What counts - Artist's intro or typed setlist name?
Posted 7 Jul 2014, 23:14:13
My apologies if this has come up before. What is the best authority for a new, unrecorded song name? Set List or band's verbal introduction?
Lake Street Dive has not recorded 4 (new) songs that they play on tour. Apparently more than one setlist taken from the stage calls a song “Mistakes”. But I have heard it introduced as “Look At What Mistake”. Most recent is a YouTube Radio Woodstock video with Rachel Price formally introducing the bands name and the song as “Look At What Mistake”.
This has to be a common issue.
Did I goof when I changed the 8 previous set listings from Mistakes to the song title I believe is it's official name? I got a comment that “…set list says….” and I tried to be polite and give the YouTube link as my source. What is the rule of thumb?
I do appreciate that a band might have some short hand for songs. Or that some long title needs to be shortened like “Sometimes When I'm Drunk and You're Wearing My Favorite Shirt”. :)
Last edited 7 Jul 2014, 23:18:14
Posted 8 Jul 2014, 3:06:42
The official word of course is with the band itself. If the song is listed in an album, video or available online for download, then it should the title used in that listing. In the case that is not listed anywhere other than the setlist, then you should consider to see if this is a band that abbreviates their setlists titles or not. If the band never abbreviates their titles, then the printed setlist can be considered to have the official title. For other cases, it should be safe to use titles verbally given by the band while in concert like you did, especially if the song has been formally introduced. In such cases it probably would be a good idea to provide evidence of at least two separate occasions in which the band has introduced the song with that title.
Posted 8 Jul 2014, 11:01:51
Thanks Soundwave,
The levels of reliability you outlined make sense to me.
Another key point is to provide more information in the edit/comment box. I only put: “Band calls song “Look At What Mistake”, this is last edited setlist (changed 8 entries)”. A better entry might have been: “YouTube videos at FreshGrass Sep 22 2013 labels song and at Levon Helm Studios Garden Session Jun 21 2014 Rachael Price introduces song as “Look At What Mistake”. Made this correction to 8 setlists.”
Appreciate the detailed comments. Hope this helps others.
Posted 8 Jul 2014, 12:17:19
I would go for
@Unknown[New song, introduced as “Look at What Mistake”]
As soon the song is on an album the @Unknown could get corrected to the official title.
If the song does not get an introduction, you could write something like
@Unknown[New song, unknown title, lyrics contain “Down in the Valley of Snakes…”]
