Bay City Rollers come back from Japan to play for The Broons Awards

Kimono and have a go! Even traditional Japanese clothing gets a tartan makeover when The Rollers are in town

In their 1970s heyday the Rollers were tartan-clad heartthrobs to the Japanese.

Having now reformed, as exclusively revealed in The Sunday Post last year, they’re just back this week from a return visit.

And Alan Longmuir says they were stunned to find they were still very much big in Japan, with Rollermania happening all over again.

“It was amazing, just like going back in time,” revealed Alan, 67.

“We couldn’t believe the reaction we got.

“We were playing two shows a night in some places and the fans were packed in.

“There were loads of women who told us they’d seen us back in the 1970s.

“But there were also lots of young girls, maybe their daughters, and guys, too.”

The band appeared in Tokyo and Osaka and, just like back in the UK, they found that interest has soared since they got back together.

Alan and lead singer Les McKeown made the across-the-world trip but Stuart “Woody” Wood missed out this time through personal commitments.

“We did meet-and-greet sessions and everyone was so happy to see us,” said Alan.

“One thing like the past was that they seemed to find out where we were staying.

“But they weren’t all jumping on us this time. They were well-mannered and polite.

“When we were there first time around I remember looking out of the back window of the tour bus and all I could see was a sea of taxis as fans followed us.”

Not being mobbed non-stop this time at least gave Alan, whose wife Eileen was with him, the chance to get out of the hotels and actually see a bit of the country.

A Bullet Train ride was just one thing to tick off his must-do list as was snapping up fridge magnet souvenirs for his pals back in Edinburgh.

And he got an insider’s view of the country thanks to guided tours by Les’s Japanese wife Peko.

Alan admits the past few months have been hectic, with sell-out Barrowland gigs last Christmas and plans for the SSE Hydro later this year.

There are also TV appearances lined up, as well as a world tour.

A new album is due out in June with the first single, Boomerang, expected at the end of March.

Meanwhile, the Rollers are set to play one of their most special gigs of the year next month.

They will be performing at the first ever Broons Awards being held in Glasgow.

Hosted by Lorraine Kelly at the Grand Central Hotel on March 10, it will unveil the fabulous winners from the categories we’ve been revealing over the past few weeks.

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