British rock band Sports Team faced a terrifying start to their US tour when they were robbed at gunpoint in California.
The incident unfolded Monday morning in Vallejo, just an hour before their first scheduled performance in Sacramento. After landing in California, the band stopped for coffee at a Starbucks, where masked thieves targeted their white Sprinter van.
The band, known for hits like “Here’s the Thing” and “M5,” shared details of the ordeal on Instagram, describing how their tour manager confronted the robbers, only for one of them to draw a gun. Shocking footage from inside the gas station shows the chaotic moment when the robbery was discovered. “Just been robbed at gunpoint 10 minutes into the US tour,” the band wrote, alongside video evidence of the crime.
The thieves made off with laptops, cameras, in-ear monitors, and personal belongings. Despite the loss, the band’s instruments were spared, allowing them to perform at Sacramento’s Goldfield Trading Post later that evening. The band managed to maintain their characteristic humour, posting, “They can take our Nintendo Switches, but they can never take our ability to play rock songs about motorways.”
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Drummer Al Greenwood recalled the harrowing experience, revealing her fear that someone might be shot as events escalated. “It took a while for our tour manager to realise what was happening,” she told the BBC. “You can hear me screaming at her to get down in the video.”
The Sports Team also expressed frustration over the local authorities’ response. After reporting the incident, they were advised to file a police report online, reflecting how common such thefts have become in the area. “It’s shocking how resigned everyone seemed to be to it. ‘It happens,’” the band remarked.
Despite the frightening start to their tour, the London-based band refused to let the incident derail their plans. Known for their Mercury Prize-nominated debut album Deep Down Happy and its follow-up Gulp!, which reached the top three on the UK Albums Chart, Sports Team is pressing forward with their US performances.
Their determination in the face of adversity reminds fans why they’ve become one of Britain’s most beloved rock acts. No thief, they’ve shown, can steal their passion for music.
