Early, on time or late?

[LowFactor]

I was brought up with If you’re early you’re on time. If you are on on time you’re late. And if you’re late you’re fired.

 

[JimmyM]

My dad was Air Force and when he went to work for the airlines, if we wanted to take a trip, we were showing up three hours early at the airport everytime. For my first gig at a venue, I will too. Recon, figure out parking, bathrooms, food, staff, etc. Repeat gigs, if they're local, I'll show up about 10-30 minutes early. Further out, 30-45 minutes. Traffic's an issue here in SoCal.

My wife's dad, who worked for the same airline, was Navy. When they wanted to take a trip, they'd show up at the airport ten minutes before takeoff. For everything save work, she will be between 45 minutes to two hours late, with never an apology. We've had some pretty major fights about it. Now, if it involves me or people I know, I tell her to take her own car and meet me there.

If you were raised with the attitude that other people's time is valuable, you'll proceed as such. If you weren't, you won't care.

Not sure what Air Force vs Navy has to do with it, but been there done that with the wife. She has a hard time understanding that my gigs are work.

 

[Gustopher]

I am typically on time, early when possible, but never overly. I can't stand the people who show up to something super early and then act all superior and irritated when I show up, still early, but closer to on time. My time is valuable before as well and there is no reason to go sit and twiddle thumbs for an extra 2 hours if not necessary.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

I spent the bulk of my life being early... then learned how to be "on time". Since then I've been preached to that if you're not early, you're late.

My response... if you're early... you're not on time.

Good one!

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Early!Early!Early! I say! I have always lived in the future! As a plumbing contractor it served me well. Noticed my Earlies Have no spaces between them?

 

[Colin Cunliffe]

As an ex Army musician - you're there at least five minutes before you are told to be there. So I go through life chasing and hassling people to get a move on. After several years of waiting around for my wife and step daughters I realised that I had got into the habit of doing something else, then I'm the one that is now late.

Amazingly I never hear the end of it when I'm late - what they forget to put into the conversation is that they are at least 15 minutes late turning up to give me the ear bashing.

I also used PPPPP - prior planning prevents poor performance, so I get to everything with enough time to set up or whatever and then chill for a few minutes. Part of the planning is knowing what I need and what I have to do so I can be confident that it is all under control - no mess tins!!!!

 

[RabidMusic]

Thanks to my dad I have a very strong "hurry up" gene. Early to arrive. Early to leave.

 

[Charlzm]

Depends on everything. I have been late, on time and early in equal measure for most of my life.

I am, however, almost always the first one out.

 

[Obese Chess]

I am always approximately five minutes late. Almost never more than that.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

As an ex Army musician - you're there at least five minutes before you are told to be there. So I go through life chasing and hassling people to get a move on. After several years of waiting around for my wife and step daughters I realised that I had got into the habit of doing something else, then I'm the one that is now late.

Amazingly I never hear the end of it when I'm late - what they forget to put into the conversation is that they are at least 15 minutes late turning up to give me the ear bashing.

I also used PPPPP - prior planning prevents poor performance, so I get to everything with enough time to set up or whatever and then chill for a few minutes. Part of the planning is knowing what I need and what I have to do so I can be confident that it is all under control - no mess tins!!!!

I like your thinking!

 

[Bonafide]

Early. Don't be late. I know there are factors you can't control so I try not to call out others unless it becomes a habit. But the whole "traffic" excuse is completely BS...."I had no idea there was traffic, this is my first time in a motor vehicle."

Yep! That is ...the... one. There was 'more traffic than I expected' is so far beyond played out and dull that it warrants a car full of styrofoam packing peanuts.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

Yep! That is ...the... one. There was 'more traffic than I expected' is so far beyond played out and dull that it warrants a car full of styrofoam packing peanuts.

Lol!

 

[trevcda]

I like to be early, but I’ll wait in my car until “on time”. I don’t like the anxiety of rushing to set up, and I want the breathing room if there is an issue. I can’t stand the feeling of running late.

I always early to arrive to the site. Whether I check in with the purchaser or not will depend on the gig. At the very least I can verify information gleaned from advancing the gig, such as load in, electrical, etc. One thing I hate about working with the perpetually late is the complete lack of respect for my time. As I'm often involved with the production end of things (something everyone seems to take for granted), I really like to have at least a half an hour before show time to wash up, change clothes, stretch and relax. I get really heated when I'm watching that half hour burn away, waiting for whomever I'm supposed to be giving a ride to the gig, piss it away. I'm considerably easier going on hired/fly in gigs where production is somebody else's problem.

 

[darwin-bass]

I tend to arrive early or on-time.

But I tend to play behind the beat (late).

 

[darwin-bass]

I have a friend. He is an on-time person. His ex-wife is a 10-minute early person. He drove her nuts. They were never late, but she was always stressed as they arrived just on-time.

 

[two fingers]

I used to he early for everything. It's still the case for anything that involves just me.

These days, I'm a proud husband and father of two daughters. If ai left it up to them, we would be late for EVERYTHING. I'm not able to drag then into the early category. Buy I put my foot down with regard to being on times. It causes some strife, occasionally. But I can't help it. Being late is rude and disrespectful. I've been to countless family and friends events where people were standing around awkwardly chatting... whispering about the froend/family member/associate who is the loser who's always late. The late party always shows up disheveled and in the midst of a chaos storm. I won't be that guy. My three ladies can out their makeup on in the car. I don't give a crap. We're gonna be on time.

I do love those women though.

 

[Crash 56]

Always early, but that's good because I would have time to organize my extra cords, picks, batteries, and strings, so the guitar player would have what he needed when he showed up late missing something.....

 

[mikewalker]

...

Now try this on a drummer, singer or guitar forum...

Can a 'singer' forum even possibly exist? PrimaDonnaTalk? (I jest, of course... I'm actually a BL/Tyrant/Singer myself)

 

[Killing Floor]

I have a friend. He is an on-time person. His ex-wife is a 10-minute early person. He drove her nuts. They were never late, but she was always stressed as they arrived just on-time.

That's funny, my wife is always trying to be late. When she asks why I'm not dressed I say "I'm waiting on you in advance."

 

[Pilgrim]

I make up my own mind on what time is appropriate to show up. Thanks to my broadcast background, "on time" is usually defined as within 30 seconds of the time I have decided to arrive. If it's a Noon meeting, then usually at or before 12:00:00 is on time.

If I have a 7 PM gig and setup is at 5, then I show up at 5. I'm not arriving early, I'm on time as per my planning.

If I have a noon meeting and need time to prep the room or set up a presentation, then on time is whenever I decided I need to be there.