Anti theft measures for gigs

[MultiScaleMale]

We used to have a sound guy with a huge pitbull that he'd leave in the van with the gear. Never lost anything that way
I'm pretty vigilant about this stuff even now, I live in a relatively low crime area. I lock the van in between trips inside to pick up gear; sometimes the others razz me about it a bit as they pop open their car, leave it open and wander inside t pick up gear, leave it open in between trips too. Doesn't work for me.

Smash and grabs are a pain in the butt. Do you lock the doors and then pay for a broken window and the stolen gear? I try to do a single trip for load in or save the heavy cabs for the second trip. They're less likely to be stolen.

 

[40Hz]

I travel light and don’t pack a lot of gear (gig go-bag, 2 basses in bags, amp, folding collapsible hand truck) so everything loads in and out in one trip and nothing is ever out of sight. On the road I never leave anything in a car or van overnight. Especially not a locked U-haul or similar. One of those trailers with a padlock on it is an open invitation for someone to break in. Doubly so if the plates on the vehicle towing it are from out of state relative to where it’s parked.

 

[NZBassman]

I've had gear stolen before but that's because I left it in a car overnight or something stupid...

but True story - was playing a gig a few years ago and guitarist had his other / spare guitar on a stand and during a break someone at the pub we were playing at simply took the guitar off the stand and walked off with it... they got out the door and me and drummer were outside cooling off and he walked straight past us with the guitar... when we asked him what he was doing with our guitarists guitar he made a run for it, but tripped up and dropped the guitar on the ground.
thankfully the guitar only got a small scratch on the back and was still in tune!

 

[Phalex]

I take microphones, tuners, assorted cables down every night. Anything that can be easily stolen off stage during the day.

When we tear down, amps, speakers, pa gear, bass head etc gets humped down to my basement at 4:00am every weekend.

I go to great lengths not to leave anything in my car.

 

[knumbskull]

I just try and keep everything in one place where i can see it, and pack up as soon as we’re done.

Recently at a gig, a guitarist from one of the other bands left his instrument lying on the “stage” (really, the floor) for several hours after he finished. Free entry, all day gig, glass front, the door opened straight to the street. Not for me sir.

Someone did try and steal my old leather jacket once, i walked back from the men’s room and he was wearing it at the bar. I’m not much of a fighter so luckily a few words was all it took to get it back!

 

[darwin-bass]

Years ago I was loading out after rehearsal in a nice neighborhood. Took the first of two loads out to the Bronco, went back in for the amp, bass. When I got home I found my brief case (contained tuner, effects, sheet music) was gone. Must have left it a the rehearsal house.

Next day singer calls. Says cops are there. Neighbor found a brief-case in their front yard and called bomb-squad. Turned out to be my missing case with everything still inside.

Apparently while I was in the house getting my 2nd and final load someone wander up and grabbed the case. Looked at the contents and figured there was nothing worth having inside and just tossed it in the grass.

 

[lfmn16]

I believe they were turing overnight and had it out in front of a hotel.
Hard lesson

Hope he learned a lesson at least.

 

[TheDirtyLowDown]

Regarding "Anti theft measures for gigs" Well, back in the 80's a friend of mine had a band that got a very well-paying college fraternity party gig. They unload their van, play, collect their money, and are out and gone down the road at 2am when my friend (who was driving) looks into his rearview mirror and sees that his bass player has stolen a full beer keg from the party... loaded it into the van... and is now trying to tap it with tools from their spare tire toolkit... So: keep an eye on your bandmates!

 

[micguy]

I play in church on Sunday morning, rather than Saturday night at a bar. Fewer drunk people there - hopefully most of the thieves are in bed at that hour. I make my own basses, and rather than make a fancy waterslide decal that makes it look like a normal production bass, I sign my headstocks with ultra permanent Sharpie - I figure that makes the thing look obscure enough that it'll help a bit deterrence wise. I also play ampless, so it's a one trip load in. I'm never very far from my gear when in transit.

 

[TerriblePeril]

.
Anyone using GPS trackers under the pickguard?

F

No, but that's brilliant. I keep a Tile in my Bag of Holding messenger and some of the tech that goes in it has sticker style RFID bits on them, but a tracker inside a bass that gigs is brilliant.

