“The Beatles and the Ramones played 30-minute sets at the time,” reminded Jack White in a statement after fans accused him of playing too short live performances. The gigs of the singer and guitarists on their “No Name” tour are currently almost 85 minutes. He didn’t play much longer with the White Stripes. Do you need a large load of rock welding so that a concert will remember sustainably?
Bruce Springsteen plays well over three hours with his e-street band. Taylor Swift regularly placed almost 50 songs in her “The Eras” setlist. Pearl Jam and Guns N’roses don’t do it under 2.5 hours. And at The Cure you might be asking yourself with a 90-minute set if not too many good songs were not left out.
Concerts with excess length become the rule
The tendency towards the overlope was emerging a long time ago. Nostalgics like to remember Grateful Dead. But if you play for a long time, you also seem a lot to your audience. Live appearances also have a dramaturgy. That is why shows from Taylor Swift or Coldplay are well -tacted and framed performances framed with all sorts of effects. There is little space for surprises – regardless of the placement of certain pieces.
White probably does not say for nothing: “As if the length of a concert determines how ‘good’ it is.” Sure, the admission prices have been increasing for years. For the big ones in the circus, 150 euros and more for tickets have become completely normal. If the increased costs around the live business also justify a surcharge, at the same time the expectations of the audience also increase. A family visit to Oasis devours a monthly salary with a hotel stay and extras around it. If you pay so much, you also insist on a full -length gig – is not satisfied with a best of 17 songs.
But such a requirement is not in the sense of art. Those who play longer will certainly no longer give their songs concentration. A dramatic tension has to be produced with difficulty. No musician, no musician and no band has a repertoire of 30 songs and more, which are all equally good. Some things only make sense in the right combination, such as with other tracks.
Mega concerts in particular affect the big ones
It should not be forgotten that such long concerts are a physical challenge for everyone involved. Singers have to work hard on their voice or align them more on the show. In tougher genres, guitar work and percussion become a challenge. In addition, longer shows also mean higher costs for crew, security and technology. This can be a problem for smaller or medium -sized acts. Longer concerts also demonstrate a two-class company in the music business.
But the audience should also have the opportunity to get 100 percent involved in something. After 90 minutes at the latest, attention drops rapidly. A lot of footwork is also required for standing concerts. If you can no longer concentrate, look at your cell phone more often during your gig or drink more beer than good. New discoveries are made less often. The concert becomes an event that is expected that it does not disappoint.
“If I could, I would only give short concerts,” muses Jack White. “I saw a variety of rock’n’roll concerts that only lasted 45 minutes and brewed myself away and inspired it incredibly (…). People are exhausted without it taking three hours. It’s like saying that a film will get better because you are 300 billion [Dollar] spent for this, but we will never be seen such a film. “
Jack White is right! How to benefit from a conversation with friends after a good film and at best feel the work completely differently, it is also more beautiful for a concert if you do not fall into bed immediately afterwards. It doesn’t just have to be 90 minutes. But after two hours everyone is still happy.