The 1980s rock band A Flock of Seagulls had at least $70,000 worth of equipment stolen from their van after a show near Los Angeles Sunday night.
After a performance in Bellflower, California, the group returned to their Comfort Inn hotel in Downey. According to KTLA, surveillance footage showed their white 1999 Ford E-350 van pulling up to the front of the hotel. In the middle of the night, another car is seen pulling up next to the van and a man breaks into the band’s van. He is seen pulling everything out of the van, then driving off.
“It’s scary how quick it is. We’re talking about 30 seconds to actually get in and drive off,” guitarist Joe Rodriguez told CBS Los Angeles.
Their sound system and instruments were among the pieces stolen, along with hard drives that lead singer Mike Score stored his new solo album on. “It’s 18 months work. My first-ever solo project…it may be just thrown in the bin by somebody,” Score said.
“We think it was somebody from the club that followed us knowing the van was full of equipment,” Score told KTLA. “You know, like Joe’s guitar here was hand-built. I use a couple of Fenders that are customized.”
But the show had to go on. The group, best known for the 1982 hit “I Ran (So Far Away),” had to perform in Woodland Hills with rented instruments.
“We did what we could with what we were given and luckily, the crowd enjoyed it. But we didn’t enjoy it because I’m playing my keyboard and going, ‘Where are my sounds?’” Score added.
Hopefully, the thieves didn’t ‘run so far away’ with the instruments.
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