Scots music legend Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood has revealed that at the height of Bay City Rollers fame across Scotland, the band were forced to escape fans by climbing over rooftops.
The band’s hit stage show Rollers Forever is returning this Autumn for a tour of Scotland.
The jukebox musical will kick off in Glasgow on October 14 and go on to include dates in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Rollers star Woody admitted the show’s tour has been bringing back memories of his own band’s heyday touring Scotland.
And even though the Rollers had legions of fans all over the world, he confirmed that Scots fans were among the most passionate and devoted in the world.
Woody said: “We played the Aberdeen Capitol Theatre on a Scottish tour back in 1975. It was absolute bedlam back then.
“So the only way we could access the theatre was by entering through an adjacent building and crossing over the rooftops to access the Capitol Theatre, down through the roof hatch and in we went.”
In Glasgow, the pop heroes had to hide in the back of vans to avoid the baying mobs of fans.
“We would arrive in the back of a windowless van through thousands of screaming fans who all suspected we were in this van. All I remember is the sound of screaming and very loud banging on the sides of the van. Nobody could hear anyone speak as it was so loud.
“We always had a thing about not playing massive venues as we felt it wasn’t fair people were so far away from the stage, so sometimes we played twice or more. We did that at the London Apollo and the Glasgow Apollo.”
And in the band’s home town of Edinburgh, things got so intense that they were forced to dodge flying missiles from the fans.
“The Bay City Rollers were very popular in and around Edinburgh back in the late 60’s, early 70’s playing places like the Top Storey Club though I was still at School then. My first gig with the BCR’s in Edinburgh was in the Edinburgh Odeon picture house.
“It was full of screaming teenagers throwing stuff like flash cubes (little bulbs from portable cameras) in the hope they would hit us and they could declare something they touched, had touched one of us.
“I won’t get into the amount of chipped teeth and bumps and bruises we all had from that.”
Woody said he was thrilled that the Rollers Forever tour had grown and spread out across Scotland.
“For more than 50 years, we’ve toured the world and have always loved every minute of it. But there was always something special about playing to home crowds and the Scottish fans were always so great to us.
“They always went to great lengths to support us and made the shows really amazing events. Over the years, they have become a great community and that’s what Rollers Forever is all about – celebrating the fans that made Roller mania what it has always been.
“This show is for them, and I’m delighted to see that even more fans will get to see it across Scotland this year.”
Rollers Forever is one of the feelgood musical events of the year, celebrating the fans and the phenomenon of Roller mania.
After a successful debut last year at the Pavilion in Glasgow, the show is back for 2026 with an expanded Scottish tour that includes a return to the Pavilion, as well as dates in Edinburgh’s Kings Theatre and His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen.
Returning cast includes Chiara Sparkes as Susan and Liam Harkins as her brother Alec. Fiona Wood joins the case alongside Rachel Campbell, Bailey Easton, Gregor John-Owen, Andy Clark, Clare Nolan and Tyler Collins.
Speaking on his return to the show, Liam Harkins said: “After the success of last year’s shows I’m so excited to get back together with the team and make this years’ experience even bigger and better for the audiences of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen. It was incredible to witness the energy and deep appreciation that fans, from all over, still hold for the Rollers, and I can’t wait to see that again this year.”
The feel-good new musical will begin its return run at the Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow (Wednesday 14 to Saturday 17 October 2026) for six performances including Thursday and Saturday matinees. It then moves to His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen (Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 October 2026) for another six shows, before concluding with seven performances at the King’s Theatre, Edinburgh (Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October 2026), including Wednesday and Saturday matinees.
Written by award-winning playwright Danny McCahon and directed by acclaimed theatre-maker Liz Carruthers, Rollers Forever brings together a stellar production team including producer Ed Crozier, Musical Director Dale Parker and music industry veterans Mark Mackie, David Low, Donald MacLeod and John McLaughlin – the latter also a current Bay City Roller and the man behind the band’s sell out 2015 reunion.
Director Liz Carruthers, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Rollers Forever is going on the road! After the phenomenal reception for the show at the Pavilion last year, we are really happy to be back to Glasgow and then heading for Aberdeen. It is particularly exciting to be bringing the show home to Edinburgh in the newly reopened Kings Theatre.”