Is it Really Necessary to Play Live ?

Unless you're a known act or something, well of course it is necessary to play live, but for the average songwriter isn't the internet the place to be? Potentially the world is available. Lets face it, if I go to a bar I don't want to hear original songs unless I know of them, or the artist, or perhaps the event is billed as a songwriter's night. It's either covers or canned music these days. Not to be discouraging to others, but that's the way it is. On top of that, many bands can't control volume and I 'm not going to pay good money to leave with numb hearing. Playing with others is a good feeling thing but it has to be creatively right. There has to be a collective band vision, a structured practice regimen, places to play, and a collective band desire to get everything right. If there isn't, it's a waste of time. For a songwriter, what's the sense in playing live unless your songs demand that level of performance. Look at Nine Inch Nails. When one can pick up a guitar, plug it in, have just about every sound you can imagine on basically infinite tracks, record at leisure or 3am, and not have to lug equipment around and play in front of the wasted dude at midnight who wants to hear Sweet Home Alabama, well what would you do? I will still play out but only for the right reasons.