It's hard enough to be a touring musician, period, let alone a Canadian act on the road in the US right now, but people somehow continue to rob bands. Cancer Bats just started out supporting He Is Legend's stateside headlining tour, but woke up yesterday (April 21) after a show in Indianapolis, IN, to find that all of their gear — as well as their van, merchandise and personal items — had been stolen.
Fortunately, they were able to recover the van (sans catalytic converter). However, the Toronto hardcore punks have launched a GoFundMe crowdsourcing campaign to help replace their stolen gear and merch. They estimate that about $30,000 worth of goods were taken, and plan to use any leftover funds to send quality musical instruments to kids living in remote Northern Canadian communities.
"We have been a band touring all over the world for 20 yrs [sic] now," Cancer Bats wrote in the fundraiser description. "The fact that this is the first time this has happened to us is truly amazing. We have our health and shows to play and a van to get us there and we are grateful for all of that. But in this robbery we lost a lot of equipment that we hold near and dear to our hearts. Equipment that helped write a lot of our songs. Stuff that has been customized by us over the years. Gear that is not easily replaceable."
The band were forced to cancel their headlining appearance in St. Louis, MO, yesterday (April 21), but are slated to be back in action tonight in Madison, WI. As of this writing, the campaign has already exceeded the $30,000 goal by about $300.