GeminiRising79 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 To pre, this is mostly a rant thread. So here it goes... Despite Rush being my favorite group (since '79), lately I'm having hard time justifying seeing them in concert these days based on their setlist choices. I'm astounded they won't play their essential titles that got them where they are now. Far too many excuses are given for this. Last summer I saw VH in LA, and Aerosmith here at Bristow Va. Im a fan of VH's very early material. Aerosmith, I always thought were just ok, but both bands put on spectacular concert, far exceeding my expectations. Sure, DLR made me feel like I was going to pass out, hoping he could get more than jist segments of each line out of his mouth, but damn was the show exciting and fresh. They didnt dwell too much on their new songs (which i think are crap, btw), sticking with the greats that put them where they are. Aerosmith did the same. Was surprised how fun and electrifying the atmosphere was. And btw, VH really had quite a spartanesque stage setup and they still managed to wow. Which leads me to Rush's present concerts: New material forced on the audience. Older material defiantly cast to the past. "Oh, but Geddy's voice, blah blah blah". Neil: "Why arent people sick of hearing the SOS (aka, I am sick of playing the older material most fans love). If I were a fan I'd want to hear the new material", subliminal attempt, cough cough. Another issue is the stage show is so damned sterile...rarely any emotion showed at all other than the "we-are-the-consummate-professional" scowl or other facial exp<b></b>ression associated with the performing of life-saving brain surgery (Alex is largely exempt from these characterizations) . What bothers me is the fact that Rush is doing what THEY want, in concert, instead of giving what they know that most fans want to hear. Van Halen is able to. Aerosmith can. Does Rush think we're so blinded by their greatness that we'll enjoy hearing most of the new material over the old classics, like mindless clones? Its ok if Geddy hiccups a few times, or bypasses certain vocal points with older songs. Its nothing to be ashamed of. Are we going to be subjected to listen to whatever the new album happens to be? I just dont understand their philosophy in these waning years. Are they embarrassed to play the old stuff because its too beneath them at this point in their career? EVH has played "eruption" every show. Sure he's fuggin sick of playing it, but still does with great enthusiasm and a smile on his face. Seems like Rush are becoming more n more like beligerent, unyielding and excessively self-centered geezers. Just my.opinion here! Flame away.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus 2112 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 If you were to see Van Halen 30 times and they played the same songs every single time would you the fan get bored? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyBlaze Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 No flame here. Simply, VH and Aerosmith stick to their formulas and so does Rush. Hopefully each band does what makes them the happiest. If what Rush is doing doesn't satisfy the masses then in the end we'll know because the band will suffer and die soon enough (but I don't think that'll happen) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snaked Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 So don't go to the shows. Problem solved. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathory Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 aerosmith focuses on old shit because they haven't had a good record since 1976 and they probably know it. van halen had a good album last year, but it was composed of songs written in the 70s, so really they havent done anything worth jack shit since 1984. they focus on old shit because they know they cant make good music anymore. rush however, is better, smarter, and more talented, and unlike aerosmith and van halen, continued to make good music well after 1981. if you haven't enjoyed this band since the early 80s, maybe the rush forum isnt for you.... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat 3 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Hey GR79, You actually make some valid points. Being a die-hard Rush fan, I am happy to hear them play anything they choose to play and am just happy to be seeing them perform live.. However, on the first leg of the Clockwork Angels Tour, I was to meet four friends (moderate Rush fans at best) after the show for a drink. They texted me just after the 2nd. half of the show started and said that they were leaving, as they were bored and didn't know any of the music. It must be a catch-22 for bands to want to play the new stuff, knowing that the majority of the people there came for the greatest hits. I completely understand and appreciate both sides of this debate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathory Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 even if the whole arena leaves at the beginning of caravan, they still made their money 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathory Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 I mean, I understand everyone has different tastes and this and that, but why the hell are people going to rush concerts if they havent liked a record since moving goddamn pictures?? and why are people going to see bands when they havent even bothered to listen to the new material? it's the clockwork angels tour, not the greatest hits tour. