Phosphorescent Van, Gear, Merch Stolen in Brooklyn
Posted by Phil on July 9th, 2010
Phosphorescent photo borrowed from Brooklyn Vegan
We are devastated to report that Phosphorescent’s van was stolen last night following their fantastic show on Pier 54 in New York City. You can read the following message below detailing the incident. Please help out if you can. Good vibes are needed right now.
Last night, after an amazing show at Pier 54 in New York City, Phosphorescent’s rental van -along with all of their equipment – was stolen from outside a residence in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Last night’s show was the first night of their scheduled six-weeks US Tour. Among the stolen items was Matthew Houck’s custom, irreplaceable 1955 Gibson ES-125 guitar, vintage amplifiers, and a vintage pedal steel with losses totaling around $40,000. If anyone has ANY information or leads on what might have happened, or if you see any of this gear in pawn shops, on Craigslist, etc, please call the NY Police Department, Vector Management, or anyone you think might be able to help recover this gear. The van rental company is insured – they are covered for their van and are therefore not greatly concerned with recovering it. Phosphorescent DOES care though, greatly, about recovering any of this gear possible, and about right now figuring out how to rally up and make this US Tour happen. Anything anyone can do to help would be simply amazing. We have set up a Paypal account for anyone wishing to donate funds to help replace gear – anything helps. We will be sending updates about the upcoming tour dates ASAP. Thanks in advance for any goodwill and assistance and thank you for your support over the years.
Paypal donations can be sent to:
phosphorescentgearfund@gmail.com
Vector Management:
Nick Stern
p: 212.317.2323
nick@vectormgmt.com
Full list of stolen items below:
STOLEN EQUIPMENT LIST:
MOST OF THIS GEAR IS IN STANDARD BLACK ROADCASES
STENCILED WITH “PHOSPHORESCENT” OR “PHOS”
IN LARGE WHITE LETTERS
GUITARS:
1955 Gibson ES-125 Hollow-body Electric
1968 Gibson EB-3 Bass with slotted headstock (brown)
197? Fender Stratocaster – Custom, Blonde wood finish. No brand names or markings anywhere.
197? Emmons Pedal Steel Guitar – Push-Pull Model
AMPS:
1973 Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface) w/ Indian Sun Worshipper Tapestry affixed to grillplate
1978 Music Man 112 RD500 Custom Amp w/ 10″ Speaker
SWR Workingman’s Bass Amp
196? Fender Deluxe Reverb
PEDALS:
(1) Line 6 DL4 Delay Pedal
(2) Fulltone Full-Drive 2 Mosfet
(1) Electro Harmonix Holy Grail Plus
(1) Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff
(2) Electro Harmonix 80′s Memory Man Deluxe
(1) MXR Power Amp Pedal
(2) Boss TU-2 Tuner
(1) MXR Phase 90, CSP-026
(1) Fender Tuning Pedal
DRUMS:
DW “Collectors Series” Drum Kit – Black Matte finish
22″ kick drum
16″ floor tom
12″ rack tom
14″ Yamaha, Anton Fig snare drum, with maple hoops
(1) Ludwig boom cymbal stand
(2) yamaha boom cymbal stands
(1) DW9000 Hi-Hat pedal, DW7000 kick pedal
(1) Yamaha, double braced snare stand
(1) Ludwig double braced snare stand
(1) Ludwig drum throne/stool.
(1) 20″ Zyldjian Constantinople ride cymbal
(1) 17in Zildjian A Custom crash cymbal
(2) Zildjian Constantinople Hi-Hats (paired)
OTHER ITEMS:
Black Arai Profile Full-face Motorcycle Helmet
Durango Boots – Brown Harness Boots
MERCHANDISE:
Approximately:
150 Vinyl (To WIlle/Pride/Here’s to Taking it Easy)
150 CD’s (To WIlle/Pride/Here’s to Taking it Easy)
100 PHOSPORESCENT “LION” T-shirts
July 9th, 2010 at 1:06 PM (#)
You guys don’t have insurance for all your equipment in case it gets stolen?
