TWO Derby rock bands have vowed that the show will go on despite raiders breaking into their rehearsal room and stealing their guitars.
Both the Fontana Instincts and the Hudson Super Six have said they will "beg and borrow" replacement instruments for their sets at this weekend's Y-Not Festival, which starts in Pikehall today.
The horrified rockers arrived at The Bakery rehearsal studio, in Boyer Street, Derby, on Wednesday night to find locks smashed and instruments missing.
Phil Wagg, of the Hudson Super Six, said: "I'm sure every burglary victim feels this but it's just horrible to know that someone has broken into your property and taken something that isn't theirs. One of my guitars was among those stolen and it cost me £400 when I bought it 20 years ago. To replace it with an equivalent today would cost me in excess of £1,200.
"One of our other guitarists had three of his guitars taken so we really are having to beg and borrow instruments just to be able to perform at this weekend's Y-Not festival.
"The thing with the guitars is that each one has a particular sound to it."
The bands discovered the break-in when they arrived to rehearse at 7.30pm.
Phil said his group have stored their equipment there for a number of years and it had never been targeted before. Padlocks had been smashed open and the instruments were missing from their stands.
The 41-year-old, of Oaklands Avenue, Littleover, said: "In my view this has got to be the work of opportunistic thieves because there were drum kits and amplifiers that are of far greater value that were just left alone. I think whoever did this grabbed what they could and will now be looking to sell them on."
The guitars that are missing are a blue Squire Jagmaster electric; an Ibanez Sunburst George Benson-style semi-acoustic; a red 1989 Sunn Mustang bass; a black Honer 12-string Telecaster; a black Squire Stratocaster electric, a Peerless songbird semi-acoustic; a red Epiphone Les Paul electric; and a red and black Commodore bass.
Derbyshire police are investigating and have asked anyone with information to contact them on 101.
