Music
04 Dec 24

Sports Team robbed at gunpoint while on tour in the US

Credit: Lauren Maccabee.

The London-based alternative rock act said they still hope to play their upcoming shows, despite having some of their equipment stolen

UK band Sports Team have been robbed at gunpoint while on tour in the United States.

The robbery happened in the carpark of a Starbucks in California's Bay Area on the first day of the group's tour on Tuesday. The thieves are said to have broken into the band's van, stealing passports, personal items and stage equipment.

"Just been robbed at gun point 10 minutes into the US tour. Stopped for coffee. Man runs in saying some guys are smashing into a van," reads a caption on Sports Teams' Instagram account, under a video of the incident.

"Ran out to try to stop it and find masked guys ransacking the van. Start yelling and they pull out a gun. Police response was 'submit an online report.' Lost a lot of personal gear, but they didn’t get the instruments so driving on to Sacramento to play tonight. They can take our Nintendo Switches but they can never take our ability to play rock songs about motorways. In all seriousness pretty shocking how resigned everyone seemed to be to it. 'It happens'. 9am at some petrol station Starbucks. Wild."

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Sports Team are currently in the US to play a string of dates ahead of their forthcoming album, boys these days, out February 28. The six-piece were formed in Cambridge in 2016 and have enjoyed two top ten UK albums, the latest being 2022's Gulp! - which they discussed when they sat down with Hot Press in 2022.