DJ Foils Attempted USB Theft at Singapore Club: 'Clown Behaviour'

On 16 August, Saturday, a late-night DJ set at Behind the Green Door nearly went off track over the weekend when an audience member tried to steal a USB stick from local DJ Joshua Raaj mid-performance.

The incident, captured on CCTV and later shared by Joshua and Blackout Agency, has since drawn sharp condemnation from event organisers and the nightlife community.

Caught in the Act

Joshua recounted how two men had positioned themselves in front of the booth, closely watching every track he played.

Initially, he assumed they were just curious music enthusiasts.

But as he took a song request, one man distracted him with a phone while the other slipped a USB stick from the CDJ and hid it in his shoe. The music system immediately entered an emergency loop, tipping off Joshua that something was wrong.

“I knew exactly what happened,” he said in his post. With the help of his sound technician, the culprits were quickly confronted, and the stolen device returned within minutes.

Joshua later shared with WUSG that the perpetrator had attempted stealing the USB stick earlier in the night.

Club’s Swift Response

Venue staff acted immediately to remove the individual and issued a lifetime ban. Fellow DJs stepped in to keep the set running, and Joshua was able to finish the night.

Blackout Agency Asia, which works closely with Joshua, later posted on social media urging the nightlife community to identify the man and ensure he is not welcome at future events.

“Our scene is small, and we want to keep it safe, positive, and free from this kind of toxic energy,” the collective said.

Why USB Theft Matters

While Joshua described the thief as a “disciple of David Blaine” attempting a “magic trick,” he also highlighted the seriousness of the act.

When asked about the seriousness of USB theft for readers outside the DJ world, Joshua explained:

“USBs are very important for DJS. It’s where we store all our music for the night—our personal edits, rare tracks, everything. If we lose it, it’s as good as not DJ-ing at all. It’s our bread and butter!”

He also noted that such theft is rare in Singapore:

“Usually, people just try to spot the track, Shazam it, or ask the DJ. This is really the first time someone actually pulled it off during a set here.”

Staying Alert in Nightlife

The DJ also urged others in the scene to stay alert, warning that incidents like this can happen even in trusted spaces.

Photo Courtesy of Mark Lewis Tan, via Life in Arpeggio

On lessons for other DJs and club-goers, Joshua said:

“I didn’t expect this to happen to me, but you need to stay alert. The nightlife scene is generally safe in Singapore, but there will be people who intend to create trouble. We need a preemptive approach—maybe this case was so hard to read because who would expect someone to literally yank a USB from the DJ during a set?”

A Scene on Guard

The video has since circulated widely in Singapore’s music community, with many expressing frustration at the attempted theft.

Whether the culprit was a visitor or based locally remains unclear.

One commenter mentioned an account belonging to an alleged friend of the perpetrator, but details still remain unknown.

For now, Joshua says he is grateful to the staff and fellow DJs who stepped in. Joshua has clarified to WUSG that club handled the incident internally, giving the culprit a lifetime ban, and no police report was filed to avoid escalation

Watch the video and read the post here: