Downtown Public Storage units ransacked

It was almost two months ago that local bands Two-Bit Terribles and Gay Black Republican had their gear stolen from their downtown public storage unit, and it’s possible the same perpetrators may have struck again.

Word spread quickly across Indy’s music scene last week after the storage and practice space of four more bands was ransacked on Wednesday, with tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment taken.

Local bands Demiricous, The Dream is Dead, Whiskeytits and Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity were all direct victims in the latest heist, which took place on the third floor of Public Storage, formerly Shurgard Storage Center, at 933 N. Illinois St.

Despite having video cameras placed throughout the facility and logged security access codes, Public Storage will only release information to local police and has offered little or no help to those who’ve been robbed. Numerous band members have filed police reports, although the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says they are short-staffed and backlogged with 5,000 theft cases, leaving many musicians and local music supporters up in arms.

In the days following the robbery, other local bands in the building took this as a good sign to get their gear out as soon as possible. “Public Storage doesn’t seem to be taking any responsibility for this,” says Mark Tester of We Are Hex, who also has a storage unit on the third floor, “so we’re spreading the word and advising other bands to move out.”

Some bands will continue to use the space for band practice. “We are still there but we move our gear in and out every night, which sucks, but there’s just no other alternative for us right now,” says Steven Pratt of local punk/hardcore band Drunko.

Some suspect the possibility that another tenant within the building stole the equipment. “Whoever got in there knew the right security code for the third floor and the right time to do it,” says Mark Lafay, manager of Demiricous. “Our guess is that someone within the building quickly took the gear and moved it into another unit.”

Tester mentions the same theory, noting that it may have been another of the many bands housed in the Public Storage. “Whoever stole seemed to know what to take — they took all of the good cymbals and left the cracked ones behind. It’s hard to tell them apart unless you know the equipment.”

An employee at Public Storage was not allowed to comment on the situation and her district manager could not be reached on Monday.

Those affected strongly encourage local music supporters to be on the lookout for the gear at pawnshops, used musical instrument stores and online auction Web sites. Some of the gear, such as The Dream is Dead’s guitarist Jared Southwick’s MESA/Bookie Mark III guitar head, is considered rare.

“Nobody kept track of the serial number of their equipment,” says Southwick. “I am just sick over this.”

“This potentially robs Demiricous, a nationally signed touring band, the livelihood of touring this fall with their new CD release,” says Erin Mullen, local promoter and director of IndyMetal.com. “The remainder of the bands affected are key players in our local community. It’s a tremendous setback as a promoter who is relying on some of these bands to perform at scheduled events and to everyone that support our friends at their shows. It is devastating.”