An East Yorkshire company which provides luxury travel for some of the world’s leading music artists has designed a special tour bus for a global superstar.
MM Band Services, based in the village of Burstwick, in Holderness, specialises in sleeper band and tour bus services for the entertainment industry.
It has designed and built a double decker “Star Bus” for American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, tailored to the star’s requirements for his UK and European tour.
The £650,000 vehicle is believed to be the only model of its kind in the world to run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel, an alternative to diesel which reduces fuel emissions by 90 per cent.
It will support Teddy, who has had three UK Top 10 singles, and other artists to reduce the environmental impact of touring while offering a modern interior equivalent to stepping into a luxury apartment.
The Star Bus has an en-suite bedroom, downstairs toilet, kitchen facilities with a sink and fridge, desk and office space, lounge area and comfortable, quilted sleeping bunks with gel-cooled mattresses for up to 10 people.
It also offers re-useable water bottles and coffee cups, bean-to-cup coffee machines and green cleaning products.
The bus, which was designed and created by the MM Band Services team over 18 months, includes an entertainment system including widescreen HD TVs, high quality surround sound systems and games consoles, Starlink high speed internet and Alexa.
Mike Moulds, founder and managing director of MM Band Services, whose first bus purchase was a vehicle designed for British rock band Status Quo 25 years ago, said: “Teddy is the first artist to book the Star Bus and this is the fifth time we’ve supported him on his tours.
“He has been consulted about the design every step of the way, and it will benefit him and many other prestigious artists in the future.
“This is a significant investment for us as a business, and we’re responding to what Teddy has asked for.
“It’s important for us to be as green as we can be. It’s not just our ethos, it’s how we operate.
“The Star Bus will be in high demand, and we envisage it will be fully booked all the time.”
MM Band Services, which also has offices in London, is celebrating its 25th year in business this year. It has a fleet of 21 double decker tour buses available in a range of configurations to suit artists and teams of up to 16 people.
The Star Bus will also be a home-from-home for artists including singer-songwriter Neil Young, who will headline Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage in June, American rock band Linkin Park, and singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer Akon, in the months ahead.
Driver Karl Nolan, who has worked for MM Band Services for more than 10 years, is the first driver to get behind the wheel of the Star Bus to take Teddy on his current tour.
Nolan, who is being accompanied by MM Band services driver Les Tomlinson, said: “It’s always nice to get a new bus and be the first to take it out. Teddy is a really nice person, and I’m looking forward to spending five weeks with him.
“Teddy, and other artists in years to come, get back on the bus after the show, and we either take him to the hotel or to the next gig, driving through the night.
“We then head to the venue before we clean, tidy and polish everything every day. We treat it like a luxury hotel room, and also check all of the routes and parking.”
