Genesis Tour Setlists - Reimagined

    Hi everyone,


    Since I've seen a lot of posts and threads regarding the tracklists of the albums, I thought of opening one regarding the tour setlists.


    I have always been fascinated by setlists, and I started to pick some patterns out in Genesis ones!

    For instance, since the ATTWT tour, when touring a studio album, they have always started their gigs with a song from their previously published record:

    • ATTWT tour: Eleventh Earl of Mar
    • Duke tour: Deep in the Motherlode
    • Abacab tour: Behind the Lines
    • Mama tour: Dodo.
    • Invisible Touch tour: Mama
    • We Can't Dance tour: Land of Confusion
    • CAS tour: No Son of Mine

    Another thing I have noticed is that the old medleys or "old tracks" were usually placed during the first five or six pieces of the set, creating a huge variety of tracks among the first part of the concert (a strong opening, a hit, a couple of new tracks, one old song or medley). Or the fact that since Duke, they played very little material from their second-last published album!

    I don't want to make this a monologue (also because all my theories might just be coincidental) so I'll go straight to the point.


    Select a tour of your choice and re-imagine the setlist! You could "shuffle" the existing setlist or substitute songs but with the "Genesis criteria" (e.g. don't make it all deep cuts or cut out most of the new album, etc.).


    I'll start by choosing the Abacab Tour:

    1. Behind the Lines
    2. Abacab
    3. Squonk (I feel it has good strength, it could have worked nicely in this tour)
    4. Dodo/Lurker
    5. Ripples (or maybe Many Too Many? Could have been a good deep cut to throw in)
    6. No Reply at All
    7. Turn It On Again
    8. Man on the Corner
    9. In the Cage/Cinema Show/Slippermen
    10. Afterglow
    11. Me and Sarah Jane
    12. Misunderstanding
    13. Follow You Follow Me
    14. Dance on A Volcano/Drum Duet/Los Endos
    15. I Know What I Like
    16. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway/The Musical Box ending

    You get the
    Hope this could be fun and interesting for you guys to do and I hope I opened it in the right section.


    PS: Also hope it's not a double thread, in that case, I apologise. :saint:

    Re-imagined The Last Domino


    1. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight (first two verses, a capella)

    2. Land Of Confusion

    3. Behind The Lines

    4. Duchess / Musical Box (outro)

    5. Squonk

    6. Home By The Sea / Second Home By The Sea

    7. Hold On My Heart

    8. Abacab

    9. Jesus He Knows Me


    -- acoustic set --


    10. That's All

    11. Lover's Leap

    12. Follow You, Follow Me


    13. Mama

    14. Firth of Fifth / I Know What I Like

    15. In Too Deep

    16. Throwing It All Away

    17. Domino

    19. Fading Lights


    Encore 1:


    20. Misunderstanding

    21. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight / Invisible Touch


    Encore 2:


    22. Carpet Crawlers

    23. Turn It On Again

    I'm all in !


    For months I've been imagining what the band could have done for their last tour...


    The Last Domino - Setlist of my dreams


    Intro : When The Sour turns to Sweet, intro (« We're waiting for you, Come and join us now, We need you with us, Come and join us now »… 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4 !!!)


    1. Duke's Intro (Behind the Lines/Duke's End) (transits into…) (Mike Bass)

    2. Abacab (shortened version, replaces Turn It On Again) (Mike Bass)

    3. Mama (Mike Guitar)

    4. Land of Confusion (Mike Guitar)


    (« Now, for this very last tour, we thought it would be great to play some songs that we haven’t played for a very, very, very long time… » - Audience cheering - « So this next one is a very, very, very old song, some may consider it as a classic now » - Audience cheering. « It’s called The Musical Box. » - Audience acclaims.)


    5. The Musical Box (replaces Home By The Sea) (Mike Double-Neck Guitar/Bass)


    (« Now we are placed in an unusual way, allowing us to perform songs a bit differently… As I said earlier, we also thought this tour would be the last opportunity to play some of our songs… So, why wouldn’t we play some never played live stuff ? » - Audience cheering - « So, to begin, a song that may have been a little forgotten over the years… Some of you might recognise it… »)


    6. Acoustic set:

    1. A Trick Of The Tail (replaces That’s All) (Mike Bass)

    2. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (shortened) (Mike Bass)

    3. Not About Us (added) (Mike Acoustic Guitar )

    4. White Mountain (added, first verse, goes into…) (Mike Acoustic Guitar )

    5. Ripples (added, first verse and chorus) (Mike Acoustic Guitar )

    6. Lovers Leap (added) (Mike Acoustic Guitar )


    7. Medley: (Mike Double-Neck Guitar/Bass)

    1. Fading Lights (first half) (transits into…)

    2. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats / Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers / In That Quiet Earth (first half in 9/8, then Earl of Mar lead line transits into…)

