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Stolen: Portugal. The Man’s Van
You can bet members of Portugal. The Man will always remember playing this year’s Lollapalooza . That’s because thieves stole the band’s van and trailer containing all their gear.
Portugal. The Man performed at the Chicago destination festival late Sunday afternoon. In a tweet sent out to fans, a band member said the van and trailer were left in an attended lot. Although the van and trailer were eventually recovered, the gear was no where to be found.
Photo: portugaltheman.com
Still missing is the equipment band members rely on to make a living, including several guitars as well as drums, pedals, an electric piano, a Moog synthesizer and several microphones.
The band has taken to Twitter to recover the stolen gear. Asking fans to watch for the plundered equipment on Internet sites such as Craiglist and brick-and-mortar Chicago-area music stores and pawn shops, the band has refused offers of money to help purchase new gear.
As shown on the band’s website, the recovered van is a red/burgundy Ford 15 passenger 350 van with Alaskan license plates. Although Portugal. The Man hails from Wasilla, Alaska, the band is currently based in Portland, Ore.
“Basically every bit of money Portugal. The Man has made over the last five years was in that trailer,” the band’s singer/guitarist John Gourley told The Oregonian newspaper.
Gourley, who flew back to Portland after the Lollapalooza gig, said he received a call telling him about the theft Monday morning and that band members said the parking attendant told them he had seen the van and trailer as early as 7 a.m. Monday.
Meanwhile, Portugal. The Man is discovering that the music community can be very generous when it comes to a band in need. Orange Amps, the company that manufactured one of the missing amplifiers, has offered a free amp in exchange for the one stolen from the group. Another band, Portland-based Blitzen Trapper, has offered Portugal. The Man “whatever they need.”
“We need to find this stuff,” Gourley told The Oregonian. “Because it’s who we are and what we do at this point. It’s the last three records, using those guitars and amps.”
For more information, click here for the Portugal. The Man website and here for the band’s Twitter feed.