Dj Safety

[Anais nin Carms]

It is so sad when you hear stories of people losing their records , and made worse when you see the list off stuff that must have taken years to collect , let alone the money it absorbed to mass such a collection.

 

I do wonder if promoters should make provision to ensure a booked DJ is escorted to their car in the early hours when they have completed their booking.

 

We live in an environment where Djs leave a venue with what must be 10000's of pounds attached to their arms for any opportunist to gain from , guys are getting older , if they have two boxes how do they protect themselves ? so many drunks about in our cities it is a worry someone one day will get pounced on.

 

Not everyone has a minder ...

[Benji]

It's not like they get robbed. More often than not they leave their boxes unattended somewhere in the venue.

[Spacehopper]

think we may get complacent when doing nites and bars and clubs that are not on the scene ....i dont think theres any other scene where you can be 95% sure you can leave your bags,coats and even records without them going missing

 

gutted for craig..dont know the details but as benji said dont think its robbery from the person where records go missing..more often from the bar or car...reminds me of kenny padlocking his box to tables with a BIG chain...but i suppose when you know everyone knows THAT record is in the box it makes sense!

 

dean

[Jnixon]

no promoters shouldnt do that. why should they? its the responsibility of the person who owns them to look after them. 

 

would you leave £10,000 in cash in a bar that wasnt yours just on a seat? doubtful. think of it that way

 

some people leave their kids in places, David Cameron at the pub, The McCanns etc. there's an argument to say that if you can be bothered to look after your own property then you kind of deserve all you get, especially in this day and age. 

 

i ran a night successfully for a few years in a bad part of London, coming out at 4am with crack heads hanging about, muggings etc. i had a protocol for the dj booth and for getting from club to cab. same for airports. got stuck in milan airport on the way back from russia for 8 hours with 200 records - alitalia went bankrupt whilst i was in the air - had 3 or 4 people trying to hustle me for them, distract me etc. was overtired, hungover, hungry but kept the tunes. 

 

if people pride themselves on these tunes so as weve been told time and time again over the last day youve got to wonder how did someone steal them from them. was it force, beer or just lack of care.

[KevH]

It's not like they get robbed. More often than not they leave their boxes unattended somewhere in the venue.

 

 

Yes,agree with you for once Benji. .We tend to think that likeminded folks wouldn't steal records.Got to be responsible for your own box. 

[Anais nin Carms]

I agree you are responsible to a certain extent , if you leave something unattended of that value then yes you are asking for trouble , but if you have a booking at 3am and need to leave after your spot at 4am , boxes in tow , one in each hand , what if someone jumps you on route or at a car park ?

 

The answer is simple as a community if any of us see a DJ walk to his/her car alone it would be good practice to offer to walk to the car with them ensuring they don't get mugged ..or better still shouldn't a booked DJ have an allocated parking space at the venue ?

[Steve G]

What happens if the DJ is so p*ssed they can't find their record box then. You'd be surprised how often I've seen paralytic DJs staggering about....is that the promotors responsibility as well?

 

Folks time for a bit of self responsibility here. DJs are adults, they are responsible for themselves. Now if yer gig is in the middle of somewhere ruff and tuff it might make sense to escort them to a taxi or something, but other than that - and having a safe area for their records, that's it......

[Jumpinjoan]

I agree you are responsible to a certain extent , if you leave something unattended of that value then yes you are asking for trouble , but if you have a booking at 3am and need to leave after your spot at 4am , boxes in tow , one in each hand , what if someone jumps you on route or at a car park ?

 

The answer is simple as a community if any of us see a DJ walk to his/her car alone it would be good practice to offer to walk to the car with them ensuring they don't get mugged ..or better still shouldn't a booked DJ have an allocated parking space at the venue ?

 

To be fair I don't think many promoters have control of a car park and up until now I haven't heard of anyone getting jumped or mugged enroute to their vehicle? Not to say it couldn't happen of course, shit does happen - regularly. That said I feel the chances of this happening are unlikely

 

Have I missed something with regards to Craig? Was he mugged or did someone take his box from inside the venue?

 

You do need to be vigilant of your records at all times and I have to say that anyone other than DJs should not be behind the decks

[Len]

I had my house burgled once while I was at a Soul night funnily enough. I got back late that night, and the house was a complete mess, I looked across the room and saw that the catches on my D.J box were undone — I ran across and opened it……They didn’t take one singe one!  I was extremely slighted by that!  - They actually left me a tape!  

