Indie band Deadletter said they were “overwhelmed” by the “outpouring of love and support” from fans after their equipment was stolen on Saturday (April 18).
The band said they were told the van, which was parked outside a police station, had been broken into after they arrived at Barcelona airport to fly to Istanbul.
Amplifiers and musical instruments were stolen, along with the band’s clothes and a MacBook, Deadletter said.
In the fundraising appeal, a Deadletter spokesperson said the theft was “incredibly brutal”, adding that it had hit a band “who’ve never experienced financial comfort”.
They said it meant the band was “faced with the burden of being without not only items we require for our profession but also large chunks of our wardrobes, which included clothing we’d acquired from people who are no longer with us”.
“It feels like a real kick in the teeth at the culmination of what had felt like a successful six weeks gallivanting around the EU,” they added.
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The spokesperson said Deadletter launched the fundraiser to raise money to replace the items ahead of the band’s UK leg of the tour, due to start in the coming weeks.
On Monday, Deadletter posted on social media thanking fans after passing the band’s £11,000 fundraising target.
“When something so violating and disheartening happens, it can feel as though all hope has been shattered and banished, but the way in which people have come through for us has reinstated a great deal of faith in all of us,” the post said.
“To anyone who donated, spread the word, or even just offered us a consolatory remark, we say thank you.
“We might be returning home bereft of a lot of our things, but at least we’re returning with the knowledge that, despite there being some terrible beings on this planet, there are also an astonishing amount of great ones.
“We truly love you and we are incredulous at this response.”
Deadletter, now based in London, released their second album Existence is Bliss in February.
The band’s frontman, Zac Lawrence, grew up in Malton and said his experiences in the town had helped shape his songwriting.
“Growing up in a semi urban, semi-rural environment will always be a part of me,” he told The Press.
“Whether those influences are direct or not, I’m not sure.
“It’s a part of me, it’s a part of my makeup, I’ve experienced the hustle and bustle of the big city and the quietude of a smaller town like Malton.”