Very often bands create a set list which will be either too long, too short but mostly not well-balanced.
It is important to try different sets to see which one will work best and also to avoid boredom.
Of course, it all depends on the type of show you perform.
If your concert is in the same range as Madonna's, with dancers, choreographies etc…you will have a perfectly synchronized set which you will stick to.
If not, what you intend to do, is to be able to keep the interest and attention of your audience all the way throughout the concert!
The key is in the ingredients you will use in order to do so.
You will need dynamics and climaxes, participation of the audience, surprises, humor, unforgettable moments and last but not least, a lot of emotional drive.
You are the cook here, and the more ingredients you'll put into your show, the more complex it will be; but the more sophisticated and high quality it will become as well!!
I always treat a set as a storyboard. It has to follow the same logic and use the same subtleties.
To achieve this, you will need all the ingredients, I mentioned above. Feel free to add some more, of course.
A great set has to be exciting and has to follow a certain rhythm.
If you structure your set following the needs of the audience, you will score each time. There is logic behind all of this of course.
When you are yourself in the audience, to discover an artist you do not know, what are your expectations?
First, you check how the band looks, if the singer has an interesting voice, if the musicians are good or not, etc.
Then you pay attention to their stage presence and how much energy they give out. You may not do all that consciously, but you do it nonetheless. After a check of all these things, you may direct your attention to the lyrics of the songs (if you can understand them) and only finally, you may really start enjoying the general picture. Of course, if the band gives it all within the first three songs and has no surprises left, you may quickly get bored to death!!
Plan your set imagining what will be the state of mind of your audience. Remember that they don't know you. Therefore, you need to convince them that you are awesome, in order to turn them into faithful fans.
Spread your surprises, your special features and your interactions with the audience in a way that will ensure no possibility for boredom.
Another important point to consider is that some guitar players need to swap guitars between songs.
Always think about that while building the sets, so they have the appropriate time to do it.
(Source: Stage Masters Live Volume 1)
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