Harrogate laps up Bay City Roller mania!

Eric Faulkner’s Bay City Rollers

Constance Hall, St Aidan’s School, Harrogate

Roller mania is alive and well as witnessed in the hall of St Aidan’s school on a damp summer night, packed with its ageing tartan army.

The night was beset with sound problems from the start, faulty monitors and feedback, prompting with a four letter Prince Philip style outburst from Eric reminding the sound crew he has been playing for 40 years and knew what he was talking about, well he is 61-years-old.

Despite the technical problems, the huge Bay City Rollers hit Bye Bye Baby sees the entire hall on its feet and waving their tartan scarves, the quality of musicianship shining through and getting a great response.

Yesterday’s Heroes, a later Bay City Rollers song, has the crowd singing along before Eric Faulkner settles into a short solo acoustic set. But what happened to the days when fans listened to artists instead of trying to shout over them?

He’s then rejoined on stage by his band and bursts into a great little jig as he plays the fiddle - and very good he is, too.

From here on its great songs including Keep On Dancing and Rebel Rebel, then the brilliant Money Honey that bring both the band and audience to life, closing the night with the big floor-stomping Bay City Rollers classic Shang-A-Lang.

Cue a tartan army surge at the stage!

The one thing true of the Bay City Rollers music is they were no Summer Love Sensation. Their songs have stood the test of time and the tartan army still marches on.