HeyScottyB

Hot Take: Hate the trend of using setlist notes to indicate the original artist.

Imagine if the setlists on Phish.net were muddied with [1] Richard Strauss/Deodato [2] Talking Heads every time the band covered 2001 or Cities?

We've been taking them out on JamBase for setlists in our Goose coverage.

Sep 18, 2024 at 12:20pmWeb
Show threadaburtchSep 18, 2024
@heyscottyb Totally agree. Original artists for covers are the kind of thing that can easily be looked up. Setlist notes should be reserved for interesting / relevant notes for the version played *that night* like a tease, slow version, or guest musician.
Show threadChrisSep 18, 2024
@aburtch @heyscottyb it doesn't really bother me either way
Show threadnikresSep 18, 2024
@aburtch @heyscottyb How is one supposed to look up the original artist if they don’t know it’s a cover? I think noting original artist is a good thing. Yes, those who have followed a band for years and are familiar with common covers may know, but new listeners may get confused and think it’s an original without that knowledge.
Show threadDan MielcarzSep 18, 2024
@heyscottyb I think it’s fine on a general interest site like setlist.fm but on JamBase I’d probably only mention it after a debut.
Show threadHeyScottyBSep 18, 2024
@mielcarz Agreed on Setlist.FM, that's different and they don't use it for notes at the bottom.
Show threadChopSep 18, 2024

@heyscottyb @mielcarz Alternate take: I don’t think Phishnet is a good comp because you can click on any song and see the artist.

Fwiw, when I check setlists for bands I’m into, I go to the source: Phishnet, ElGoose, AllThings, etc. No need to footnote it there.

But when I’m reading a setlist on Jambase, it’s typically a band I don’t know or casually know. In those cases, it would be nice to know which songs are covers and who the artist is without needing a secondary source.

Show threadChrisSep 18, 2024
@chopaganda @heyscottyb @mielcarz yeah, I don't see why more information is a bad thing tbh
Show threadChopSep 18, 2024

@chris @heyscottyb @mielcarz I think it’s a contrast of how the info is consumed. Seeing every cover as a footnote while scanning years of setlists on Phishnet or in Deadbase is cumbersome.

But in Jambase, I just want to know what happened at a single show—often of a band I don’t know well.

Show threadChrisSep 18, 2024
@chopaganda @heyscottyb @mielcarz word
Show threadJ.M.Hart (rowjimmy)Sep 18, 2024

@chopaganda @chris @heyscottyb @mielcarz Nerd me wants all of the data.

Also, there is no other me.

Show threadPhewstepsaway 🌹Sep 18, 2024
@rowjimmy @chopaganda @chris @heyscottyb @mielcarz haha that’s me too. 90% nerd
Show threadChrisSep 18, 2024
@phewstepsaway @rowjimmy @chopaganda @heyscottyb @mielcarz I mean, we're on Mastodon
Show threadMattSep 18, 2024

@rowjimmy @chopaganda @chris @heyscottyb @mielcarz It’s mildly annoying to see it over and over again. Sometimes I think younger bands are trying to force more setlist notes than necessary. But I can live with it.

More annoying is when they don't get the original artist correct.

Setlist.fm sucks because they label songs "covers” because the originating artist isn't exact. Like seeing "Jason Isbell Cover" on Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit shows.

Show threadJ.M.Hart (rowjimmy)Sep 18, 2024
@Mdphunk @chopaganda @chris @heyscottyb @mielcarz Inaccurate data is no good. Tripping over oneself for overaccurrate data is absurd. Gotta live in the sweet spot.
Show threadnikresSep 18, 2024
@Mdphunk @rowjimmy @chopaganda @chris @heyscottyb @mielcarz My understanding is that in that instance it’s supposed to say “song” rather than “cover” since the same person is in both projects. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I think it’s probably a database linking issue. They probably only have the big ones linked, and haven’t taken the time for lesser knowns.
Show threadDan MielcarzSep 19, 2024
@Mdphunk @rowjimmy @chopaganda @chris @heyscottyb I don't want to be seen as defending setlist.fm too much, it's kind of half-assed in a lot of ways. just saying that as a general audience site it makes sense to indicate covers in every show, because a lot of people will be using it to just look up the one show they attended or whatever.
Show threadclifffSep 18, 2024

@heyscottyb I would not assume everyone knows those are covers. someone was posting here about not knowing Cities was a Talking Heads song earlier this summer

Imo it makes things more approachable to new listeners and helps educate them

Show threadjesse jarnowSep 18, 2024
@clifff @heyscottyb parenthetical song credits are correct to my eye, as discographers & album credits have been using for decades. footnotes are for events that are unique to that performance.
Show threadWendell T. ScrogginsSep 18, 2024

@heyscottyb counterpoint: regularly seeing posts (albeit from more recent 3.0/4.0 phans) surprised that Golden Age, Cities, Roses are Free are covers.

Also occasionally nice to confirm when reading setlists from bands that I’m not as deeply aware of as Phish; do they just have a song with the same name, or did they do what it looks like they did?