British Band Sports Team Robbed at Gunpoint on First Day of US Tour

British indie band Sports Team faced a harrowing start to their US tour when they were robbed at gunpoint in Vallejo, California, on Tuesday.

The band had stopped for coffee at a Starbucks when a passerby alerted them that their tour van was being ransacked. A cellphone video posted on the band’s Instagram account shows a masked individual removing items from the van. When members of the band attempted to intervene, the robber brandished a gun.

In a statement shared on social media, the band detailed the incident:

“Just been robbed at gunpoint 10 minutes into the US tour. Stopped for coffee. Man runs in saying some guys are smashing into a van. Ran out to try to stop it and find masked guys ransacking the van. Start yelling and they pull out a gun. Police response was ‘submit an online report.’ Lost a lot of personal gear, but they didn’t get the instruments so driving on to Sacramento to play tonight.”

The band lamented the loss of personal items, including passports, documents, stage equipment, and clothes. Despite the setback, their instruments remained intact, allowing them to continue their tour.

“They can take our Nintendo Switches but they can never take our ability to play rock songs about motorways,” they joked. However, they also expressed dismay at the lack of urgency from local authorities and the resigned attitude of witnesses, noting that one individual simply remarked, “It happens.”

Drummer Al Greenwood recounted the chaos to the BBC:

“Somebody opened the door and was like: ‘Does anybody have a white Sprinter van? Because you’re being robbed right now.’ So we all ran out, shouting. Lauren, our tour manager, was slightly ahead of me, and somebody else ran past us in the opposite direction, and said: ‘Careful, he’s holding something.’”

Despite the ordeal, Sports Team pressed on and performed later that evening at the Goldfield Trading Post in Sacramento. Their determination to continue the tour showcases their resilience in the face of adversity.