# Longest set you've played?



## marshallH (Mar 17, 2014)

So my band's second gig (or rather first if you don't count our schools battle of the bands) is at a local run for autism and the set has to be...get this...two hours. I don't if it's just me but that seems CRAZY, but we are getting paid like $20 each and we get to support an awesome organization, so of course we are going to do it, but I was just wondering, what's the longest set YOU played?


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## MemphisHawk (Mar 18, 2014)

1.5 hours. 2 45min sets with all different material. It was a A&R review back in 2000 on Demonbreun St right off music row. They wen goo goo for us and then the bass player/lead song writer decided to finish college instead of go down the world of constant touring and promotion. Now I have a day job and he is the bass player for Billy Currington and Kenny Chesney playing at Dallas Stadium.. Total BS



yes, that was a bitter tangent.


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## WhiteWalls (Mar 18, 2014)

2 hours, but it's always awkward when you have to play for so long because unless you are Dream Theater, it's impossible to keep people's attention for that amount of time. We did that as a favor to some friends, they needed to fill an evening and we rehearse for free at their space so we were happy to do it, but generally it's not something I like.
It also makes you look like a douche if there are other bands playing.


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## robare99 (Mar 18, 2014)

90 minutes probably. The longest gig we played was from 9pm until 4:30am. 

It was nuts


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## VBCheeseGrater (Mar 18, 2014)

9:30 - 1:30 typically with 2x30 minute breaks - so a solid 3 hours plus of actual playing. Took along time to learn all those songs as a band!

By the time 1:15 hits, depending on the crowd, I might be yearning for a couch, TV, and bowl of pistachios...


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Apr 3, 2014)

Longest I've done was 2 hours. I would have been fine with it if my vocalist hadn't sprung it up on us less than a week in advance...and if we had more than three original songs at the time...and I didn't hate all of the cover songs  drumming for that long sucks when it's hot and you aren't given a break  I ended up basically just dicking around to a click the second half of the set


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## Albionic (Apr 3, 2014)

3hrs with a 40 min break in the middle 36 songs too many for a pub really but i don't think that's long. if you play functions you need to play much longer than that and have hundreds of songs in your repertoire.


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## InfinityCollision (Apr 3, 2014)

WhiteWalls said:


> 2 hours, but it's always awkward when you have to play for so long because unless you are Dream Theater, it's impossible to keep people's attention for that amount of time. We did that as a favor to some friends, they needed to fill an evening and we rehearse for free at their space so we were happy to do it, but generally it's not something I like.
> It also makes you look like a douche if there are other bands playing.



I wouldn't say impossible, but writing style has a huge impact on that. A band with nothing but 3-5 minute songs is almost certain to struggle to fill that time. A band that kicks out 5-15+ minute songs that keep your interest the whole time and don't _feel_ like "long songs" can do it effortlessly with 2-3 albums under their belt. Look at bands like Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree, Sigur Ros, Rush, MONO, Swans, etc. They knock out sets 1.5-2.5 hours long like it's nothing.


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## ZXIIIT (Apr 3, 2014)

Longest: 50 mins (during our first show)
Shortest: around 15 minutes at Hot Topic (got shut down)


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## sage (Apr 3, 2014)

Longest: 1:20 of all original music. It took a while to rehearse all the old songs to be able to fill the time block, but it was worth doing. It turned out really well and we played what was probably our best show.

Shortest: 0:15 - We managed to smash three songs into that spot. It was for a benefit show. The idea was to get as many bands as possible out to play for fifteen minutes with 5 minute set change overs. Used their amps and drums. It was actually pretty cool. I stayed for 6 hours, must have seen 20 bands.


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## asher (Apr 3, 2014)

Around three hours playing various rock covers and originals for a bar gig.

Like 11 people came through that Saturday. -.-


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## Necris (Apr 3, 2014)

45-50 minutes, I think; all originals. 

It was my bands second show (which turned out to be our last), we finished the last song we had in the set list and the sound guy motioned to us that we had more time; maybe due to the fact that the band that was supposed to be before us cancelled so we ended up being the opener.

 Well, shit... play the two songs that we didn't include in the set list I guess (we practiced them anyway beforehand). It's a good thing we didn't have any time left after those two because all we had left was a ~9 minute long track that I had only written two weeks prior (we hadn't gone through it as a full band at that point; the bassist was still learning his parts) and a cover song we hadn't really ironed out all the details of.


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## Mprinsje (Apr 3, 2014)

the longest we were asked to play was 40 minutes, which we didn't fill because our normal set is like 20 minutes or so.

we're all exhausted after 20 minutes playing, I really don't want to play anymore after that.


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## fwd0120 (Apr 3, 2014)

About 3 hours and 10 minutes, with a 10 minute break in the middle.


