Pitchfork

First there was New Wave, then No Wave, and now comes the crime-wave. So many touring bands have had equipment stolen while on tour in America recently, that we might as well start featuring a police blotter on a regular basis.

The latest band to fall victim to gear theft is Swedish dream-poppers the Concretes, who are currently slogging their way across the country in support of their latest album, In Colour. Last weekend, the band posted the following message on their website:

"Some assholes stole all our guitars, one organ and one euphonium from our locked trailer in New York. That means stealing a major part of our sound and it sucks so hard and we are really quite fucking upset about it. If you are offered a really sweet deal on some vintage instruments in the NY-area then please first check against these serial numbers. In case of a match, report to us and give the seller a good punch in the face."

The euphonium after-market is filled with dark and nefarious characters, so use caution when dealing with anyone hawking a used one in an alley.

Nonetheless, the Concretes are continuing their tour undaunted. Check them out here:

05-18 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Café *
05-19 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge *
05-20 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall *
05-22 Long Beach, CA - Fingerprints (in-store)
05-23 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour *
05-24 San Diego, CA - Casbah *
05-27 Stockholm, Sweden - Popaganda Festival
06-16 Hultsfred, Sweden - Hultsfred Festival
07-14 Madrid, Spain - Boadilla del Monte (Summercase Festival)
07-15 Barcelona, Spain - Parc del Fòrum (Summercase Festival)
07-28 Ostersund, Sweden - Storsjoyran Festival

* with New Buffalo

If one were a highly driven, loose cannon police detective using push-pins on a map to track this crime wave, one would see a developing pattern: the East Coast is a hotbed for grand-theft-indie. In April in Philadelphia, Ambulette lost over $15,000 worth of equipment and Rosie Thomas' band were robbed of an assortment of guitars and a stage piano. In March in Philly, Film School's van and its contents were stolen, and in February Matt Pond's gear was stolen from their trailer following a show at New York's Bowery Ballroom in February.

Lesson learned: the East Coast, particularly Philadelphia, ain't a safe place to be if you're a touring musician. Oh wait: the Duke Spirit had their equipment stolen in Portland, Oregon in April. Damn, that foils our push-pins-on-map scheme.

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