LIVE SHOW REVIEW | ROLLERS FOREVER by Morgan Hermiston
There’s always that one band or artist that you’ve discovered early on in their career. Part of you wants to form an aspect of a close-knit fanbase, another part wants them to succeed and take over the world. The incredibly experienced Danny McCahon‘s latest production, Rollers Forever, perfectly encapsulates the enamour we feel for such talents, and the divide between wanting to see them thrive, against wanting to keep them hidden for ourselves. Hit after hit of the Scotland’s Bay City Rollers catalogue were brought to life, accompanied by a tantalising tale.
The story centres around two lifelong friends, with much of it representing how it feels to be a fangirl. It takes us on a journey of nostalgia and reminiscing for some, for others it was a time well beyond us. The audience are taken through the triumphs, tribulations and the often tumultuous relationship the girls have with the Bay City Rollers. From start to finish, the whole performance presented as a party and a celebration for life that wouldn’t be the same for many Scots without the music of the Rollers.
Every character has their own obvious personality, indicative of the quintessential quirks that each of us have. They pair this with the concept of musical culture and how clothing, hairstyles and attitudes changed alongside the Rollers’ evolution. Many audience members reflected this too, tartan print adorning hats, bags and scarves. Also forming and immortalising the identities of the Bay City Rollers, and many of their fans, were the Scottish accents. It’s quite rare as a Scot to hear such rich and strong accent being used in live performances as they are often diluted to make us more understandable. Rollers Forever went full Scots with the accents and colloquialisms that formed an intimate connection with the crowd that few shows would be able to achieve.
McCahon’s combining of live music and theatre was very memorable. It elevated each song into something more than just a backing track with people singing and dancing along. It was a way for people to enjoy the feeling of watching the Bay City Rollers live, but through the approach of a theatrical performance. Tracks including 1975 tune ‘Bye Bye Baby‘, and 1974’s ‘Shang-a-lang‘ were met with particular admiration, not a single person sitting still. The latter year also saw the release of chant-like ‘Saturday Night‘ which featured a couple of times throughout the performance, with many people chanting along with cast members.
If all of that isn’t enough to persuade you to see this show, it has a Bay City Rollers seal of approval with band member Stuart “Woody” Wood acting as artistic consultant, and appearing as a special guest at the end. The overall story of Rollers Forever is a relatable one, regardless of the band or artists you perhaps were once, or maybe still are, obsessed with. We’ve all got that one act whose journey we helped build and nurture, for many it is evidently the Bay City Rollers. In terms of the Bay City Rollers identity, it definitely emphasises how prevalent their impact still is. The wide age range among the audience further evidenced this.
Rollers Forever is absolutely a must-see show. If you’re not quite a fan of theatre, but love live music, you’ll really enjoy this musical. The run in Glasgow’s Pavillion Theatre has been extended to 30th August, you can find remaining tickets below.
https://trafalgartickets.com/pavilion-theatre-glasgow/en-GB/event/musical/rollers-forever-tickets
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