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## Svava (Apr 3, 2014)

robare99 said:


> 90 minutes probably. The longest gig we played was from 9pm until 4:30am.
> 
> It was nuts



How the heck do you play all of that?

I'm pretty sure between 9pm and 4 AM you could play several Dream Theater albums.

Like seriously WTF?

How do you know that many songs?


my goodness...


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## chopeth (Apr 4, 2014)

Around 3 hours in a cover band playing rhythm guitar, changing to 3 different guitars starting with Tool, Porcupine Tree, RATM, Opeth, Iron Maiden, Emperor, Dillinger Escape Plan to D standard for Baroness, Gojira, Death, and later 7 string for some Korn, Isole, Dream Theater. Pretty exhausting


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## Yo_Wattup (Apr 4, 2014)

Mprinsje said:


> the longest we were asked to play was 40 minutes, which we didn't fill because our normal set is like 20 minutes or so.
> 
> we're all exhausted after 20 minutes playing, I really don't want to play anymore after that.



What? Are you guys like really fat or something?  20 mins is two songs for us. 



Svava said:


> How the heck do you play all of that?
> 
> I'm pretty sure between 9pm and 4 AM you could play several Dream Theater albums.
> 
> ...



I think he means the whole gig, including all the bands... since he said the longest he's played is 90 mins


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## Eladamri (Apr 4, 2014)

We played for nearly four hours once. Every song we've written plus a load of covers. Several of our songs are 20 minutes plus though, so it's not that difficult.


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## Svava (Apr 4, 2014)

Yo_Wattup said:


> What? Are you guys like really fat or something?  20 mins is two songs for us.
> 
> 
> 
> I think he means the whole gig, including all the bands... since he said the longest he's played is 90 mins



Ah yes.

Forgive my brain. 

It did not do what it was supposed to do on this occasion -,-.

Thank you ><


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## jay moth (Apr 4, 2014)

Around 1hr with one band, or 25mins + 45 mins with two different ones on the same day, same venue, one after another.

Shortest... 3 minutes. If not less. Don't remember clearly, as it was quite intense as You can imagine.


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## ghostred7 (Apr 4, 2014)

Typical bar cover band sets = longest i've deal with:

3x 1hr sets or 4x 45m sets covering 9-1 or 10-2 depending on the night



Yo_Wattup said:


> What? Are you guys like really fat or something?  20 mins is two songs for us.



Sounds like my new band. 2 songs recorded = 20:53 run time lol


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## 7 Dying Trees (Apr 4, 2014)

Shortest? Probably 30 mins.

Longest? 2 hrs or so, which was long, very long, but fun, but in the end, pretty exhausting!


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## Adventrooster (Apr 4, 2014)

My dad and I just found eachother after 17 years. It turns out he plays drums for a band here in TX. The first time I met him, I watched him play a show at a little bar all damned day lol. It was probably like 4.5 hours.


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## ghost_of_karelia (Apr 4, 2014)

I regularly spend 2-3 hours playing metal songs through in my bedroom at bedroom volume to an audience of my wardrobe, headbanging and slamming into various items of furniture during inevitable mid-song headrush.

Does that count?


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## Mprinsje (Apr 4, 2014)

Yo_Wattup said:


> What? Are you guys like really fat or something?  20 mins is two songs for us.



Nope, all young, thin guys, but 20 minutes is 12 songs for us , we're a pretty wild band and besides being tired we're also tired of our own music after 20 minutes. I don't wanna listen to hardcore/grindcore for longer than that man, don't wanna force upon other people what we don't want to do ourselves.


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## Eladamri (Apr 4, 2014)

jarvncaredoc said:


> Does that count?



Yes. Yes it does


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## wheresthefbomb (Apr 4, 2014)

two hours split up, another band and us did two 1 hr sets each with 15 min breaks in between. only works if you get gear worked out beforehand, but it was a nice way to keep people's attention. the main local dive bar pays entertainment to fill 5 hrs, and I've always left with the impression that it was way too much when one band filled the whole night. it hurts to cut the pot in half, but everyone wins this way. another band gets in on the honey, and the audience doesn't die of fatigue.


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## robare99 (Apr 6, 2014)

Svava said:


> How the heck do you play all of that?
> 
> I'm pretty sure between 9pm and 4 AM you could play several Dream Theater albums.
> 
> ...




We are a cover band. We've all been at it a long time. So between us we know over 120+ songs, and everyone in the band is on the ball. The last set the gloves were off and we were pulling stuff out of the hat. If someone knows it, after a verse and chorus you basically have the song. Might have to watch for the bridge, and the solo usually follows a verse. 

Example, we'd do a quick huddle between songs and I'd say:

"Knocking on Heavens door, C G Dminor, C G F... go" and we would go for it. 

