Chaotic Neutral 2015/2016 Tour Dates

[Prairieboy]

Campbell River set according to MG's instagram site

 

Load Me Up

Harridan

Born Losers

Kid Down the Well

Cold Water

All You Sons and Daughters

No Liars

Tiger by the Tail

Alert Status Red

Army of Lions

Apparitions

Los Alamos

Weapon

 

Cloudbusting

Hello Time Bomb

Giant

Really liking that Tiger by the Tail made the cut for this setlist, bummed that Moment and Girls in Black didn't. Hope they do for Calgary :)

Mr. Trufflepig,  I was just going to post the exact same thing. Great minds think alike.  I wouldn't mind hearing Strange Days and Everything Is Automatic more.  Load me up can be fun if he adds snippets of cover songs to the middle of the song like he used to.  My preference would be to remove alert status red and born losers completely.  Maybe sub in Under the Influence and  In A World Called Catastrophe?

I too could do without ASR. Speaking of Load Me Up, I've recently fell in love again with the old live version featuring Christian Thor Valdsen's 'picking' lead guitar, and the song bridging into Gen X-Wing :)

[Curtster]

I'm kind of regretting missing out on the Campbell River show now, as it's my hometown.  I had a few friends there, saw some pictures on Facebook, looks like the crowd was really into it.  The local newspaper posted a comment saying he was killing it.  People there who aren't even specifically MG fans are just happy to have a rock show like that in town I think.  I really like the order on that setlist, I've always thought he should open on Load Me Up.  As much as we've all heard it so many times, I still think it would be an epic opening, especially for people who haven't seen him before.  Ending the night on Giant is pretty awesome too.  In a perfect world I would go to all the island shows, and the Vancouver ones too haha.  I just don't have the money or the time to do that, but oh well, Victoria was awesome.

 

I'm sure they are working on some other rarities to get into the set, they are probably waiting for Vancouver to premiere them.  I'm sure he will probably play 18-20 songs at the Vancouver shows and you'll see a few taken out of the back catalog (just judging from what's happened in the past).

 

As we all know, he's obligated to play some hits, but I think he plays the same ones all the time because they work well live.  Load Me Up, Giant and Weapon are all amazing songs live, as hardcore fans we've just come to take them for granted.  I still felt a buzz come over the room when Load Me Up started the other night, almost a sigh of relief from the more casual fans there, who might be seeing him for the first (and maybe only) time.  I didn't mind hearing Alert Status Red the other night, because it's one song I had never heard live (despite seeing him live 5 times prior).  It had always alluded me.  I think Apparitions might be the one song he couldn't get away with leaving out.

 

I get the feeling (maybe I'm wrong) that there are still some people that show up to Matt's shows expecting a setlist along the lines of the first disc of In a Coma.  When they hear 10 songs off the new album, they might be a bit miffed.  I think Matt's fan base might be a bit polarized right now, because there is a group of really hardcore fans and then a group of casual fans who are still stuck on material he did 10-20 years ago.  Just a feeling I personally get at the shows, and I think it works into the issue with everyone not getting out of their seats and getting into it.  Come to think of it, that's probably why they opened with Load Me Up last night, get everyone up and out of their seats right off the bat (given what happened in Victoria).

[Crusader]

MG can't seem to login from his phone so I'm posting this for him:

 

 

To be 100% honest with you guys, we had four days of rehearsals before the Victoria show. I sang 5-8 hour days into the top of the tour. The fact that Stu alone didn't have to be hospitalized given all the work he did to transform a lot of non guitar parts into guitar parts is amazing in and of itself. In short, we got the whole record down plus losers, load, alert, time bomb, automatic, giant, weapon, and apparitions. This record is not, in places, the easiest to play.

 

We worked on strange days in sound check yesterday and will again tomorrow. I want that, police cars, lights of endangered species, and blue skies as alternates as fast as we can get them. Once those are done, we can look at more.