July 9th, 2010 at 1:15 PM (#)
Yeah Rich, whatever insurance they have will totally replace custom and one of a kind equipment. They would absolutely be satisfied if an insurance company replaced their personalized property with equivalents because yknow all gear looks and sounds the same. Genius.
July 9th, 2010 at 1:24 PM (#)
This is really upsetting. This seems to happen a lot when bands play in the NYC area. Pitchfork posts one of these every couple of months. It seems like thieves have gotten hip to musician’s gear and its worth. I hope this has a happy ending.
July 9th, 2010 at 1:33 PM (#)
Nick, I think insurance companies usually hand over money, not replacement gear. Or did you think Mr. Insurance Guy goes out and buys the band 4 guitars, 9 pedals, etc.? Rich’s question is justified.
July 9th, 2010 at 1:33 PM (#)
yeah nick, insurance is totally a waste of time and money when insuring custom and one of a kind equipment. get with it. tighten up. the most expensive, one-of-a-kind items in the world are HEAVILY insured. you dumb. rich, you are on the right track. they could easily have gotten a close dollar value and found comparable replacements. duh.
too bad matthew houck is such an egomaniacal dickwad, or else more people might sympathize and help him out. karma karma
July 9th, 2010 at 1:54 PM (#)
[...] view the full list of items taken, or to make a donation head here. The amount of stuff they lost is unbelievable. That photo is from when I saw the band last month- [...]
July 9th, 2010 at 3:12 PM (#)
Most insurance companies won’t even cover music equipment on the road, and when they will – the cost is usually so high that no musician that needs to be on the road to make money can even remotely afford it.
July 9th, 2010 at 3:58 PM (#)
The guy’s an amazing idiot. He doesn’t seem to understand that HOW you GET THERE is as important as actually GETTING THERE (http://gothamist.com/2007/11/07/matthew_houck_p.php).
Whenever I read about band’s getting jacked like this, I feel horrible and sad for them. I feel considerably less so in this case. And yeah, the A Hole should have gotten insurance.
July 9th, 2010 at 7:17 PM (#)
Not to be a dick, but it’s pretty pretentious to be asking for donations to replace lost equipment. We’re in a shitty economy and there are people out there who can barely make rent and buy food, and because someone decided to park a van full of expensive equipment on the street overnight in NYC, we’re supposed to feel sorry for them and give them money? That’s asking for trouble.
July 9th, 2010 at 9:12 PM (#)
you people truly suck. these websites have the worst comments on the face of the planet. K, where the hell are they supposed to park the van right before embarking on a huge tour? in one of those free garages you see all over the place? these comment boards make me feel like shit. you fucking jealous hipster pussy geek fucks. this is an article about a hard working and popular band that got fucked. they’re honest people. and they got royally fucked. if you don’t feel like helping out, then DON’T! no need for pussy gay comments that make everybody feel like shit.
July 9th, 2010 at 11:56 PM (#)
fuck yall.
July 10th, 2010 at 12:03 AM (#)
Why is this Matthew Houck such a controversial person? What has he done to upset you guys (Patrick and Chris)?
July 10th, 2010 at 12:41 AM (#)
Ya’ll are lame. Matt is insanely talented and no one deserves this shit. He has always been gracious and humble in my presence. I remember when Thurston’s and Anton’s gear got jacked, were you all too hip to lambast them?
I love em all and wish this upon no one…
July 10th, 2010 at 12:52 AM (#)
Nigger stole my bike.
July 10th, 2010 at 3:31 AM (#)
wow. some of these comments are just mean. you people stink.
July 10th, 2010 at 6:06 AM (#)
[...] te letten of dat bewuste materiaal niet opduikt. Een volledige lijst van wat werd gestolen vind je hier. Posted in Laatste muziek [...]
July 10th, 2010 at 7:13 AM (#)
Does anyone know exactly how it happened? Did they leave the van unattended for a short time? Or did they really leave a van full of equipment on the streets on Brooklyn overnight? My band tours all over and we break our backs hauling our gear into whatever house we’re staying at or stuff it into the tiny motel room we can barely afford… and we’ve STILL had stuff stolen. I find it hard to imagine that they’d leave this gear out on the street overnight.
