Canadian rock band 54-40 on Friday appealed for the public’s help after “irreplaceable” instruments were stolen from their van in New Westminster, BC.
Six guitars and a mandolin were taken from a U-Haul cube van sometime between midnight Thursday and 9:30 a.m. Friday.
“The instruments are irreplaceable and hold great value to band members beyond their monetary worth," reads a message on 54-40’s Facebook page.
The theft included a 1954 Gibson Florentine Electric Mandolin, a 1957 Fender Esquite electric guitar, a 1966 Fender Stratocaster, and a 1966 Gibson Trini Lopez Standard.
Despite losing the instruments, 54-40 performed the first of two sold-out nights at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on Friday. The band is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the retrieval of the stolen items.
54-40 had hits in Canada in the late 80s and early 90s like “I Go Blind,” “Baby Ran” and “One Day in Your Life.”
Last year, someone stole two guitars and other music gear from a vehicle belonging to Canadian band Honeymoon Suite in Fort Erie, Ont. In 2016, a trailer loaded with music gear belonging to Winnipeg's Royal Canoe was stolen from outside their Montreal-area hotel.