The phrase “every musician’s worst nightmare” doesn’t even begin to cut it. You spend years working your ass off, pouring all of your hard-earned moolah into your art, you’ve just splashed out a casual $10K or so on recording your new EP, you’re in the middle of planning a tour, and then you come home to find that some human skidmark has ransacked thousands of dollars worth of gear from your studio.
This hell-scenario has just befallen Central Coast alternative act Elliot The Bull.
“As many of you will know, music is our livelihood and we have slowly built up our gear collection over the years spending every spare cent on musical equipment,” the band posted on Facebook last week. “Fortunately not everything was taken, however, we are now quite startled by this event.”
Elliot The Bull frontman Jake Dobson says it actually took the lads a few days to take stock of everything that the crooks had swiped.
“It was strange. At first we didn’t really notice anything except that our PA was missing,” he tells Music Feeds. “We were trying to figure out if we had lent it to anybody while we were away. Thats when we realised the guitars were missing too. It actually took a few days to work out everything they had taken.”
Unfortunately, the odds of recovering the stolen gear at this point don’t look great. “We have filed a police report but so far haven’t heard anything,” Dobson says. “They really don’t have much to go by. There were some other robberies in the neighbourhood though so hopefully the thieves slip up soon and get caught.”
And until such a time that the lowlifes responsible get dick-punched by the sweaty fists of justice, Elliot The Bull are asking punters to keep a watchful eye out for any of their stolen gear, should it happen to pop up. The list includes:
1 x Fender American Telecaster Deluxe guitar (w/ large crack down the back of the neck)
1 x Epiphone EJ200CE acoustic guitar (black)
1 x Epiphone “Tom Delonge” Signature ES-333 Semi-Hollowbody Guitar (Spray-painted black)
1 x Strymon Mobius guitar pedal
Yamaha STAGEPAS 300 all in one PA system (only took 1 of the two speakers)
1 x Fender stratocaster copy with black scratch plate
“It would mean the world to us if you could share this amongst friends and keep an eye out for any of this musical gear,” the band say in a statement.
Meanwhile, their friends and fans have started to throw their weight behind a GoFundMe campaign to help the band raise enough dosh to start replenishing their plundered guitarsenal.
“So far the support has been amazing!” Dobson says. “There has been quite a lot of love on social media and even a crowdfunding campaign set up to try and replace some of the stolen gear. Lots of people have also offered to lend guitars in the meantime which has been very helpful.
“Although it was initially a downer, I would say that due to the support, we are now more determined and even more excited about releasing this new record and touring again.”
So far, the campaign has chalked up $1,645 of its $5,000 target. If you’d like to throw ETB some support and continue to beef up their GoFundMe’s bean counter, you can donate here.
Meanwhile, on a happier note, the band aren’t letting the stroke of bad luck get them down. The Coastie foursome are still ploughing ahead with plans to release — and tour off — their new 6-track EP Beast, and you can catch them live and in acoustic mode supporting Aussie rock duo King Of The North at the Long Jetty Hotel this Saturday, 27th August.
“It’s been so amazing to see the local music scene get behind us and So we thought what a better way to give back and say thank you than play a FREE show,” Dobson says. “So far it is scheduled as unplugged but we have borrowed some gear from friends and with a little rearranging of work schedules we might even be able to play a full band set.”
Watch: Elliot The Bull – Colourblind