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat 3 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 even if the whole arena leaves at the beginning of caravan, they still made their money :rfl: Big Money...so true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathory Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 and I doubt a small group of fans leaving a gig in protest is gonna mean shit to the boys. they like their new stuff, and that's what matters to them 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 I kinda get what you're saying, but Bathory made a valid point with saying that Rush is still putting out good music. I think the band wants to be able to showcase everything, not just the hits, not just the 70s stuff, and I think they're proud of their latest album ventures and want to share 'em with the audience. I really enjoy the 70s stuff, but I'm ok with these songs not getting played - I don't think they would sound the same with the way Geddy sings now. I'd like to have a huge 70s instru-medley, though.... And personally, what I'd really, really like from a Rush show is the deeper cuts. Trade the usual fare ('Tom Sawyer', 'Spirit of Radio') for songs that haven't really seen the light of day. But that's me, and I bet many concert-goers wouldn't be cool with that - they'd probably start a little riot if these aforementioned songs aren't played! It's got to be hard to try to please every Rush concert-goer. But for my part, having the huge chunk of CA songs on this tour has been the highlight of the show - these songs kick ass live. And it's too bad that there are going to be many people that aren't familiar enough with the new stuff to really appreciate it, but I think even going in blindly, the ass-kickingness can be appreciated. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syrinx Priest Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 It must be a catch-22 for bands to want to play the new stuff, knowing that the majority of the people there came for the greatest hits. I do not think that most of the people attending Rush concerts nowadays are there for the greatest hits or expect it. They know Rush has producing good new music. Are there some like your friends, sure, but nowhere near the majority. Bands like Aerosmith, VH and many other 70 and 80's era bands continue to try to cash in by simply touring and playing greatest hits because that is all they can do, they had a very limited window of success and it is all their fans know and it is what they expect.Most Rush fans cannot even agree what a greatest hits show would be. Outside of a few "must" popular songs like Tom Sawyer etc. the average Rush fan has a wide range of what their favorite era's, albums and songs are. Not playing and featuring their current album would be the essence of selling out, Rush are artists and their newest works should be what they are passionate about. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snaked Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Geddy has said many times that he sees RUSH as the biggest cult band in the world. Right or wrong that seems to be their main driving force behind choosing a setlist. RUSH has NEVER been a band to sit back on their past successes and milk them. They've ALWAYS moved forward. Even when they did "Greatest Hits" tours (R30 and TM) they felt compelled to record new material to play on those tours. Going backwards is not an option for RUSH. They've been there and done that.. they want to move forward and luckily for them (and us) they have a fanbase that for the most part is happy to go on that journey with them. Granted, on this tour there are a lot more "nuggets" then on previous tours but a vast majority of the people at the shows have seen all the "standards" multiple times plus you can see several versions of Freewill or Red Barchetta on DVD anytime you want. Personally I am THRILLED with the setlist for the most part. I do think they missed the mark by not including Losing It since they have a string section for the first (and presumably only) time. I could do without 2112 in the encore but I certainly understand why they play it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhlrush Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Hey GR79, You actually make some valid points. Being a die-hard Rush fan, I am happy to hear them play anything they choose to play and am just happy to be seeing them perform live.. However, on the first leg of the Clockwork Angels Tour, I was to meet four friends (moderate Rush fans at best) after the show for a drink. They texted me just after the 2nd. half of the show started and said that they were leaving, as they were bored and didn't know any of the music. It must be a catch-22 for bands to want to play the new stuff, knowing that the majority of the people there came for the greatest hits. I completely understand and appreciate both sides of this debate. Leaving a concert because you don't know the material seems childish to me....and what if they