Seven years ago we put up a show in Budapest for the Japanese female power-pop duo Yumi Yumi, who were backed by a plush bear named Naughty Bob on drums. (OK, it was a drum machine and Bob was sitting on top of it with drumsticks gaffer taped to his hands.) It was probably the most successful gig we have ever booked for a foreign band with over 200 visitors. The only problem was that Bob got stolen after the show.
So there we were with two desperately sobbing Japanese girls, trying to cheer them up by offering to buy a replacement bear the day after. But needless to say, Bob was not replaceable, so they kindly rejected our offer. They drove away the next day without a drummer, and later released a statement to their fans saying that Bob had been seduced by a Hungarian girl and quit the band due to this new relationship.
The story about the Japanese girlband’s kidnapped teddybear drummer was weird enough to spread quickly on the Internet, and it soon made the cover of the 2nd largest Hungarian web portal, Index and then the whole Hungarian media including the most popular morning radio shows (our 15 minutes of fame).
Unfortunately, soon after Bob’s sudden departure Yumi Yumi split up, but our friend YouTube has preserved them for posterity. Enjoy!