What do Taylor Swift, the Rolling Stones, the Foo Fighters, Zach Bryan, Green Day, Beyoncé and AC/DC have in common, besides an exceptional gift for music? These internationally renowned artists and a host of others trust a Quebec company to ensure their travels.
The newspaper went behind the scenes of the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) to learn more about Prévost coaches, the bus supplier for 99% of musical tours in North America.
This quasi-monopoly alone represents 15 to 20% of the annual turnover of the company whose headquarters are still located in the small village of Sainte-Claire, in the Quebec region.
In front of a row of buses made here, the President and CEO of Prévost, François Tremblay, said he was touched to see that so many renowned artists trust the Quebec flagship.
DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
“It is a great pride to see that we are accomplishing great things internationally, while being based in the Quebec region. […] We stand out for the reputation of our buses. Artists and their teams know that by turning to us, they will have a good night’s sleep on the road.
Seal of approval
Prevost bus trips, veteran tour director Mike Amato has done beyond counting. Since 1987, he has seen all the colors over his adventures with the Rolling Stones, AC / DC or Kiss.
Some music lovers would pay dearly to spend an hour aboard these essential machines for touring life alongside their idols. For him, it has become routine to be at the heart of the secrets of the biggest international stars.
Photo provided by Prévost
Passing by the FEQ to accompany the headliner of Sunday evening, Zach Bryan, Mr. Amato maintains that the Bellechasse manufacturer’s buses should be the “standard in the industry” and that they “stand out for their comfort and their adaptability to the needs of artists”.
Custom made
Prévost’s 1,300 employees manufacture high-end bus shells that they then send to converters, who take care of creating the interior design of the vehicles to the taste of music stars.
The Californian company Dreamliner is one of those who design the interior of Prévost tour buses. The newspaper had the opportunity to speak with two experienced drivers working for the American company.
DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
“I’ve been doing this job for 23 years, buses are like my home,” says Eric Fuller. They are designed to suit everyone, even drivers. We can compartmentalize them to let passengers have their privacy and that is very important when you spend a lot of time on the road.
For his part, Mark Jones, who has driven the biggest international stars for 34 years, claims to have spent some of the best moments of his life in high-end vehicles built in Quebec.
“I have a host of memories in these machines. The most impressive thing is that they continue to improve their products year after year. It’s not for nothing that they control practically the entire market now, they are above the lot.
Growing needs
François Tremblay and his team have observed that the tour bus industry has gained even more momentum in recent years, as CD sales have given way to digital distribution platforms.
“To recover lost profits, musicians have to do more dates and in bigger venues,” he explains. It’s good for us, because they’d rather travel on their bus than deal with hotel and equipment headaches. With our coaches, they have the comfort and all the space they need to drag everything they need.”
- Listen to the interview with François Tremblay, President and CEO of Prévost on the Alexandre Dubé show via QUB-radio :
what they said
“We have just concluded an agreement with Beyoncé for her next tour. She needs 30 buses!” – the CEO of Prévost, François Tremblay.
“The people of Quebec are an extraordinarily open public. No matter the style of music, you know they will be there and they will have a lot of energy. – tour director Mike Amato, about the Festival d’été de Québec.
“I’ve driven for The Weekend, Drake, Lil Wayne, Guns and Roses and many more in my career. […] I was able to make incredible connections and see breathtaking scenery on these buses” – Mark Jones, tour bus driver for 34 years.