There’s a first time for everything. And for us, this was it; audio and power production on a moving double decker bus.
Virgin Music came to us with a brief that was as exciting as it was specific. Australian singer-songwriter Ruel; the soulful, critically acclaimed artist behind the album Kicking My Feet, released via Recess Records / Virgin Music Group, was in London, and they wanted to create an intimate listening experience for a group of his closest friends and VIPs. The format? A rare retro bus journey from King’s Cross to Camden and back.
If you don’t know Ruel yet, you will. He’s been building one of the more compelling stories in contemporary pop; a Sydney-raised artist who went from teenage breakthrough to creating a deeply personal sophomore album with collaborators who’ve worked alongside the likes of Taylor Swift, Adele, and Sabrina Carpenter. He has over a million followers and a fanbase that follows him closely everywhere he goes. This was that kind of crowd. It needed to feel right
Less Than a Week to Make It Happen
The enquiry came in, and within days, it was confirmed. There wasn’t a long planning runway here; just a clear synopsis, tight timeline, and the job to get done.
That kind of turnaround asks a lot of a production team. You focus on what matters the most, move quickly, and make precise decisions. Which is exactly what we did!
The Challenge Nobody Talks About: POWER!
Here’s something most people don’t think about until they’re standing inside a vintage bus trying to work out where to plug in a mixing desk: there is no power.
A retro bus isn’t your everyday kind of space or venue. It doesn’t have sockets on the walls or a technical infrastructure to tap into. So before we could even think about sound, we had to solve power from scratch.
We brought in a set of Jackery portable power stations; one large unit as the primary source, and two smaller ones running alongside as immediate backups. The idea was simple: if power consumption ran faster than expected, or if anything dropped, we could switch over without missing a beat.
This isn’t the first time we’ve used portable power stations on a job, but it’s the first time we’ve written about it properly, because it deserves more than a passing mention. These units are compact, quiet, and truly powerful. No diesel, no generator noise rattling the bus, no fumes. Just clean, modern power that sits neatly in the corner and gets on with it.
Making Optimal Use of a Compact Space
Space onboard was limited, and both Virgin Music and the client team understandably wanted to maximise guest capacity.
Working within those constraints, we designed a compact setup that occupied only a small area at the rear of the bus, providing enough room for our technician and mixing position whilst keeping the experience comfortable for guests.
Of course, sound equipment behaves differently when the venue itself is moving. The speaker stands were tied and strapped down – because a bus moves, takes corners and hits bumps. We used cable ties and our own rigging knowledge to make sure nothing shifted or moved against the windows.
Setup took around an hour. The sound engineer got on, got it done, and by the time the guests boarded, everything was running.
King’s Cross to Camden and Back!
The journey itself was the experience. Guests rode through London with the album playing around them; a soundtrack to the city, on a bus, with the artist’s own circle. It was personal in a way that a conventional listening event in a room rarely is.
That’s the kind of brief we love. Not just “provide sound for a venue” but “make this specific, unusual, moving thing work.” And it did! The client was genuinely happy with how the day came together, and we hope to work with them again.
We powered speakers on a bus travelling through London with them. Makes you wonder what we’ll be powering next!
Planning an Event?
If you’re planning something creative and out of the ordinary; an activation on a boat, a moving vehicle, or any unconventional space… We’ve got the portable power solutions to make it work. 📩 Get In Touch to talk through what’s possible.
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