July 10th, 2010 at 7:45 AM (#)
First of all I think Jesus and Patrick are missing nick’s sarcasm that was pointed at Rich. And second of all, you are a bunch of haters. Why all the negative comments. It sux what happened and if you can’t afford to help out then don’t. And yeah they should have put their gear inside But it’s too late for that. Place blame wherever you want but the fact still remains that
it was a few scumbags that stole their stuff and probably do it often. So how about aiming the negativity towards pieces of crap that steal other peoples property. With no regard for the affect it has.
Grow up. Don’t go online just to look for things to be a dick about for no good reason
July 10th, 2010 at 8:57 AM (#)
Bummer-ski.
How you gonna get jacked in Greenpoint? Of all the neighborhoods in NYC.. You must have taken the wrong dood’s parking space.
I learned this lesson the hard way, too: Got the smash & grab in broad daylight while parked directly in front of a police station in Manchester UK. This was followed by a ransom email and a sting-operation. Perhaps you’ll get lucky in this way, too.
Outside of any sentiment, none of the lost gear listed is irreplaceable. Get new gear and make new sentiment.
Try and chock the whole situation up to great publicity: For example, I most likely wouldn’t have checked-in on the Phosphorescent tour – but couldn’t resist this headline.
To state the obvious: Regardless of where it’s parked, if you must leave your gear in the friggin rental van – which is NEVER advisable – even for 30 seconds – have your manager or drummer or whoever truly earn his friggin cut by standing guard and even sleeping in the van when need be.
bytheway..
An individual’s gear would be covered under his/her renter’s or homeowner’s insurance. Not an auto policy. If it’s your livelihood, buy the coverage. My personal itemized $30K policy costs $12 a month.
Might I also suggest firing your foresight-lacking management and offering a reward? Asking for donations does kinda put a whiny, hopeless slant on the whole story.
Buck-up, kids.
Everything is gonna be OK.
July 10th, 2010 at 9:52 AM (#)
Hey guys, I saw the show is cancelled for tonight, but I just sent you guys an email. My boyfriend and most of his friends are all musicians – we got gear for you to borrow in Toronto if you decide to reschedule the show @ the Horseshoe!
Email me: kgardnr@gmail.com
Good luck guys!!
Kim
July 10th, 2010 at 11:24 AM (#)
[...] Houck alias Phosphorescent wurde in Brooklyn bestohlen (Schaden mehr als 40.000 Dollar) – Start der Nordamerika-Tour vorerst [...]
July 10th, 2010 at 11:47 AM (#)
they could have at least made a note of the serial numbers
July 10th, 2010 at 12:37 PM (#)
have you checked the tow yard yet?
July 10th, 2010 at 1:00 PM (#)
Matthew Houck is the opposite of an egomaniacal dickwad. I’ve watched him deal graciously with being swarmed by undistinguished Philadelphians after two shows, for an hour plus each time, never betraying even a hint of pique. However, I could definitely imagine him brushing off some coked up loser in Brooklyn who is bothering him while he’s trying to have a drink with friends or something. My guess is that Patrick is a socially retarded Brooklyn kid with a case of butthurt and salty balls.
Now, the drummer… that guy had a bit of a sneer on.
July 11th, 2010 at 9:39 AM (#)
[...] Alt-country band Phosphorescent, a favorite on XRT’s The Big Beat, have fallen victim to one of the biggest fears of all touring indie bands: their van was stolen off the street losing all their gear valued at $40,000. The band had just launched a tour and now find themselves having to cancel gigs and almost start from scratch. An account has ben set up for donations and they’re also asking fans to keep an eye peeled for gear popping up on Crag’s List and Ebay. More details and an inventory of lost equipment follows.phosphorescent-van-gear-merch-stolen-in-brooklyn [...]
July 11th, 2010 at 10:30 AM (#)
THIS is why you don’t bring “custom, irreplaceable” gear on the road with you! Aside from any claims of karmic retribution, it just seems like poor planning on the dude’s part.
