Mike Nesmith Plays His Final Show With The Monkees

Michael Nesmith allegedly said his goodbyes to his former band The Monkees on Friday night at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, taking the stage for the majority of the show, the only time he has done it for this tour.

Mike Nesmith had previously made two appearances with the band, the first, with only one song, via Skype and a second live appearance to play four songs during the group’s encore.

On Friday night, Nesmith took to the stage with Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and their band and stayed for much of the show, integrating songs on which he sang throughout the proceedings.

While The Monkees does mix up their sets a little from night-to-night, the appearance of Nesmith brought a number of songs not normally in the show including Me & Magdelena, Tapioca Tundra, Sunny Girlfriend, You Just May Be the One and You Told Me.

Nesmith called this appearance “a great way to sign out” adding “I see the specter of the multiple Sinatra retirement/farewells — and this seems like the perfect time for me to step off, sit down and shut up. … What a long strange trip it’s been said TGD — and it looks like I’ve made it to the end.”

The Monkees set list

Set 1
Last Train to Clarksville (from The Monkees, 1966)
Papa Gene’s Blues (from The Monkees, 1966)
Your Auntie Grizelda (from More of the Monkees, 1967)
Saturday’s Child (from The Monkees, 1966)
She (from More of the Monkees, 1967)
A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You (single, 1967)
She Makes Me Laugh (from Good Times, 2016)
The Girl I Knew Somewhere (from Headquarters, 1967)
Sometime in the Morning (from More of the Monkees, 1967)
Me & Magdelena (from Good Times, 2016)
Shades of Gray (from Headquarters, 1967)
Randy Scouse Git (from Headquarters, 1967)
For Pete’s Sake (from Headquarters, 1967)
You Bring the Summer (from Good Times, 2016)
Listen to the Band (from The Monkees Present, 1969)
What Am I Doin’ Hangin’ ’round? (from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, 1967)

Set 2
Mary, Mary (from More of the Monkees, 1967)
Circle Sky (from Justus, 1996)
Porpoise Song (Theme From “Head”) (from Head, 1968)
Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again? (from Head, 1968)
Words (from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, 1967)
Sunny Girlfriend (from Headquarters, 1967)
(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone (from More of the Monkees, 1967)
You Just May Be the One (from Headquarters, 1967)
You Told Me (from Headquarters, 1967)
Birth of an Accidental Hipster (from Good Times, 2016)
Goin’ Down (from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, 1967)
D.W. Washburn (single, 1968)
Tapioca Tundra (from The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees, 1968)
Daydream Believer (from The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees, 1968)

Encore
Pleasant Valley Sunday (from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, 1967)
I’m a Believer (from More of the Monkees, 1967)

The Monkees reached another milestone last week. The TV show The Monkees debuted 50 years ago. ‘The Monkees’ was developed by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, the series was inspired by the Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night. By April of 1965, a pilot script had been written by Paul Mazursky, who would go on to write and direct Academy Award nominated films Harry & Tonto and An Unmarried Woman, and Larry Tucker, who co-wrote and was nominated for an Oscar for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, and casting began.

The Monkees will tour Australia in December.

The Monkees tour dates

New Zealand
Tuesday November 29th – Isaac Theatre, Christchurch
Wednesday November 30th – ASB Theatre, Auckland

Australia
Friday December 2nd – QPAC, Brisbane
Saturday December 3rd – Twin Towns, Tweed Heads
Monday December 5th – Wrest Point Entertainment Centre, Hobart
Wednesday December 7th – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Friday December 9th – Llewellyn Concert Hall, Canberra
Saturday December 10th – State Theatre, Sydney
Sunday December 11th – Thebarton, Adelaide
Tuesday December 13th – Concert Hall, Perth

Tickets – http://tombowler.com.au/tours/the-monkees/