Mark the transitions
If a guitar change takes 90 seconds or an electronic rig needs a new session, put it in the set. Silence feels much longer when nobody knows whether the band is ready.
Performance tool
The set list is a map.
A usable set list carries more than song titles. It can make transitions, tuning changes, backing tracks, speaking moments, lighting changes, breaks and the expected end time visible before anybody walks on stage.
Set order
Plan the intensity
High-volume, high-tempo and high-social-demand segments do not have to stack back-to-back. A set can have an intensity contour without becoming less exciting.
Publish the real end
For players who manage medication, transportation, energy or support staff, “probably done around ten” is materially different from an agreed 9:45 end.