“Our guitars, bass guitar, cymbals, snare, and my pedal board were stolen last night”: Indie rockers The Beths appeal for leads

Elizabeth Stokes of The Beths perform at the Sonora Tent during the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
(Image credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)

New Zealand indie outfit The Beths have become the latest group to be hit by gear theft. A fairly major one too – they’ve lost some guitars, a bass and their entire backline – which was rented.

Among the guitars that have been stolen are a rare Burns Club Series Double Six 12-string electric and a custom handmade guitar by Trent Guitars.

The band were in Tourcoing, in France on Monday, touring in support of their fourth album Straight Line Was A Lie, when the theft occurred from their van. The band have taken to Instagram and put an appeal out for information.

“Our guitars, bass guitar, cymbals, snare, and my pedal board were stolen last night from our van in Tourcoing in France, near Lille. Along with the entire rented backline,” reads the post.

“If you see any of these instruments turn up on resale, or if you have any tips please get in touch - info@lookoutkid.com. We’re pretty sad, these instruments have a lot of time and love in them. More than we can express really.”

The band have decided that the show will go on. They used borrowed equipment to play the show in Tourcoing and last night’s gig in Paris. They still have another 13 shows on their current European tour.

The Beths - "Expert In A Dying Field" (Official) - YouTube The Beths -
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The Beths formed over a decade ago in their native Auckland. Theirs is a distinctly old skool indie sound, with prominent vocal harmonies and a strict ‘no synths’ rule.

They’re a big deal in their home country – their 2022 album Expert In A Dying Field reached Number One in the New Zealand album charts, and have decent-sized fanbases in Europe and North America too.

If you have any information about the band’s stolen gear, contact the info@lookoutkid.com email address.

Will Simpson
News and features writer

Will Simpson is a freelance music expert whose work has appeared in Classic Rock, Classic Pop, Guitarist and Total Guitar magazine. He is the author of 'Freedom Through Football: Inside Britain's Most Intrepid Sports Club' and his second book 'An American Cricket Odyssey' is due out in 2025

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