Re: JAE who songs on tour

[magik <magik1@optonline.net>]

> I think the philosophy is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."  The way
> they/Roger make up the set list is why the shows are so powerful.  There's a
> certain structure that makes it fly, and they can see any weakness in it
> immediately from the audience reaction.  I'm sure they hate that drop in
> energy when the crowd fails to react to what they're playing, moves
> restlessly, streams to the toilets, etc.  Certainly they'd feel they're
> losing the audience if it happens for two songs in a row.  This limits the
> number of new or unusual songs they can play and still maintain the flow of
> the show.

Good point, because when they're in the groove, they have the audience in the
palm of their collective hands. They roll out the big ones, one after another.
When they don't keep the energy going, it's glaring, as people start running for
the bathroom, etc.

> As for practicing, that's always dull and boring because there's no audience
> at all.  There's no feedback to say if they're doing it right or wrong, and
> so they fool with it a little and then go looking for the crowd.

If there's one band who needs a crowd, it's the Who. Pete explains it as the
bargain, when the audience & band feed off each other, it's the best I've ever
had!

> A case in
> point is Pete's Sadlers Wells video that I was talking about recently.  Pete
> has changed his mind about how to play the show once he was in front of an
> audience, but many of the musicians present on the stage weren't that tuned
> in to audience feedback.  Pete has that talent to shift what he's doing in
> response to the audience, which is one of the things that distinguishes The
> Who from lesser bands.  Weeks and months and years of practice in a studio
> will never provide that ability.

I always felt they never did the same show twice in a row. They may have played
most of the same songs, but they played them a bit differently every time. They
change gears in mid stream, which is why I love them so much live.

> Mistakes on the stage are fine as long as the audience is with you.
> Embarrassing, maybe, but not that big a deal.  I was at the Boston show last
> tour, and they had several really bad screw-ups, a couple of them in the
> shows' strongest numbers, but it was still a brilliant show.  The audience
> was with them all the way.
>
> keets

And they even did Naked Eye/See Me Feel Me. That was certainly a big surprise
and it had a few mistakes, but it was fantastic. That show may be my personal
favorite of all the shows I've ever seen them do. I still think they have many
power house songs, that would not lose any of the audience, if they played them.
For instance: Long Live Rock or ICSFM or some fun ones like Happy Jack, Tatoo.
To some of the audience, probably most, it would be like "new music." Hell, if
they come out with a new album and play some of it during the show, don't you
think the "run for the bathroom" is going to happen? Of course it is. It's only
natural. Meanwhile, the hard cores will talk about it for a long time and have a
big smile on their faces. imho.

magik