British progressive rock band IO Earth suffered the loss of virtually all its equipment when a fire swept through the complex where its studio and rehearsal space were located. Studio equipment, merchandise, a bevy of musical instruments and the hard drives containing the band’s entire catalog of music were all destroyed.
The fire broke out at Hastingwood Industrial Park in Erdington, a suburb of Birmingham, around 3:20 p.m. local time on Wednesday, July 17. Over 100 firefighters on 13 fire engines, four brigade response vehicles and two hydraulic platforms were called to battle the blaze. Plumes of smoke were seen for miles from the fire.
In an official statement, IO Earth said: “Sixteen years of relentless hard work and dreams … our studio equipment, merchandise stock, and a cherished collection of musical instruments – guitars, drums, keyboards, and more – are destroyed. Most devastating of all is the loss of the hard drives containing our entire back catalog, an irreplaceable archive of our musical journey. Our studio and rehearsal space were located close to the center of the blaze. This loss is immeasurable, and we are deeply saddened by the destruction of our creative space and the tangible remnants of our musical journey.”
Several other bands also lost instruments and equipment. Fire investigators believe the fire started accidentally, and was electrical in nature.
IO Earth has launched a GoFundMe campaign to try to recover from the disaster. “Your contributions will play a crucial role in our efforts to rise from the literal flames and continue our musical journey,” says the band’s statement.
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