Q&A: Bay City Rollers founder Alan Longmuir ahead of his Toronto show this weekend

How the Bay City Rollers were almost the Arkansas Rollers, and more from band founder Alan Longmuir in Toronto for a fan event on June 26

Alan Longmuir has long since ditched the zany costumes from his days with iconic teeny-bopper band the Bay City Rollers. The Scottish quintet were the One Direction of their time, selling millions of records, travelling the world and getting chased by more then their fair share of groupies. After a few decades, Longmuir is making something of a comeback, reunited with two fellow Rollers for some shows back at home in Glasgow, and making his way to Toronto this week for one of a growing number of fan events, allowing a generation of screaming youths to relive a few of their glory days. Post City tracked down Longmuir to ask him about the band and what we can expect from his show in town on June 26

I read that you came up with the band name, is that true?
True story, yes. We were sitting in an apartment in Edinburgh where we used to rehearse in the front room. We were called The Saxons at the time, The Ambassadors too, a lot of different bands. We had heard about the band The Detroit Wheels, and we figured we needed something to move, like rollers or something. And with all the American bands we decided to stick a pin in the map of America. And the first one went to Arkansas, but that didn’t sound right. The second one was just outside Bay City and that’s how we got the name, simple as that. 

Where was your first gig?
It was when we were The Saxons, that was at a youth club. We were playing the local town halls and things like that. It was a great atmosphere but we were playing covers all the time, you couldn’t play your own songs — Crosby Stills and Nash, the Beatles, Stones, CCR, all the stuff that was happening at the time. 

You left the band in the early days also, seems like you were always a bit uncomfortable with that teen celebrity lifestyle.
I was uncomfortable with it, ay. It was just in your face all the time. When you woke up in the morning, sometimes you didn’t know what country you were in.  

After you left the band, did you continue with your own music career?
No, I come away from it altogether. I was a plumber by trade. I also had horses and sheep and things. I always kept in touch with the guys though, there were no problems. 

You must have had some interesting fan encounters in those days. 
Oh yes, they (girls) used to come into the hotels. The thing was we always had to check under the beds and in the wardrobes…. We found girls in the rooms and things like that. It was strange, you know. I remember staying in Hollywood and the house there had a swimming pool. I think it was myself, Eric (Faulkner) and Woody (John Stuart Wood) was in the pool having a drink. And the next minute there were these girls peeping over the fence and they had nothing on.

It was estimated that in today’s dollars, the band generated approximately $8 billion, but famously your now-deceased manager made a mess of that. 
Ya, the manager was a good guy at the beginning but turned bad after that. We were on t he road constantly so we hardly noticed. It was always just ‘don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine.’ We were just laymen…. This is what happens. I call them the parasites. They can’t play a note of music themselves, but they can count money. 

Do you miss anything from those days?
Not really no. I mean, I miss the laughs. There were some great times, you know. In 1974, I think I had one day off and went to a friend’s wedding and that was it. 

Is there a chance of the original group getting back together?
Myself, Wood and Les (McKeown) we are doing our thing and it’s going brilliant. We ended up with a cracking gig in Glasgow where we sold out four nights in three minutes. I said to my wife, if we get 800 people it would be great, the next thing we know, it sold, sold, sold. As soon as we start playing the old stuff they go mental you know. 

And you have a one-person Fringe festival show, And I Ran With The Gang?
Yes, it’s going well, its actually selling well just now. In August, we do three weeks at Edinburgh Fringe. It’s all about my life story, starting the band up and all that. 

And you’ll be performing that on June 26 in Toronto as well?
Ya, we’re doing that. And we’ll be doing some songs. It’s all good fun, it’s a nostalgia trip.

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