In what they aptly describe as a “bummer” a Vancouver band is pleading for the return of $14,000 worth of guitars and equipment stolen earlier this month.
A night after members of Red Cedar hosted their CD release party at the Biltmore Cabaret Jan. 13 and a day before they were headed to the studio to record their next album, thieves broke into a trailer and walked away with four guitars, two pricey guitar pedals and a $4,000 digital organ.
Andy Bishop, vocalist of the folk-pop band said their van and a rented U-Haul trailer containing their gear was parked at East 3rd Avenue and Commercial Drive the night of Jan. 14.
They were to take the gear to their Burnaby studio the next day to start recording.
When they woke up they were shocked into silence when they saw the trailer door open and the equipment gone.
“It was pretty heavy. We all stood there in shock,” Bishop said.
“Your guitars are pretty much a part of you, any instrument is, and it is a bummer when they are gone.”
Bishop said they had no insurance to cover their belongings but the experience has convinced them to get house insurance.
They young musicians are hoping someone who knows they have one of their stolen items will do the right thing and turn it into the Vancouver Police.
“We’re struggling musicians trying to be successful and it’s just hard when your gear is stolen,” he said.
“Unfortunately this is Vancouver and we have a huge drug problem so I wouldn’t doubt it if the stuff is sitting in some drug dealer’s house, with someone trading it for crack.”
The stolen guitars are all Fenders. There is a Precision bass, a Mustang, a Stratocaster and a Telecaster.
The band filed a police report about the theft.
But the band, whose day jobs include gigs as waiters, a hairstylist and construction workers, say the ordeal has had a silver lining.
They are recording as scheduled thanks to equipment loaned to them by friends, fellow musicians and complete strangers.
“That’s been the best part of this, the sense of community that’s out there with our friends and other bands,” said Bishop.
“We’re getting e-mails everyday. And people we don’t even know want to set up fundraisers, or are encouraging people to buy our record so we can get some money to recoup the costs.”
Anyone with any knowledge of the theft can contact Vancouver Police or the band at redcedarmusic@hotmail.com
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