Theft, and What to Do About It
There was a great disturbance in the Force this past week, as you may have heard about if you're following Wisconscene on Twitter or Facebook, or if you had seen last week's episode on YouTube. Except that i know you didn't see last week's episode, because i haven't posted it yet; it was delayed due to a variety of factors including me being too bummed out to focus on it. It's finished now, and rendering; i'll have it up on the YouTube channel in about an hour.
But if you haven't heard, i went out to The Wisco on Thursday to catch Pyroklast and The Garza, and during The Garza's brisk 29 minute set, somebody walked off with my Zoom H2 audio recorder, a device which i frankly cannot create Wisconscene without. If you don't understand why i can't just use audio off of my video cameras, watch the episode and hear for yourself, because that is precisely what i was forced to do, and i'm not happy about it.
I was fortunate enough to obtain a new H2 from Best Buy as an open item for a fraction of what it would have cost to replace it. Though the box was pretty mangled, the unit is shiny and new and works like a dream.
However, i can't just go out and replace my equipment all the time if jackasses are going to continue to stick my stuff in their pockets and walk off with it. I was lucky enough that some very generous people in Madison's scene came forward to offer monetary support to help me remedy my problem this time around, i wouldn't count on that happening all the time and i wouldn't want to. As i've stated before i'm doing Wisconscene to benefit the area's musicians and i don't want a thing from them in return.
So that leaves me with the problem, what do i do to deter equipment theft in the future? My audio recorder and my cameras are all about the size of a bar of soap, so walking off with them is easy. I need to find a way to stop that, and i'm soliciting ideas right now.
So far the best i've got is to wrap them in barbed wire and hope that means something to someone.
My next best idea is to get somebody to come out to shows with me and stand right next to the audio recorder the whole time. I realize this would not be ideal for the person on security detail, but really, what else can be done?
If you'd be interested in being my security person every now and then, let me know. I'd be willing to pay your cover at the door and maybe even buy you a drink, but i'm afraid that's about the extent of it. As of right now, i'm making no money on Wisconscene, so everything comes straight from my own meager coffers.
I wouldn't be looking for one person to go with me all the time, that would be crazy, i go to three or four shows a week these days. I'm hoping to generate a list of people willing to do this sort of thing, so there's lots of options.
Any comments on the situation, or ideas on how to deal with it, are welcome. Also, any tips on the scumbag that stole my gear.
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