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How does the band prepare to play rarities?

strilostrilo Portland OR Posts: 484
edited July 2007 in Given To Fly (live)
So I've been thinking. When Pearl Jam randomly pulls a song out of their ass and plays it for the first time in god knows how long, how do you think they prepare for it? Do you think they listen to the album version again a few times just to reacquaint themselves? Do you think Ed reads through the lyrics to refresh his memory? Or do you think they just try it at a few sound checks and then dive in during a show? Or maybe something else I haven't thought of... What do you all think?
PORTLAND - 18 JUL 98 // TAMPA - 12 AUG 00 // PORTLAND - 02 NOV 00 // SEATTLE - 05 NOV 00 // SEATTLE - 09 DEC 02
BERN, SWITZERLAND - 13 SEP 06 // PORTLAND - 26 SEP 09 // CHICAGO - 19 JUL 13 // PORTLAND - 29 NOV 13
CHICAGO - 20 AUG 16 // CHICAGO - 22 AUG 16 // PHOENIX - 09 MAY 22 // CHICAGO - 05 SEP 23 // CHICAGO - 07 SEP 23
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Chris1401Chris1401 Posts: 354
    I keep thinking of State College '03 and Satan's Bed.

    Ed sounded as though he forgot he even wrote or recorded the song....

    Either way, I have no idea, I am sure part of it is just instinct and it comes back to them, but as far as rehearsing or reviewing...not sure..
  • Red LukinRed Lukin Canada Posts: 2,994
    Practice,

    Practice makes perfect..
  • rhinomagicrhinomagic Charlottesville, VA Posts: 2,549
    Maybe they run through the song a few times in the dressing room while the opening band is on. Especially if it's one they haven't played in a while.

    Soundchecks and mp3 players probably help a bunch, too.

    State College is a good example of when they were not well-prepared to play rare songs.

    .
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  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    They obviously practice these songs for at least days in advance to prepare for a gig, and it's kind of naive to think otherwise imo. However much it looks like they've 'pulled it out of a hat/their ass', they haven't.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • PaukPauk Posts: 1,084
    Soundchecks are the main way, but they obviously practise outside of that time too.


    Like at Dusseldorf when they played Breath, Ed said "I know these guys down the front think they know everything, but they won't guess what we're gonna play next" or something to that effect. I'm assuming that's a reference to the 10cs who keep check of all the soundchecks since Breath hasn't been played in any of the soundchecks...

    Also, they saw Sandra's Rats sign in London, then conveniently noticed it a second time at Dusseldorf and played it. Probably saw it on London then decided to practise it before playing it at Dusseldorf. No way could they get it that tight if they just played a song they haven't played it at all in years.
    Paul
    '06 - London, Dublin, Reading
    '07 - Katowice, Wembley, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    '09 - London, Manchester, London
    '12 - Manchester, Manchester, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen
  • Bangers_n_mashBangers_n_mash Posts: 1,241
    Yeah, I think they spend a few weeks before the start of a tour rehearsing and put all the songs they have rehearsed on a list. Then during the tour Eddie sticks to this list (usually anyway i'd say) when he's putting setlists together. At least that's what I read somewhere.
    And obviously soundchecks allow for some ongoing practise throughout the tour.

    So they could have every last rarity in the catologue rehearsed ahead of a tour but it's possible that none of them get played.
    uʍop ǝpısdn ǝɹ,ǝʍ 'punoɹ ʎɐʍ ɹǝɥʇo ǝɥʇ ןןɐ s,ʇı
  • jdub3001jdub3001 Posts: 194
    Red Lukin wrote:
    Practice,

    Practice makes perfect..

    Which is why Even Flow never, ever gets fucked up!

    ;)
  • strilostrilo Portland OR Posts: 484
    Yeah Rats is a good example. Whenever it was in 2006 that they played it for the first time since Matt was in the band. They did a really amazing job considering. Had they soundchecked it? I often wonder if they give the song a few listens or somehow refresh their memories.
    PORTLAND - 18 JUL 98 // TAMPA - 12 AUG 00 // PORTLAND - 02 NOV 00 // SEATTLE - 05 NOV 00 // SEATTLE - 09 DEC 02
    BERN, SWITZERLAND - 13 SEP 06 // PORTLAND - 26 SEP 09 // CHICAGO - 19 JUL 13 // PORTLAND - 29 NOV 13
    CHICAGO - 20 AUG 16 // CHICAGO - 22 AUG 16 // PHOENIX - 09 MAY 22 // CHICAGO - 05 SEP 23 // CHICAGO - 07 SEP 23
  • KirkwoodKirkwood Posts: 228
    Bangers'n'mash wrote:
    Yeah, I think they spend a few weeks before the start of a tour rehearsing and put all the songs they have rehearsed on a list. Then during the tour Eddie sticks to this list (usually anyway i'd say) when he's putting setlists together. At least that's what I read somewhere.
    And obviously soundchecks allow for some ongoing practise throughout the tour.

