Rocker DAN BAIRD and his band HOMEMADE SIN have lost $13,950 (£9,000) in a border patrol scam in Switzerland.
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Rocker DAN BAIRD and his band HOMEMADE SIN have lost $13,950 (£9,000) in a border patrol scam in Switzerland.
Former The Georgia Satellites star Baird was travelling through Europe with his band when they were reportedly stopped by guards, who told the rockers they had broken the law by bringing their van into the country, since it was considered to be a commercial vehicle.
His tour manager Mick Brown tells Classic Rock Magazine, "We pulled up at our hotel, and all hell broke loose - vehicles screeched around us, spotlights blinded us and the Swiss Border Patrol were pointing guns at us. (We were) taken back to the border and subjected to a four-hour search.
"They took out all our gear and merch (merchandise) then had their photos taken with it, a bit like American police used to do with dead gangsters during the Depression. Then they hit us with the bombshell. Our vehicle and its entire contents were impounded and we had 12 hours to raise £9,000 or everything would be auctioned. They showed us an eBay ad already featuring our vehicle."
Baird and his bandmates paid the hefty sum so they wouldn't be forced to cancel their tour, but they later discovered the whole thing was a fraudulent scheme: "Our van didn't fit into the category of a commercial vehicle in the first place. So the whole stop, search and everything that followed was illegal."
Homemade Sin are releasing a new live DVD, Viva Nashvegas, to help offset their losses. Brown adds, "We would ask that anyone who loves rock 'n' roll thinks about either buying the DVD or making a donation. This time around it was us who got caught out - but it could easily have been your favourite band."
(MC/CRM/KL)
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