The Church: Song Histories

Life is full of difficult questions. Questions such as "What song have The Church played live the most often?" This site can help answer some of these burning questions. The information below was derived from The Church Setlist Database, and is based on all known setlists that appear on that site. As such, it is obviously not an exact count, but it does give a bit of an indication of how often each of these songs have been called into active duty. I suppose I could have assumed that the setlists for each tour don't change that much, and then extrapolate in the numbers for known gigs whose setlists remain a mystery, and so on, but, hey, this was easier.

The tables below list each song they have played live, the number of times it appears in the setlist database, when it was first performed live, and when it was last performed live. You can view the information listed numerically by number of performances, or alphabetically by song title.

A few tidbits of note:

The Church have played 144 different songs in their live shows
Most played song: Under the Milky Way
Longest overall run: The Unguarded Moment, Almost With You, with 26 years between the first and last performance (1982-2008)
Longest gap between performances: Just for You, with 21 years between appearances (1984-2005)

Most delayed debut: Violet Town, released in 1984 and not played live until 2005

Most recent debut: Comeuppance, Hounds of Love (March 1, 2007), Wide Open Road (January 21, 2007)

And finally, you can view a list of songs The Church have recorded, but have never played live.

 

Site created and maintained by Paul Webb

Numerical List

Song Title Times Played First Time Performed Last Time Performed
Under the Milky Way 313 03/06/88 London, England - Marquee 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
Myrrh 252 09/23/85 Sydney, Australia - Tivoli 12/22/07 Perth, Australia - Fremantle Oval
Hotel Womb 217 05/21/87 Melbourne, Australia - Chasers 12/22/07 Perth, Australia - Fremantle Oval
Destination 208 03/06/88 London, England - Marquee 12/22/07 Perth, Australia - Fremantle Oval
Reptile 207 03/06/88 London, England - Marquee 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
Tantalized 202 11/02/85 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 12/22/07 Perth, Australia - Fremantle Oval
Grind 179 04/06/90 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
You Took 157 04/04/82 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 11/20/04 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
Almost With You 155 04/04/82 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 04/30/07 London, England - Carling Academy, Islington
Constant In Opal 154 08/26/84 Melbourne, Australia 08/20/06 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Buffalo 141 09/11/98 London, England - The Borderline 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
The Unguarded Moment 138 04/04/82 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
North South East and West 128 03/06/88 London, England - Marquee 03/05/07 Sydney, Australia - The Basement
Numbers 125 11/27/01 Sydney, Australia - The Basement 12/16/07 Melbourne, Australia - The Forum
Metropolis 124 04/06/90 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
A New Season 120 05/21/87 Melbourne, Australia - Chasers 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
Shadow Cabinet 116 08/26/84 Melbourne, Australia 10/13/06 Sydney, Australia - The Enmore Theatre
Tristesse 111 09/23/85 Sydney, Australia - Tivoli 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
Two Places at Once 105 05/24/94 New Brunswick, NJ - Melody Bar 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
An Interlude 97 08/26/84 Melbourne, Australia 11/20/04 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
Chromium 96 02/13/02 Canberra, Australia - Tilley’s Devine Café 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
Radiance 90 11/27/01 Sydney, Australia - The Basement 04/06/04 Paris, France - Glaz'Art
After Everything 88 09/14/99 Santa Barbara, CA - Coach House 12/01/04 Melbourne, Australia - The Spiegeltent
Sealine 84 07/25/03 Sydney, Australia - Civic Theatre, New Civic Hotel  08/20/06 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Don't Look Back 80 04/06/90 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 08/20/06 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Electric Lash 80 04/04/82 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 05/05/02 Melbourne, Australia - The Athenaeum Theatre
Is This Where You Live 79 04/04/82 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 10/06/06 Eumundi, QLD, Australia - Joe's Waterhole
When You Were Mine 79 04/04/82 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 09/26/96 Melbourne, Australia - The Palace
Ripple 75 10/02/92 Adelaide, Australia - Old Lion Hotel 12/22/07 Perth, Australia - Fremantle Oval
Day 5 73 11/23/05 Noosa, Australia - Freshwater Studio 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
Block 72 03/20/06 Brisbane, Australia - The Troubadour 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
Nothing Seeker 70 07/25/03 Sydney, Australia - Civic Theatre, New Civic Hotel  04/30/07 London, England - Carling Academy, Islington
Fly 66 04/23/83 Noosa, Australia - Noosa Heads Aussie Hop 01/24/98 Killyleagh, Northern Ireland - Dufferin Arms
Tranquility 66 10/17/98 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater 05/05/02 Melbourne, Australia - The Athenaeum Theatre
Providence 64 05/24/94 New Brunswick, NJ - Melody Bar 10/14/06 Melbourne, Australia - National Theatre
Comedown 62 08/11/95 Sydney, Australia - The Metro 05/05/02 Melbourne, Australia - The Athenaeum Theatre
She'll Come Back For You Tomorrow 62 11/09/04 Sydney, Australia - Annandale Hotel 04/30/07 London, England - Carling Academy, Islington
Columbus 61 09/23/85 Sydney, Australia - Tivoli 10/31/97 Sydney, Australia - The Metro
