Tour bus company creates world first HVO transport for top music artist

SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT: Mike Moulds, founder and managing director of MM Band Services, with the new Star Bus

By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor

An East Yorkshire company which provides luxury travel for some of the world’s leading music artists has designed a unique 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.

The company has provided transport for best-selling international artists and their crews, including Beyoncé, the Foo Fighters, Mumford & Sons, Kasabian and dozens more.

Now, MM Band Services have designed and built a double decker ‘Star Bus’ for major American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, specifically 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 fully bespoke, modern interior which is the equivalent to stepping into a luxury apartment.

The Star Bus has an en-suite bedroom for the star, 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 ten people.

It also offers reuseable water bottles and coffee cups, bean-to-cup coffee machines and green cleaning products to add to its environmentally-friendly credentials.

The bus, which was designed and created by the dedicated MM Band Services team over 18 months, includes a comprehensive entertainment system including widescreen HD TVs, high quality surround sound systems and next generation 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 popular 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.

“We’re so proud that our business continues to go from strength-to-strength, especially after surviving during the Covid-19 pandemic, when we had to drop everything. That time reinforced how much artists love and need to tour to see fans and sell merchandise in person, and the Star Bus perfectly suits their needs.”

MM Band Services, which also has offices in London, is celebrating its 25th year in business this year and currently 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 company’s experienced drivers cover millions of miles every year, across the UK and as far as Greece and Finland, with excellent links to Scandinavia and mainland Europe.

The majority of the buses are provided for major artists in the music industry, as well as comedians, drag shows, podcast creators, pantomime casts and golf tours.

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.

In addition to the Star Bus, Teddy has five MM Band Services sleeper buses to transport his crew on the current tour.

Driver Karl Nolan, who has worked for MM Band Services for more than ten years and in the industry for almost three decades, is the first driver to get behind the wheel of the Star Bus to take Teddy on his current tour.

The tour is taking in major cities including London and Dublin before the UK leg finishes in Manchester on March 16. Teddy will then fly to South America to begin the USA leg.

Karl, 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.

“The Star Bus will be great for artists in the future too. They have their own bespoke, private areas for relaxing or working, and they can also tour with their families if they wish.”