 

True story (except for the very last bit)

 

On a serious note though, when I saw the box had been opened I had a ‘sick to the stomach’ feeling, so I really feel for anyone who has had the misfortune of having records stolen.

 

Of course it is the responsibility of the D.J to look after his records, but it wouldn’t go a miss if promoters gave them the option of locking them away somewhere during the night. I also have a chain / pad lock on mine, but do you know what? — I feel a bit rude using it, because it looks like a sign of mistrust to my fellow soulies  / D.J’s, I don’t feel comfortable doing so.

 

It is the world we live in I’m afraid, so this latest episode is a wakeup call for us all. Again, best of luck to Craig ref getting his tunes back.

 

All the best,

 

Len  

[Len]

 

You do need to be vigilant of your records at all times and I have to say that anyone other than DJs should not be behind the decks

 

Absolutely, except just the odd person asking about tunes of course. I've D.Jed at places where there were so many people on the stage; I struggled to get to the decks. Apart from the risk of someone sneaking off with a box of records, it was a pain in the *rse, whilst trying to work.

 

All the best,

 

Len  

 

Edited April 24, 2013 by LEN

[Gouch]

Absolutely, or maybe just the odd person asking about tunes of course. I've D.Jed at places where there were so many people on the stage; I struggled to get to the decks. Apart from the risk of someone sneaking off with a box of records, it was a pain in the *rse, whilst trying to work.

 

All the best,

 

Len  

 

Well, thats unusual, tumbleweed blowing accross the dancefloor and the stage rammed, new one on me Len, well done that man

 

Gouch

[Len]

 

 

Well, thats unusual, tumbleweed blowing accross the dancefloor and the stage rammed, new one on me Len, well done that man

 

Gouch

 

 ....You'll get there one day Brian......

 

Len  

[Anais nin Carms]

I too was burgled thankfully my records were left behind , I think theyleft them because they didn't realise they were worth more than everything else , and secondly because the boxes would have given them a hernia or two

Edited April 24, 2013 by Anais nin Carms

[Kegsy]

I had my house burgled once while I was at a Soul night funnily enough. I got back late that night, and the house was a complete mess, I looked across the room and saw that the catches on my D.J box were undone — I ran across and opened it……They didn’t take one singe one!  I was extremely slighted by that!  - They actually left me a tape!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i think something similar happened to Julian Bentley but

they left the records and nicked the box.

 

Kegsy

[KevH]

What happens if the DJ is so p*ssed they can't find their record box then. You'd be surprised how often I've seen paralytic DJs staggering about....is that the promotors responsibility as well?

 

Folks time for a bit of self responsibility here. DJs are adults, they are responsible for themselves. Now if yer gig is in the middle of somewhere ruff and tuff it might make sense to escort them to a taxi or something, but other than that - and having a safe area for their records, that's it......

 

Or chain your record box to a table leg.   

[Guest gordon russell]

I had my house burgled once while I was at a Soul night funnily enough. I got back late that night, and the house was a complete mess, I looked across the room and saw that the catches on my D.J box were undone — I ran across and opened it……They didn’t take one singe one!  I was extremely slighted by that!  - They actually left me a tape!  

 

True story (except for the very last bit)

 

On a serious note though, when I saw the box had been opened I had a ‘sick to the stomach’ feeling, so I really feel for anyone who has had the misfortune of having records stolen.

 

Of course it is the responsibility of the D.J to look after his records, but it wouldn’t go a miss if promoters gave them the option of locking them away somewhere during the night. I also have a chain / pad lock on mine, but do you know what? — I feel a bit rude using it, because it looks like a sign of mistrust to my fellow soulies  / D.J’s, I don’t feel comfortable doing so.

 

It is the world we live in I’m afraid, so this latest episode is a wakeup call for us all. Again, best of luck to Craig ref getting his tunes back.

 

All the best,

 

Len  

that happened to a couple from leicester...some time back.....house wrecked  but tunes remained untouched......however any amount of rare tunes stolen would be very hard to sell on.....just because of how the soul scene works.....but as l can honestly say there are quite a few unscrupulous people about nowadays....so never say never

[Guest gordon russell]

Or chain your record box to a table leg.   

Kev...they might just lift the table up  mate......sorry  

[Zed1]

It is so sad when you hear stories of people losing their records , and made worse when you see the list off stuff that must have taken years to collect , let alone the money it absorbed to mass such a collection.