    3. Apocalypse in 9/8 (replaces Cinema Show, at the B Major final chord, transits into…)

    4. Afterglow (E Major, the way they played it in 2021-2022)


    8. Duchess (Mike Double-Neck Guitar/Bass)

    9. Misunderstanding (Mike Bass)

    10. Firth of Fifth (instrumental section) (Mike Bass)

    11. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (Mike Bass)

    12. Follow You Follow Me (normal version) (replaces No Son Of Mine) (Mike Guitar)

    13. Domino (Mike Guitar)

    14. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (shortened) / Invisible Touch (Mike Guitar)

    15. Los Endos (Short drum solo/intro by Nic, Mike Double-Neck Guitar/Bass)


    Encore

    16. "I Can't Dance" (Mike Guitar)

    17. "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" (introduction with first two verses) / The Carpet Crawlers (Mike Guitar)


    Now every album would have been covered at least with one song. It would have made sense since it was their last tour. But it's probably much too long too...

    I like that. :thumbup: I'd delete I Can't Dance and grudgingly accept that TTT and IT have to be there as hits, but your choices are very close to what I would have loved to hear on the farewell tour - obviously with the ideal world assumption that Phil was fit enough to carry them off.

    Ok, so for what it's worth, here's my version of the ultimate farewell show setlist.

    I think it would come in at roughly 3 hours and gives a good representation of all eras of their career as a band.
    In my head it flows well, with several "wow" moments where the audience get hit by something they wouldn't necessarily be expecting - as well as leaving some of the "staples" out.
    I imagine the stage design, lighting and visual effects to be those of the Last Domino tour as they truly were really impressive.


    So, here goes....the anticipation is building...the lights start to fade....the backing tape (American Beauty theme "Any Other Name"?) plays in the darkness before slowly fading out leaving everyone in the dark silence for a few long seconds.
    Then....the staccato sound of drumsticks 4 times in quick succession and.....in a flash of stage lights the band launch into a powerful opener:


    Dukes Intro / Dukes End......(transitions into)....Watcher Of The Skies (closing section)
    Turn It On Again
    (PC has to wait for the audience applause to die down..."Good evening....thank you for coming to see us on this special evening. Tonight we'll be playing a lot of old songs....and some even older songs. We hope we've put together a "best of" setlist that you'll enjoy". He turns and gives Mike the nod, who then starts the opening notes of....)
    Dance On A Volcano....(transitions into)....The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway...(transitions into).....Abacab
    Land Of Confusion
    (PC says that "story songs have always been a big part of Genesis history...this next one is one of our favourites from the last album we wrote together")
    Driving The Last Spike
    Home By The Sea / Second Home By The Sea
    Mama
    Duchess
    Firth of Fifth (full version)
    (PC then thanks the crew "past and present who have kept Genesis on the road for over 50 years". He pays tribute to Peter and Steve for their role in the band's history..."they may even be here tonight watching, you never know". The band are introduced, with Phil thanking them for their time together and telling them all he loves them. A real poignant moment, leading into.....)....
    Fading Lights....(just before the instrumental break it transitions into)....Fly On A Windshield / Broadway Melody....(the audience gasp as they realise Steve has joined on guitar)....(transitions into).....Carpet Crawlers...(Again, the audience gasp and applaud as Peter joins Phil on vocals).
    (The audience give a rousing ovation as Peter and Steve take their bows and exit stage left. The warm, sentimental feeling continues with...)...
    Follow You Follow Me
    That's All (to start picking up the pace again!)
    Tonight Tonight Tonight (audience expect it to transition into Invisible Touch so are stunned when the full version is played)
    The Cinema Show (full version).....(transitions into)....Afterglow
    Domino
    (PC thanks everyone for coming, "and for your support over the years....we love you. We're going to leave you with this...it's for you....")
    Dancing With The Moonlit Knight.....(transitions into)....Musical Box (closing section)
    In The Cage....In That Quiet Earth...Apocalypse in 9/8...As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (in other words the "Invisible Cage" medley, or as the band have referred to it in rehearsals "In The Quiet Cage with Supper"!).


    As the final chords and drums bring the song to a powerful close, the stage lights start to dim...the applause and ovation continue once the band have left the stage.


    For a good few minutes the chanting for "more" continues...no-one wanting it to be over. Then.....the cheering and applause starts up again as the band start coming back on stage....they launch into...
    Invisible Touch
    The Knife
    I Know What I Like


    And then if the audience still wanted more (which we would be)....
    Los Endos (bringing the show to a close with the powerful instrumental anthem (just as they started it) showcasing their individual musicianship and together as a "sum of the parts").


    The final applause is deafening and the ovation goes on for many minutes as the band take their last bows.