 

The realities are economic. We started the tour out west which means flying everyone out here and hotels and salaries and so on. So we rehearsed out west which meant less time to rehearse as it was more expensive. That's just the flat out truth of it.

 

In a perfect world the band would know 50 songs. But we don't. I made the decision to focus on the material from this record because there is a very real trap that one can fall into at this point in a career - to primarily play old material, thus relegating new material to the periphery. Once you do that, the only reason to make new music is to your so you can play old music. And, ultimately, what then does it matter what you put out so long as it allows you to tour and simply fall back on older material?

 

I'm not ready to do that. I look at the performance of this record live just as I did Underdogs. The difference, of course, was back then I only had two records and an EP to draw on, so set lists were easy. But the focus remained on new material. The same was true when Beautiful Midnight was toured. In fact, that has been the case with every record from Avalanche to this one - set lists were dominated by new material. While it might seem weird to some, that's one of the reasons I'm still doing this 25 years on. Because I have kept the focus on my current work and not fallen into the trap of relying on the past as an easy out.

[adam_777]

I've always enjoyed the new material taking prominence and yeah, Stu has done a great job of converting all of that soundscape into one man and one instrument.  I look forward to if you guys can get some of those alternates in there, But really digging how the new stuff translates live.  It's easy to complain about not getting favourite songs in the mix, I come out to 3-6 shows every tour, and I love the shows and love the variety you are able to infuse, Sure I wish it could be more, But I'm glad there is some.  Many bands, with much bigger fanbases and budgets have a set 16 songs, they play it every night and nothing changes, not even the order of the songs, I come out to as many shows as I do because I love the music, no matter what is played, and there's always that "you never know" factor in their as well.  

[foats]

I am extremely intrigued to hear the new songs live. One question I always had is  why was anti pop never played live?  Is it a hard song to play or does Matt just hate it?  It is my favorite music video to this day and would love to hear it live even just once.  Another song never played was  In A place Of Lesser Men.  Not sure if it is a difficult song to play or why it never was played live.  It's odd though with both being singles.

[adam_777]

yeah Lesser men is the only song from Vancouver -> Chaotic not to be played live, and like you said, odd because it was a single.  Matt mentioned before that Anti-Pop was only created as a forced attempt at commercializing a song after the record company felt Audio of Being had few discernible radio hits, I guess they expected Beautiful Midnight 2: After the Dawn 

[Curtster]

I am extremely intrigued to hear the new songs live. One question I always had is  why was anti pop never played live?  Is it a hard song to play or does Matt just hate it?  It is my favorite music video to this day and would love to hear it live even just once.  Another song never played was  In A place Of Lesser Men.  Not sure if it is a difficult song to play or why it never was played live.  It's odd though with both being singles.

 

Here is a video of Matt talking about Anti-Pop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47dO4S-o78Q

 

Yeah, it's kind of strange that In a Place of Lesser Men was never played live (even on the LOES tour), I don't think it ever gained any traction as a single though.  I think Zero Orchestra should have been the lead single off LOES, the alt-rock station here in Victoria still plays it from time to time.

[Moonlight_Graham]

Here is the Los Alamos link, it took a few searches to find

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCVAYdZSIFY

 

Holy shit that was beautiful.  Friggin' Stu man, the guy never ceases to amaze me.  Cool to see blake on guitar too, all 4 of them playing.  I was thinking of skipping this tour but maybe I'll pick up a ticket.

Matt Good said:

 

In a perfect world the band would know 50 songs. But we don't. I made the decision to focus on the material from this record because there is a very real trap that one can fall into at this point in a career - to primarily play old material, thus relegating new material to the periphery. Once you do that, the only reason to make new music is to your so you can play old music. And, ultimately, what then does it matter what you put out so long as it allows you to tour and simply fall back on older material?

