I make my living playing, and I too, would have a terrible night without the sustain pedal. This is because I ALWAYS play an original, live chord accompiniment with my right hand - with or without the arranger playing. I started playing keys on a Fender Rhodes, and a Moog (left hand) for bass, so my right hand is very used to providing all the nessisary chords for the song. If I have the arranger on at all - it's mostly to give me some EXTRA goodies that two hands can't produce. It's NEVER the whole arrangement, and I almost NEVER play a single note melody with the right hand, unless it's a specific solo or an identiy "lead line" that everyone expects to hear.... Like the organ solo line in The DC5's "Because". The tune is dead without that signature line.
So, I guess the answer is - I play like a piano player with the right hand, and not a solo player. Without the sustain, I'd have to use organ technique, and I'm not as strong in that department. It's much harder to change chords smoothly on an organ without sustain. Some fingerings are just too far apart to do without hearing weird dropouts.
Ooooop ! It's 8 O Clock - gotta go babysit the drunks - it's amature night !