 

I do wonder if promoters should make provision to ensure a booked DJ is escorted to their car in the early hours when they have completed their booking.

 

We live in an environment where Djs leave a venue with what must be 10000's of pounds attached to their arms for any opportunist to gain from , guys are getting older , if they have two boxes how do they protect themselves ? so many drunks about in our cities it is a worry someone one day will get pounced on.

 

Not everyone has a minder ...

 

 

Records are the DJ's tools of the trade - it's up to him/her to look after them. If a Plumber turned up at your house to do a Job you wouldn't expect to help him carry his tools in because he's 'Getting old' or because his tools might be worth a few bob!......

[night nurse]

Records are the DJ's tools of the trade - it's up to him/her to look after them. If a Plumber turned up at your house to do a Job you wouldn't expect to help him carry his tools in because he's 'Getting old' or because his tools might be worth a few bob!......

do you know a plumber carrying 10.000  pounds worth equipment though. I really dont want to think a true soulie would steal records well not a true one anyway

[Agentsmith]

i had an old ford escort mk1, had it stolen from just outside wolvo town centre on a saturday afternoon, dead easy to break into these things....all you needed was a house key! i'd left two 50 boxes of sounds in the boot..gutted. phone call from police about 9pm, car found on side of main road barely half a mile from where it was pinched, what was the first thing i did?...open the boot...phew!, still in there...never been closer since

[Greg Belson]

Rule number one when I DJ is that my playbox never leaves my side.....some people have mocked the fact that I have a shoulder strap for 100 count box, but it means I can put it on the floor whilst moving around the club and keep a hold of it, or carry it around on my back never letting it out of my sight.

 

It can be a bit laborious, but it's taken me years to get my playbox together, not to mention the cash I put into it, so I have to have it with me at all times. As much as you want to trust your fellow clubbers, if I lose my tunes somehow, the only one I would want to blame is myself.

[Zed1]

do you know a plumber carrying 10.000  pounds worth equipment though. I really dont want to think a true soulie would steal records well not a true one anyway

 

I carry several £K of tools/materials EVERY single day in my van including late night call outs yet I don't expect any kind of special treatment or an 'escort' to and from my work. also if I'm careless with my tools and they're nicked I lose my a LOT more than a hobby...... I lose my living.

 

What next?, volunteers to take the DJ's to the bog and wipe their arses for them in case they get a few germs on their Vinyl?..... 

Edited April 24, 2013 by Zed1

[night nurse]

i had an old ford escort mk1, had it stolen from just outside wolvo town centre on a saturday afternoon, dead easy to break into these things....all you needed was a house key! i'd left two 50 boxes of sounds in the boot..gutted. phone call from police about 9pm, car found on side of main road barely half a mile from where it was pinched, what was the first thing i did?...open the boot...phew!, still in there...never been closer since

phew that was lucky

[Anais nin Carms]

Records are the DJ's tools of the trade - it's up to him/her to look after them. If a Plumber turned up at your house to do a Job you wouldn't expect to help him carry his tools in because he's 'Getting old' or because his tools might be worth a few bob!......

 

 

I would like to see a plumber turn up at 4am

[Hornet]

I carry several £K of tools/materials EVERY single day in my van including late night call outs yet I don't expect any kind of special treatment or an 'escort' to and from my work. also if I'm careless with my tools and they're nicked I lose my a LOT more than a hobby...... I lose my living.

 

What next?, volunteers to take the DJ's to the bog and wipe their arses for them in case they get a few germs on their Vinyl?..... 

lookin 4ward 2 retiring & chucking all my tools in the canal !!

[Jnixon]

exactly, Greg. and people may laugh but you can enjoy yourself knowing they are as safe as can be.

 

you also have to question taking a load of originals of cockerel waving tunes to a bar gig. the fella has come unstuck with that tactic. 

 

 

 

Rule number one when I DJ is that my playbox never leaves my side.....some people have mocked the fact that I have a shoulder strap for 100 count box, but it means I can put it on the floor whilst moving around the club and keep a hold of it, or carry it around on my back never letting it out of my sight.

 

It can be a bit laborious, but it's taken me years to get my playbox together, not to mention the cash I put into it, so I have to have it with me at all times. As much as you want to trust your fellow clubbers, if I lose my tunes somehow, the only one I would want to blame is myself.

[Jordirip]

exactly, Greg. and people may laugh but you can enjoy yourself knowing they are as safe as can be.

