Northern Territory police are investigating the theft of more than $60,000 worth of computers and musical equipment stolen from the headquarters of Skinnyfish Music, a Darwin-based company who record and promote the work of Indigenous musicians.
As NT News reports, Gurrumul’s favourite guitar was among the equipment that was stolen on Saturday night. The band B2M have been left devastated after their instruments and gear was stolen one week out from a planned tour of Taiwan.
“I noticed some DVDs out the front door on Sunday when I came to do a bit of work and when I opened the door I saw all the computers had gone,” Skinnyfish office manager Caron Farrell told NT News. “They’d looked in our store room and taken heaps of musical instruments.”
“We’re absolutely devastated — there’s a lot of dedication that’s goes in the work here.” Skinnyfish director Mark Grose said the team were demoralised by the opportunistic theft which has left them scrambling at the last minute to replace equipment for B2M and other artists.”
“Our latest estimate is that $60,000 worth of instruments and equipment were stolen, including Gurrumul’s Martin HD-28 and the only two Royer Ribbon microphones you’ll find in the Territory,” Skinnyfish wrote on Facebook.
Speaking to NT News, Skinnyfish director Mark Grose lamented the senselessness of the break-in. “It’s a pointless disruption form our point of view,” he said. “Why take four old mac computers that are of no value to anyone else but us?”
