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Wednesday's Final Word
Australian rock giants Airbourne have become the latest victim of Melbourne’s burgeoning crime wave in a targeted attack on the band.
CCTV footage captured the moment the crime gang pinpointed the group’s specific lock-up at a secure Melbourne storage unit warehouse and broke their way in.
The band, originally from Warrnambool in Victoria’s west, are touted as heirs to AC/DC rock legend crown and have been touring the world for decades.
They carved a fearsome reputation in the music industry on the back of their hard rocking and even harder drinking ways – but are bigger overseas than in Australia.
The band is currently in the United Kingdom on another European tour but were shocked to see the video footage of their equipment being brazenly stolen.
Lead singer and guitarist Joel O’Keefe shared the clip with his fans on social media on Thursday.
He revealed his father’s beloved mandolin was among the stolen haul of precious instruments and expensive stage amplifiers.
‘G’day everyone. It’s with a heavy heart that we put this out there. Our Airbourne Australian lockup was broken into on Sunday night,’ O’Keefe told fans.
Airbourne front man Joel O’Keefe has been left heartbroken by the theft
‘The thieves made off with six guitars amongst other things. Most important was my father’s old Mini Maton and his mandolin.
‘Those of you who know Ryan (the band’s drummer) and myself know that we lost our father back in 2014, so for me personally, when I play my Dad‘s old guitar, it brings me a little bit closer to him again.
‘It’s like a part of him comes back around again. It really helps me through s*** when I feel I need to talk to him.’
The band has released photographs and serial numbers of stolen items in the hope anyone who might be offered the items will hand them over ar at least alert the band.
‘We just wanted to put this out there in case somebody heard anything or saw anything,’ O’Keefe added.
‘From pawn shops to Facebook marketplace, conversations in bars or wherever…’
The band has offered a ‘handsome reward’ for any information that leads to the mandolin and any of the other items stolen.
Among the other guitars stolen are a Gretsch 1963 Duo Jet Black in its original grey moulded case (47938), a Gibson 1976 black beauty Les Paul (117972), and a Gretsch acoustic,
Also taken were a Takamine G series acoustic bass wood grain with case (EG512CGANQ) and a Malcolm young signature series (JT10081871).
The band’s Facebook page has been swamped by messages of support from fans disgusted by the thefts.
‘It’s basically the equivalent to a tradesman having his tools nicked. It’s disgusting,’ one wrote.
Thieves in the process of robbing Airbourne’s Melbourne storage unit
Justin Street, Joel O’Keefe, David Roads and (Front) and Ryan O’Keefe from Airbourne
One of the guitars stolen by brazen thieves
‘To me, that is like stabbing someone in the heart, only less hurtful. Like certain things can be replaced but these guitars carry personal history,’ another wrote.
While many Aussies may be unfamiliar with the band, songs like ‘Runnin’ Wild’ and ‘Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast’ are used regularly in TV sports shows worldwide.
Airbourne hits have also recently appeared on Netflix’s Cobra Kai and littered through Hollywood movies.
Fans love the band for their catchy tunes and O’Keefe’s outlandish onstage performances.
During a performance at the Big Day Out in Melbourne in 2011, O’Keefe climbed to the top of the roof of the stage and played a guitar solo without wearing a harness.
The band also consoled heartbroken Melburnians with a gig the night of the Bourke Street Massacre in 2017.
Daily Mail Australia have contacted Victoria Police and Airbourne for comment.
Joel O’Keefe’s Gibson 1976 black beauty Les Paul (117972) and Gretsch 1963 Duo Jet Black in its original grey moulded case (47938)
Airbourne’s stolen Malcolm young signature series (JT10081871) and mini Maton
The thieves calmly took what they wanted from the storage locker
Victoria’s crime epidemic has made headlines across the nation in recent months and has become a hot election issue for the Labor Government.
On Friday, authorities released notorious criminal Tony Mokbel from jail after 18 years on bail due to the actions of rogue lawyer Nicola Gobbo.
Just weeks ago, it was revealed the crime rate in Victoria rose by 13.2 per cent in 2024.
The latest figures from the Crime Statistics Agency declared crime had risen to its highest level since 2016 in Victoria.
Home invasions, car theft, retail crime and family violence incidents all reached record highs.
The biggest increase was in property and deception offences, which rose by 21.9 per cent in 2024.
Anyone with information on the thefts can send a direct message via the band’s Facebook page or contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
