Depends on the gig. If the audience are coming to see you, then they want your tunes, perhaps mixed with your distinctive take on some covers.

If it is a wedding or party type gig then in everyone's mind you are really just an animated jukebox. Your job is to play songs they know and can dance to pretty straight, unmessed around with. In that situation you are just a party pooper if you try and sneak in your own material - and you'll see it on everyone's faces.

Horses for courses.

Cheers - C

I've always played in original bands, so I have to go with that.
Would love to play in a cover band sometime though.

I've played only in cover bands. I don't know... my songs are personal to me. I'm surprised that I posted them up on a MySpace for all to hear. They are usually not about personal things. But, I guess because they're mine I feel funny about them. Usually, I record them alone... It always feels odd when I hear them because a lot of the time I don't know what they're gonna sound like until they're done.

When I was in the cover bands, we never tried to copy the songs note for note. We always put a little bit of ourselves into it.

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"...The final truth is, there is no truth..." - (from "Nice n' Neat" by the Boomtown Rats)

I like to make my own music. I do like playing other band's music as well and trying play it my way. I do a killer Paranoid and Seek and Destroy. When I am in a guitar shop I play my own music...drives people nuts, they always ask me what band it is. I just smile and keep playing.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

You definitely have more experience than me so if I were in your shoes, i'd do the same. Good luck. I may get there some day.

Both, but prefer making my own, although I'm not to skilled at it yet. Covering is fun and exciting if you're learning one of your all-time favorite solos or a really nice riff, but when you play it, it's more mechanic, in contrast to when you play your own, it plays more natural.

I mostly play my own stuff, and sometimes stuff other people I know came up with.

And when I play covers, I often don't play them like the originals.

I like to change them around a little--or a lot.
I enjoy that more.

But if I'm playing with others--depending on the situation--I may have to play them more accurately.

however I haven't been in a regular band for a number of years.

(Life & all that you know)

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

I agree. A good friend has taught me much and is trying to get me to solo. Soloing is an expression of you whether or not it's an original song. Most artist enjoy when you cover their work but change it to reflect you. You should be able to change the solo of your favorite song to give it you influence on it. I would do that if I could. I'm working on it, slowly.