Big Ship by bus - McGregor buys Ford for US tour
Published:Monday | June 4, 2018 | 12:00 AMDave Rodney/Contributor
Reggae artiste Freddie McGregor has bought a tour bus in the United States. McGregor told The Gleaner that for his upcoming US tour, it simply was more cost-effective to buy a tour bus, rather than spend thousands of dollars on each occasion to rent. "I want to be self-sufficient now," the Grammy-nominated artiste said.
"The cost of transportation is one of the main hurdles for tour opportunities for reggae artistes, and when the bus is not in use by my team and I, it can be made available to other reggae artistes as well as to promoters at a more affordable rate than commercial rentals," McGregor, known as the Captain of the Big Ship label, said. With reggae tour dates typically covering areas as far from each other as Boston and Los Angeles, rental and fuel costs for transportation can be prohibitive.
The spanking new vehicle is a Ford Transit 350 HD XLT, and McGregor did a test drive of it on Saturday, learning its many advanced features. The vehicle also has an attachment capability of carrying band equipment and luggage along. The purchase was made in Miami. McGregor's US tour kicks off later this month and the performances will be in support of his new single Go, Freddie Go on VP Records.