 

Thank you for this.  I don't know how many new fans you're picking up at this point in your career, but for old fans like me who have seen you live a dozen times or so, hearing the same songs can get pretty boring.  How much new material you play matters a lot to me, it's quickly becoming the difference to whether I plop down $50+ for a ticket during a tour or not.  For me, it's just not worth my $50+ to hear the same songs every single tour.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Moonlight_Graham

[Guest Idioteque]

Do people really get angry if they don't hear their favorite single? I thought not hearing your song just gives you more reason to see the artist live again.

[adam_777]

I think what the issue is, is that essentially there are two different mindsets in the crowd.  You have diehard fans, who usually want to hear old rarities and new songs and still enjoy the regulars and you have casual fans, who show up cause they heard "Matthew Good Band" is coming and they want to have some fun at a show and dance to some old tunes from the 90's.  It's legitimately possible that some of those people haven't heard a new song by Matt since "In a World Called Catastrophe"  so when they go to a show, and like 9 of the first 11 songs they've never even heard of, because they are on an album that's a month old, I think it's a bit of a shocker to them.  I'm glad Matt pays dues to his new material, because of the many artists I listen to with careers with over 10 years of longevity, Matt is one of the only ones continually producing quality music every album, where I could literally find a new favourite song, 20 years after first hearing the artist.  That's not to say I don't understand where the more casual fan may be coming from, But I'm glad Matt frequently chooses to cater to himself, and in essence the majority of the people here on this board.  

[daniel_v]

Stand outs for me were:

Cloudbusting - surprised to see this played, but it was a really great arrangement that is a bit more rocking, ended up being one of the highlights of the night for me.

 

That is awesome to hear. While I still love the song, I was felt the album version kind of failed at the end because, given the build, it didn't quite make it to a proper climax at the end. Really looking forwards to hearing it now :)

[Prairieboy]

MG can't seem to login from his phone so I'm posting this for him:

 

Thx for posting Matt's response, Anton - always great to get insight into how much work actually goes into preparing for the tour. I don't think many of us can truly comprehend that (I know that I for one cannot). Always love hearing the newer stuff off of the most recent albums. Completely psyched that there's a chance LOES might make it on tour. That's one song that I wasn't a huge fan of until I saw it live - then it blew me away...particularly how it started out dark and then the lights and wall of music hit right at the "got my guns in a row" line. For the life of me wish I could find a video of this somewhere.....but alas....

[adam_777]

He did play Empty Road during acoustic show in Vancouver back in April at the Rio, but yeah, hasn't been aired much.  I really enjoy that song acoustic.  

[foats]

The more I think about it the more I think "Tiger By The Tail" would make a perfect opener. What do you guys think?

[Guest Idioteque]

Ill always remember LOES live because of the stage lights that blinded me.

 

I remember Empty Roads, it was before or after "A Silent Army in the Trees" which I freaked out over.

I think alot of the Vancouver tracks would work for this tour.

 

Has anyone heard anything or experienced the VIP themselves? Very curious about the whole thing, surprised I haven't seen any footage or photos (I did receive an email confirming you're allowed video & audio recording devices during the VIP which is good).

[Guest girl]

Maybe Vancouver is the first place that is having the MG VIP experience. I did not see VIP ticket links to all of the shows before Vancouver

Edited November 10, 2015 by girl

[Guest Idioteque]

Well don't I look like an iidddiiioootttt. :(

[NonPopulus]

No! Not an idiot at all.

 

Tonight is my first show of the tour in Nanaimo! I'm expecting a rocking opener. Anyone think he might combine the concept of "rocker" with "new album" for the opener tonight?

Edited November 10, 2015 by NonPopulus

[Guest girl]

No! Not an idiot at all.

That's what I say. I had to look back at the concert listings on this site and MG.org like 3 times, before I figured it out.

 

 

Tonight is my first show of the tour in Nanaimo! I'm expecting a rocking opener.

 

Have fun!

 

[Prairieboy]

Ill always remember LOES live because of the stage lights that blinded me.

