Discouraging & deterring theft on gigs

Coelacanth

Member
I was just wondering what some of you experienced giggers do to prevent people from stealing your gear during live shows, beyond the obvious--watching it like a hawk every second? We've all seen the tragic stories of gear being swiped from vans or vehicles left unattended, but I'm talking about people snatching a cymbal or drum or other piece of gear during set breaks and such.

I seem to remember hearing a suggestion to throw a sheet or blanket over top of the kit. I also think you could spend a lot of money and buy locking cymbal nuts to prevent them from being easily removed. Somewhat along this line, I thought it might be an idea to drill a hole through the top of each cymbal tilter and run a long, thin cable through all the tilters, like a bike cable. That would be pretty cheap & effective, preventing any cymbal from being easily lifted off the stands.

Any other tips & tricks?
 
I was just wondering what some of you experienced giggers do to prevent people from stealing your gear during live shows, beyond the obvious--watching it like a hawk every second? We've all seen the tragic stories of gear being swiped from vans or vehicles left unattended, but I'm talking about people snatching a cymbal or drum or other piece of gear during set breaks and such.

I seem to remember hearing a suggestion to throw a sheet or blanket over top of the kit. I also think you could spend a lot of money and buy locking cymbal nuts to prevent them from being easily removed. Somewhat along this line, I thought it might be an idea to drill a hole through the top of each cymbal tilter and run a long, thin cable through all the tilters, like a bike cable. That would be pretty cheap & effective, preventing any cymbal from being easily lifted off the stands.

Any other tips & tricks?

Don't leave your stuff, ever. Assume that it will be stolen. When you're loading out, have someone watch your gear and make sure they know *you* are the only one loading out. I've seen people's stuff just literally evaporate from the dance floor as they were loading out.

Sorry to sound so paranoid but really, this stuff does occur and I've seen it happen far too often. Even if I'm playing the same place five nights in a row I'll break down and set up every night.
 
In this day and age, theft paranoia is totally justified. It's sad to say it, but the days of trusting others is long gone. :(
 
This kinda' gets into a psychology thing, but I'm always observing the situation I'm in. Most times I find that when you treat people like people and acknowledge them, I never have any problems. It's kinda' like that analogy where if an animal knows you're scared or paranoid, they go after you. I've found that most people who like to steal, think nobody knows they're there. When you acknowledge everyone around and say hello and make eye contact, all of a sudden anyone who thinks they might want to steal something, now knows they will be recognized, and more likely won't steal anything. It's kind of a weird situation, but I've seen it work.

I've played really crowded restaurants, and have had a good time meeting the people and nobody ever ran up to the bandstand to take anything. Of course, avoid situations where your car is left open and alone while loading, but other than that, I find meeting everyone around me breaks down this wall where potential thieves think they're anonymous. Once we all know who everybody is, it's tough to think you've disappeared into the woodwork.

Another note, with what I hear about people stealing from drummers, makes me think it's like a drummer-on-drummer crime. And it seems kinda dumb, because most of the time, drum stuff is big and hard to conceal. It's almost easier to grab a guitar and run off with that - heck, you'd make more money with it at a pawn shop, right?
 
Oh, and label the hell out of everything.

I've not had anything stolen that I know of, but I do remember a few situations where things got mixed up with the house or another band's stuff and we were hundreds of miles from home with little hope of getting those mics and stands back.

In the same vein, my cymbal bag was almost taken out to the wrong car by a (I assume) well-meaning helper of another band. Venue made us stack everything together with another band from the evening for space reasons and I was lucky to see one of the helper folks start walking away with my cymbal bag...
 
I label EVERYTHING.. I put my initials under the cymbal bell with a black sharpie. I bought an engraver and have engraved my name on all my stands and hardware. This way if anything gets mixed up or if I suspect someone grabbed something I can always show it is mine. It sucks that we have to live this way bought I value everything I own and don't want to lose anything.
 
I watch my stuff a lot, or have a band member watch. I've had stuff stolen before. I gig with inexpensive gear now.
 
1) I always make sure I have photos of my gear, serial numbers written down, just in case something gets nicked.

2) I never, ever leave gear in my car if I'm not in there with it, period full stop. On tour I used to sleep in the van with the gear, with my dog as company/protection!

