sweden. When they came to Norway they had to drop Very last day due to poor reaction even if it was a top 10 hit here Funny I thought Very Last day was great in the set, hated Stewball
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