“Our overriding sense from the experience is way more the outreach that we’ve had from the community, all of the lovely messages and kind gestures. That definitely overrides the trauma of the robbery at gunpoint.” That’s a quote from Al Greenwood, drummer of the band U.K. band Sports Team, who spoke with B-Sides with the rest of the band about the experience of getting held up at gunpoint during an early morning pit-stop for coffee just as they were starting the journey of the West Coast leg of their U.S. tour. The robbery took place in the city of Vallejo, approximately 30 miles north of San Francisco and while it left the band shaken in the aftermath, they were introspective and appreciative for their safety just days later when speaking with B-Sides. The mood was a bit calmer this past Saturday as lead singer Alex Rice was able to share his appreciation from the offers from the local community and businesses, “sex toys in Vallejo, that was generous, they said we could swing around the shop whenever we wanted, there would be some discounted items,” he shared, “the board of Commerce in Vallejo has invited us for dinner, the visitor’s board, that’s nice.”
The band didn’t let the experience deter them as they continue touring the West Coast and teasing some new music from their new album ‘Boys These Days’ that is set to be released on February 28, 2025. The album is described as a witty and insightful examination of modern life, exploring the dissonance of our social media feeds that unleash an endless cycle upon us of porn, tragedy, war, violence, sex, money, inspirational quotes, No narrative. No unifying myth. Just “the churn” as Sports Team term it. The album also marks a major sonic shift from their trademark raucous indie rock, Brit pop, with disparate inspiration from the glossy 80s studio pop of Roxy Music, Elvis Costello, Prefab Sprout. “The sounds 80s but his lyrics are mixing up that sweet emotional Sting with everyday lyrics, so they have lots of songs about heartbreak but through the context of kind of hot dogs or whatever else,” stated songwriter/rhythm guitarist/vocalist Rob Knaggs.
Sports Team spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar about the aftermath of their experience from being robbed at gunpoint in Vallejo, California. They share the generosity from the local Vallejo community and fans, talk about their upcoming album ‘Boys These Days’ set to drop in February and more.
