Bay City Rollers legend Woody to play Christmas gig in the Capital

Time to dig out those tartan flares – Bay City Rollers legend Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood has announced he’ll be playing a special Christmas show in Edinburgh.

Bay City Rollers’ legend Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood has announced he’ll be playing a special Christmas show in Edinburgh.

It’s been five years since Woody was reunited with former bandmates Les McKeown and Alan Longmuir for a string of sell-out reunion shows.

The gigs triggered a new wave of Rollermania, which led to a new album being released and the group being honoured with a Living Legends award at Scotland’s music industry Oscars.

Formed in Edinburgh at the end of the 1960s, the Rollers enjoyed worldwide success with their distinctive tartan outfits and upbeat pop tunes like Bye Bye Baby and Shang-a-Lang.

They went on to become one of the biggest pop group’s on the planet, selling more than 100 million records, and being heralded as “biggest group since the Beatles” in the press.

The Rollers found success in the UK and Japan – and even broke the US – before their fortunes waned and they parted ways.

They had monster hits with tracks like I Only Wanna Be With You, Bye Bye Baby, Shang-a-Lang, Saturday Night and Give a Little Love.

In April this year, lead singer McKeown died aged 65. His death came after bassist and founding member Alan Longmuir died aged 70 in the summer of 2018.

Now, lead guitarist Woody will be joined on stage at Liquid Room on December 12 by a group of talented young Scottish musicians.

Together with Woody, Ian Thomson (lead vocals/guitar), Marcus Cordock (bass guitar) and Stevie Morrison (drums) will bringing back that classic retro-pop sound of the Rollers to their ever-devoted home crowd fans, having already gone down a storm in Japan, Canada and the US just before the 2020 lockdown.

Rollers fans can expect all the group’s best-loved hits and a real party atmosphere at the Edinburgh show.

Speaking ahead of the gig, Woody said: “I’m really looking forward to doing these Christmas shows and I can’t wait to see all the amazing fans again.

"The shows are always great fun and Christmas just makes it one big party.

"Bay City Roller music will keep on rolling so let the good times roll on.”

Radio Forth DJ Ewen Cameron, who was on board for the Rollers’ renunion gigs, will be once more hosting the event and hyping up the renowned scarf swaying crowd with his Christmas party playlist.

Cameron recalls: “I’ll never forget the atmosphere and screams of sheer joy and excitement from the crowd as I announced the Bay City Rollers onto the stage at the 2015 Reunion shows.

“I feel that everyone, especially now, could do with a big old dollop of that special Rollermania buzz and what better time to do it than Xmas time...so bring along your tartan and your tinsel and let’s have a party.”

The band will also play The Garage in Glasgow on December 30.

Tickets for both gigs are priced £22.50 and go on sale at 9am on Saturday (October 30) from Tickets Scotland.

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