finished up with some of your favorite stuff??? I have always been a critic of Rush's setlist.....hell, i have seen 139 rush shows and never heard fly by night live, EVER, and I been seeing them since '83.... I have never heard In the end, EVER, and the list goes on and on and on....but at some point you gotta just sit back and appreciate that they still play live, whatever the song selection.... Alex talks about how on this tour he is happy to play every song that makes up the setlist....seems to me, if they get bored themselves with a setlist they don't like....well.....that could put an end to touring for good.... I watched VH's recent show, albeit on youtube, okay, i know, not the same, but i was curious as to what they were doing.... David Lee Roth, in my opinion, is a joke....a washed up used car salesman....Eddie is still Eddie but his son has zero charisma AT ALL..... and the blood and guts of the group, Michael Anthony, and the key to their vocal sound, is far far away with Sammy and Chickenfoot..... Can't speak for Aerosmith, but VH's show, to me, was embarrassing..... Most dedicated Rush fans I know are THRILLED to hear so many Clockwork Angels songs, plus, by the time a next tour comes around, the ensemble will be gone and maybe we will hear The Anarchist and one or two others..... As far as on stage personality, I like the fact that Rush is made up of musicians, not a bunch of circus clowns, see David Lee Roth.... Can you tell when it comes to VH, i was a hagar guy....Rock on Chickenfoot....Check out Big Foot.....now that's today's straight forward rock n roll....not that VH crap they are putting out these days... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhlrush Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Hey snaked, did you notice we both used the word THRILLED in caps, and I was writing at the time you were so i didn't see your post til i posted mine... interesting... btw, you watching the red wings getting smoked 5-0 by the blackhawks? that's okay, predators suck too....the only time Bridgestone Arena will be rockin this spring is May 1...see you there.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerxster Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 New material forced on the audience. Older material defiantly cast to the past. When this starts affecting ticket sales, let us know. Otherwise, this is your own personal problem and I'm unsympathetic. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobo73 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Rush is doing what they want because it is their tour and they have that right. they dont need to explain their setlist choices to anyone.I absolutely REFUSE to go to concerts when the band plays nothing but "greatest hits". I can go out and buy their greatest hits CD for 10 bucks instead of paying 100 to hear it.last year I was thinking of seeing Aerosmith, but when I looked up that tours' setlists, I actually laughed out loud. NOTHING but their "hits". waste of my money, no thank you. I WANT to hear the obscure stuff. there will be plenty of people willing to take your seat at a Rush show. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 If I created my own set list for this tour, or any other tour, it wouldn't likely match Rush's. But I'm finding that to be ok, as some of the songs that they play are a real treat when I hear them live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calirush Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Hey GR79, You actually make some valid points. Being a die-hard Rush fan, I am happy to hear them play anything they choose to play and am just happy to be seeing them perform live.. However, on the first leg of the Clockwork Angels Tour, I was to meet four friends (moderate Rush fans at best) after the show for a drink. They texted me just after the 2nd. half of the show started and said that they were leaving, as they were bored and didn't know any of the music. It must be a catch-22 for bands to want to play the new stuff, knowing that the majority of the people there came for the greatest hits. I completely understand and appreciate both sides of this debate. Leaving a concert because you don't know the material seems childish to me....and what if they finished up with some of your favorite stuff??? I have always been a critic of Rush's setlist.....hell, i have seen 139 rush shows and never heard fly by night live, EVER, and I been seeing them since '83.... I have never heard In the end, EVER, and the list goes on and on and on....but at some point you gotta just sit back and appreciate that they still play live, whatever the song selection.... Alex talks about how on this tour he is happy to play every song that makes up the setlist....seems to me, if they get bored themselves with a setlist they don't like....well.....that could put an end to touring for good.... I watched VH's recent show, albeit on youtube, okay, i know, not the same, but i was curious as to what they were doing.... David Lee Roth, in my opinion, is a joke....a washed up used car salesman....Eddie is still Eddie but his son has zero charisma AT ALL..... and the blood and guts of the group, Michael Anthony, and the key to their vocal sound, is far far away with Sammy and Chickenfoot..... Can't speak for Aerosmith, but VH's show, to