    So they could have every last rarity in the catologue rehearsed ahead of a tour but it's possible that none of them get played.

    So eddie´s is the one who putting the setlists togheter? So the other doesn´t have any impact?
    2006 Paris, Prague
    2007 Munich, Katowice, Kopenhaven, Nijmegen
  • fluttergirliefluttergirlie Posts: 217
    Kirkwood wrote:
    So eddie´s is the one who putting the setlists togheter? So the other doesn´t have any impact?

    eddie has always put the setlists together but I presume that he gets input from the other guys too
    Dublin - August 23rd 2006
    Wembley - June 18th 2007
    Hopefully many more to come...
  • Bangers_n_mashBangers_n_mash Posts: 1,241
    fluttergirlie wrote:
    eddie has always put the setlists together but I presume that he gets input from the other guys too
    Except of course on those occassions where some lucky person has had the wonderful liberty of chosing the setlist. Just to cover all angles.

    Listening to Gorge 1 2006 last night and that guy who picked the set did a mighty fine job.
    uʍop ǝpısdn ǝɹ,ǝʍ 'punoɹ ʎɐʍ ɹǝɥʇo ǝɥʇ ןןɐ s,ʇı
  • FedericoFederico Posts: 7,916
    I guess the "All those yesterdays affair" shows very clearly that the band uses the soundchecks to prepare how NOT to play rarities..
  • Bangers_n_mashBangers_n_mash Posts: 1,241
    Federico wrote:
    I guess the "All those yesterdays affair" shows very clearly that the band uses the soundchecks to prepare how NOT to play rarities..
    What happened there? Sounds funny...
    uʍop ǝpısdn ǝɹ,ǝʍ 'punoɹ ʎɐʍ ɹǝɥʇo ǝɥʇ ןןɐ s,ʇı
  • KirkwoodKirkwood Posts: 228
    fluttergirlie wrote:
    eddie has always put the setlists together but I presume that he gets input from the other guys too

    hmm, sound a little bit like a dictator.
    Or maybe the others don´t like to do that
    2006 Paris, Prague
    2007 Munich, Katowice, Kopenhaven, Nijmegen
  • fluttergirliefluttergirlie Posts: 217
    Bangers'n'mash wrote:
    Except of course on those occassions where some lucky person has had the wonderful liberty of chosing the setlist. Just to cover all angles.

    Listening to Gorge 1 2006 last night and that guy who picked the set did a mighty fine job.

    What??? :eek:

    I didn't realise they did that, that would be the most amazing thing ever....
    Dublin - August 23rd 2006
    Wembley - June 18th 2007
    Hopefully many more to come...
  • a5pja5pj Hershey PA Posts: 3,898
    dont know how exactly the prepare, but they do play songs to keep them fresh. I remember at Camden I i heard them soundcheck Big wave, which they didn't play until the west coast.
    Wouldn't it be funny if the world ended in 2010, with lots of fire?



  • solarupprassolaruppras Posts: 27
    strilo wrote:
    Yeah Rats is a good example. Whenever it was in 2006 that they played it for the first time since Matt was in the band.
    well actually they played rats in 1998, two times (but, as far as i remember it wasn0t that good, maybe that's the reason they didn't played it for such a long time :D)
    2006-09-14 - Bologna, ITA
    2006-09-16 - Verona, ITA
    2006-09-19 - Turin, ITA
    2006-09-20 - Pistoia, ITA
    2006-09-26 - Zagreb, HR
    2007-06-13 - Chorzow, PL
    2007-06-15 - Venice, ITA :(
  • strilostrilo Portland OR Posts: 484
    I was basing that on what Ed said when they played it in 2006.
    PORTLAND - 18 JUL 98 // TAMPA - 12 AUG 00 // PORTLAND - 02 NOV 00 // SEATTLE - 05 NOV 00 // SEATTLE - 09 DEC 02
    BERN, SWITZERLAND - 13 SEP 06 // PORTLAND - 26 SEP 09 // CHICAGO - 19 JUL 13 // PORTLAND - 29 NOV 13
    CHICAGO - 20 AUG 16 // CHICAGO - 22 AUG 16 // PHOENIX - 09 MAY 22 // CHICAGO - 05 SEP 23 // CHICAGO - 07 SEP 23
  • JordyWordyJordyWordy Posts: 2,261
    the thing about a list of songs being drawn up but not totally being used could be true...then again they could just decide to pick songs off the tops of their heads to soundcheck, or they could just be playing them for the 10C fans that are always outside

    in 2006 Berlin i heard them play "Parting Ways" in a soundcheck but they havnt played it in a live concert since then, and in then long Copenhagen soundcheck they played "Man of the Hour" and "Breakerfall" which werent played in any of the Euro shows in 2007....

    must just be a judgement call on what they want to play at the time!
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