Kills Bus In Grand Theft Auto?

Losing a bus or van full of gear isn't an infrequent occurrence for bands these days, but losing a bus and its driver is virtually unheard of.

That's what happened to The Kills while they were on tour with The Raconteurs south of the border. The Kills last saw their bus and its driver, Brian Berkenkemper, on the morning of Sept. 26 in Los Angeles. He went to get some new tires put on the bus and was due to meet the band again in Austin, Texas.

But Berkenkemper and the bus both vanished, and the band can't get a hold of the driver, since his cellphone is off.

"OUR BUS DRIVER IS MISSING AND/OR HURT/DEAD/or A THIEF. OUR BUS HAS DISAPPEARED," the band wrote on their website on Tuesday.

"How can 3 tons of black metal vanish into thin air?"

According to Kills singer/guitarist Alison Mosshart, the band think the driver has either "committed grand theft auto or that he is in some kind of trouble."

"We are currently travelling to Nashville and have no luggage or belongings," Mosshart said in a statement. "But aside from this bad luck, touring with the Raconteurs has been great, so we're in good spirits. The magnitude of the loss hasn't quite sunk in to our shell shocked bones."

The Kills haven't cancelled any of their upcoming tour dates. Federal investigators are searching for the bus and its driver throughout the U.S. and Mexico. The band ask anyone who's seen a Ziggy/Prevost bus with a Z on the back and Tennessee license plates reading 0305 EA to call the police. They should also call or email Nick, The Kills' guitar tech and stage manager, at (313) 605-2505, or nosignal79@yahoo.com or doldrumdesign@gmail.com.