July 11th, 2010 at 4:27 PM (#)
None of this crap is “one of a kind”. Get over it. Also, the sympathy paypal is pathetic. you make enough money ripping off Palace Brothers as it is. My only hope is that those records are all in a dumpster somewhere.
July 11th, 2010 at 6:04 PM (#)
Those Mother-f–kers don’t have anything good in their lives….
But most importantlY……they cannot take anything from you…what u have is inside yourselves..those assholes can’t go there…Carry on ….CARRY ON!!!!!! BE JUST WHO U R!
July 12th, 2010 at 3:13 AM (#)
[...] Dead Oceans, Brooklyn Vegan] « Stream: Interpol – “Barricade” Comment on [...]
July 12th, 2010 at 4:20 AM (#)
…I have to agree with d. on this. I’m a musician who goes on tour a fair amount, and anything that I have that I consider irreplaceable, I lug back into the house I’m staying in that night. It sucks, and is probably most likely unnecessary, but seeing this, I’m glad that I did and still do.
July 12th, 2010 at 4:31 AM (#)
Some of you are really sad. Why do you want to justify their loss by trying to pin some of the blame on them. They got their stuff stolen. That is not their fault. You obviously aren’t musicians and have no clue about the integrity and commitment that it takes to do it. I hope you are nicer to your dog than you are to this band who is in a really shitty situation right now. Peace. I hope your day goes better than their day.
July 12th, 2010 at 4:43 AM (#)
“You obviously aren’t musicians and have no clue about the integrity and commitment that it takes to do it.”
Huh?? This isn’t about integrity and commitment: it’s about common sense, John. I’m sure you imagine all musicians to be stunted, fragile man-children, but it IS possible to both be an artist and to have common sense. It’s terrible that they got ripped off. Could it have been prevented? Certainly.
I feel for these guys, I really do…and I bet they’ve learned some valuable lessons from this. I certainly have!
July 12th, 2010 at 6:23 AM (#)
I feel bad for them, but a little common sense would have gone a long way here. To dispel the myth that no working musician can afford to insure their instrument, I have a 100-year old upright bass that I tour and play out with about 175 times per year. It costs me only $7.75 per month to have it fully insured for the $10,000 it would cost to replace it. This covers it both in the house and on the road, playing professionally. There is no reason for any musician to go without insuring their instruments and gear, especially if it is “irreplaceable” as the post above indicates (by the way I don’t consider Gibson and Fender guitars “irreplaceable”). If the instruments were so valued, the other option is of course to take them inside with you and not leave them in a van on the streets of Brooklyn, NY. That should go without saying.
July 12th, 2010 at 8:34 AM (#)
Just because all the midwest white hipsters have moved into the Brooklyn area doesn’t mean it still isn’t Brooklyn, NY. Did you forget where you are?
July 12th, 2010 at 8:53 AM (#)
It takes little integrity to panhandle on the internet. I am tired of the “entitlement” attitudes of musicians. I wait tables in a restaurant. If my customers don’t pay me or I get mugged outside the restaurant, I don’t go asking for handouts online. Furthermore, musicians seems to feel that they are making the most noble contributions to the world. It must be hard to be able to do something you truly love for a living while doing very little to contribute to the physical needs of the world. Grow up and get some insurance.
July 12th, 2010 at 7:42 PM (#)
[...] Tree Ghost will be opening for them at the Grog Shop in August. All of that looked perfect until Phosphorescent’s van got stolen in New York, along with most of their equipment. The current news is that the Matthew Houck and [...]
July 13th, 2010 at 2:16 PM (#)
Wow, the van miraculously reappears and nothing is stolen out of it? Did they forget where they parked it?
August 4th, 2010 at 9:59 AM (#)
[...] or three of the band’s stolen/safely returned [...]
August 8th, 2010 at 11:30 AM (#)
[...] Was Stolen (Love Me Foolishly),” which was a bit ironic considering all of their stuff was stolen in New York, but thankfully everything was recovered a few days later. I brought my camera to the show, but [...]