Man, a lot of great local musicians forget to get to the gig on time, let alone early. They spend so much of their time focusing on the art of music that they forget to learn the art of getting to the gig on time! I am still learning both art forms! Once you get to the gig early a few times, you realize how great a feeling it is to be mellow and not rush.
On the other hand, getting to the gig late may happen to you at some point. I always try to stay calm. Remember that you are there to play music, so focus on the music. Some folks may tend to focus on the fact that they arrived late. If you already are going to be late, let people know. Also, stay calm. I try to focus on my breathing. In any case, plan to be early.
Getting there early
Here’s some advice I would give myself:
- Prepare directions the night before
- Plan extra tranportation time
- Pack your bags the night before
- Plan enough time to be there at least a half an hour early.
- Make sure you allow enough time to get ready
- In general, do everything you can the night before
Transportation
Make sure you work out transportation to the gig. If you figure out how to get to the gig, you can save that time the next day. Don’t forget to allow extra time. You want to make sure you can still make the gig even if you encounter a lot of traffic or any other normal delay in getting from point A to point B.
Night before
I try to pack my bags the night before. Or at least arrange everything next to each other. This removes the possible last minute rush to find the missing cuff links or something – not like I use cuff links more than once a year.
Preparing the night before means going through the songs you are going to play. Learning the difficult parts and learning the changes.
The hour before you leave
One thing that really gets every time – allowing enough time to get ready. I always forget that a shower takes 15 minutes, not 10 because you have to dry off and get into to your new clothes. And then in the last few minutes I can’t find my keys or my belt. What seems to help is putting everything in a pile well before the time to leave. Then I can see everything and not have to look at the last minute.
Other last minute distractions are dirty dishes, unlocked doors, etc. I guess it depends on the person.
Hope this helps!