They say you can't roll back the years but one band is having a good stab at it. Yes, Bay City Rollers, who came back to Tyneside earlier this year to wow their old fans at the Metro Radio Arena, are heading for the Journal Tyne Theatre to once again strut their stuff. The tartan terrors, otherwise known as Les McKeown's Legendary Bay City Rollers, will once again revive memories of 30 years ago. Back in 1975, at the height of their fame, the BCRs were unstoppable. They were likened to The Beatles and enjoyed two massive No 1 hits, Bye Bye Baby and Give a Little Love, topping the US charts with Saturday Night. They made two visits to Tyneside in 1975. On their first they sparked mayhem and 100 fans ended up in hospital. Part of their act saw them invite fans to come up to the stage and touch them, albeit only on the hand and foot. The invitation alone was guaranteed to send the fans into a frenzy. A city council committee thought about banning the concert at the City Hall but tickets had already been sold and expectations were high, so after lengthy discussions they decided to trust the fans. But the concerns were justified. On the previous night a concert in London ended with more than 200 fans having medical treatment, and there was mayhem in Oxford, with fights and hysterical fans trying to get on stage. Eventually, the Rollers arrived on Tyneside and fans crammed in for the concert. Although 45 were treated for hysteria, in the circumstances it was put down as a success with no real trouble. Coun Hugh White said: "I was very impressed with the way the fans behaved. I think they took our warning seriously and the contribution of the Chronicle cannot be discounted. Its front-page story yesterday seems to have brought home a few facts to these children." In just a short time the tartan-clad heroes had gone from playing for £30 a time at the Viking Ballroom in Seahouses to topping both the British and American charts. Pauline Hope, of Cochrane Park, Newcastle, was one of those starry-eyed youngsters who followed the group in the 70s. Then Pauline Nicholas, of Heaton, she said: "I've still got the scarf, watch and ticket from those great days. "When I first went I had the baseball boots, the stripey socks and everything was tartan. I remember walking along Heaton Road and everyone was looking at me. But I didn't care because I was going to THAT concert." Val Anderson, of Wrekenton, said: "I went to every concert in Newcastle. They were brilliant. When they came on stage it was mayhem. I saw the lasses getting taken out as they passed out. I wasn't one of those who went crazy or anything like that. Just being there was enough for me." No doubt these passionate fans will be out in force when the Rollers are in town again on February 13. | 
Tyne Bridge Publishing
