Early, on time or late?

[LBS-bass]

I voted "on time", but I'm actually habitually 10min ahead (not much, but works). When I was working as a drummer, I often helped with my bandmates to set up things.

Yep, that's my definition of on time, too

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

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.

Always early. Perpetually. You'll get used to it.

 

[CenTexThumper]

I'm usually on time, which means early. I don't arrive for trailer unload but the kids cut this old man some slack on the heavy lifting. But at times, the day job has me running a bit behind (or the little bride taking too long with her makeup). I like a little "fellowship time" with band mates between setup and kickoff.

 

[fdeck]

Always early. There are times when I tell the bandleader when the gig is offered that I will be on a tight schedule, and they're always OK with it. That's where reputation helps. I'm fortunate to live in an area where things like traffic and parking are quite predictable, and I've done it long enough so I know how much I need to pad my schedule.

A person walks into the bar, goes up to the stage, and asks: "How late are you playing tonight?" The bass player says: "Oh, about half a beat behind the drummer."

 

[B String]

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.

There's a reason people have told you if you're not early, you're late. In LA, there are at least 8 other guys who can do that gig as well as you. (maybe better) If you're not ready to play at the start time, you might never get that call again..... and one of your friends just might the gig.
When I've been a musical director or leader, the very last thing I need is to worry about is if a player is going to make the start time. Even on a stupid gig you don't care about you should respect the other players enough to get there.

 

[rufus.K]

Im in the early camp.

 

[Selta]

Gigs, interviews, other time sensitive things, I'm 15 minutes or more early to.
Day job, well, we don't have set start time really, so I can't be late .
Casual things, anywhere from 10 early to 5 late. No one I keep as friends minds and all share the same mindset, and it works well for all of us. No one stresses or makes a fuss out of 5 minutes, because, why bother? It's a whopping 5 minutes, and I'd rather spend the time doing whatever we planned, instead of berating someone I consider a friend (or vice versa).

 

[TheReceder]

There's a reason people have told you if you're not early, you're late. In LA, there are at least 8 other guys who can do that gig as well as you. (maybe better) If you're not ready to play at the start time, you might never get that call again..... and one of your friends just might the gig.
When I've been a musical director or leader, the very last thing I need is to worry about is if a player is going to make the start time. Even on a stupid gig you don't care about you should respect the other players enough to get there.

1. I'm not in LA. Don't want to be. I'll let those other 8 guys worry about wasting their lives chasing the hands of the clock.
2. If the start time is X. I don't show up at X. I start at X.
3. Being ready to play on time... doesn't mean being there early. It means being ready to play on time.
4. Part of being a leader means knowing who you lead. If you have to worry about whether you can trust those who you picked to follow you, you failed at being a leader.

 

[DustyBottom]

I was raised with my Dad telling me “15 minutes early is on time, on time is late!” Stuck with me and am always an early arriver...

 

[Fun Size Nick]

Now who's actually going to admit to being a 'late' person on this thread?

 

[Nick Mc Noise]

Bewildering thread.

If the appointment is 18.00 pm, I will be there at 18.00 pm.
If an event requires to be there ahead of time I'll be there with enough time "to make it".
Life (cinema, theatre, concerts, restaurant reservations, flights and trains, ceremonies, medical treatment etc.) waits for noone.

If something happens that prevents me from being on time (= 18:00 pm in the example above), and if I am able to, I will notify the people involved or do my best to make sure they are notified.

There were times when there were no mobile phones.
I had accidents which kept me from being on time as well as running for a phone - shoot me.
I also was involved in other people's accidents and gave first aid which resulted in me being late - again, shoot me.

I regard private appointments to be -5/+10 minutes.
As a host I loathe people arriving more early than 10 minutes.

Rehearsals: it depends on what is agreed upon.
If we agree on starting to play at 19:00, I will show up between 18:30 and 18:45.
More than enough time to switch on the amp, the PA, etc. to get going.

I was half an hour late "for a gig" once - a nightmare.
The car broke down in the middle of nowhere. But this meant, I arrived half an hour later than we agreed to meet at the club. So I was there 2,5 hours time before the doors opened and 3 h before showtime.
2 hours for setup and soundcheck were more than enough.

All this Army/Navy talk of being on time means being late - well, I'm a civilian.

 

[Fun Size Nick]

One thing that I have learned living and working in multicultural contexts is that the meaning and value given to 'on time' varies greatly according to a person/organisation's cultural background. As this forum is majority US folks, it's not surprising that the majority say 'early', as that is seen as virtuous in a US context.