    -----------------‐---‐--------------------------------------------------------
    (Like previous posters it was tempting to put a few things in that have never been done live before (On The Shoreline? Feeding The Fire? Mad Man Moon? Blood On The Rooftops?). Likewise, leaving out some staples (eg I Can't Dance, Throwing It All Away, No Son Of Mine etc) would be deemed controversial maybe.....but, it's my fantasy setlist and I think it works!)


    Genesis, thank you for the music!x

    Those last two (which are ace) have got me off the fence now. And again this is stressing that this is fantasy land, a world where Phil is fine and it doesn't matter that they might not have tried some of what follows.


    Watcher of The Skies intro + closing section / Dukes Intro / Dukes End / Duchess

    Mama

    Land of Confusion

    Fading Lights / Fly On A Windshield / Broadway Melody / Second Home By The Sea

    Blood On The Rooftops

    Abacab

    Firth of Fifth / I Know What I Like [I'd prefer the full FoF but I'm compromising]

    Down and Out

    Tonight Tonight Tonight [not really my choice but it would work a treat]

    The Cinema Show (full version) / Afterglow

    Carpet Crawlers

    In The Cage / In That Quiet Earth / Apocalypse in 9/8 / As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs

    Invisible Touch (definitely not my choice but it's expected)

    Turn It On Again

    Dance on A Volcano

    Los Endos


    Dancing With The Moonlit Knight / Musical Box (closing section) [like Chicago 1978]

    The Knife

    These fantasy setlists are great and would all be incredible.


    That said, the tour was fantastic with the reworked Duchess, the acoustic section and Nic's drumming on Second Home By The Sea my particular favourites.


    Just wish they could have tweaked it slightly by swapping up the first track so it wasn't used two tours in a row (as good as Duke's Intro is), squeezed Peter and Steve in and dropped just one of the hits for a deeper cut. I would propose

    • No Son of Mine out for Abacab which is moved to the opener
    • I Can't Dance out for Los Endos which is moved up as the last song of the main set and Invisible Touch to open the encore
    • Steve and Peter to guest on Carpet Crawlers

    That would've been perfect and (almost) in the realms of possibility.

    Quote from Duke of Earl of Mar

    7. Medley: (Mike Double-Neck Guitar/Bass)

    1. Fading Lights (first half) (transits into…)

    2. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats / Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers / In That Quiet Earth (first half in 9/8, then Earl of Mar lead line transits into…)

    3. Apocalypse in 9/8 (replaces Cinema Show, at the B Major final chord, transits into…)

    4. Afterglow (E Major, the way they played it in 2021-2022)

    I've made an audio patchwork of what's above : see attachment (sorry for the very low audio quality). To me, it works well (do not pay too much attention to the different sources, it changes the sounds and the atmosphere, it's just for the sake of it).

    If only... Anyway, it's over now.


    ;)

    Medley Genesis 2022 vlq.mp3.zip

    Re-imagined We Can't Dance:


    1. Behind The Lines

    2. Land of Confusion

    3. No Son Of Mine

    4. Driving The Last Spike

    5. Supper's Ready

    6. Carpet Crawlers

    7. Mama

    8. Throwing It All Away

    9. Abacab

    10. Jesus He Knows Me

    11. Dreaming While You Sleep

    12. Never A Time

    13. Home By The Sea

    14. Hold On My Heart

    15. Domino

    16. Fading Lights

    17. Drum Duet

    18. Los Endos


    Encore:


    19. We Can't Dance

    20. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight

    21. Invisible Touch

    22. Turn It On Again

    Im not sure Phil would make it to Carpet Crawlers with those two back to back.

    I'll go with my 'dream setlist' for the Turn it On Again tour, as that's the last one I got to see:


    Duke's Intro/Turn it On Again

    No Son of Mine

    Land of Confusion

    Dance on a Volcano/The Lamb.../Musical Box/Firth of Fifth

    In Too Deep

    Squonk

    Follow You Follow Me

    The Cinema Show

    Mama

    Abacab

    Ripples

    Throwing it All Away

    Drum Duet/Los Endos

    We Can't Dance

    Tonight Tonight Tonight/Invisible Touch


    Encore:

    Dancing with the Moonlit Knight/Carpet Crawlers



    When considering what songs to put on there, I decided to go the 'realistic' route-mainly songs I felt Phil could legitimately play and sing at that time. I know not having a cage medley in there - especially not having Afterglow seems like a missed opportunity-but considering the fact that we have Ripples and the whole of Cinema Show in there, I feel the Dance/Lamb/Box/Firth medley is a better representation covering even earlier material than the Cage medley does.


    As for Domino and Home by the Sea, they're great live pieces, but they aren't that well known beyond being considered hardcore fan favorites. Not to mention together they take up valuable setlist real estate!


    My ultimate dream list might contain songs he may not have been up to any longer so, I decided to keep my choices grounded abit. But this is what I would've loved to see-especially Squonk, Abacab and the whole of Cinema Show!