 

you also have to question taking a load of originals of cockerel waving tunes to a bar gig. the fella has come unstuck with that tactic. 

 

If that's what his playbox consists of what else should he use to DJ with. Should he just take the Numero box set and a load of re issues and boots? You don't have one box for 'serious' working men's club hut talcum powder gigs and another box for a bar gig do you?

[Dave Rimmer]

People laugh at me sometimes, but my DJ box has a motorcycle chain on it, and it is chained to a non removeable object when ever I am out with.it.

[Jordirip]

People laugh at me sometimes, but my DJ box has a motorcycle chain on it, and it is chained to a non removeable object when ever I am out with.it.

 

Is that John Weston's wallet?

[Guest gordon russell]

People laugh at me sometimes, but my DJ box has a motorcycle chain on it, and it is chained to a non removeable object when ever I am out with.it.

[Len]

Kev...they might just lift the table up  mate......sorry  

 

Classic! - I know, it's blo*dy annoying when the table has no cross braces  

 

Len  

[Jnixon]

If that's what his playbox consists of what else should he use to DJ with. Should he just take the Numero box set and a load of re issues and boots? You don't have one box for 'serious' working men's club hut talcum powder gigs and another box for a bar gig do you?

had he taken a re issue of black exotics to this bar, for example he would still have his original to play at other venues, would he not?

 

yes, i have boxes for different places. dont you?

 

 

 

e

[Boogaloo]

People laugh at me sometimes, but my DJ box has a motorcycle chain on it, and it is chained to a non removeable object when ever I am out with.it.

Me too Dave. I'd rather be laughed at than sympathised with.

[Jordirip]

had he taken a re issue of black exotics to this bar, for example he would still have his original to play at other venues, would he not?

 

yes, i have boxes for different places. dont you?

 

 

 

e

 

I have different sets / tunes for different places but I don't have a box of disposables just in case the worst happens.

[Jnixon]

I have different sets / tunes for different places but I don't have a box of disposables just in case the worst happen

 

maybe people should think about it after this

[KevH]

Classic! - I know, it's blo*dy annoying when the table has no cross braces  

 

Len  

 

Thanks Len for grasping the concept.Gordon is a m....  .Love him really.

[Guest chrislokeh]

Or chain your record box to a table leg.   

Kenny Burrell used do to that

[Guest gfarrington]

I would like to see a plumber turn up at 4am

 

oh they'll turn up , but you'll need to sell your box of records to cover the cost

[Patto]

Yes i remember Kenny Burrell's Box always next to him chained to table, or radiator pipes. In fact in the past a lot of peoples Boxes were individual custom built bulky affairs which maybe gave them a bit of security.Most DJs these days use the 100/200 count Swan or Blacka type ultra lightweight flight cases,and they are really easy to carry off with no one thinking anything untoward.I know its a pain to carry but you can't beat a good old fashioned hand made wooden box. They are heavy enough to put an opportunist off and would draw attention to anyone trying to make off with it. Also in days gone by people could recognise different DJs boxes and would notice a stranger walking off with them.The current crop of flight cases all look similar and blend in.All this still does not excuse the theft and my heart goes out to Craig really hope he gets a lead to their recovery.

Edited April 25, 2013 by Patto

[Zed1]

oh they'll turn up , but you'll need to sell your box of records to cover the cost

 

Unlikely...... most DJ's would just say 'Sorry I can't pay you mate - I've left my money in my other Wallet!'.....

[Tezza]

My box is a large wooden one carrying 400 records. Overkill yes but you're not gonna walk off with it.  Saying that I have had a few nicked from the box while at a venue. Don't really notice until you come round to play it next time.  Sad that you cant trust folk these days. Saying that, back in the 'good old days' I know many boys and girls who had their bags nicked with their fav clothes in. Always someone out to make a quick buck.

[Swifty]

Someone broke into Swift Towers and looked through my collection and added a few decent tunes

 

 

 

on a serious note it must be heartbreaking to have you're records nicked , I've loaned the odd small box out years ago never to get them back, then went to a local do and the DJ (who knew fook all about Northern) , started playing a couple of decent records and when I went to have look he had Jimmy Breedlove - I can't help Loving You - Roulette Demo (I Know not rare! but I doubt if he owned any US 45's)  and it was mine , then I had a look through his box and there were about 20 records that I had lent out that he had bought off the geezer I lent them to and he had bought them all for 50p each !!!! This was 20 odd years ago , I even offered him £2 each for them even though they were mine (Had my Handwritting on the Covers) Bastard wouldn't sell 'em.