When I lived in Beijing, I played music with people from forty-something different countries, with at least that many cultural understandings of what 'on-time' meant. As an example, there was one band where I learned quickly that '2pm rehearsal' meant that the rehearsal space was actually booked from 4pm. Once I got accustomed to the way that this particular band operated, based on the cultural background of its members, it was no problem, but it was certainly an adjustment from what I was used to as an Australian where 'on time' means something different.

 

[MegaSwing]

I have never been the reason a gig hasn’t started on time. Not once. That’s all I’ll cop to.

To that end, I have engineered the easiest setup, tear-down, and schlep for myself—and most of the time I provide the lights.

I’m not perfect, but I’m pretty damned solid.

What pisses me off is when my cohorts take extended time tweaking, testing, and staring as though they’ve never done the job before. The result often enough is going on late—at which point it doesn’t matter a sh*t how early everybody got there.

When I show up to a job or a gig, I’m 100% prepared and ready to work. And I’m ready fast.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I'm pretty much always late in everything I do. I struggled with this for my entire life.

 

[nnnnnn]

When traveling to an appointment I will leave early enough to deal with things that are reasonably likely to go wrong, but not early enough to deal with highly unlikely once-in-a-blue-moon events.

So for example I do allow for traffic and parking problems, and extra time to find my way if I haven't been there before, and time to deal with building security and queues at reception, but I almost never worry about the possibility of having to change a flat tyre because in 30 years of driving I've only had about 6 flats - I'm willing to be 15 minutes late to 6 appointments every 30 years rather than sit around waiting for an extra 15 minutes before every single appointment (I say "extra" because I mean in addition to the buffer I do allow for more likely problems), and I really don't care if that offends you always-be-early types - if I'm driving to your wedding or graduation or something I will allow extra time for flats, but not for routine appointments. You have to draw the line somewhere or you will always be several hours early to every appointment, which would in turn make it impossible to have more then one appointment in the same afternoon.

 

[foolforthecity]

Oh, I also carry extra batteries, guitar strings and drumsticks (why!) just in case. Of course, if a drummer ever actually needed sticks on the job, I don’t know whether I’d give them to him / her or not.

As a bassist, I feel my inner “ den mother” working at every gig and even at practices. Just me, I guess.

If I carried sticks and the drummer showed up without any, I’m pretty sure what I’d try to do with them

 

[foolforthecity]

LOL! Understood. It used to be like that for me! I am 26 years into an amazing marriage, the first few years it was always uncertain! I'd say we are 'on the road' by 8:00 pm and sure enough, 7:55 waitin' on the sweet gal and I would shout ' lets go woman!'...and she used to reply, 'you said we were leaving at 8:00'..and I would say, no, I said 'were on the road at 8:00' (which means loaded, seatbelts, backed out and actually driving out of the hood). She's a hard working low maintenance woman and has been early for years now also.

Mine never quite figured out the early thing, and it would wind me up. Solution: I’m playing out for money, it’s a business. In my prior life my wife didn’t follow me to work, and in this one she doesn’t either. The bonus here is that she won’t want to go on her own so she’ll dredge up a few friends to come along. The net effect is more butts in seats, however small, and that’s always a good thing. I don’t drink so all my free booze goes her way, thereby allowing me to actually come home with a few dollars more than when I left.

 

[foolforthecity]

True, but you realize that no one will admit to being late on here?

People are late because there are no consequences to them being late. You're enforcing consequences so they have a reason to be on time.

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+1

I know of one BL that doles out the cash from the previous gig PRIOR to showtime of the present gig. The unspoken rule is that you are set up and sitting around fifteen minutes prior, at which time he coughs up the cash, otherwise you miss your chance until next show. I like this.

 

[IamJohn]

I'm on time, assuming that means the shortest reasonable amount of time before set arrival you need to set up for whatever it is you're doing.

I dislike when people are late, but so be it,I can always choose not to deal with that person anymore,or buffer my expectations of them.

I hate being told to arrive before I actually have to. It's like someone is telling you they know how to use your time better than you. Let me know when I actually need to be somewhere, and I'll be there.

 

[Kijuer]

As a musician: early. I always show up first and as a drummer I am always the first one to set up stuff, and the first one to bag everything when the show is over.

As my wife's "tech", same thing.

As everybody else: I am Gandalf.