Day 30: What's on the setlist?

"I've got an idea, go tell the superstar his hairs are turning gray." -- Hymn for the Dudes (1973)

Ian Hunter's remark on Rockline last month that 21 songs are on a rehearsal list for the MTH reunion shows is a good starting point to discuss a setlist.

Some of those 21 will be thrown out if the band isn't satisfied with how they sound. Others will be added once everyone gets face-to-face. And some will be paired in medleys, maybe opening space for others.

But what's a realistic 21-song list?

I don't know how much politics will go into this, but I'm going to guess the following:

1- Mick Ralphs, Verden Allen and Pete Watts will get chances to sing lead. And I hope they don't pass it up. It's not in the spirit of this event for Ian Hunter to sing every song. Let's make it a party. We're all going to be singing anyway.

2- I think the Mott album will get more than a token representation, despite what others making projections say. A few of those songs are essential, and in any case four of the five members played on them. Even Allen played on some, or was it just one? I'll be disappointed if this turns into, "Phally didn't play on it, so it's out." Oh, and Allen's song in the spotlight? Please, not "Soft Ground."

3- I don't expect to hear much of The Hoople.

4- We won't hear many of the quasi-MTH songs that are really Hunter solo songs -- the "Rose" subset. If there's going to be any -- I'll bet the list starts with "Seadiver."

5- The opener (coming out of "Jupiter") will be a group-written song from the first five albums. Those suggesting "Ohio" or "Golden Age" -- fuhgetaboudit.

6- We're going to hear a big hit early to get it out of the way.

7- "Violence" made waves the last time the band played the Hammy-A (then the Hammy-O) so what about that?

8- Joe Elliott name-checking "The Original Mixed-Up Kid" at the MOJO awards raises that song's chances.

So here's my prediction. These aren't the top 21 I want to hear, they are my best guess as to what will happen. I don't count "Jupiter" in my total, and as I project two medleys I cheated and ran the list to 22.

Jupiter
Rock N Roll Queen
One of the Boys
All the Way From Memphis
Drivin Sister
The Original Mixed-Up Kid
Thunderbuck Ram
Nightmare
No Wheels to Ride
Born Late 58
Hymn for the Dudes
Laugh at Me
Seadiver
Jerkin Crocus/Roll Away the Stone
The Moon Upstairs

ENCORE I
Angeline
You Are One of Us/The Saturday Gigs
All the Young Dudes

ENCORE II
Ballad of Mott the Hoople
Walkin With a Mountain
Keep A-Knockin

What do you think?