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Step 1
Always keep in mind that the club you are playing has no responsibility for your musical equipment! So the job of watching it should never be left to club employees, even for a minute. Never, even for a minute, leave your equipment by itself.
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Step 2
When loading in, try and stack all of your gear the furthest you can from the door. It is harder to grab a guitar and walk away with it when there is a bunch of stuff on top of them.
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Step 3
Sit with your bandmates and try to work out a schedule of who should be watching the gear at any given time.
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Step 4
If the bandmates don't particularly want to sit and watch the gear, try offering a few bucks and some beers to friends of the band. It's easy money to sit and pass the time.
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Step 5
Make sure all your cases, bags, heads and cabinets all have some sort of instantly recognizable logo on them. Try getting a stencil and spry painting the initials or name of the band on there. Large, bright stickers work well, too.
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Step 6
When loading in or out, also make sure someone is either sitting in the van/car with the gear or standing right next to it. Even if the van/car is locked, it only takes a minute to steal a whole car full of gear. A car lock means nothing, even if the gear is covered.
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Step 7
Always keep an eye on bands loading out at the end of the night. Cases look very similar, and after a show people are tired and/or drunk and they might not be paying attention to what they are grabbing. Non-band members helping out a band might also grab the wrong thing.
