choosing new songs

[Al Heeley]

How do you choose new songs for the set?
We're always getting into conflict about choices for new material.
Sometimes we all put together a few ideas and end up with a list of 20 songs then each person only goes away and works on his own favourite 2, leading to more conflict and frustration in rehersals.

What do you do?
Put it to the vote?
Ask the audience?
Phone a friend?
All nominate a few then pick them out of a hat?
Leave the choices it to the band's hottest partner or groupie?
Or leave it all to the singer/nominated band leader to decide?

[JTUK]

We have a storming session and ask each to contribute 3-5 songs..we then have a vote after each play.
We them commit them to a CD and go to rehearsal...and they either show promise there or we ditch them.

We might get to gig stage and then decide they aren't for us in context with the gig we are trying to do.

At the mo' we have 3 sets..a pub set, a private party/function set and an original set..and some songs just do not cross over at all.

Other friends bands play a song and if anyone goes to to bar during it, they tend to think the song hasn't worked.
From a LL POV, I would say it has..but it depends on why you/they think you/they are playing that pub

[gilmour]

Bands need to be run as benevolent dictatorships.

Edited May 18, 2012 by gilmour

[BottomE]

We had loads of issues about this so we decided to:
[list]
[*]Setup a Blog
[*]Anyone in the band can post a link on the blog of a tune they want to cover
[*]Everyone votes
[*]The songs with the most votes get worked on
[*]The ones that work get added to the set
[/list]

[Dave Vader]

Have a very long conversation, work out which member of the band is saying no to the most suggestions, then tell him/her "you pick the ****ing songs then!" finish your drink, chuck the glass at him/her and walk out of the room.

[Twigman]

[quote name='Al Heeley' timestamp='1337348335' post='1658618']
How do you choose new songs for the set?
[/quote]
We write them