Cultural

Building a 15-Minute Setlist for Battle of the Bands

Fifteen minutes goes quickly, and setup eats into it. How bands plan a set that wins over judges and the crowd.

Last Updated : October 156 Min Read
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Most college band competitions give you fifteen minutes including setup. That usually means three songs, not four.

Open strong, close stronger

Judges form an opinion in the first minute. Start with your tightest song and save the crowd-pleaser for last.

  1. A fast, tight opener
  2. Your original composition
  3. A closer the crowd can sing along to

Rehearse the changeover

Practise plugging in and sound-checking against a timer. Every minute saved is a minute of music.

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