It's just tough when you belong to fan groups. Someone is always posting what songs were played at their show.
I'm just puzzled why this is even a discussion... "No, I want my favorite band to play the same 15 songs 45 gigs in a row!" As a local band drummer geek must of my adult life, I would get bored as hell playing the same stuff every gig... and that was (at its peak) once every two weeks. I guess if the money is right... "Really, guy, people like songs that aren't Satisfaction and Stray Cat Strut."
That's not the point. The point is: if I'm only going to attend one show, then whatever. So I don't require the band to rotate sets, which is something they clearly don't like doing (except Mike). It's not that sophisticated of a thought.
But it does affect you. When you are one of 45, and the band isn't stretching out on that gangplank with the fear of falling, are you getting their best? I've seen Kiss now more than any other band, and literally half the set has been the same regardless of whether it was makeup, no makeup, reunion, or current incarnation, and while the show is still great, I've written about how there have been times where they've had to purposefully remind themselves that they have a paying audience that maybe hasn't seen them before, and they better step it up.
Granted, these guys are all professionals, but I think DT is a different band than Kiss, and they build energy in different ways.
I've written in general about the dynamic between Mike and John on John's solo tour, but more specifically, there was one song where they were clearly playing off each other and it didn't seem planned (and was different the two nights I saw them). John was looking square at Mike to see what he was going to do and Mike was looking square at John to see what he was going to do and it was electric. I experienced the same thing at the Innocence and Danger shows with Neal Morse (but specifically between Mike and Randy and again, it was different the two nights I saw them).
Look, even if they don't rotate the setlist - and many great live bands don't; Rush for example - they should at least build those personal, unique, "only happening right here on this stage on this night" moments that create - for me, anyway - energy and electricity. I don't know; when you're busy counting time and making sure you hit your cue, I feel like those moments of spontaneity are harder to come by.
Yes, affect, both for better and for worse. Different situations, whether a show is looser and more flexible or more rigid and rehearsed. I'm not saying it isn't.
I'm just saying that it's possible to attend one of the 45 shows where the band will play the same songs in the same way and have a great time. But it seems that many think not, that the show will undoubtedly be boring. If that were the case, most bands' shows would be boring. I don't think it is.
I'll give an example. My show on the Chaos in Motion Tour was a lot of fun in the sense that you're advocating. MP took JP's guitar and tried out some Eruption tappings, with JP on drums (there's a video online of MP doing the same thing at a show in Europe). Mike was super excited at this show, with several interventions between songs. In one of the moments he literally simulated fu***ng an ant on set.
It was funny and cool to watch. The other DT shows I attended weren't like that (even with MP on the drums). I can say that this was the most unique DT show I attend. It was the best? No, it was not. Why not? Because I liked more the setlists I attended at shows after he left the band (and I'm not saying that this happened because he left the band, before some people get pissed). That simple.
My best moments with DT live had nothing to do with who the drummer was, whether the setlist was fixed, A/B or rotating, whether the show was more relaxed or rigorous. And yes, which songs played and their sequence, and what worked best or not for my taste.
At the end of the day, the important thing is for people to go to shows (or via the internet, CDs, whatever) and get emotional, have fun and have a good time. On the internet there are a lot of people reacting and appreciating Nightwish's live moments, even with tons of pre-recorded backing tracks. That's what I'm saying.
Anyway, MP is back. The shows will please you again. So it's okay.