Flock of Seagulls - equip theft

[sadaist]

How the once mighty have fallen....

Funny story. How did they have $70,000 worth of equipment? These guys haven't seen $70k since 1985 between the bunch of them. And the were staying at the Comfort Inn in Downey? What a shit hole. That place is for hookers & tweakers and is like $39 a night.

They should have saved the $39 and slept in the van to protect their $70,000 :lmao:

Pad insurance claims much?


Flock of Seagulls says $70,000 in equipment stollen from them in van theft

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/07/23/flock-seagulls-loses-70000-in-equipment-in-southern-california-van-theft/#ixzz2ZtGZbdaE




The 1980s band Flock of Seagulls says someone flew off with $70,000 of its equipment during a Southern California gig.

Frontman Mike Score tells the Los Angeles Daily News that someone stole the band's rented van at around 2 a.m. Sunday from the Comfort Inn in Downey.

Hotel video recorded the theft. Score believes the band was followed from a Saturday night show in Bellflower.

Score says the stolen gear included stage clothing, guitars, drums, a keyboard and hard drives containing the songs for his first solo album — 18 months of work gone.

The band used rented equipment to perform at another show Sunday and is leaving for London to continue its tour.

Flock of Seagulls is best known for its 1982 hit "I Ran (So Far Away)."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/07/23/flock-seagulls-loses-70000-in-equipment-in-southern-california-van-theft/#ixzz2ZtGkTd00

[sadaist]

Here is an actual photo of the classy place.



http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/24/72/fb/front-of-the-hotel.jpg

[sadaist]

Seriously....at some point don't you just throw in the fucking towel and get a job? This band thing doesn't appear to be working out for these guys.

[vandeleur]

Was it 70 grand of hairspray ?

[DONNIEP]

Oh man, those clothes were PRICELESS!!!

[jhale667]

Uh, no. Not cool. I got a call from Joe their guitarist (seriously cool peeps) Sunday morning when this happened. He almost ended up borrowing a couple of my guitars for the gig. The assholes broke into their van while they were checking in to the hotel, and were done in less than 15 minutes. Thieves suck.

[LoungeMachine]

Here is an actual photo of the classy place.



http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/24/72/fb/front-of-the-hotel.jpg



Hey, the janitor with the mop.....could it be?

:lmao:

[LoungeMachine]

Funny story.

Not really.

Gear theft is NEVER funny.

Mock them for their clothes and hair and music if you want....

But playing the road isn't always about the money, and having gear stolen that sometimes has even more sentimental than cash value is a real bitch. Ask any band.

:gulp:

But I still think the janitor could be :sockfucker:

[chefcraig]

Seriously....at some point don't you just throw in the fucking towel and get a job? This band thing doesn't appear to be working out for these guys.

Not at all. For one thing, folks that feel a passion for music should be allowed to continue to create it, whether it happens to be in vogue or current at all. For another, it is unfair to deny anyone a working wage in this country. J is correct, scumbag thieves that take the easy way out by taking from others rather than earning their own do indeed suck.

[hambon4lif]

The worst part of the whole thing is that the thieves are getting together with their new stolen equipment, and next month they're releasing a single called "I Ran (Off With Your Shit)"

cruel...just cruel!

[FORD]

Hey, the janitor with the mop.....could it be?

:lmao:

Maybe he stole their stuff, and he's going to form his own tribute band, "Sock of Fleagulls"? :biggrin:

[Igosplut]

Seriously....at some point don't you just throw in the fucking towel and get a job?

If I'm remembering correctly weren't three of them Hairdressers before forming the band?

[Kristy]

So another of one your cretin 80's bands is seeing hard times? Theft is never funny but these guys are.
http://images1.mtv.com/uri/mgid:file:docroot:vh1.com:/sitewide/flipbooks/img/artists/a_flock_of_seagulls/11_320x240.jpg?width=280&height=210&enlarge=true&matte=true&matteColor=black&quality=0.85

[Kristy]

If I'm remembering correctly weren't three of them Hairdressers before forming the band?

They definitely left their legacy


http://indulgy.net/1O/eT/9l/948571358712387595BlYwEA0c.jpghttp://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m53eimy5mZ1rxxksdo1_500.jpg

[FORD]

If I'm remembering correctly weren't three of them Hairdressers before forming the band?

Well, it would be obvious why they didn't have much of a future in that line of work..... just look at them..

Seriously, I think they're all bald now. Or at least Mike Score is, and he's the only original band member, I think?

Not sure which one has the higher ratio of baldness.... 80's Euro "new wave" bands, or 80's hairbands, but either way it seems proof that massive doses of product to hold your hair up, be it gel, mousse, Aqua Net, or whatever, really ain't healthy for the follicles.

[FORD]

They definitely left their legacy


http://indulgy.net/1O/eT/9l/948571358712387595BlYwEA0c.jpghttp://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m53eimy5mZ1rxxksdo1_500.jpg

I don't know about the red haired dude... I'd say he's trying to copy Brian Setzer's retro-50s hair more than Flock of Seagulls.

[binnie]

70K????