me, was embarrassing..... Most dedicated Rush fans I know are THRILLED to hear so many Clockwork Angels songs, plus, by the time a next tour comes around, the ensemble will be gone and maybe we will hear The Anarchist and one or two others..... As far as on stage personality, I like the fact that Rush is made up of musicians, not a bunch of circus clowns, see David Lee Roth.... Can you tell when it comes to VH, i was a hagar guy....Rock on Chickenfoot....Check out Big Foot.....now that's today's straight forward rock n roll....not that VH crap they are putting out these days... I avoided the VH show for reasons you stated but my brother went and loved it. I've never seen them live and I'm a bit sorry I didn't check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calirush Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Good luck on a universally loved set list since the small group of fans on this board can't even agree on material half the time lol. My opinion is if you aren't going to a show to see new relevant material by a band, your not being into it is your problem. Go back and watch the dvd to an old show lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhlrush Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 If I created my own set list for this tour, or any other tour, it wouldn't likely match Rush's. But I'm finding that to be ok, as some of the songs that they play are a real treat when I hear them live. That's me..... My setlist would be a host of old stuff off of RUSH, FBN and CoS that I never got to hear live, but they aren't too keen on throwing us a bone with those songs.... and I have learned to accept that they are not interested in some of that material, especially CoS....which I really dig, despite that its out there... but when you get Middletown Dreams and some other rarely heard live gems, well, its a good time to be a rush fan, cause we have a bunch of shows approaching... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HemispheresserehpsimeH Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Your view on Eruption by EVH is completely moot, since Rush also plays songs like YYZ and TSoR on every tour. You know why Van Halen plays all classic songs? Because they're with David Lee Roth. They only have seven albums with him as a frontman. Only one of those albums is after 1984 for crying out loud. As far as Aerosmith is concerned, their new material sucks and is completely half-assed. And while their shows are decent, they don't even come close to Rush's itinerary as far as touring is concerned. Your comparisons are laughable. As someone who only got into Rush after Vapor Trails was released, I'm not crapping my pants like some people here about setlists. Why? Because I'm damn lucky I even get a chance to see them. It's the same thing with Iron Maiden post-reunion. They played a fairly "newer" setlist when The Final Frontier came out and everyone was whining, yet I loved it. Then, they redid their Maiden England tour and it's a huge hit, just like the Time Machine tour was. There are two sides to it, and great bands like Rush and Iron Maiden know how to cater to both kinds of fans at different times. The bellyaching is really hideous sometimes. Whether you like Rush's new albums or not, expecting them to play mostly classics is just stupidity. They aren't time-stamped in 1982. You are right about one thing, though. Rush is doing what they want as far as setlists are concerned. But you know what? After almost forty years, they damn well have the right to do so. Stop acting like you're entitled to what you want. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goingbald Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 (edited) Any Rush fan that's been around long enough know that they go through changes based on their interests. They'll never get to the point of playing 'greatest hits' B.S. like other bands that are stuck in a 'formula' rut. VH and Aerosmith fell into the 'power ballad' rut and they haven't done anything interesting in the last 15-20 years. If you want to be a dinosaur and put your musical tastes in a time capsule that's up to you...I think you can catch a Ted Nugent or Styx show at your local county fair. I prefer to hear the guys playing something different. My dad always thought that any music after Frank Sinatra was crap...I think you're falling into the same trap. It's called getting old and close minded. :codger: Edited March 31, 2013 by goingbald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tombstone Mountain Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 We missed you Gemini Rising. Quite a porcine rant my friend. Too bad you just can't open yourself to buying Clockwork Angels...I can point you to a good copy if you like. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandDesigner Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 I admire the hell out of any "classic rock" band who has the balls to play the entirety of their newest album. Most of those bands just release new shit and play the same old classics from the 70's. I'm glad Rush believes in their new material so much (and the album is brilliant, possibly their best IMO) that they NEED to play it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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