Eddie Vedder comes to the rescue of Bray band Florence Road in LA

Not all heroes wear capes; some play electric guitars.Irish band Florence Road found a saviour in rock star Eddie Vedder on Saturday after the group had all their gear stolen from their van in Los Angeles on Thursday night, two days after they played at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. The Pearl Jam frontman came to the rescue of the Bray four-piece after they made a crestfallen announcement on Instagram, revealing that they had to cancel their performance at Vedder’s Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California, because all their gear, from pedalboards to guitars, had been stolen from the van. “We’ve tried absolutely everything to make it happen,” Florence Road said. “We really, really want to play for you.” After missing their original slot, Vedder – who travelled to Ireland in August for his friend Glen Hansard’s funeral – personally gave his guitar to Florence Road singer Lily Aron so the band could proceed. Festival organisers found them a new evening slot on Saturday between Alabama Shakes and Tyler Childers. READ MORE“What an insane 48 hours!!!” Aron wrote on Florence Road’s Instagram page, posting a photograph of herself receiving an electric guitar covered in stickers from Vedder. “We couldn’t be more grateful to Eddie Vedder and the team at Ohana Festival. The second Eddie heard our guitars were stolen he insisted I play his. A true gentleman.” “Thank you,” Aron told the festival crowd on Saturday, which was attended by Rolling Stone magazine. “We’re so grateful. It means a lot for a little Irish band.”Still to release their debut album, the Florence Road are one of Ireland’s most successful young acts, having played as support acts for Olivia Rodrigo and Wolf Alice; delivered a charisma-filled Electric Picnic set in August and racked up millions of likes on TikTok, where their appeal stretches far beyond Irish shores. Named after a road in their homeplace of Bray, Co Wicklow, Aron, drummer Hannah Kelly, guitarist Emma Brandon and bassist Ailbhe Barry signed to record label Warner UK in 2024 in a global contract. “It blew our heads off, the deal,” Aron, who is 22, told The Irish Times earlier this year.In a climate where solo artists have consistently been commanding the top spots in the charts, it’s an interesting indication of the pendulum finally starting to swing back towards indie-rock, perhaps helped by Oasis’s return, The Strokes being back on tour, and the excitement generated by hip New York upstarts Geese. Florence Road songs, including Heavy, Break the Girl and Storm Warning, showcase their clear love of 1990s indie-rock with soft-loud dynamics, cascading guitars and Aron’s extraordinarily arresting vocals. [ Lily Aron of Florence Road: ‘Olivia Rodrigo was such a big gig. It was the first time I didn’t have impostor syndrome’Opens in new window ]Their parents’ musical taste is also an influence. Talking of Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged record earlier in the year, Ailbhe Barry said: “Emma’s dad would play this a lot when she was growing up. It’s a big one for her.”The band recently took a step into directing for their new music video 7563. After their North American tour dates in New York, Boston and Toronto, Florence Road will return for an Irish tour, taking in Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre on December 15th and 16th.