The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm habitually early. Some of my bandmates are always late. It makes me crazy. I like to get to a gig early to scope things out and have time to set up and then have a little quiet time before I take the stage.

Guess I qualify for the the Clock Head, I'd rather be 2 hrs. early than 2 minutes late, for anything!

Larry

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"Fessy" S/D 12, 8/6 Hilton Pedal, Sessions 400 Ltd. Home Grown E/F Rack
"ROCKIN COUNTRY"

Yeah, I'm kinda with Gene here.

There's no reason at all why someone can not show up at a designated time. There's no reason for being late. Unless of course, something REALLY unforseen has reared it's ugly head.

In my line of business, one of the compliments I always hear is that the customer can't believe that I showed up when I said I would.

Many are actually stunned.

And showing up on time has landed me more work and recommendations alone on this fact, than even my expertise.

And always return calls. Be in there.

That is, if you want to stay busy, employed, and respected. It's so simple to do. You may think it's trivial, but it IS NOT. No one, especailly in this unforgiving and graceless time we live in, wants to wait or be held up.

Comes back again, I hate to say, to the GOLDEN RULE - Do unto others as you would want them to do onto you. Just put yourself in someone else's shoes. Just common courtesy. Still counts. Don't ever forget it.
You'll be a lot better off.

According to psychiatrists, if you arrive early you're anxious, if you arrive late, you're hostile, abd if you arrive on time, you're compulsive.

I always made it a point to arrive very early to gigs so I could take my time setting up and get everything set up exactly the way I wanted it.

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Warning: I have a telecaster and I'm not afraid to use it.
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My web site

Don't worry Mike as long as you arrrive,
then alls well.

So is that
Clockhead or punctualist?

Punctualist
\Punc"tu*al*ist\, n.
One who is very exact in observing forms and ceremonies. --Milton.

Or maybe as correctly :

punc‧til‧i‧ous 
/pʌŋkˈtɪliəs/ Spelled Pronunciation[puhngk-til-ee-uhs]
–adjective

extremely attentive to punctilios;
strict or exact in the observance of the formalities
or amenities of conduct or actions.
[Origin: 1625–35; punctili(o) + -ous]

—Related forms
punc‧til‧i‧ous‧ly, adverb
punc‧til‧i‧ous‧ness, noun

—Synonyms precise, demanding; careful, conscientious. See scrupulous.
—Antonyms careless.

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

American Heritage Dictionary
punc·til·i·ous (pngk-tl-s)
adj.

1. Strictly attentive to minute details of form in action or conduct.
See Synonyms at meticulous.
2. Precise; scrupulous.


punc·tili·ous·ly adv.
punc·tili·ous·ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000


punctilious

adj : marked by precise accordance with details;
"was worryingly meticulous about trivial details";
"punctilious in his attention to rules of etiquette" [syn: meticulous]

Of course it all comes down to this word :

punc‧tu‧al 
Spelled Pronunciation[puhngk-choo-uhl]

adjective
1.strictly observant of an appointed or regular time;
not late; prompt.

2. made, occurring, etc., at the scheduled or proper time:
punctual payment.

3. pertaining to or of the nature of a point.

4. punctilious.

[Origin: 1350–1400;< ML pūnctuālis of a point,
equiv. to L pūnctu(s) a point, a pricking
(pung(ere) to prick + -tus suffix of v. action) + -ālis -al1; see pungent]

—Related forms
punc‧tu‧al‧ly, adverb
punc‧tu‧al‧ness, noun

Random House Unabridged Dictionary,2006.

American Heritage Dictionary
punc·tu·al (pngkch-l)
Audio pronunciation of "punctual"
adj.

1. Acting or arriving exactly at the time appointed; prompt.

2. Paid or accomplished at or by the appointed time.

3. Precise; exact.

4. Confined to or having the nature of a point in space.

5. Linguistics. Of, related to,
or being the verbal aspect that expresses momentary action
or action considered as having no temporal duration.


[Middle English, sharp-pointed, from Medieval Latin pnctulis,
from Latin pnctum, point, from neuter past participle of pungere, to prick.

See pungent.]punctu·ali·ty (-l-t) or punctu·al·ness (-l-ns) n.
punctu·al·ly adv.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000

punctual

adj : acting or arriving or performed exactly at the time appointed;
"she expected guests to be punctual at meals";
"he is not a particularly punctual person";
"punctual payment" [ant: unpunctual]

Are you habitually punctual

At the simplest; Are you punctual?

'Clockhead'? Ha! That's a new one! No, I'm far from being a clockhead. A blockhead, maybe, but not a clockhead.

For me, music is a leisure time pursuit, and I get things done when I get them done. If it were governed by the tyranny of clock time, I'd have no fun playing.

Mike P: What are you if you don't show up at all???

FIRED !!!!!

on time = LATE!!!

Obsessive-compulsively punctual. I left Detroit in my truck at noon one day, got back home here in Eastern PA (about 450 miles), packed up my gear, took a shower and still made it to the gig before anyone else.

My wife and I had pre-marital counseling; it was a very good thing to do. Anyway, at one session, our counselor said: "You know, I'm a pretty smart guy. It only took me fifteen years to figure out that my wife was not going to be on time, no matter what I did, no matter how I dogged her to get ready." He said when he finally got it figured out, and accepted that was the way if was going to be, it got a lot easier.

Here's a funny story I just remembered.
I was playing a gig with a country band at a small club in Culver City, CA in about 1995. We played the entire night without one of the guitar players. It turns out, after work he was tired and took a nap in his car. When he woke up he realized how much he overslept. He did get to the gig in time to tell us his story and collect his pay, which of course he did not receive.
-- Marc

Simple clockhead philosophy here--have had it for many years: I'm not upset if you're late; you are not if I leave before you arrive (a safe bet, you should know), and if you are, read again the second part.

early = on time;
on time = late;
late = dice roll<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by James Cann on 13 November 2006 at 10:35 AM.]</p></FONT>

Punctuality is second nature to me, I'm a "PROFESSIONAL" Musician.

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Clock Head Here!!! For most of the past 3 decades plus, I have been the one responsible for the PA, booking, timing out sets & breaks, and travel details. Some players think they are doing good if they just show up in time to walk on stage, I never could do that.

Obsessive CLOCKHEAD!!!!
If you work for me and you are late, you better have a damn good excuse.
To err is human, to forgive is not my policy.

If the wife is cronically 15 minutes late,
then cronically tell her the appointment is half an hour earlier than it is!

Works for me.

Clockhead here. I'll drive 3-4 hrs to meet the band in their hometown and still beat them all to the gig. I need to have my head examined.

Proud to be CLOCKHEAD.... If I'm not at least an hour early to a gig, I'm Late to my own inner clock. I want to set up, Tune,and check everything out, and Tune again before "Downbeat'.. Thanks Dana,Great post!!!

Everyone who knows my wife habitually tells her that anything she is going to is a half to an hour earlier than it really is. Being married to Mr. Puctuality used make for some ruffled feathers at times until I caught on to how everyone else dealt with it.