 

[redwingxix]

It's not very scientific or anything but we have a load out supply chain where there is one or two guys onstage with the gear, one or two going back and forth between the cars and stage and one guy stays out with the cars until they are loaded and locked.

When I leave my bass onstage between sets I always leave it as far away from the edge of the stage and the exits as I can. Nice instrument on stand three feet from an exit is just too tempting for some delinquents.

 

[Tnavis]

The methods really depend on the gig. I've done a fair amount of jazz gigs where we mainly had to worry about people knocking over instruments if they came up to talk to us during set breaks. For the usual gigs I do now (multi-band rock shows) there's generally an unwritten, unspoken rule (and this depends on the venue) where all the bands stack their gear in the delegated "gear area" (and this could be a hallway, backstage, a green room), and just... keep an eye on it. This is where it's a good time to meet new bands and players, and even just saying "Hey man, can you keep an eye on our gear if we're not here?" goes a long way. If we don't have a backstage or green room (or access to them), then gear is usually set up next to the side of the stage, and we'll be able to keep an eye on it. In these situations, we'll generally set it up so that we've got cases and small bags leaning up against a wall, and then place drums, amps, and cabinets around them, so that it's physically difficult to just grab something and go.

 

[fishdreams]

It is one of the reasons i bring as little as possible to the gig. 1 bass => it never leaves my side. If I have to bring a bass to work, on my way to the session/gig afterwards, it just sits next to me in its gig bag in the booth.

 

[gln1955]

I play in church on Sunday morning, rather than Saturday night at a bar. Fewer drunk people there - hopefully most of the thieves are in bed at that hour. I make my own basses, and rather than make a fancy waterslide decal that makes it look like a normal production bass, I sign my headstocks with ultra permanent Sharpie - I figure that makes the thing look obscure enough that it'll help a bit deterrence wise. I also play ampless, so it's a one trip load in. I'm never very far from my gear when in transit.

You'd think a church would be pretty safe, but I've had small stuff like guitar stands , cables, etc. disappear more times than I can count. I never leave anything really valuable there.

 

[micguy]

You'd think a church would be pretty safe, but I've had small stuff like guitar stands , cables, etc. disappear more times than I can count. I never leave anything really valuable there.

Churches are unguarded most of the week, and are targets on the other 6 days. Sunday, they're pretty safe, but I agree - I never leave anything there.

 

[retslock]

I start from the premise that someone wants to steal your stuff. Sad I know, but that’s how people are. Most theft is opportunistic so I’ve always made sure there is no opportunity. So far so good.
I always unload at home and take my stuff inside. If that’s not convenient, I park behind my tall gates and the car is not visible from the street. I’m lucky to have that space.
I’m also lucky that my wife and I have been working together for the last 30 years which means she stays with the gear while I’m moving stuff. I always look for a spot to place it while loading/unloading that will make it difficult to get it away from. I stash my bass behind amps and bags against a wall or whatever. Make it hard for the bar stards.
I’m always thinking of security and it has paid off. I’ve never had stuff stolen in 50 years.

PS. Years ago a friend had his Telecaster stolen from his car. He kept a vigilant watch over all the regional pawn shops and a year later he found it.

 

[Frank77]

I never, ever leave stuff in an unattended vehicle - heard way too many stories of stolen gear. You never know when some meth-head will feel like breaking into your car. Years ago I easily had the most beat-up car on the block, yet it was broken into over about 2$ worth of change that had been left on the console.

My load-in / load-out is one trip, and all my gear sleeps in locked cabinets at home. If all else fails, I'm insured.

F*** thieves.

 

[SteveHeissner]

Baby guards my gear. Say hello to Baby.

 

[dalkowski]

I probably read it here: Don't affix "Fender"/"Gibson"/etc. stickers to your vehicle.

 

[ObsessiveArcher]

I just played a gig this past Saturday. We were the opening band. As I'm listening to the last song from the 2nd band after us, I noticed that I left my amp on the stage! It was leaning up against the wall in it's carry case. I must have forgotten it in my haste to clear out. My advice is to make sure you stick around for the rest of the bands and double check you have everything