The Dears' Patrick Krief Has New Guitar, Thanks To His Friends

As previously reported, The Dears' guitarist Patrick Krief had approximately $18,000 worth of instruments and equipment stolen from his recording space in Montreal early this month. Although many people helped him to try and track the gear down, there are no solid leads as to who might have taken it or where it might have gone.

Krief was particularly distressed about losing a white Fender Stratocaster that 16 friends and family members had purchased for him on his 18th birthday. Now, some of those same folks have come to his aid again.

In a recent blog post on his MySpace page, Krief says that he and some of The Dears went to a Montreal bar to celebrate keyboardist Valerie Jodoin-Keaton's birthday on April 19.

"We arrive at the bar and head to the back section. I spot my Dad, mother and sisters at a table. So I'm thinking, 'What the fuck are they doing here?'"

After spotting more friends and relatives, Krief was presented with a card containing money to go towards purchasing a Fender SG guitar. Shocked and overwhelmed by the generous gesture, Krief headed to the bar to steady himself with a drink. He received another surprise there.

"The bar tender pulls out a hard case, inside it's a brand new white Stratocaster!!!!! Identical to my old one!"

Moments later, Krief was given both a cheque and a threat from The Dears' lead singer, Murray Lightburn.

"With extreme intensity he exclaims 'Don't thank me, don't do anything, take this fucking check, and get insurance tomorrow or I'll fucking rob you!!'" was how Krief described the transaction.

Krief had spotted the exact same guitar at a Montreal music store a week prior to receiving it as a gift. He pleaded with the owner to sell it to him, but he was told that the instrument was being held for someone else.

"I called my brother that night in a drunken state and ranted about how I had tried the perfect Strat and how hard it would be to come across another!" Krief said. "My brother knew though that that Strat was already mine!"

Krief isn't the only Montreal musician who's been robbed recently.

Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs member Dan Boeckner had a drum machine containing Handsome Furs music stolen from a coffee shop.

"I understand that people have drug addictions they're trying to feed, but, come on, most musicians are one step above poverty," Boeckner told Montreal's Hour.

Malcolm Bauld had a keyboard and music gear stolen from his van on April 16 after thieves smashed the window.

"Possibly the worst part of this story is the fact that I'd been renting the piano in hopes of eventually buying it," Bauld said to Hour. "It was my birthday last week and a bunch of my friends had gotten together and paid off the remaining balance so that I could finally own it."