Mark
As with every job it depends on the situation and what the crowd wants. NH and the like its just the keyboard using styles and doing vocals. Parties I bring a Numark mixer and box of CD's (I really should do the computer thing but I haven't made that jump yet.) I start out live and them mix in the dance tunes I can't/won't try to replicate and usually it turns into a full DJ thing by the end of the night with maybe a few live ballads thrown in. For small affairs which I expect to be all live but you never know, I bring my I Touch with some essentials loaded in.
As discussed in another thread here its getting harder to do a whole gig live anymore. EX: I just hooked up last minute to do two nights including NYE with a well known band here in South NJ. I just had to DJ their breaks! Total work time for me less than 1 hr. per night. They themselves, (6 pieces) played along with a Yamaha 910 and at times no one was playing anything live, just singing and jumping around. Crowd loved them so even though it was a turnoff for me you can't argue with success. The band leader liked my DJ-ing so much he promised he will call for future weddings, etc. and tried to book me for next NYE. Hopefully I'll have some more contacts here and can do my own thing by then. I rather be really playing so I'm hooking up with some musicians here to do a real band thing. Hope it works out for my musical sanity!
All those piano lessons-----HA!
Good Luck
_________________________
Bill in SC --- Roland BK9 (2) Roland BK7M, Roland PK5 Pedals, Roland FP90, Roland CM30 (2), JBL Eon Ones (2) JBL 610 Monitor, Behringer Sub, EV mics, Apple iPad (2) Behringer DJ mixer