NSW Town Helps Lepers & Crooks Recover $15,000 In Stolen Gear

The town of Bellingen, in New South Wales, can take serious pride in its citizenry's sense of community today, after what could have been the worst thing to happen to Sydney outfit Lepers & Crooks — that is, the theft of a cool $15,000 in gear following a gig at the weekend — ended happily thanks to a little assistance from the locals.

Engaging in a bit of post-show revelry following their gig (as part of their present Through Gypsy Eyes national tour) at the town's Federal Hotel on Friday, the band say they were "enticed to head back to a party with some of the girls who had been getting low in the front row", leaving their trusty tour van — affectionately known as the LSD Machine — out the front of the hotel.

"It was late by the time they staggered home and they were joined by a straggler from the party," the band said in an oddly third-person statement regarding the incident. "He had seemed a happy chap all night but when he started bragging about the hard drive he'd stolen from the party, the guys made up their mind about him and decided not to invite him back upstairs."

The next morning, the band went to where they had left the van the previous night to begin the drive to Brisbane, only to find that it had been broken into, with "six guitars, a bass, mixing equipment, expensive microphones and … merch tin with over $400 in cash" being swiped in the process.

"The band has also partnered with Gibson Guitars on this tour, so the haul included some fine Gibsons and totalled over $15,000," the statement explained.

The band put the word out among the locals — "theft is not a common occurrence in Bellingen," the band said in their statement, perhaps explaining the town's willingness to protect its reputation — and, armed with evidence of the mystery punter's presence at the van (he'd left the stolen hard drive behind), started piecing clues together: a phone call to a party attendee revealed the thief had also taken "two phones, an iPod and someone's car keys", before local musician Luke Wilton told them he had spoken to the suspect the previous evening, finding out in the process that he was in town from Coffs Harbour for the weekend, staying at the nearby community gardens.

Arriving at the gardens, it was evident the man that the band were after ("known only as PJ") had already made a dash for it, but "with enough asking around they found one of PJ's mates, who was able to give him a call and tell him the gig was up".

The gear was dropped off at Coffs Harbour Police Station soon after, with the band making it to Brisbane for their 11pm set at Sonny's House Of Blues after all. 

Lepers & Crooks' national Through Gypsy Eyes tour continues this Friday, 21 August, at the Ballina Hotel, with shows scheduled through till Friday, 18 September.

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