Not all heroes wear capes; some play electric guitars.<\/p>\n
Irish band Florence Road<\/a> found a saviour in rock star Eddie Vedder<\/a> on Saturday after the group had all their gear stolen from their van in Los Angeles<\/a> on Thursday night, two days after they played at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. <\/p>\n The Pearl Jam<\/a> frontman came to the rescue of the Bray<\/a> four-piece after they made a crestfallen announcement on Instagram, revealing that they had to cancel their performance at Vedder\u2019s Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California, because all their gear, from pedalboards to guitars, had been stolen from the van. \u201cWe\u2019ve tried absolutely everything to make it happen,\u201d Florence Road said. \u201cWe really, really want to play for you.\u201d <\/p>\n After missing their original slot, Vedder \u2013 who travelled to Ireland in August for his friend Glen Hansard\u2019s funeral<\/a> \u2013 personally gave his guitar to Florence Road singer Lily Aron so the band could proceed. Festival organisers found them a new evening slot on Saturday between Alabama Shakes and Tyler Childers. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat an insane 48 hours!!!\u201d Aron wrote on Florence Road\u2019s Instagram page, posting a photograph of herself receiving an electric guitar covered in stickers from Vedder. <\/p>\n \u201cWe couldn\u2019t be more grateful to Eddie Vedder and the team at Ohana Festival. The second Eddie heard our guitars were stolen he insisted I play his. A true gentleman.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Aron told the festival crowd on Saturday, which was attended by Rolling Stone magazine. \u201cWe\u2019re so grateful. It means a lot for a little Irish band.\u201d<\/p>\n Still to release their debut album, the Florence Road are one of Ireland\u2019s most successful young acts, having played as support acts for Olivia Rodrigo and Wolf Alice; delivered a charisma-filled Electric Picnic set<\/a> in August and racked up millions of likes on TikTok, where their appeal stretches far beyond Irish shores. <\/p>\n Named after a road in their homeplace of Bray, Co Wicklow, Aron, drummer Hannah Kelly, guitarist Emma Brandon and bassist Ailbhe Barry signed to record label Warner UK in 2024 in a global contract. \u201cIt blew our heads off, the deal,\u201d Aron, who is 22, told The Irish Times earlier this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a climate where solo artists have consistently been commanding the top spots in the charts, it\u2019s an interesting indication of the pendulum finally starting to swing back towards indie-rock, perhaps helped by Oasis\u2019s<\/a> return, The Strokes being back on tour, and the excitement generated by hip New York upstarts Geese<\/a>. <\/p>\n Florence Road songs, including Heavy, Break the Girl and Storm Warning, showcase their clear love of 1990s indie-rock with soft-loud dynamics, cascading guitars and Aron\u2019s extraordinarily arresting vocals. <\/p>\n