Wings Bus, NEC Birmingham
Wings Bus, NEC, Birmingham - Saturday 12th November 2022.
Back in the days of the first UK lockdown (2020) I was trying to think outside the box and look at different ways to promote the band. We had only really started just before the lockdown (doing a few gigs) before everything ground to a halt. I didn’t want the band to lose the small amount of momentum that we had built up with our first few gigs.
So, when I read an article online about Paul McCartney’s 1972 Wings Tour Bus being rescued from rotting away, I was most intrigued. The person who had bought it (the wonderful Tom Jennings) fully planned to restore the bus to its former glory and get it back on the road. There was a postal address in the article. I decided I would send a nice letter and a CD of TR5’s tunes expressing our interest in the bus and offering our services to play live music at any events the bus goes to. I didn’t think much would come of it.
However, not long after sending the letter I received a phone call from Tom, he was overjoyed to receive the CD and personal letter and he loved what The TR5’s is all about. We talked for ages, mainly about his plans for the bus and how he was going to have a stage on the top deck for live music at events. Perfect. We kept in touch.
Fast forward 2 years and Tom has been keeping me up-to-date with the progress of the restoration of the bus. He tells me it will be ready to be exhibited at the NEC in Birmingham and he would very much like The TR5’s to be a part of the event and play on board the top deck. Fantastic. We agree on which day we will be playing and the ball starts rolling.
We start the advertising and as the day nears, we’re contacted by our friend Logan Paul Murphy-The Beatles Boy, a very talented 16-year-old lad from Cumbria who I have played on my Lucky’s Lost Beatles radio show several times. He’s had the foresight to contact the bus owner to ask if he can play on board as well. Tom says it’s okay with him but he needs to check with us first. We say this is absolutely fine as the times he wants to play won’t interfere with ours and he can even play a song or 2 with us if he likes. We discuss ideas for songs he can sing and settle on at least one great choice. We’ll rehearse it on the day we say.
The day arrives and Richey, Finn and I set off nice and early with a car load of equipment. We’re taking some PA bits just in case. Tom has told us that there is a PA there but we want to be sure nothing gets left to chance. A very painless and full-of-banter 2-and-a-half-hour journey ensues (with only one comfort break) and we arrive at the NEC. Eventually. After being sent from one entrance to another we finally make it to the door in which we can unload right near the bus.
Ted has arrived at the same time as us and Rusty is already here so we set about quickly unloading and saying our hellos to Tom and some of the bus restorers. Everybody is really nice. It’s quickly noted that we won’t actually use our speakers although we can plug our mixer in to what is already there to play through that. We set about setting everything up.
With everything plumbed in and fully working we have a quick run-through downstairs with Logan of the song we’ve decided to play with him and then we’re on. After months and months of hard work from all concerned, we’re off and running, playing live on top of Paul McCartney’s 1972 Wings Over Europe open top tour bus! We’re loving this.
But……….then we’re told to turn down. There are other exhibitors nearby and as it wasn't possible to do a soundcheck we have to be considerate with the volume. It takes a little while, but after a few adjustments the sound is balanced, the band settle in and we are told that the sound is perfect, so we go a'rockin' and a'rollin'. We’re playing 3 sets today of all songs that are related to the Beatles, be that actual Beatles songs or songs that they covered in their early days. People are stopping to listen, to dance and there are literally thousands of people milling about. This is great fun. We reach the end of the first set and Logan steps up to sing “The One After 909” with us and what a great job he does too. Excellent.
We then clear the stage and Logan does a set on his own while we’re having our photos taken around the bus by our resident photographer Mark. We do actually get to watch some of Logan’s set but it’s clear he’s having trouble projecting the sound from the top of the bus because of the volume restrictions. It’s a bit different with a band but his guitar and voice are just getting lost on their own. He battles on though, and the crowds love him. He takes a break.
He then decides not to do his second set on top of the bus, instead he serenades people who have come to see him standing next to the bus. Up close and personal. This goes down great and he generates a crowd of people all singing and clapping along. Great stuff.
Logan then heads off to another gig and we chill out before our 2nd and 3rd sets. Well, I say chill out, we’ve actually found some Triumph stalls so we set off to have some photos taken with the only TR5 in the building. They’re rare y’know!
Then it’s back to sets 2 and 3 and now that the levels are all sorted, we get on with doing what we do best, having fun on stage and putting on a show. We play longer, just because we can and because the crowds are stopping to appreciate what we do. Tom even tells us afterwards that some people who had sat downstairs during our set had remarked “This bus is really rocking!” However, all good things come to an end and before we know it, we’re done.
We mingle around the bus before we start packing up and we meet people from all over the world – Wales (Swansea), Australia (Perth) and from all corners of the UK. We get asked for a lot of business cards as well, so we duly hand them out. So much good is coming out of today, we’ve had an absolute blast playing on board this historical bus, we’ve been honoured in fact. We do like to do things a bit differently and the memories of this fab day out will linger for a long time.
Richey, Finn and I then enjoy more banter on the journey home, still buzzing from everything that has happened.
Thanks to all concerned. Definitely a day out The TR5’s won’t forget.
- Lucky
