A growing trend, or problem rather...
 

So,

Not sure about the rest of you on here. But anyone else noticing how many bands have been getting robbed of their gear lately? It is somewhat troubling or perplexing to me because it's becoming more frequent or common. Maybe I have just been not noticing this kind of thing happening until recently, or it just wasn't something that was going on pretty much at all...but, I do know this is something that has happened before in the past.

Young Guns, a band from London is the most recent to have had their gear stolen and were forced to cancel a show that was scheduled to take place tonight in Leeds. It seems like almost every time I go online, I am reading about some band having been robbed of their gear. What in the hell is going on? Because it's happening more and more. Is it a group that is working together, or what? It's all over the world this is happening. I can only speculate that it seems organized somehow, or I'm just crazy.

What do you guys think about this?

I think that people are more aware of it these days because of social media. Moon Hooch recently got nabbed too.

I've heard of at least two incidents within the past year or so. I also wasn't aware it was an issue until I heard about it. I'm sure there is some valuable equipment, but it seems like a lot of trouble to go out of your way to steal this kind of stuff.

Easily more aware of their locations, perhaps.

I think that's true. Because before social media, I didn't really hear or read of it. But it definitely pisses me off though, like what type of person would steal bands gear and put their way of making a living in jeopardy, other than to get money from the gear they take.

There are bands out there that having really expensive gear. In general, gear isn't cheap to begin with, even the cheap gear is expensive. So a thief could really get a lot of money by selling it, but in general these people are caught and most or all gear returned, that's of course the good outcome.

How do you manage to get your stuff nicked? Where was it stolen from? Twat's trick anyway and I'm assuming these bands aren't exactly rolling in money either.

Whether these bands are rolling in money or not isn't the point. What would you expect a band without the means to stow their gear elsewhere to do? Because a lot of the time the gear is kept in something towed behind whatever they tour in, and those things usually have just a lock on them, or a couple at most so it isn't like these bands are purposely asking to get robbed. It's unfortunate, and those bands don't deserve it.

Something to also mention is that the places they play their shows at probably don't have the space for them to unload every peace of gear either, so...there's that too. I don't know. You sound like you're saying it's the bands fault that they gear is taken in the first place, or that they're too incompetent to keep their gear from getting stolen in the first place.

I wasn't saying they were asking to get robbed, I was implying it's a ****'s trick and even more so if these bands are struggling to make ends meet (and will have to replace what was nicked) like my mate does.

How you got that from my post, that I was blaming the bands for being skint, I do not know.

or more aware of these incidents happening after the fact.

coins and sides and such

I said it sounded like you were saying it was the bands fault or that they were asking for it, not that it was actually what you mean. But none of that is important or matters anyway so let's not even worry about that misunderstanding.

It just sucks that this happens to bands. And I bet the people that rob them figure that those bands roll in the money or something.

Junkies

Bands can't afford to have somebody watch their van or trailer at all times. I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often than it already does. It happened to Portugal. The Man a couple years ago. Whoever stole their instruments also must have grabbed their talent because I haven't seen that it a while either.

Not saying this is what happens all the time, but I watch a show about repo men and on one of the episodes they repossessed a country singer's tour bus while he was doing his soundcheck. They didn't bother to allow anyone to take gear off the bus so that all went too, though perhaps they got it back later. Either way, I think it's a scummy thing to do; they basically killed the guy's ability to make money and therefore his ability to repay what he owed.

But that's ****ing banks for you. They don't give a ****. It's unlikely any of these bands had hired their equipment and failed to make payment, but it could be happening in the odd case.

I've heard about this a lot in recent years, too. As has been said throughout the thread though, it is most likely because of social media that you're hearing about it so much. You're just more aware of it.

I know I have heard of several bands in the country/americana/whatever scene getting **** stolen in recent years, though.

It happened to Keith Richards back in 1971.