Tom A. Smith’s father launches GoFundMe campaign to replace stolen gear

Tom A. Smith’s father has launched a GoFundMe campaign to attempt to raise money to replace gear that was stolen from his son’s van.

• READ MORE: Inside the alarming rise of tour van thefts: “Why should new bands be more at threat of a robbery?”

The Sunderland artist was travelling to London to play a live session with his band on Radio X with John Kennedy on Friday (December 20) when four of his band’s guitars, as well as pedals, a laptop, a cajon, a live amp and essential medication was stolen from their van at a service station.

Among the missing possessions was a prized guitar that was gifted to Smith by his grandad six years ago. “Absolutely devastated,” was Smith’s response to the theft. “Don’t know what to do. Laptops and essential medication for a band member too. If anyone tries to sell you them please help.”

Now, Smith has shared a link to a crowdfunding campaign set up by his dad to try to raise funds for the items to be replaced so that the band can continue to tour. See the page here.

Thanks for all the lovely comments and shares of our posts. A number of people suggested they would like to contribute so we have created this, please read carefully and share if possible. https://t.co/UQfAbhWn9z

— TOM A SMITH (@tomasmithmusic) December 21, 2024

“Thanks for all the lovely comments and shares of our posts,” he wrote on X on Saturday (December 21). “A number of people suggested they would like to contribute so we have created this, please read carefully and share if possible.”

Smith’s father Andy wrote the GoFundMe description, in which he outlines the events that saw the property stolen, estimating that approximately £11,000 worth of equipment was now missing, including Christmas gifts for bassist Katie Anderson’s family.

“The purpose of the funding isn’t for a like for like replacement,” wrote Andy Smith. “We need to be able to perform, as long as we can get some suitable professional equipment we can move on. If it’s possible we’d streamline our setup so that we didn’t need as much equipment and make us less conspicuous whilst touring. Rubbish eh!!”

“We are all low at the moment and it’s almost Xmas,” he continued. “Don’t push yourself if you can’t do it. We’ll survive but it would be nice to look after Katie who isn’t covered and lost thousands. A number of people have suggested that they would like to contribute to a crowd funder so we have created this.”

At time of writing, the page has raised £3,570, which amounts to 60 per cent of the £6,000 target. You can read more and donate here.

NME’s investigation into the rise of gear theft nodded to a 2019 study carried out by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, which used data provided by UK police forces and found that van thefts across the country had risen by nearly 50 per cent between 2015 and 2019, which equates to 32,056 over those four years or an average of 22 vehicles stolen per day.

Likewise, RAYE had her writing books stolen along with her car earlier this year, forcing her to tell fans her long-awaited second album wasn’t coming “any time soon”.

Meanwhile, Smith will be joining James on select dates of their 2025 UK tour, including gigs in Lincoln, Plymouth shows and Colchester – visit here to find tickets.

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