[Skub]

I hope you are all keeping well,folks.

On topic,it all depends on why you do it.

If playing live is a source of income you better be playing what your customers want to hear,otherwise you won't be eating.
The folk out there who want to be entertained have no patience at all with unknown musicians who plays songs they don't know,as has been mentioned it's difficult enough for an established act to win over an audience who are there primarily to hear the hits.

If it's not a source of income,it doesn't matter,you are probably well used to playing for little or no money and the gigs can be used as a means of getting your face/music out there.

From a personal perspective,I'm like Boydie I kept the two separate. Covers for work and my own stuff recorded at home. (at least I did before I stopped doing both) 

I played in one band which mixed the two and while we were busy enough and young/stupid enough not to be worried about little financial reward,you could see the punter's eyes glaze over when you offered up a self penned track. I'm completely well aware that in comparison to the hits,our songs were nowhere close to being good enough anyway,but that's another debate.

I earned good money playing in a wedding/functions band,but that's not about music,it's about being a backdrop to the occasion and providing a noise they can dance to,or ignore if they wish to. It's soul destroying for anyone who values music,but a dose of real world medicine anyway. If they have enough stimulants on board,they will dance to a car alarm. The money is king.

Again from a personal view,I don't 'know' any of my songs and would need to learn them before taking them live. I haven't written or played anything for over a year now,but when I was writing and recording,I finished a track then moved on to the next. I never ever played or listened to it again. I couldn't even tell you what key or pitch they are in,nor remember a single lyric line.

Davy.

[Boydie]

I could not agree more @Skub

If you are being booked as “entertainment” (weddings, functions etc.) then I think it is fair to say the expectation is covers

If you are booked as “you, the artist” - then that is the chance to showcase your songs

Pubs are an interesting in-between, where most bands would play covers but I think if you have some”high energy” originals then it is worth giving them an airing - unless it is a weeknight/open mic

Another option is to hook up with a band and play your originals in the break

When our very own @James Nighthawk was promoting his album we invited him to play in the break of our covers gig with some of his acoustic numbers

This worked really well as we had warmed the crowd up with a set of covers, which (IMHO) made them more receptive to listening to originals

[PeteS]

Very accurate and honest reply @Skub .  I also only vaguely know my songs as I don't play them that much after recording them, although I am trying a bit of that at the moment as I want to see if I can very them slightly when played solo and acoustically but that's another topic altogether.

I'm not interested in playing for money, way past that but @Boydie's suggestion of playing in the break of a covers set sounds good.

Pete

[Jambrains]

I just wondered that now live music is coming back into our lives, do any of you play your own songs live?

Simple answer: no. That would require a band and I don't have one and don't want one, been there, done that, done with it. And live is overrated anyway if you asked me, never enjoyed doing it and never enjoyed attending. But then I'm a control freak so ... :-) :-)

[cowparsleyman]

@Boydie - Totally agree, the venue determines the punters, which determines the set. @Jambrains - You surprise me Johann, I would have put you down as jumping at the opportunity to play your stuff live, and relishing it when you were playing.

I think I'll just pop along to open mic nights, when it's sensible to do so, seems to me the least agro in playing live.

[seriousfun]

When I was gigging, I dont't anymore, I played mostly covers and just sprinkled a few of my own in so as not to lose the audience but yet still get my stuff out there. Seemed to work ok, just a matter of balance,

[Wicked deeds]

In my absence from the forum, I've reconeccted with my roots. I always used to write on acoustic guitar but became so used to being a studio musician that I hardly ever rehearsed. I couldn't remember how to play most of the songs that I had polished in the DAW
environment that I had become so familiar with, essentially using it as a songwriting tool. For the last few months, I've really enjoyed learning a collection of songs, 23 in total. I'm not far off being ready to play live though perhaps, I never will. There isn't any urgency but I at least feel like an all round 'real'  songwriter once again.

Wicked

[ChrisPrice]

I've only done one gig since covid19. I really miss it but I don't miss playing some of the grotier pubs and clubs. I would love to put together a gritty rock n roll band and give it another roll of the dice with my original songs, but I just don't think there's an audience for it. They want covers and I'm tired of doing them. We have a couple of acoustic gigs later in the year and much of that set will be original material but that's only an occasional thing. I'm really enjoying writing and recording these days.

[PeteS]

Interesting that this got resurrected!  I'm with you Chris, they want covers and I either don't want to play them or they don't want to hear the ones I like. 

But like @Wicked deeds I grew too comfortable in front of the DAW so I too have been re learning my own songs and converting them into acoustic versions.  Still not sure I'll ever play them to anyone (probably lost my nerve these days) but it changes the fun element.