Brooklyn Vegan reports that the amazing indie soul label Daptone Records was broken into a couple of days ago! They lost a ton of equipment including: a Fender Super Guitar Amp and Deluxe Guitar Amp, an HP laptop computer, one desktop MacIntosh computer, 2 Yamaha NS10 monitors, a vintage Harmony Rocket Guitar, one steel string acoustic guitar, a Martin Tenor sax in a gig bag, and a Technics 1200 turntable. And worse they did not have insurance and their computers were not backed up!
This comes right on the heels of a couple of incredible concerts at the Nokia Theater on Broadway by Daptones artists Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Naomi Shelton and the Gospels Queens.
Daptone Records founder Gabe "Bosco" Roth asks "for everyone's help first in keeping an eye out for all of our stuff showing up on ebay/craigslist/local music shops." More realistically, he requested that we keep an eye out for good deals on headphones, mics, pre-amps, etc. since they are supposed to recording very soon. Meanwhile, he closes on a more optimistic note, declaring that "we all still have our health, ambition, tape machines, and sense of humor in tact. You can slow us down, but you can't stop us." Word.
UPDATE 2/22/09: Just found out about a website collecting donations called "SaveDaptone.com". Don't know how these cats are, but might be a great way to help out Daptone.
The full message from Gabe after the jump...
Friends and associates,
As you may have heard through the grapevine by now, Daptone was broken
into last night. Unfortunately, there was a lot of equipment (mics,
pre-amps, monitors, turntables, guitars, amps, computers, etc.) stolen
and damaged. It is going to take us a while to go through everything
and take full stock of what was stolen, and we are not supposed to
touch anything until the cops come back to collect fingerprints so we
can only guess what's missing from some mic drawers and cabinets. And,
no, we did not have insurance. We had been shopping around with
different companies earlier this month but had not signed a check, so
nothing was insured. We are working on replacing the gate in front,
installing an alarm system, and getting insurance, but it is
President's day so it's not going as quickly as we would have liked.
Nydia's computer was stolen (which wasn't backed up) and the
modems/phone system was ripped out, so we'll be relatively out of
commission for a few days.
I would like to ask for everyone's help first in keeping an eye out for
all of our stuff showing up on ebay/craigslist/local music shops, and
secondly (and more realistically) keeping an eye out for good deals on
headphones, mics, pre-amps, etc. I could really use a heads up on any
kind of studio package for sale or studio equipment to be possibly
bought or borrowed as soon as possible. We have a session scheduled
for Friday to lay down some music for (I know this sounds surreal) Rod
Stewart, and I'm going to have to get the studio running by then. I
know I'm going to need to find headphones, mics, and pre-amps by then.
I'm not sure what else yet.
Upon first glance we are definitely missing:
Fender Super Guitar Amp in case
Fender Deluxe Guitar Amp
A whole bunch of headphones and wires
Nydia's HP laptop computer
One Desktop MacIntosh Computer
One Purple Audio API style lunchbox with
four Purple Audio Biz mic pre-amps
2 Yamaha NS10 monitors
Vintage Harmony Rocket Guitar
One steel string acoustic guitar
Martin Tenor sax in a gig bag
Technics 1200 turntable
Ion USB turntable
Teac Receiver/stereo amp
Sony dual deck CD burner/player
All of our modem/phone system stuff was ripped out and taken.
A whole bunch of condensor and dynamic microphones (I still need to figure out exactly what's missing)
The power supply for my Trident console was tossed and the board was
moved (probably not gently) so the status of that is still questionable.
A baldwin organ was tossed and is probably broken.
Lacie External hard drive
Over the next few days, as we sort out the rubble, we are going to figure out what else we lost.
We are putting in a roll down front gate, alarm system, and finally
getting our insurance happening this week. We are also going to hire a
security guard to watch the house for tonight as the cops and alarm guy
seemed pretty confident that they will be back with a truck now that
they've seen what's in here.
Thanks for keeping eyes open for us. AND PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG TO ANYONE YOU THINK MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US.
Thankfully, we all still have our health, ambition, tape machines, and
sense of humor in tact. You can slow us down, but you can't stop us.
Sleep well knowing we here at Daptone will continue to...
Keep putting Soul up,
Gabriel Roth
P.S. On a lighter note, it seems like the burglars did drop a few
items in order to lift Alex's old safe out of here, which was VERY
heavy, VERY unwieldy, and also VERY EMPTY!
Daptone Records
115 Troutman St.,
Brooklyn, NY 11206
www.daptonerecords.com <http://www.daptonerecords.com>
