The Ferocious Few, everybody’s favorite rock ‘n’ roll buskers, just had everything in the world taken from them, and right before they were about to head to Austin for SXSW. Frontman Francisco tells the tale:
The incident occured on Saturday February 25th between 5-7 pm. My girlfriend and I had gone to a Noise Pop Happy hour at Bender’s Bar to support a local band called Hot Fog, and meet with some friends. I had just returned from Haight st. where we had been kicked off the stoop of a friend’s house by SFPD for playing music for passersby on that beautiful sunny day. I had parked my car outside of an apartment building at 772 South Van Ness at about 5:15. We left Bender’s shortly thereafter only to find that my red 1995 Nissan Pathfinder, license plate 3SNY839 was gone.
I called all the tow companies, no sign of it. I continued calling them every day and I still try.
I called the cops. I filed a report, they said no sign of it. They kept me waiting at the scene of the crime (in one of the most heavily policed areas in the entire city) for so long I felt compelled to go into the station myself. They said an inspector would be put on the case by this past Monday. They said that there was a good chance the car would turn up…but obviously everything else would be gone.
Everything I own, give or take a sock or two, was stolen that day. There were 3 guitars worth a total 7k in there! Worth way more to me than the money. One of them, a brand new Gibson I had just spent months transforming into the most ferocious music making machine. All my busking equipment, batteries, cables, amps, my clothes, my book collection, everything I need to do my job basically, and the car, GONE.
If you’d like to help out, keep your eyes peeled — but also there’s a benefit show this Sunday at the Rock Loft in North Beach. RSVP and invite your friends!
As someone who is both a (hobby) musician and has had a car broken in to (though not actually stolen) on numerous occasions, I empathize with how frustrating this is. It’s infuriating that crap like this happens. Each time I hear about it happening it makes me lose a tiny specklette of faith in humanity.
But all that said….what the hell were they thinking leaving all that stuff in a parked car in the city??!?!
It doesn’t excuse the thieves, but still….not the smartest move, bros…
Seriously? He left all of that stuff in his car?
Clearly, you two dicks have no idea what complications are entailed in being in a band that uses a lot of equipment. You should stick to listening to singer-songwriters who rhythmically strum acoustic guitars, which can be carried in a gig-bag, over the shoulder, at all times. No more electrical music for you, pinches!
If you’d ever been in a band in this city and had to transport gear you’d be pretty well aware that leaving a car full of expensive musical equipment parked on Sketch Van Ness is asking to get your shit stolen.
Yeah, Cranky is right on the money.
I’m calling bullshit here. Just don’t do it. Put your shit in your space or go home with it or whatever. What is more important, your gear or Benders?
+1
+1
hmmm i mean its not like they really need 7k+ worth of stuff. They’re just a band, not doctors with medical needs
boo.
If you follow old Mission Mission posts there is a designated neighborhood car thief in that area. Regardless, I’m floored by anyone who leaves so much as a sock in their car in San Francisco.
try looking in the local pawn shops, specifically the ones on mission near 19th with all the musical instruments.
a friend lost a lot of gear he foolishly left in his car. a month later as he was passing thru town again he tried the pawn shop and all of it was there.
You all are a bunch of assholes, blaming the victim.
It sucks to get robbed, but this was very avoidable. When you’ve lived here a while you learn there are certain behaviors that will get you targeted by the broadest group of criminals (thieves). Leaving your car parked full of expensive stuff in a bad neighborhood is near the top of the list.
Same with if you left your $12,000 Trek bike parked outside of the Uptown overnight with a shitty cable lock or left your iphone atop someone’s parked car all day. You’re going to get your shit stolen and that sucks, but you’re also eschewing basic precautions.
This particular no-no is tattoo’d in the brain of most musicians because we all know people who have gotten all their shit stolen out of their car/van in places much tamer than San Francisco.
yes – as a musician i have learned this several times. paranoia!
My way to make a living, making music, which is what I do, was impeded by thieves, all your “shouldn’t do that” crap doesn’t help me get my stolen goods back, so basically, your commentary is useless. You are basically just part of the peanut gallery, the one that no one gives a fuck about. Fuck you!
Francisco Fernandez of the Ferocious Few
hey, all of a sudden i don’t feel bad for you. welcome to being in a band, take your gear out of your car before you go get drunk next time. if you don’t learn that lesson, then yes, these comments are useless.
Sure, that’s what the band needs more than anything right now: a dozen or so smug lectures from a gaggle of armchair Sherlocks.
haha. You guys are playing a benefit to benefit yourselves?! Actually kinda ridiculous! Quit your whining Francisco when there’s a lot more people in 3rd worlds that have it much worse than you and are literally starving. Man up and get a cheap guitar and trap set. You should play a benefit for Syria.
The next sound you gentlemen hear will be the sound of your head hitting the sidewalk after some disadvantaged Mission youth knocks you down and takes your iPod or iPhone. As for you ladies, ditto, except that you will probably be getting sexually violated, as well, because you chose not to wear a chador in a dangerous neighborhood. And after that, the sound all of you hear will be the sound of Mission Mission readers laughing at you for not being “cautious” in the “high crime” place you live in. Think about it. That’s exactly how a whole lot of you sound.
Lindsey is right.
Quit your mindless co-signing Veg. There’s no blaming the victim here. It’s just a wise call to learn from your mistakes. I’m sure the Ferocious Few will never ever leave all their equipment in their car unattended again especially in the Mission. Oh and speaking of co-signing, rod is right.
Quit yer yapping, son, grown-ups are talking.
Human all too human Rotten Vegetable!
Q: Do you find them much, these, stolen cars?
A1: Sometimes. Wouldn’t hold out much hope for the tape deck though.
A2: Or the Creedence.
as someone in the music biz for years, I’m constantly surprised when bands leave their gear, ANY gear, unattended.
