Thousands of dollars’ worth of rare and vintage instruments has been stolen from a rental van belonging to British Columbia rock band 54-40.
In a Facebook post Friday, the band said that seven stringed instruments -- including some that are more than six decades old -- were stolen from a U-Haul cube van between midnight and 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 5. The van had been parked in front of the Queens Park Care Centre in New Westminster, B.C. in advance of a pair of shows at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom this Friday and Saturday.
“The instruments are irreplaceable and hold great value to band members beyond their monetary worth,” the group said on Facebook. “This weekend’s shows will go ahead as planned.”
The missing instruments include a rare 1954 Gibson Florentine Electric Mandolin, a 1957 Fender Esquire electric guitar, a 1966 Fender Stratocaster and a 1974 Fender Jazz Bass.
Formed in 1981, 54-40 gained widespread fame with their 1986 hit “I Go Blind,” which was also covered in 1995 by American rock band Hootie & the Blowfish.
The band is offering a $5,000 reward for the safe return of the equipment or information that leads to its return. Anyone who witnessed the alleged theft or has information on the instruments’ whereabouts is also being urged to contact New Westminster police at 604-525-5411 and the band’s management at 604-761-2025 or info@5440.com
