You have about one 45 minute set there. You need more songs for a 45 minute set. Dare I suggest write some originals? Beatles cover? I'd love to hear a My Generation surf cover some day.

JakeDobner
I'd love to hear a My Generation surf cover some day.

That's a great idea!...also versions of: "Happy Jack", "I Can See for Miles", "Can't Explain" "Call Me Lightning" ""The Ox"...Hey wait...maybe an early Who surf comp???

Hey Tom, you have a good list there of all the hits, but there are many more lesser known 60's songs that I would seek out. Check out some of the comps like Surf Creature, Rare Surf, and the Lost Legends of Surf Guitar series. See also Jim Messina & The Jesters, Fender IV, Crossfires, etc.

You may also consider covering some modern bands. Since you seem to have a trad surf streak going, I suggest Jon & The Nightriders for some good authentic sounding trad surf. Also check out The Volcanos, Satan's Pilgrims, The Bomboras, and The Nebulas.

Good luck with the band! Let us know how it goes.

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
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"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

That list isn't just "sprinkled" with classics. It's all the classics. Not saying that's a bad thing...But, you're missing:
Surf Party
Squad Car
Moment of Truth
Endless Summer
Pintor
Secret Agent Man
Mr. Rebel
that'll get you started on your second set...!

We're doing Kon Tiki and Atlantis...some cool Shadows tunes.

Also, look for some of the b-sides and more obscure classics too:
Quiet Surf---Richie Polodor
Johnny Guitar---Spotnicks
Harlem Nocturne---The Ventures
Channel Nine---The Challengers

Then sneak in some classic sounding newer stuff by guys like Satan's Pilgrims, The Blue Hawaiians, The Eliminators, Los Straitjackets. Surf up some semi-popular tunes, work on a few Link Wray/Dick Dale inspired originals....hey wait a minute that's my secret formula!

Lot's of good tunes listed.
A few more..
Chicken Scratch
High Tide/Tranquilizer
Rik-A-Tik
Bulldog
Torquay
Yellow Jacket

Jake - Your right, we're looking at having 30 songs or so ...15 per set...15 x 3min...
Originals? LOL, I've only been playing Bass for about 9 months. You gotta crawl before you walk, and walk before (don't) you run...sorry, too easy! Oh Jake, I got a Sax player! :-).. but he doubles down on rythym for songs like Pipelines, Baja, etc. Speaking of originals, my lead and I were wistfully thinking, "Boy won't it be great to be able to write something like "Rosarito 3 Day" not to mention being able to PLAY IT!

Dp, Brian, Ben, - Thanks, will check out those songs pronto. We were considering Knopfler' 'Theme from a Local Hero/Goin Home," as well as The Smithereens "Strangers When We Meet" (very retro sounding - saw them back in '90, way too lound!!) among others.

ElChivato - (Goat man or FBI Informant?!) thanks for your input!

Mel - Good insight. We...well I was thinking of performing a few songs at our local Pub in early Feb, just to get a feel for how the material goes over, and to sate the thirst of all our firends. I've never performed, neither has my rythym player - but he's played guitar for over 15 years; the others have played in different bands, so I was thinking I could break my cherry in a relatively benign environment - middle class, mostly 30-50 crowd. Then I've got a host of ideas, contacts, and opportunities to play out...from summer village fests, to local military bases. Our first real show will be a self -promoted gig at our local village hall...250 max capacity. I'm def not putting the cart before the horse, but as long it stands right now, I'm more than half way to 250 with local villagers, Yanks from the local military bases, and a whole host of assorted FOTB!
Mel, maybe I'm showing my naivete, but can't you combine traditional surf AND dance? Are you saying that people won't dance to it? Hmmm, I realize 2009 is not 1962, but this area has never seen or heard this kind of music. If you set the right conditions, esp if you have control over the environement...like the early guys did, wouldn't that help matters? Yeah I def am new to this game, but I'm very optimistic that folks around here are so sick and tired of endless...and I mean endless "cover bands" with so-so singers, playing so loud it makes your ears bleed, that they want, no need something so radicaly different, something new, yet so old, something that when you hear it, esp that deep, stirring reverb, makes you soul soar and makes you smile on the insided, surely once that happens, your feet and body will follow....at least that's my hope, desire, motivation and goal! So Yup, we'll be a niche band, esp if we play primarily trad stuff, but we're fine with that...for now. But of course I'll keep an open mind. Thanks for your $.02...I got a big piggy-bank so don't be shy!

