w Ritual Rave, to help Kaoslog to afford the stolen Liveset
Donation protected
Hi everyone, I am Kaoslog, if you landed here you must know me and my music.
With great sadness, I have to announce that half of my live set was stolen on Saturday night in Brussels.
Around 23:00 at a central train station (Zuid), I was approached by a young man asking for information. While trying to help him find the right track for his train, I got tricked the old-fashioned way. A few minutes later, I realised he had an accomplice, and by the time I noticed my bag was missing, they had disappeared. I have to admit, they did a good job .
When I arrived in Ghent, I learned that this station is notorious for being unsafe, and that Brussels gangs are increasingly taking control of the area. Thankfully, with the help of my friend Brandon from Ritual Rave, we managed to put together two USB sticks with tracks to perform a DJ set (which wasn’t great because I’m not the best DJ, but I gave it my all).
The good news is they took the wrong bag: Inside was "ONLY" my MacBook Pro, audio interface, Sennheiser headphones, cables, and some clothing. They left the modular case, which is worth almost €4k. The bad news is that, until about half an hour ago, I thought I had no backup of my live set! You can imagine how devastated I was, thinking that the live performance I’ve been building for nearly 10 years was gone. Despite this, I still managed to perform for half of my set time at the party in Ghent.
But the best news is that I just found a late 2022 backup, which is quite up-to-date!
I want to take a moment to share some lessons I’ve learned from this experience, particularly for music producers, DJs, and organizers.
1. For Producers:
Backup. Then back up your backup. Keep it safe. Your data is worth more than your gear because without those projects, years of work can disappear in an instant.
2. For DJs or Live Performers:
Always have a Plan B. If you’re traveling for a booking with your live set, be prepared with an alternative, like USB sticks for CDJs. Traveling exposes us to many risks—things can break, get stolen, or be forgotten. We have a responsibility not only to the organizers but, most importantly, to the crowd that paid and took their time to come and see you. You can’t just say "the show’s off" if something goes wrong. The show must go on! (Freddy Mercury)
3. For Organizers:
To save money, organizers often choose the longest, most difficult travel routes. As much as we love performing, traveling can be the most stressful part of the job. So, here’s my advice:
A. Between cheap and safe, always choose SAFE. Find the quickest way to get the artist from point A to point B. Fewer transfers mean fewer chances for something to go wrong.
B. Always arrange for someone to pick up your artists from the airport or station, and ensure the driver is reliable and drug-free. "I’ve had the terrible experience in the past of being stranded because my driver lost his license after being stopped by the police. I had to hitchhike to the nearest town and take an expensive cab to the airport, only to miss my flight anyway."
C. If you can’t afford premium flights, try booking priority boarding or extra leg-room seats. These small costs can make a big difference on long and short, uncomfortable budget flights.
Lastly, with the support of the Ritual Rave organization, I’m launching a crowdfunding campaign to help recover some of the stolen items. Any help would be deeply appreciated, and to show my gratitude, I’ll be offering a 50% discount on all my Bandcamp releases, including vinyl records.
Here you can donate something to the cause.
And here is the link of my bandcamps: one for the label, one for my private music.
Use the code "50" (written 50) and get 50% discount on everything i have on Bandcamp.
I hope this post sheds some light on the challenges we artists often face when traveling.
Thank you all for your support.
From the heart,
Kaoslog
Co-organizers (2)
Pierluigi Di Camillo
Organizer
Berlin, Berlin
Gerarda Fimiani
Co-organizer