Alex Band, the lead singer of The Calling, was reportedly abducted and beaten over the weekend. Just as it was being reported, though, it was announced that the group was mounting a major comeback effort. Some suggested that the abduction story was just a hoax to get extra attention, but Band insists that it was real.
Reports about Band’s abduction surfaced on Monday after TMZ reported that the group was in Michigan for a show and Band decided to take a walk at 4 a.m. Sunday morning. At that point, men in a van pulled up and grabbed him right off the street. They beat him and dropped him off near train tracks.
Lapeer City Police said that there are two suspects and they are looking for a “blue colored minivan.” Band said that he was also robbed during the incident.
According to CNN, just as the reports surfaced, The Calling’s reps sent out a statement that they were “stronger than ever” and that Band had recovered from near-death experiences that included drug addictions. The statement claimed that the “Wherever You Will Go” band was close to signing a new record deal.
Band said that the abduction really did happen and that it wasn’t just an attempt to get in the headlines. “This just happened to me. I didn't kidnap myself, or beat the crap out of myself. So the whole hoax thing is honestly kind of disgusting to even think about, or hear,” he told CNN.
Publicist Brad Taylor told CNN that the abductors held a gun to Band’s head and demanded his “Hollywood money.” Band added, “At this point, I was crying, I'll admit it, I was scared, and I was pleading for my life, but then it occurred to me. I was like, 'You know, I just found like a couple of weeks ago that I'm going to be a dad.’” One of the men told him it was his “lucky day.”
Police interviewed Band in the hospital. Lapeer Police Sgt. Craig Gormley confirmed that the case is still under investigation.
image: YouTube