Precisely! I think when those stage lights came on, I may have accidentally said "holy f***....wow!!"

[NonPopulus]

Nanaimo setlist:

 

No Liars

All You Sons and Daughters

Born Losers

Army of Lions

Cold Water

Hello Time Bomb

Load Me Up

Alert Status Red

Kid Down the Well

Moment

Los Alamos

Apparitions

Everything is Automatic

Weapon

----------

Giant

Girls in Black

Cloudbusting

 

It was awesome! Highlights for me were Los Alamos and Girls in Black. Pretty much everyone in the first five or so rows stood between Everything is Automatic and the end.

Edited November 10, 2015 by NonPopulus

[Guest girl]

 

Posted by  info1234  on 12 November 2013 - 01:08 PM

Trust me, I’d LOVE to have 70 songs in the bag to choose from. I’d play tons off that record – Man Of Action, Tripoli, Under The Influence, Rat, etc. We’re currently trying to get Born To Kill together, and hopefully we can for at least one show

 

Sorry, to bring up a past post. If they were to play Born To Kill on November 21, my life would be complete. I would die a happy woman. I've been waiting 14 years to hear it again live. It doesn't hurt to ask, right?

Edited November 10, 2015 by girl

[adam_777]

I gotta say, the soundman (dave?) deserves alot of credit, probably the best sounding show of the 20+ shows I've attended.  Everything was loud, But clear and with lots of space in the mix, I was really surprised how good everything sounded, and right from the first song.  
The new material is really coming to life, the difference between how it was played in Victoria compared to Nanaimo was night and day, I guess with a few more days of playing it under their belts, and some rest after what sounds like a hectic rehearsal, the band has really gotten the swing of the new stuff and are playing it with some real confidence now.  Just a strong show all round.  Girls in Black was a definite standout just so much power live, and Everything is Automatic got everyone out of their seats.  I really liked Cloudbusting as a closer, especially with the rock out section at the end.  Can't wait for Vancouver! 

 

[Guest Idioteque]

I hope Matt considers album anniversary tours or 1 time shows. He's said he would be okay with Underdogs & Beautiful Midnight, then whenever he mentions playing rare songs he's usually mentioning tracks off Audio of Being giving the impression he's comfortable with that album now.

 

I know if we NEVER bug him about Last Of The Ghetto Astronauts there will be a chance. Also Im aware he's hesitant towards the albums involving Geoff which is understandable.

 

Great setlist tonight (even though I feel the wrong songs are being cycled for Chaotic Neutral) I'd be happy with one of the nights for Vancouver just being the album in it's entirety & the second night for the more obscure stuff (Advertising/Badlands etc), I still haven't heard Avalanche live, that's my favorite song!

 

I've been thinking, when it comes to 2/3 night shows back to back like Vancouver & Toronto. Are the extra shows looked at as "These are people who couldn't get into the previous shows so they want more singles" or "These are hardcore fans doing multiple nights and want the more rare stuff". I'm sure it's close to 50/50 but I'm curious how Matt goes about writing a setlist for multiple shows or what you guys consider them to mean.

 

That's why I always love back to back shows for bands like The Tragically Hip or Matthew Good because I know they will constantly change their setlist for any show. I know plenty of bands that will stick with the same setlist for an entire tour & I can understand how that makes life easier I can also see how it kills wanting to follow a band around.

 

Just some 12am thoughts lol.

[Some Random]

as someone who's been to 5 shows so far (not even close to what some of the people who come here have been to, i'm sure) i'm totally cool with set lists being dominated by new material. i do wish the old songs he played weren't the hits, and, instead, a few new old songs every tour that never see the light of day and deserve it, but i get that he's got to appeal to people who 'like that song off the radio from way back' or whatever.

 

also...that opener. i just watched bungalow on youtube, and this is the first time i'll be going late to an mg show to miss the opener. i dunno...maybe he appeals to a younger crowd?