Airbourne's Guitars Returned 'Safe And Sound'

Members of the Australian rock band Airbourne can breathe a sigh of relief after numerous musical instruments stolen last month have returned “safe and sound.”

In early April, the band revealed that they’d been robbed of seven instruments after their Melbourne storage facility was broken into. Among the items stolen were two acoustic guitars, three electric guitars, an acoustic bass, and a mandolin. Making the robbery even more devastating, the band noted that two instruments belonged to the late father of founding members Joel and Ryan O’Keeffe.

Unfortunately, while most of the instruments were returned, the mandolin was not.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we put this out there,” the band wrote on social media at the time. “Our Airbourne Australian Lockup was broken into on Sunday night. The thieves made off with 6 Guitars amongst other things.

“Most important was my father’s old Mini Maton and his mandolin. Those of you who know Ryan and myself know that we lost our father back in 2014, so for me personally when I play my Dad‘s old guitar it brings me a little bit closer to him again, it’s like a part of him comes back around again, it really helps me through shit when I feel I need to talk to him.”

On Wednesday (7 May), Joel O’Keeffe revealed that all the instruments, bar the mandolin, had been safely returned.

“Yesterday we were in the studio and we received a call… that all of our guitars (except for the mandolin) were miraculously returned safe and sound,” he wrote on Facebook, sharing the post along with a photo of an acoustic guitar and his dog.

He continued, “At some point during the still of Monday night, the thieves returned to the storage facility and slid the guitars under the security fence to make sure they were found the next day safe and sound.

“We’re still in shock and so so so grateful to the great people of Melbourne, of Australia and of the world who shared the story and put the heat out there, thank you from the deepest of our hearts. Miracles do happen!”

When they reported their instruments stolen, Airbourne noted that they’d pay a “handsome reward” for any information that would lead them to find the O’Keeffe family guitar and the other stolen instruments.