There's a lot to be said for choosing something that's a little bit different. If you don't know the club well and you do a well known song, it may be one that they hear too often already, and will sound a bit jaded no matter what you do with it. On the other hand, people do like a certain amount of familiarity.

I often enjoy hearing slightly different versions of the old standards - perhaps a different pairing of words and tune, or a fusion of two old songs to make one new one. Or just a regional variant that's less well known than other versions. There are, of course, some songs that are best left just as they are, but there are lots that will stand a bit of tampering with, and often emerge the better for it. At least it makes your audience sit up and listen if the song sounds slightly familiar and yet not quite as they're used to it.

Newly "discovered" traditional songs from old books or recordings can be a real treat, or quite the opposite - sometimes it's pretty obvious WHY a song has remained unsung for 75 years. Don't feel you have to do anything that's second-best just for the sake of novelty.

Marje