Soundwave 2014 Robbed Overnight, Help Catch The Thief

Currently touring Australia as part of Soundwave 2014, Finnish heavy rock crew HIM have called upon their fanbase to help them recover “irreplaceable items” that have been stolen from them.

The alleged robbery occurred last night at HIM’s headlining Soundwave 2014 Sidwave show in Melbourne, at CBD venue 170 Russell (formerly Billboard).

Following the performance, the five-piece took to their Facebook page this morning to alert fans that a “back bag containing irreplaceable items” was taken from their dressing room, along with an image of the alleged thief taken from surveillance camera footage.

“Anyone in Melbourne Australia know this guy?” ask the band, “please help up as and the police to catch this guy!” The post has also been shared by 170 Russel bookers, Corner Presents on their own Facebook page.

Anyone with information are urged to contact Police at Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at https://www.police.vic.gov.au/.

Social media has proven essential to the recovery of stolen band equipment in the past. Just last week, a guitar valued at $25,000 was returned to Sky Music after the plight of the Music-based music retailer went viral online.

The Smith Street Band likewise experienced a happy ending after online fans helped the band recover stolen equipment in a bizarre series of events that frontman Wil Wagner described as #ampgate,”the highlight of my musical career.” Meanwhile, a low light of The Growl’s musical career – a vicious assault on bassist Marc Earley – has seen the band asking fans to be on the lookout for a man wanted in connection with the attack that left the musician with a 50/50 chance of recovery.

As for Finland’s HIM, the theft is the latest in a series of dramas linked to Soundwave 2014 bands, the latest being Five Finger Death Punch frontman set to face court over “unruly behaviour” on a Qantas flight between Soundwave legs.

Then there’s been costumed metallers Gwar coming under attack for ‘beheading’ Tony Abbott on stage at the festival, while Sydney band Thy Art Is Murder being (temporarily) kicked off the tour by Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah for starting a near-riot.

Following their Sidewave shows with Nostalghia and The Defiled in Sydney and Melbourne, HIM and the rest of the Soundwave 2014 lineup will hit Melbourne and Adelaide this weekend (view the revised set times below), before the festival wraps up in Perth, at it’s new home at Arena Joondalup.

Maddah has also hinted that the Perth leg could be Soundwave’s first and last at the new site after ongoing battles with Perth’s Claremont Council, while indicating that the annual event would be scaling back to an “East Coast only” festival next year. ”We’re looking at 4 cities,” Maddah recently tweeted of plans for Soundwave 2015 – “I count Adelaide as East Coast.”