Boybands are ten-a-penny these days.
Over the years, there’s been many groups which have had huge success – The Beatles, Take That, Blue, Westlife, Boyzone, etc – but Scotland had its very own answer in the 1970s.
The Bay City Rollers were one of the brightest things to happen in those ten years, illuminating a dark decade marred by falling stock markets, a plummeting economy and industrial unrest.
Alan Longmuir, an apprentice plumber from Edinburgh, was inspired by The Beatles to form a band. After enlisting his brother and throwing a dart at a map, they became the Bay City Rollers. This is his autobiogrphy, published posthumously.
And what a ride the band had – they established Rollermania, became an international phenomenon, and sold more than 120 million records – but somehow, the band were left penniless.
In I Ran with the Gang, Alan recounts his journey from the Dalry backstreets to the Hollywood hills and back again. Along the way, he punctures some of the myths and untruths that have swirled around the group, and unflinchingly tells of the acrimony and exploitation that led to the disintegration of the band.
Most of all, though, Alan captures the great adventure of five young boys from Edinburgh who for a few heady years threatened to turn the whole world tartan.
It’s a fascinating read for anyone who’s ever sung along to Shangalang and wondered just who this group of young men were, from boom to bust.
I Ran WIth The Band, by Alan Longmuir, published by Luath Press, £14.99.
[review rating=”4″ align = “left”]
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