It’s the kind of thing that all travellers dread – arriving at your destination only to find that your luggage has been damaged or worse, gone missing. But for a DJ on tour it can be an absolute disaster, and one which potentially renders the whole trip a worthless endeavour.
So when members of the Australian hip-hop DJ group the Thundamentals saw their equipment being hurled onto a conveyor belt, they were understandably less than impressed. The incident and their reactions can be seen in a video over on the Daily Mail website (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2848676/Video-reveals-baggage-handlers-throwing-musicians-instruments-conveyor-belt-marked-fragile.html). The video, taken by the DJ trio themselves from the plane, shows a baggage handler throwing a number of cases onto the conveyor belt prior to take off.
Inside the cases were the band’s equipment, including mixing desks and keyboards, all of which were marked ‘fragile’. The incident took place at Sydney Airport as the group were boarding a Virgin Australia flight to Coffs Harbour.
Afterwards, the Thundamentals posted on Facebook: “Apologies if our equipment doesn’t work for our gig tonight, doesn’t seem like @virginaustralia care when reading the ‘fragile’ label of our instruments.”
In a statement, an airline spokesman responded by saying, “We sincerely apologise to the Thundamentals for the mishandling of their luggage. Virgin Australia always endeavours to take care of our guests’ luggage and is investigating this particular incident.”
DJ insurance for your equipment and your business
The fact is that even if your DJ equipment is marked fragile and securely packed, there’s no guarantee that it will arrive safely and in full working order at the other end. Damage or loss is a real possibility, and you should make sure that your DJ insurance will cover you for the cost of replacing or repairing the equipment.
It’s not just the monetary value of the equipment itself that needs to be considered though. If you’ve got one or more shows booked in the days after you touch down, you may be forced to cancel them as a result of not having the equipment to put on the gig you said you’d play. For that reason it is highly recommended that you add coverage for loss of earnings to your DJ insurance policy.