That particular party was a private party for an oil company. It was a good time. Turkey/pig roast kinda thing, free booze all night. We played from 9pm and we were going to end at 2:30. So we say "ok that's it" there was about a dozen people left but they still wanted to party. They said "keep playing" our keyboard played husband said "money talks!!" The owner said "I'll write them a cheque" he said "nah man, cash is king" so they scraped together about $250 and we kept going. Took a small break at 3:30 then kept going. 

Finally at 4:30 out drummer threw in the towel, and said that's it, I'm done. Playing guitar is one thing but man, drumming is SO physical. So that was it, we were done. 

"Keep playing" they said. I said "aw man, it's getting light out" lol and that was it for the night. 

This song was at after 3am. I was vaguely aware of the song, I had never played the song, you can see me following along, (I'm the fatass) and our singer throws me the solo. Lol thanks man, thrown into the deep end so I went for it. 



For whatever reason the picnic tables weren't moved so everyone was dancing on them, I was waiting for someone to fall off and break their neck. Lol Jesus. 


Our bass player is amazing and knows every song ever written so he's really the rock, the foundation so whatever we attempt the drums & bass are locked in to really help pull it off. Here's our song list, these are the ones we know cold, plus even more. 

3A.M.
Aimee
All Summer Long
All You Ever Do Is...
All Right Now 
American Pie
Authority Song
Baby Likes To Rock It
Bad Timing
Beer In Mexico
Better Now
Blow At High Dough
Blue Moon Of Kentucky 
Boot Scootin' Boogie
Born Free
Brown Eyed Girl
Brown Sugar
Cadillac Ranch
Check Yes Or No
Cherry Bomb
China Grove
Closing Time
Countin' Flowers On The Wall
Courage
Crazy Train
Crocodile Rock
Dirty Deeds
Don't Stop Believin'
Doin' It Right
Down At The Twist & Shout
Down On The Farm
Dust On The Bottle
Eighteen Wheels
Every Little Thing
Everything About You
Every Rose Has It's Thorn
Fishin' In The Dark
Fortunate Son
Folsom Prison Blues
Friends In Low Places
Gimme Some Lovin/Shout
Get A Haircut
Gimme Three Steps
Green River
Guitars & Cadillacs
Hard To Handle
Harden My Heart
Hash Pipe
Head Over Heels
He'll Have To Go 
Heartbreaker
Here For A Good Time
Highway to Hell
Hold On Loosely
Holiday
Hollywood Nights
Home
Honky Tonk Woman
Hot n' Cold
Hurts So Good 
I Hate Myself For Lovin' You 
I Love A Rainy Night
If The House Is Rockin'
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
Innocence
I Want You To Want Me
It's A Long Way To The Top
Jackson
Jet Airliner
Last Kiss
Listen To The Music
Little Bones
Longtime - Boston
Long Train Runnin'
Lookin' For A Good Time 
Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' Lukenbach Texas
Mama Let Him Play
Midnight Special
Margaritaville
Mony Mony
Much Too Young
Mustang Sally
My Heart Has A History 
New Orleans Is Sinking
Night Moves
Nowhere Road
Ocean Pearl
Painted Ladies
Pride & Joy
Pink Houses
Pour Me - Trick Pony
Poor Poor Pitiful Me
Redneck Girl
Roadhouse Blues
Rocky Mountain Way
Roxy Roller
Runnin' Down A Dream
Santeria
Save A Horse...
Seven Bridges Road
She Ain't Pretty
Smalltown
Smokin' In The Boys Room
Some Kind Of Wonderful
Spirit In The Sky
Start Me Up
Stuck In The Middle
Summer Of '69
Sweet Caroline
Sweet Home Alabama
Swingtown
Sympathy For The Devil
Take It Easy
Tequila Makes Her...
The Night Pat Murphy Died
The Race Is On
The Shake
The Way - Fastball
Third Rate Romance
This Ain't Nothin'
Time Warp
T.N.T.
Toes
T.R.O.U.B.L.E.
Two Tickets To Paradise
Tush
Uprising 
Wagon Wheel
Watermelon Crawl
Wasn't That A Party
What A Good Boy
What Kind Of Love Is This
When I Come Around
When Will I Be Loved
Whiskey Girl
Wild Angels
Wild Nights
Who Says You Can't Go Home
You May Be Right
Your Daddy Don't Know
Your Love

This was a typical party, an Xmas party. 400 people, by the end 2:30 there was only a couple dozen stragglers. It was for the Chamber of Commerce, good time. We started at 8:30 and pulled the plug at around 2:30. 

First set:


Last set:


You can kinda see here how we slow down the song and the ending on the fly. It's all about communication, having someone lead the song, and playing together. Even the ending was dragged out which sometimes happens, sometimes not. 


Last song of the night 


Sometimes you have to be careful who you give your phone to to take a video. lol






Yo_Wattup said:


> I think he means the whole gig, including all the bands... since he said the longest he's played is 90 mins



90 minutes is about the longest set, but it was only us, all night. We rarely play with another band.


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