Last summer, after a 12-hour day of working with some rock bands in the lower mainland, the band Speed Control had their trailer broken into and approximately $7000 worth of gear stolen including instruments, cables, pedals and microphones.
A Burns Lake group called Friends of Speed Control - including John and Sandra Barth, Acoustic Anonymous and other community members - organized a benefit concert on Nov. 10 at the Beacon Theatre to help the band replace some of the stolen equipment.
The event included the performance of Acoustics Anonymous, as well as Amy Gutteridge, the Linger band featuring Trevor Stewart and Blake Hallgreen, and a group performance by Randy, Julia and Nicole Hamp. The band Speed Control also made a memorable appearance during the event, engaging the crowd to sing along to classic songs and energizing the public with spontaneous jokes and dance moves.
The Whitehorse band has made a lot of friends in the Lakes District over the years, performing on stage with local bands, playing for students at Lakes District Secondary School and running two summer Rawk Camps in the summers of 2013 and 2014.
John said the fundraiser was an opportunity for people in the Lakes District to give back to "a band that has given a lot to the community and to our kids."
"We wanted to help them because they have given so much of their time and energy and live music to our community over the years, and especially because of all that they have done for young people," said John. "They are good musicians and good guys, generous with their time and incredibly hard-working musicians."
The night of rock on roll raised over $1000 in donations. All proceeds will go to help Speed Control recover costs related to the theft of their gear.
If you missed the concert, you can still help the band by contributing to their online campaign at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/robbed-help-us-get-back-on-the-road-to-rawk.