Early, on time or late?

[misterCRUSH]

I tend to arrive early or on-time.

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

I thought i was the only one that thought this post was about playing around the beat lol. I play just behind it too, but in life i am always early, would rather set up and relax versus be doing it while everyone is waiting on me. can't stand that.

 

[tgriley62]

As a former military member if you are 15 minutes early you were late

 

[Morse_77]

I'm never "on" time.
But I`m always "in" time.


“That statement is either so deep it would take a lifetime to fully
comprehend every particle of its meaning, or it is a load of absolute
tosh. Which is it, I wonder?”
- Mustrum Ridcully, D.Thau., D.M., D.S., D.Mn., D.G., D.D., D.C.L., D.M. Phil., D.M.S., D.C.M., D.W., B.El.L., Archchancellor of the Unseen University.

 

[Koshchei]

Early is on time. If you have time to kill, scout out parking, a cheaper place to get grub, etc.

 

[Oddly]

I also used PPPPP - prior planning prevents poor performance...

I believe you're missing a 'P', my friend.

 

[nilorius]

I am a bit early or on time. Never late.

 

[Dincrest]

I once had a teacher who used to say, "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be tardy, and to be tardy is to be unforgiven."

(And he consciously used the word tardy because he associated the word late with being dead. You know, "the late so-and-so" means someone who's dead.)

 

[jerry]

Early!

 

[And I]

I show up on time or a little early, but I usually play just a bit behind the beat.

 

[spantini]

I've always been early. I like to soak in the atmosphre - get used to the crowd.

One of our guitar players would always wait till the last second, then drive 90 mph all the way to the gig. Didn't matter if it was 1 mile away or 100 miles.. He was always "on time".

 

[jmon]

I don’t see an issue with “On Time”. Early is great of course but it depends on your life situation. I’ve got family at home and a full time job. So nobody can expect me to be early really. I’m not there to kick back and drink beers. I’m there to work. However even with everything going on I’ve never been late to a gig. When the 4 count hits I’m ready to rock.

 

[Slater]

"Early is on time; on time is late."

Words to live by.

 

[jshinal]

I am early, and I carry the electrical cables and outlets. Electric goes in first, fans get set up immediately (North Carohumidia).

Our singer/BL hauls all the PA except the mixer stack. He arrives right when I do usually.

You have to load the rugs in first if you want it to go smoothly.

 

[EddiePlaysBass]

I am always late to rehearsal because after 3 years I have given up on asking the band to start rehearsal 15 min later. Ironically, thebmost recent rehearsals I was earlier than the guitarist and singer...

For gigs, I am always well on time.

 

[pbassnut]

As a musician, appointment keeper, friend, husband, wife, etc.. are you habitually early, on time or late?

Myself - habitually early. Which also means I am always on time…or never late. Which means I get the benefits (whatever they may be) of being early but also the challenges of waiting for someone who is not even an ‘on timer’.

In a band environment I can check out the gig, meet the club owner, talk to the sound guy, check out the stage, make human connections, prepare.

In all my years on the planet where I had control of my own movement, I have never been late to anything, anywhere, ever. Not to a gig, a doctors appt., business meeting, dinner or coffee with friends, production deadline, session etc …not anything. Not once, not ever. It doesn't matter whether I am traveling for it or local.

It used to frustrate me dealing with the ‘late arrivals’… as it felt like such a disrespect of my time. Now at this stage in life, I let folks do what they will. It's revealing and useful.

The excuses for being late are endless, predictable, boring and rarely valid...but I have noticed that those who are late are generally always late and have years of excuses to pull from.

I always shoot for being to a gig plenty early if I can. I live in the "greater" Washington, DC metropolitan area (where all your tax dollars are squandered) and there's a whole lotta traffic around here and you can never predict how your odyssey to the gig is going to play out so I always "plan for the worst and expect the best". In addition, I mostly play with musicians who are considerably better than I am which puts me squarely at the bottom of the pecking order where tardiness will NOT be tolorated. I mostly play roots music ... blues, soul, r&b and country in a variable lineup scene where everybody plays with everybody and I always want to be called back for more gigs so it is essential that I build and maintain a reputation as someone who comes prepared, conducts himself professionally, is positive, get's along with everybody, is a good "hang", brings top quality equipment that is in good working order, is reliable and, of course, is on time. I also like to have plenty of time to get myself into the professional gig frame of mind and go over the set lists and/or my crib notes and think about the music so that I can be ready to play without feeling rushed. In addition, being a lifetime achievement award cheapskate, if we get comped a meal, I want to be able to knock it back in a relaxed manner before the gig, if possible.

 

[NKBassman]

I take immense pleasure in showing up almost exactly when I say I'll be there. Which is always early before a gig, but at the agreed-upon time. If you want me there at 7:00 for a 9:00 set, I'll be there at 7:00.

 

[OldPlucker]

I am habitually early. I once walked up to the receptionist at a doctors office when after arriving 15 minutes early and it being 30 minutes past my appointment time and asked her if him could tell me the time. When he did, I told him I thought for a minute my watch was wrong. Then I said "The doctor is late and I'm leaving. His response was "You can't". "Really?, I was early and he's late. That's disrespectful". He begged me to wait a minute, Walked into the back came back and then I was taken in immediately. I was greeted by the Doctor with "How are your doing?". My response was "My blood pressure is up because you are late. Ironic since you're supposed to fix that isn't it". His response "Touche. I was wrong." I cured his problem.

 

[BAG]

I'm always early. I'd rather sit around and read a book or magazine somewhere waiting for the appointed time than be late.

The last band I quit started off pretty well with the singer/guitarist saying "be there at 2:45 for a 3:00 rehearsal". He'd then spend 30 minutes or more getting his s5!7 together. I started turning up at 3 and was still ready to go before him despite having to set up two amps and part of the PA.

 

[HolmeBass]

There is a problem with showing up at my house 1/2 an hour before the scheduled rehearsal time. I have made some compatriots wait in their car while I finished dinner.

 

[DoctorZee]

I was always an “early” person, until I had a kid. The chaos of juggling a baby/toddler pushed me back to being an “on time” person, but very rarely “late.”