A popular York band’s grand musical tour of the US has come to grinding halt – thanks to a bust bus.
Bull are now stranded in the States and have launched a crowdfunding campaign to allow them to complete their gigs and get home to York.
Donate to the crowdfunding campaign here
The four-piece band – Dan Lucas, Tom Beer, Kai West and Tom Gabbatiss – flew out to New York City a few weeks ago.
Their plan was to head for Austin, Texas, for the world’s biggest music festival: SXSW. And they bought a big yellow school bus as both their transport and living accommodation for the trip.
They made it to Austin, and were planning to head on to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. But then the bus broke down with “terminal engine failure”.
Now, without transport or a dime to their name, Bull have launched a crowdfunding campaign to get them on the move again.
Rock n roll nightmare
They’re hoping to rais £2,000. Every penny donated will help the Bull boys get back to York, meeting their musical commitments on the way in New Orleans, Atlanta, Raleigh, Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
“What started as a rock and roll dream has turned into a nightmare,” said Ross Langford, father of Bull’s lead guitarist and vocalist Dan Lucas.
“The lads spent the last three months booking gigs in clubs and bars all the way from New York through the mid-West to Austin, Texas, and back through the Deep South and up the east coast.
“It’s not a full-scale tour paid for by a music label. After buying the bus the band has just been covering the cost of diesel, food and a few beers.”
The bus was not just their transport it was their hotel “so it’s a massive let-down that it’s broken.
“Normally, they would happily busk their way back to New York but they’ve got gigs booked and they want to meet their commitments and catch their flight home.”
All the Bull lads are from York.
They’ve been around the York music scene for a few years and have been in other bands including the Littlemores, The Lungs and the New York Brass Band.
And they have promised to “put on a cracking good show when they get back to say thanks to their generous mates” who help with the crowdfunding.