Sonichris - Not faster, but some extensions - guitar solo at the bridge of WRD; extending the middle of Miserlou - get the audience clapping to the beat, and maybe a bit of banter /education of the audience between songs...but yeah I hear ya, I should have minimum of 15 songs per set, I'll aim a bit higher.
Do you think Miserlou's not appropriate for an opener, or that it's too difficult? Cause I tell ya, as a bass player it doesn't get much easier...now Diamond Head, that's a different story My rythym guy opens on the low E and my lead slides in to play the high E ...kinda in a dueling fashion. But hey, I'm open to suggestions. Since it's mostly a surf set, I was thinking in terms of Waves....setting up, swelling, breaking, crashing, receding, calm, then repeating? Yeah, I'm def getting wayyy too carried away with this imagery, but you get my drift?...def no pun intended! Like I said earlier, I've never seen a surf band perform live. I wanted to get some ideas of how you experienced guys would "rack and stack" those 22 songs in a play list. BTW, the songs, at least the first 10, were in the order we learned them in, not/not my proposed set list.

Finally, after spending so much time reading the myriad of posts on SG101, (esp over the last month since I came down with DeQuervain's Tenosynovitis - too much, I mean way too much bass playing and some improper technique - I was using a pick...first practice back with the band is tomorrow, but I digress) in addition to opting for a Sax player - love that post, I've decided to go the uniform route - not Hawaiian or bowling, but something cool, retro, and understated, someting like the stuff you'll find on "Daddyos.com." Basically looking for the "RAT Pack Casual Style." Additionally, we're looking at having two-early 1960's style Go-Go dancers - in period dress of course. Nothing seedy or salacious - to give the folks something to look at. Maybe give them a psychological "push" to dance, or at least show them that this music can be danced to!

Hope I didn't bore you all with this post, but wanted to thank those of you who took the time to help this newb as he takes his first baby steps toward playing surf out in public. I'll keep you posted on general developments and reach out privately if that is a better forum.

Oh yeah, love it or loathe it, I came up with a name for the band...

"The Surfriders" or "The Surf Riders" ?!!" decisions decisions, decisions! lol

Cheers, Tom

wooza
As a hardcore surf fan I'm usually very uncomfortable seeing a setlist like yours, but then again I'm not Cambridgeshire, England. Those songs do serve a purpose to let first-time players and the general public cut their teeth. Good luck with the unveiling.

As for me, another hardcore surf enthusiast, I could care less if you play the standards, or all originals. I've never understood why covers are looked down on. Not everyone has the same musical goals, such as writing original songs. for some, just being able to play is enough.

As a guy that plays covers in a surf band, I take real offense to the idea that a band that plays covers should be looked down on as unworthy.

99% of the audience will recognize only 1 or two songs, so play what you want.

"You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been"

Sonichris
As for me, another hardcore surf enthusiast, I could care less if you play the standards, or all originals. I've never understood why covers are looked down on. Not everyone has the same musical goals, such as writing original songs. for some, just being able to play is enough.

As a guy that plays covers in a surf band, I take real offense to the idea that a band that plays covers should be looked down on as unworthy.

99% of the audience will recognize only 1 or two songs, so play what you want.

I'm not trying to looking down on covers. I guess I should've clarified the circumstances I meant. I think when playing to the pre-established surf crowd, a set of only greatest hits like Tom's is too much preaching to the choir to be really exciting. No doubt all those songs are entertaining, but I've already been entertained by those songs, and would get a better kick out of hearing something new. (I think one cool exception to this rule was the SG101 convention where there were tons of surf fans and covers all over the place. But the whole day was really a big celebration of surf music so it worked well and was a lot of fun.) But then again Chris you're right about 99% of the crowd. No crowds are just the surf crowd so my point might not even apply... ever.
Having heard all the standards a buttload of times, I personally like to hear covers of more obscure songs, or maybe newer interpretations of old standards. But nobody else knows the difference so what does it matter to them. If playing for the crowd, standards are great. If playing for yourself (or I guess not everyone feels the same... if playing for my self) I prefer originals.
Plus, I didn't even look hard enough at the title of this thread... of course they're all first wave songs. I just realized that was the point.

Banzai Washout
Tidal Wave
K-39
Cotton Picking (on a Dick Dales original KOSG album)
The Cruel Sea
Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Misirlou Twist

Sonichris
I also like to think that all early 60's fender equipment is happy to be playing surf music again. After all, its the music it was meant to play.

Please let me know when you are playing your first gig, as someone in a fledgling surf band in london I woud love to come and see your band play live