The group was hugely successful during the 1970s, both in the United Kingdom and USA, with over 100 million records sold and a large, loyal fanbase. Billboard reports that at a press conference on Tuesday in Glasgow, Scotland, the group revealed that it would be delivering “a very special Christmas present to all the fans that have kept the faith with the band over the years” by playing a December 20 concert at the city’s Barrowland Ballroom.
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Drummer Derek Longmuir will not be part of the reunion; however, the other three members have left the door open for the return of Eric Faulkner who has been working as a folk musician.
There were also a number of line-up changes in the band over the years and an infamous on-stage fight between Wood and McKeown. We’ve all grown up now. Some even describe them as the One Direction of that time period, though McKeown believes they were bigger.
“There were important emotional scars but it’s not something that you can’t get over”.
“If I live to be 200 years old, I am never going to experience anything like this again in my life”, famed British DJ John Peel recalled.
The overwhelming response led promoters to add a fourth date after a third show sold out in minutes.
“Be there”, he added, “and bring your tartan”.
“You think we’re doing it for money but we’re doing it for the glory of Scotland and the glory of the tartan”.
“The curse has been lifted, we’re writing the last chapter”. “People say we were the first boyband, maybe we could be the first oldie band”. The band’s complete tour schedule will be announced soon, and there’s no doubt they will play some dates in the United States.
He said: “At an awards ceremony I was asked about the records I’d made in the past and said the Bay City Rollers were the reason why I got into pop music”.
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Three of the “classic five” – Les McKeown, Alan Longmuir and Stuart Wood – announced at Glasgow’s Grand Central Hotel earlier this week they would be releasing a new album and a reunion world tour after a long and acrimonious split in 1978 when McKeown chose to go it alone. “It became quite natural and became apparent everybody wanted to do this”.
