It was supposed to be the beginning of a dream U.S. tour. Instead, for British rock band Sports Team, it became a nightmare just ten minutes after they touched down on American soil.

On December 3, as the band made a routine stop for coffee at a Starbucks in Vallejo, California, they were violently robbed at gunpoint. The entire ordeal was captured on video and later shared with fans on Instagram.

“Just been robbed at gunpoint 10 minutes into the U.S. tour,” read the caption, a chilling start to a cross-country adventure meant to promote their latest album.

Chaos at a Coffee Shop

The band—comprised of Alex Rice, Oli Dewdney, Al Greenwood, Rob Knaggs, Ben Mack, and Henry Young—had barely begun their morning when chaos erupted.

“Stopped for coffee. Man runs in saying some guys are smashing into a van,” the band recounted on social media. “Ran out to try to stop it and find masked guys ransacking the van. Start yelling, and they pull out a gun.”

The footage, now widely circulated online, shows the chaotic scene. A voice behind the camera shouts, “Get down, Lauren, get down!” as band members scatter for cover inside the café.

“Ring the police, ring the police!” another person screams, their voice filled with urgency. Nearby customers can be heard shouting, “Stay inside!” as two people sprint away from the danger.

An Armed Encounter

Al Greenwood, the band’s drummer, described the harrowing experience to the BBC.

“We were inside when someone ran in and asked, ‘Does anyone have a white Sprinter van? Because you’re being robbed right now.’”

The band rushed outside, but the sight that met them was anything but reassuring.

“Lauren, our tour manager, was ahead of me,” Greenwood recalled. “Someone ran past and warned us, ‘Careful, he’s holding something.’”

Moments later, Greenwood’s voice can be heard in the video, frantically yelling for Lauren to get down.

“I genuinely thought I was about to witness someone get shot,” Greenwood admitted.

Shocking Calm Amidst Chaos

What shocked the band most, however, wasn’t just the brazen robbery but the eerie calm from those around them.

“Obviously, if someone pulls a gun, you run for cover,” said frontman Alex Rice. “But what struck me was the resignation. No one around us seemed particularly panicked. It was like they’d seen this before.”

That sense of resignation left a lasting impression. “9 a.m. at a Starbucks, and it’s treated like a normal Tuesday. Wild,” the band reflected in their post.

A Tour Undeterred

Despite the terrifying ordeal, Sports Team refused to cancel their tour.

“They can take our Nintendo Switches, but they can never take our ability to play rock songs about motorways,” the band quipped, their humor intact despite the trauma.

The group pressed on, heading directly to Sacramento for their scheduled performance.

Police Response Under Fire

Sports Team’s frustration didn’t stop with the robbers. They were dismayed by the Vallejo Police Department’s response.

“Police response was: ‘Submit an online report,’” the band wrote, clearly unimpressed by the lack of immediate action.

As of now, the Vallejo Police Department has not commented on the incident, leaving fans and followers wondering if justice will be served.

For Sports Team, the robbery is a brutal reminder of the dangers lurking on the road. But if the band’s resilience is any indication, it will take more than a gunpoint robbery to silence their music.

—Story developing.