Peace Run Records takes live gigs on the road with bus, trailer
As music festivals disappear and venues struggle, Sunshine Coast musician Andrea Kirwin and mechanic Amos Enders-Moje are hitting the road with a bold solution—turning an old bus and trailer into a rolling stage and green room. Their Peace Run Bus Project aims to take live music directly to communities, offering independent artists a fresh platform in tough times.
Andrea, who has spent years championing live music in the hinterland and further afield, says the idea was born out of necessity. “I am passionate about promoting amazing, talented artists and bands. And so we decided to create a bus stage that we hope will become a way for people to discover and support amazing Australian and overseas acts in our region and beyond,” she said.
The 1996 Nissan Civilian bus, bought for $6000 from a friend, is being transformed from the ground up by Amos, with Andrea lending a hand. Once complete, it will serve as a mobile backstage area, while the real stage will be an 8-metre flatbed trailer, currently the focus of a fundraising effort. The duo needs $10,000 to buy the trailer and another $5000 for modifications, including lighting, a PA system, and stage fittings.
“Over the past 2-3 years a lot of music festivals have closed their doors and we know first-hand how the music industry and events are feeling the economic pressures right now,” Andrea said. “The financial impacts on musicians and earning sustainable income is becoming more challenging with ticket sales being down for many concerts.”
By taking a fully equipped stage directly to festivals, community events, and regional towns, Andrea and Amos hope to bridge the gap between artists and audiences. “We are hoping to create something that will be part of the solution by building a portable stage complete with lighting and PA that can travel to events across the East Coast.”
The project is a natural evolution for Andrea, who founded Peace Run Records in 2009 as an independent label before expanding into artist management and festival programming. With past work on events such as Woodford Folk Festival and Caloundra Music Festival, she knows the challenges artists face—and how vital live gigs are to their survival. After closing her Queen Street, Nambour shopfront late last year, she decided it was time to get rolling instead.
• To help fund the stage, Peace Run Records is selling merchandise, with all proceeds going toward the trailer purchase and modifications. Supporters can get involved at www.peacerunrecords.com and be part of a movement keeping live music alive, one kilometre at a time.
Andrea Kirwin and Amos Enders