It’s not blaming the victim, it’s just common sense. When on the road, someone sleeps in the van or with the UHaul. When at home, have your gear with you in the club or take it back to the rehearsal space.
Leaving anything in a car is begging for it to be taken.
Friend had her window smashed for under a dollar in spare change on the dash.
as someone who makes music and is in the music business too, I think you are saying things most people know.
…so if ‘most people know’ these things? WHY U LEAVE STUFF IN CAR??!??!????? In the MISSION?!?!?!? durrrrrr.
You all need to Chill, seriously. They are a band that plays throughout the city on the street, they take their gear with them. 7k isn’t DOCTOR supplies but it’s what they work with.
How sad. We’re incredibly fortunate to have such a great local music scene in SF, and it’s disappointing whenever stuff like this happens. At least it makes me feel less crazy about how paranoid I was when I left the TV I had just bought in the back of my Mini for 10 minutes while I dashed into Canyon Market on the way home today…
pero quien te mando?
Police don’t do enough in this city to combat this problem. I had a new laptop stolen from a rental car I was using and was surprised the degree at how unresponsive the police dept was. With as much as I used it, and I’m sure the band used their equipment, outside of losing a loved one it is the worse feeling. Best of luck, getting your feet back on the ground.
Thieves are abhorrent, but as both a musician and a victim of similar theft I would never leave anything of value in a parked car, particularly in a neighborhood with a high crime rate.
That said, it is a terrible experience to lose cherished instruments, and I hope the FF is able to rebound and make their SXSW trip.
As an aside — Lindsey, please refrain from name calling; it makes you sound like an asshole.
I am an asshole, I can’t deny that. I just think it is rude to criticize someone who has obviously just had a serious case of misfortune. I’m sure he realizes it wasn’t the safest place to park his car, but when it comes down to it- the posessions were LEGALLY his and the location doesn’t give anyone the RIGHT to snatch it.
It may not have been a good idea to leave the stuff in the car while it was parked in the Mission, but that does not mean that it is any less unfortunate that it got stolen, or that the fact of that misfortune is any less sad.
The Veg is right!
Lindsey you are not an asshole, you are just passionate and angry at such injustice, as I am. But don’t mistake criticism from constructive criticism. It is very sad and unfortunate. The FF, being such awesome musicians did not deserve this to happen to them by any means. Rather than talk about it, I suggest you go to the benefit as a thanks for all the great music they provided us mostly at no cost to us and support them in their time of need.
(while calling her the name “Asshole”)
Lindsey, you are 100% correct that the equipment was legally the band’s property and that no one else has any right to it, least of all thieving scumbags who would stoop so low as to steal from artists. Herr Doktor, you are also correct when you state that it is a sad an unfortunate event for the band. I can’t speak for the other posters, but my own comment wasn’t intended to blame the victims or criticize the band’s judgement; rather, I would hope that other musicians who may read this post and its comments would learn from the band’s misfortune. I certainly wish that I had learned that particular lesson in a different way than I did, which was through the theft of my own cherished and irreplaceable instruments.
Enough, I’ll fuckin’ be there. Best, guys.
Lets setup a trap car with stuff in it nearish to Benders, and then sit and wait with bats.
Seriously? Anyone?
Its either that or….
“Correct sir, it was red. – Yes, 1995. – I know, I know we just planned to stop in for a drink. Thanks for helping me look for my car….”
Renter’s insurance — not sure if it would cover theft from a car — is your friend.
I just happen to be reading an interesting book right now called “You Are Not So Smart,” which has a highly relevant chapter on why we tend to blame the victim for crime even when though it’s not rational: http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/06/07/the-just-world-fallacy/
hey guys, i think both sides have valid points here. while it’s not nice to say to the victim “you should have known better”, i do think it’s fair to be honest about the circumstances.
yea IT SUCKS and nobody deserves that. EVER.
But i’d like to add that in personal experience I paid the price several times over, having lived in the lower haight and getting my shitty 91′ honda civic broken into countless times (once even with a window already broken and duct taped over (they broke the other vent window), stole my car, drove it til the gas ran out and and left my car in the inner sunset with the tank empty. I also had a $900 cannondale bike that i shipped all the way over from chicago stolen in the mission. I was so heart-broken that I could never bring myself to buy a new bike during the rest of my time in that city. Honestly, it’s an expensive lesson to learn but essential to know as an sf’er. Rule #1 is that you don’t leave anything, and i mean ANYTHING in your car. Even a partially used tissue will get your car broken into if someone is desperate enough. I have a friend who told me his friend got his car broken into so someone could take a shit in the backseat! if someone can’t even respect someones car enough not to shit back there, how can you expect them to respect a backseat full of gear? it’s desperate times for desperate folks people. Better to be paranoid than to suffer the fool. Ferocious few: I’m really really sorry to hear about your gear. I hope you recover quickly! best of luck to you!
Enough of the B.S.. Francisco, sorry about your loss. I missed the benefit (everyone else missed the point of this post)Where can I send you a donation?
Mark Vogel I’m in. ever watch Bait Car?
I found Mission Mission 4 years ago while searching for pictures of Sunday Streets… I wanted to find out the name of that band that was setup playing in the gutter on Valencia….
why on earth would you leave stuff in your car? are you homeless? If so, sorry to hear, but i have had a roland v series with a load of sounds in it worth 5000 bucks. Ran out of gas on the freeway in Detroit. Some asses saw me walk up the side of the road to the upper street level and when i returned, i found my keyboard gone and window smashed. Lesson learned 10 years ago. Dont ever leave your prized shit available to scumbags……lesson learned. Leave it locked up some where and carry your cheap acoustic or electric with you, leave the faves at home, homey!!!!!!!!!!!