A Flock of Seagulls, a British group most well-known for their 1982 hit “I Ran (So Far Away)” and their flamboyant hairstyles, were robbed of an estimated $70,000 worth of equipment and their tour van while on tour in Downey, CA.
The band was sleeping in a Comfort Inn in Downey when security cameras caught a man as he emerged from a vehicle, broke into the band’s van, and then “ran so far away” with their instruments as well as their personal items such as clothing and cell phones. Mike Score, the band’s lead singer and last remaining original member, lamented the robbery, saying that many of the items were impossible to replace.
“Somebody just broke into it, stole our whole van with all our equipment, clothing, band gear, cellphones, everything you need when you’re on the road — all your good stuff, all your good clothes, a bunch of expensive band equipment, a lot of stuff that’s really irreplaceable.”
Perhaps the most irreplaceable items were Score’s recordings for a planned solo record, which were stored on hard drives that were left in the van.
The band was able to play a scheduled gig in the town of Woodland Hills, but were forced to do so using rented equipment, something that posed an unwelcome challenge to the group. Score said that the rented gear was “totally foreign” to them and that it affected the quality of the show the band was able to put on.
A Flock of Seagulls is scheduled to return to England soon, most likely to begin shopping for new gear and clothes.