3) Once my band has finished playing I pack my gear up (unless another band is using our back line) and pile it somewhere out of the way and either me, a pal, or a band member is with it always until load out. I'm a working class person who likes nice gear so I can't afford to be casual about putting it in situations where it's begging to get nicked, otherwise - if my stuff is lifted it'd be difficult for me to come up with the money to replace it. I've been playing in bands for years and never had anything stolen, whereas in one of my bands the guitar player had his guitar stolen, from the stage not once but twice - we'd finish our set and he'd leg it to the bar for a pint, leaving the guitar on a stand at the side of the stage. Amazingly he got the guitar back both times.
 
My band usually ends up sharing the stage with 3 or 4 other bands. I will load my gear in early, but I'm very careful not to get it mixed up with stuff from the other bands. I know that there really is theft, but I think that sometimes things get accidentally picked up by other people who think it's theirs. Everything is in black cases and bags, so it would be pretty easy to do that. Actually, a few weeks ago I picked up another drummer's cymbal bag that looked just like mine. I quickly realized what I'd done though, and put it down.

After our set, I take my stuff back stage, pack it up and take it out to the car or the trailer right away without talking to fans or other people. I try to wait until I get everything safely put away first before talking to anyone.
 
I'm pretty non chalant about my blue Pearls. I gig with them often, and while I do keep an eye on thing, I'm never hovering around them. Hell, I leave my stands and hardware *in my car.* As in, permanently, unless I need my back seat for something. Never have issues.

Now my red Sonors, those are my babies. I'd leave my eyes on them if I could.
 
A lot of great suggestions here. ALWAYS keep a close eye, especially if there are other bands involved.

Back in the 70s, there was a pretty big band here in Atlanta that had a reputation for never buying their own equipment. There were claims of road cases being painted with their name backstage. I never did hear if it was ever proven...It got to the point were a lot of bands would refuse to play shows with them.
 
Pick you gigs accordingly. A group I was associated with at one point played fests, weddings, private parties, etc... largely because I absolutely refused to play in a bar. Well... I was fooled once by the leader and showed up at a bar which he insisted wasn't a bar prior to gig night. I did play the gig and called him the next day while deodorizing my rig and my clothes and told him I wouldn't be joining them for anymore gigs. Primarily because he knew my conditions and he disregarded my conditions. So game over, I moved on.

I've had bad experiences with bars, bar owners, bouncers, patrons, atmosphere etc... and I have over time changed up to other venues which offer better profitability without the hassle and the 'tudes that seem prevalent throughout the bar scene.
 
I've been pretty lucky in that even when I was playing in towns like Santa Cruz, San Jose, etc. in some pretty crazy bars, nobody ever made a move on my gear. I attribute that to always having someone (my wife, a band member, a trusted friend) riding shotgun on the gear and never leaving it unattended in a car. It's interesting, but even a 5-foot-nothing, 95-pound girl watching gear deters the casual gear thief.

I also wasn't taking anything too valuable or desirable to these gigs. Now, with my Ludwigs, I'm even closer-hold on my gear.
 
We have crew at every gig with the cover band. Security is part of their responsibility, & it's taken seriously. With the new band, I don't have that luxury, so I need to up my awareness. Having someone watch over gear/vehicles is probably the most effective security measure anyone can take.
 
We usually had a small three man or single man watching our stuff.Afterwards,I got an engraving pen,and engrave my name and phone number under the bell of my cymbals,and inside the lugs of my drums,.A marker pen can be cleaned of with thinners or acetone.Thieves know this,so a "permenant" ink pen,wouldn't be my first choice.

There things mostly happen,when you turn your back,for even a few seconds.In terms of the big picture,these humanoids are thieves of opportunity,and their loot,is usually pawned or sold quickly,for drug money.These are low level criminals,and far from pros.They rely on careless,and distracted musicians,in this case,and know a quick grab and snatch will take just seconds,and they just melt into the crowd.

In the US,most states require pawn shops to have a 30 day "police hold".During that time,the item pawned or sold,can't be resold,till after the 30 day hold.On resale sites like CL,or even Ebay,stolen gear is sold every day,at a cheap price,which brings a quick sale.

In the end,no one is completely bullet proof,so diligence is the word,and situational awareness is the key.I know it sounds paranoid,buy after over 20 years in the NYPD,paranoia have saved my butt a few times.

