An Ontario punk band is missing their musical instruments after their van was stolen following a show in Montreal.
Burlington, Ont.’s The Penske File were in town to take part in Pouzza Fest, a festival put on by Montreal punk and ska label Stomp Records.
The band said their van disappeared from the front of downtown music venue Katacombes.
“We lost 100% of our gear, passports, some cash and all our personal belongings,” the band said on Facebook.
Stomp Records has started a GoFundMe page to help the band replace their equipment.
Despite the loss, the band said they hold no ill will to the city.
“We have been asked multiple times if we will avoid Montreal now and the simple answer is NEVER!” they wrote. “Montreal has an amazing music scene with a ton of support from the local community.”
Montreal has a long history of musical thefts. In 2016, indie pop musician Ian Kelly had hard drives containing the only copies of an upcoming album stolen, though they were eventually returned. Classic rockers April Wine found themselves robbed twice, losing rare instruments to thieves. Mike Watt, an iconic punk bassist who had played in The Minutemen had a bass he had played for decades stolen during a Montreal stop while playing with Iggy Pop.