Do backing tapes cost that much? :D

[jhale667]

Joe's no slouch on guitar, and definitely wouldn't be traveling with shitty gear... he's also a secret metalhead. And no, he's not bald.

[Nickdfresh]

Sucks they got their gear ripped off. If only they had a photograph of it, or something to remind them. They might not just spend their lives just wishing...

[jhale667]

This is from Joe's page. Look how fast this motherfucker is in & out... total pro.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

elvis pm'ed me :019: it's an insurance job...

[VetteLS5]

Sucks they got their gear ripped off. If only they had a photograph of it, or something to remind them. They might not just spend their lives just wishing...

I see what you did there...

[VetteLS5]

elvis pm'ed me :019: it's an insurance job...

False Flag?

[VetteLS5]

This is from Joe's page. Look how fast this motherfucker is in & out... total pro.



Is this a common thing? It must suck to me a road musician these days. Makes total sense that dirtbags would stalk out venues and then follow to steal gear.

[Nickdfresh]

Sucks they got their gear ripped off. If only they had a photograph of it, or something to remind them. They might not just spend their lives just wishing...

...or singing acapella...

[sadaist]

Dammit Lounge & Jhale....why you gotta spoil the fun and be the voices of reason? Of course it sucks they got their gear stolen, and of course they have every right to keep doing what they love no matter the size of venue. But geez, was just poking a little fun. Next time I get a blowjob I'll be sure not to post about it cause you guys will come in with studies showing how much bacteria is found in the human females mouth (I know it's gotta be a ton). Even Nick had a little fun in the thread and he murders me every chance he can lol.

And Jhale, tell your buddy we're sorry for his loss........and see if you can get him to autograph my old Flock Of Seagulls cassette?

[sadaist]

Also weird how these 80s UK new wave bands are concentrated in So CA. My sister is good friends with Dave Wakeling (English Beat). Been to a couple of his local San Diego shows. Colin Hay (Men At Work) also plays a lot around the area and lives in LA.

[twonabomber]

Wakeling stopped here last month, did a benefit show for the three girls that had been captive for 10 years. Not sure what kind of crowd he drew.

[jhale667]

Is this a common thing? It must suck to me a road musician these days. Makes total sense that dirtbags would stalk out venues and then follow to steal gear.

Unfortunately it IS becoming more common. Led Zeppagain recently had close to $100K worth of gear ripped off too..

[LoungeMachine]

Unfortunately it IS becoming more common. Led Zeppagain recently had close to $100K worth of gear ripped off too..

karma

:gulp:

LZ has been ripping off other musicians for decades ;)

[jhale667]

This story reminds me... haven't backed up my recording drive in a week or two...

[Seshmeister]

Score says the stolen gear included ... hard drives containing the songs for his first solo album — 18 months of work gone.




If that's true then I'm sorry but that's just too dumb.

[FORD]

It's sort of the 21st century version of when Bono's briefcase got stolen somewhere in this neck of the woods, which contained all the original lyrics he had written for the "October" album, back in 1981.

Which is ironic, considering Flock of Seagulls' entire first album was pretty much a ripoff of the U2 song "A Day Without Me".


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyxZstXOuuU

[sadaist]

karma

:gulp:

LZ has been ripping off other musicians for decades ;)



:lmao:

Sadly for you but Kristy is gonna love that post.

[jhale667]

If that's true then I'm sorry but that's just too dumb.

I dunno, since it mentions drive(s), sounds like he was backing up the files, but if you're working while traveling what other option do you have than to carry them both? Imagining backing up entire Pro Tools or whatever sessions to a cloud server is way time-consuming and probably not really feasible while traveling on a tight schedule.

[Nickdfresh]

It's sort of the 21st century version of when Bono's briefcase got stolen somewhere in this neck of the woods, which contained all the original lyrics he had written for the "October" album, back in 1981.

Which is ironic, considering Flock of Seagulls' entire first album was pretty much a ripoff of the U2 song "A Day Without Me".


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyxZstXOuuU

Um, you know the people that (accidentally - because he was a fuckwit and left it) took Bono's suitcase gave it back?

[FORD]

That's not exactly true.....

He did get it back, in 2004, but only because some chick happened to find it in the attic of her house in Tacoma, and didn't realize exactly what she had until she called a friend of hers who lived in Olympia at the time, but since moved south to Vancouver (the Washington suburb of Portland, not the Canadian one) and that's where she arranged to meet with Bono and return the briefcase....

http://u2log.com/2004/10/21/bonos-stolen-briefcase-returned-after-23-years/

[Kristy]

Which is ironic, considering Flock of Seagulls' entire first album was pretty much a ripoff of the U2 song "A Day Without Me".

Which is no news at all when one considers how much U2 ripped off Echo & The Bunnymen (U2 used to open for them in the early 80's).

[FORD]

Don't think so... both bands formed around the same time. Both released a single in 1979 and an album in 1980, and in the meantime, U2 was playing in Ireland and the Bunnymen were playing in Liverpool, so I doubt either one influenced the other.

Both did horrible covers of "Paint It Black" though. There's only one band (other than the Stones) who have ever done justice to that song......


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z_JmmJuaC4