Gang Gang Dance will not play Manchester this week

Gang Gang Dance, who gave us last year's tribal wonderfulness of Saint Dympha, are marooned in Amsterdam after a terrible fire destroyed all their gear.

I really feel for them.  It's like the Queen losing all her Corgis in a furnace.  Or Paris Hilton having her chihuahua explode.

Maybe I just have it in for dogs.  Let the band themselves describe the devastation:

"We didn't really know the scope of how bad the fire was until we arrived on the scene to find every piece of equipment we own scattered out in the parking lot...melted, charred, and still smoldering.

"Most of our gear is way beyond repair and the small amount of stuff that looks as if it wasn't physically destroyed by the fire itself has all been doused by the firehoses.

"So we have been left with synths that are melted, a charred guitar, cases full of wet pedals and cables, drums that are nothing but the metal rims, amps that look as if they've been doused in tar."

Ouch. Naturally, this week's appearance with Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor at the Manchester Roadhouse has been cancelled. Read the full statement here.