 

Funny thing was I saw him a couple of years ago and threatened to fill his face in but the Mrs. stopped me , thank god (too Old ! Me not the Mrs. !!)

 

they weren't rare but they were all Roulette / Rictic/ Okeh WD's Barstewerd

 

Cheers

 

Swifty

Edited April 25, 2013 by SWIFTY

[Harry Crosby]

People laugh at me sometimes, but my DJ box has a motorcycle chain on it, and it is chained to a non removeable object when ever I am out with.it.

You do right Dave, better to be safe than sorry. It does look like a JACOB MARLEY cast off though.

[TOAD]

With so many djs these days iam surprised that more have not been stolen

[Len]

When 'out and about' you have to be very careful about your records - more so nowadays I’d say (correct me if I’m wrong here)

 

The ‘Soul Bros Trust’ thing is still there ‘in the main’ though — I’ve had some ‘god awful’ people round my house over the years (meant in the nicest possible way of course! ) and for some reason ‘it’ is never an issue, and (as expected) at the end of the ‘session’ all records in everyone’s boxes are ‘present and correct’….except for the covers of course!

 

I suppose, the above is all very nice until it does happen to you (ref your own home) my guests always come through various ‘connected’ channels, so I just presume everyone’s cool - I hope that feeling continues, because it’s a nice feeling when you think about it.

 

I left a sales box in the record bars (all open for folk to look through) at both The Wilton All-nighter and The Burnley All-nighter all night, I 'forgot' I wasn’t a record dealer and went ‘off’ to enjoy my night. Nothing was stolen, and any that did sell, the buyer asked whose records they were, and I was pointed out - That trust thing was definitely there.

 

In hindsight I may have pushed my luck a bit far there - never the less, it’s nice to know some of us are still loyal

 

All the best,

 

Len  

Edited April 25, 2013 by LEN

[Winsford Soul]

People laugh at me sometimes, but my DJ box has a motorcycle chain on it, and it is chained to a non removeable object when ever I am out with.it.

Dave, thats called the bar isn't it .

Hope your well mate, been to long

 

Ste

[wiganpotter]

Kenny Burrell used do to that

Saw close at hand Kenny Burrell`s Chained up box ,in Rimini  a few years ago I did comment on his record box though , one of those old compressed cardboard jobs ( the name of them escapes me ) His tunes were worth considerably more than the usual £10,000 ish  Frank Wilson etc. etc. I see many a D.J. with 1,000s of pounds worth of tunes n £35,   200 count boxes , 

WiganBrian . 

[Bossfourpart1]

After a gig i am well aware of how vunerable i am With the Records on board as i head to the car park.

Most of it is paranoia as only i know how much they are worth.But still it is on my mind until i put them away.

In the venues .... well fortunately Soulies are to the most "good people " but you still have to use your common sense and not "put temptation" within crasping distance.

I remember a gig near Doncaster a few years back "Lifeline". Butch was Djing and a little while later the fire alarms went off !!!

We all left via the nearest exit into the car park. There was no smoke but still the alarms were set off.

Then someone mentioned that Butch was still in the building (guarding his records )."who can blame him", wouldn't you ?

As previous , records are valuble today but the sentimental link and the years of amassing the collections carries more pain if they are lost. "or even ,soul destroying"

look after them !!!

cheers Frank

Edited April 26, 2013 by Bossfourpart1

[Dave Abbott]

rs should make provision to ensure a booked DJ is escorted to their car in the early hours when they have completed their booking.

 

We live in an environment where Djs leave a venue with what must be 10000's of pounds attached to their arms for any opportunist to gain from , guys are getting older , if they have two boxes how do they protect themselves ? .

 

why would they have two boxes?? Why take all these records many of them take out?! (nothing to do with recent occurances, but no need)

[Anais nin Carms]

Morning    some take more than two boxes , lets take sales , if you are playing and selling quite often you will have sales in a different box , but I take your point , myself I would take one box leaving one hand free to defend myself with my hairspray 

 

We are entering the how many records you should take territory .... that could be an explosive debate    are you selective according to your taste ?or do you take a massive selection to accommodate requests ?

 

A good investment of 50 pounds is to buy those material type cases that you can carry on your shoulder I guess ? 

 

Most have missed the point ...its not about being careless and leaving your property unattended its about looking out for someone that may have a distance to travel to a car park in the early hours when it can get a bit dodgy.