Assume everybody at that club/bar/venue....everybody,is a thief,even the owner.A club owner ,at a well known upper east side club in Manhattan,tried to steal a 50's 12 " Zildjian splash from me.I discovered it accidently,when I walked into his office to retrieve our pay for the night.There it was,sitting on the floor,behind his desk.He tried the old.....I don't know how that could have gotten there B.S.,and he was lucky I was in a good mood,or we would have had.....what we like to call,a "corrective interview".

Always have eyes on.It only take a matter of 2-5 seconds to steal a snare,cymbal or mic as an example on a pack out.

Steve B
 
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Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. It looks like the consensus is to watch your gear like a hawk, acknowledge everyone in the bar (if that's even possible), and engrave everything. I hesitate to engrave cymbals because they might be sold at some point.

If you have any other tips, keep 'em coming.
 
I have a beef with my current band about this exact issue.

They'll roll their heads and cabinets off to a side instead of into the back storage and I'll find bar patrons sitting their drinks (*or themselves) on top of the equipment. We've loaded out gear in Wicker Park, a place any gear thief in Chicago probably regards as the mecca of their trade, my band members will park around a corner in an alley and leave their hatch open...their stuff completely unattended while they go back into the venue. They get distracted by friends wanting to have conversations while they are supposed to be helping another person shuttle stuff to the vehicle. One of them even packed their Marshall cabinet and guitar into their car, parked it on the crowded street with all the logos showing and went back inside to drink for a few hours. At that point I just threw my hands up and said to myself, "I hope if theres a lesson, they dont learn it tonight"

Unfortunately their greenness and desire to be social immediately after putting the instruments down leaves me to be the gear tyrant. They think I become an asshole before and after shows when I'm really just trying to prevent something dumb from happening.

They're all a fair bit younger than me and haven't been through some of the cliche things that can happen when you dont watch your gear. I've had windows smashed in and a bandmembers vintage Les Paul snatched. I've played shows with people who were later assaulted and had their vehicle and everything in it stolen. I've gone off and gotten lost at the bar then had a brand new crash cymbal disappear after a show. Then I check out one of the openers shows a week later and find the drummer setting my cymbal up on their stand. That guy should have learned to be more suave.

My tips.

1. Try to get everyone to work as a loading assembly line so no ones has to cover too much distance between the back door of the venue and the car. If your friends want to gab, they can do it while helping.

Conversely...sometimes venue staff will offer to "help" when they're really just trying to clear the place out. Don't let them, unless you dont mind watching your bass drum bag be smashed on every 90 degree angle from the stage to the door.

2. DO NOT EVER let someone keep watch over the car alone. Dont even need to elaborate on this one. I dont care if you just played a Christmas benefit show at a churches nursery school. You are a one person speed bump to someone getting a free car and $8,000 worth of easy pawn shop fodder.

3. For your own equipment, count exactly how many pieces you are loading into the car before you leave to the venue. Bags, Cases, individual stands, stick bag. Label them with numbers or write down the inventory on a piece of paper or doc on your phone if you have to. Include serial numbers and sub counts of hardware cases, cymbals, ect. If 13 pieces leave your rehearsal space, you only need to count to 13 at the back door of the place to know you're OK.

4. If the venue has a storage room for all the bands, carve out a little area solely for your bands stuff. Wall it off with the cabinets. Be polite about it. But really, there's no need for everyone's stuff to become a single pile of confusion.

5. Pack your cymbals and pedal away, at the very least, before you go do other stuff. There are the two things that get lost first for drummers.
 
Acidline303 is spot-on. I too am the old guy screaming at younger bands "TAKE THOSE GEAR STICKERS OFF THE TRAILER NOW" and they're all like "what's his problem?"

When one gets gear stolen and really, truly misses was was taken, then one will truly understand.

It's not out of meanness, it's like prodding the younger cat to "get your drumkit off the stage THEN break it down".; not an alpha dog thing but rather the weight of experience stepping in and helping to mold the younger generations.
 
While loading in at our last gig, I had to park around the corner from the venue. I waited till my band members were there before bringing gear in and while making about 5 trips, I locked my car each time I grabbed a piece of gear. same on the load out but I moved my car to the front at that point, still locking it as I went.
 
Some really good advice there...damn! Some of the crap you guys have mentioned is pretty eye-opening. Maybe now I'm more paranoid than before! But that's a healthy paranoia... :D
 
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