All I Know 60 12/01/04 Melbourne, Australia - The Spiegeltent 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
Day of the Dead 59 09/19/96 Parramatta, Australia - Collector Tavern 03/18/00 Sydney, Australia - The Metro
Pure Chance 58 03/20/06 Brisbane, Australia - The Troubadour 04/30/07 London, England - Carling Academy, Islington
Magician Among the Spirits  56 11/27/01 Sydney, Australia - The Basement 12/20/03 Launceston, Tasmania, Australia - Gone South Festival 
A Month of Sundays 54 08/26/84 Melbourne, Australia 09/12/98 London, England - The Borderline
Invisible 54 11/12/04 Adelaide, Australia - The Gov 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
The Theatre and its Double 49 07/25/03 Sydney, Australia - Civic Theatre, New Civic Hotel  12/12/07 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
Song for the Asking 48 11/27/01 Sydney, Australia - The Basement 05/05/02 Melbourne, Australia - The Athenaeum Theatre
Telepath 48 07/25/03 Sydney, Australia - Civic Theatre, New Civic Hotel  11/20/04 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
Appalatia 47 07/25/03 Sydney, Australia - Civic Theatre, New Civic Hotel  03/05/07 Sydney, Australia - The Basement
Easy 47 03/20/06 Brisbane, Australia - The Troubadour 03/05/07 Sydney, Australia - The Basement
0408 46 11/09/04 Sydney, Australia - Annandale Hotel 03/23/08 Kincumber, NSW, Australia - Lizottes
Night Friends 45 11/27/01 Sydney, Australia - The Basement 05/05/02 Melbourne, Australia - The Athenaeum Theatre
Old Flame 45 10/02/92 Adelaide, Australia - Old Lion Hotel 12/22/98 London, England - The Garage
Swan Lake 45 11/27/01 Sydney, Australia - The Basement 05/05/02 Melbourne, Australia - The Athenaeum Theatre
See Your Lights 44 07/25/03 Sydney, Australia - Civic Theatre, New Civic Hotel  04/06/04 Paris, France - Glaz'Art
Aura 42 10/02/92 Adelaide, Australia - Old Lion Hotel 12/22/98 London, England - The Garage
Maya 42 11/21/03 Newcastle, Australia - The Cambridge 12/16/05 Melbourne, Australia - The Spiegeltent
Cortez the Killer 40 05/14/88 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore 11/17/02 Sydney, Australia - Glebe Street Fair
Life Speeds Up 40 04/04/82 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 08/08/86 Encinitas, CA - La Poloma Theatre
Louisiana 40 09/11/98 London, England - The Borderline 09/16/99 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
Spark 40 05/21/87 Melbourne, Australia - Chasers 10/06/99 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
Song In Space 39 07/25/03 Sydney, Australia - Civic Theatre, New Civic Hotel  04/05/04 Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli De Helling
Blood Money 37 05/21/87 Melbourne, Australia - Chasers 10/14/88 New Haven, CT - Palace Theatre
10,000 Miles 33 08/26/84 Melbourne, Australia 10/05/99 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
One Day 33 04/23/83 Noosa, Australia - Noosa Heads Aussie Hop 11/22/94 London, England - The Mean Fiddler
Dancing Barefoot 30 04/06/90 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 07/17/90 San Diego, CA - San Diego State University 
Pharaoh 30 04/06/90 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 10/17/92 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 
Roman 30 09/23/85 Sydney, Australia - Tivoli 10/31/97 Sydney, Australia - The Metro
Russian Autumn Heart 29 04/06/90 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 07/17/90 San Diego, CA - San Diego State University 
Terra Nova Cain 29 04/06/90 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 07/17/90 San Diego, CA - San Diego State University 
Transient 29 04/06/90 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 07/17/90 San Diego, CA - San Diego State University 
Just For You  28 04/04/82 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 05/29/06 London, England - The Borderline
The Night is Very Soft 28 11/24/82 Manchester, England - The Gallery 09/12/98 London, England - The Borderline
Anaesthesia 27 11/07/98 Melbourne, Australia - Forum 03/18/00 Sydney, Australia - The Metro
Essence 27 04/06/90 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre 07/17/90 San Diego, CA - San Diego State University 
Ritz 27 05/24/94 New Brunswick, NJ - Melody Bar 10/05/99 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
Bel-Air 26 10/18/82 London, England - The Venue 01/22/98 Galway, Ireland - Roisen Dubh
Will I Start to Bleed 25 05/24/94 New Brunswick, NJ - Melody Bar 01/24/98 Killyleagh, Northern Ireland - Dufferin Arms
Cantilever 24 03/03/04 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse 11/20/04 Brisbane, Australia - The Zoo
Already Yesterday 23 09/23/85 Sydney, Australia - Tivoli 01/17/98 Dublin, Ireland - Whelan's
Mistress 23 05/24/94 New Brunswick, NJ - Melody Bar 09/12/98 London, England - The Borderline
My Little Problem 23 06/05/94 Sausalito, CA - The Plant 09/12/98 London, England - The Borderline
Never Before 22 09/29/06 Adeliade, Australia - The Gov 04/30/07 London, England - Carling Academy, Islington
Saturation 22 09/29/06 Adeliade, Australia - The Gov 04/30/07 London, England - Carling Academy, Islington
Tear it All Away 22 04/04/82 Melbourne, Australia - Prospect Hill 11/00/85 Melbourne, Australia - Pier Hotel
The Endless Sea 22 09/14/99 Santa Barbara, CA - Coach House 03/18/00 Sydney, Australia - The Metro
Dome 20 10/17/97 Sydney, Australia - The Metro 10/08/99 Memphis, TN - Newby's 
Fading Away 19 05/16/90 Kilburn, England - National Ballroom 05/04/91 Sydney, Australia - Selina's
Hiroshima Mon Amour 19 09/14/99 Santa Barbara, CA - Coach House 03/18/00 Sydney, Australia - The Metro
The View 19 11/00/85 Melbourne, Australia - Pier Hotel 08/08/86 Encinitas, CA - La Poloma Theatre
Hounds of Love 18 03/01/07 Melbourne, Australia - Manchester Lane 04/30/07 London, England - Carling Academy, Islington
In This Room 18 03/19/83 Melbourne, Australia - Festival Hall