Empty truck, sans instruments, recovered after Montreal Iggy Pop theft
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 6, 2008 | 10:19 AM ET
CBC News
Montreal police have found the truck stolen Monday from American punk icon Iggy Pop and his band the Stooges, but tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment is still missing.
The abandoned truck was found late Tuesday afternoon at the corner of Saint-Marc Street and René Lévesque Boulevard, said police spokeswoman Anie Lemieux.
"All the equipment was missing — or almost," Lemieux said. "I think there were a few mike stands that stayed in the truck. Investigators are going to look for any elements that can help them try to find possible suspects.
"Are there any fingerprints in the car? Were any elements left on the scene that might help them find possible leads in this case?"
Lemieux said investigators are also looking for witnesses.
The truck was discovered several blocks away from the Embassy Suites hotel, where the musicians stayed after their concert Sunday night. The vehicle went missing from the hotel parking area early Monday.
Police said that much of the equipment was marked with serial numbers, possibly making it more difficult to sell.
According to Stooges bassist Mike Watt, the truck held more than $20,000 worth of equipment, including "the amplifiers, the drum sets, my bass guitar, Ronny's guitars. That's what got stolen."
A number of valuable and sentimental pieces were among the stolen items. They include a Gibson bass Watt has used since his days with the Minutemen in the early 1980s.
"Her last gig was smoking," Watt said of his longtime instrument. "Igg was going off and the Montreal people were pumped up."
Almost immediately after the theft, the band vowed to continue with the North American leg of its tour, including Wednesday's gig in Toronto.
CBC-TV accompanied Watt to a Toronto guitar store on Tuesday as he borrowed some replacement instruments.
"The spirt of people of coming and helping someone who's taken some blows … it's very kind of them," he said.
With files from the Canadian Press
