They were the heartthrobs of the 1970s — plaid-clad pop idols who made teenage hearts race across Britain and beyond. But behind the screaming fans and glittering smiles, the Bay City Rollers had their own backstage dramas… including one hilariously petty argument that summed up their youthful chaos.
According to their former tour secretary, the band once got into a full-blown fight over — of all things — who would wear the shorter kilt on stage. “It sounds funny now,” she laughed in a recent interview, “but at the time, it was deadly serious. They were about to go on in front of thousands of fans, and two of them were standing there, measuring hemlines!”
It happened in 1976, during the peak of Rollermania, when the band’s signature tartan outfits had become pop culture icons. “The kilts were part of their identity — playful, rebellious, Scottish pride turned into pop fashion,” she explained. “But the shorter the kilt, the more the crowd screamed. So naturally, everyone wanted to be the one showing a little more leg.”
The argument reportedly started with a wardrobe mix-up, but quickly turned into a contest of pride and charisma. “One said, ‘If I’m in front, I get the shorter one!’ and another shouted, ‘You wish!’” the secretary recalled, laughing. “The manager had to step in before it delayed the show. In the end, they compromised — swapped halfway through the set!”
The story has since become a favorite among crew members who toured with the band during their wildest years. It’s a snapshot of the Bay City Rollers at their best — cheeky, charming, and constantly teetering between boyish mischief and superstardom.
“They were just kids living out a dream,” she added. “They argued about kilts, hair spray, whose tartan looked brighter — all while topping charts around the world.”
Despite their internal squabbles, the Rollers’ unity on stage was undeniable. When the lights went up and the music started, the rivalries melted away. Songs like Shang-A-Lang, Bye Bye Baby, and Give a Little Love sent crowds into joyful chaos — plaid scarves waving, voices rising in unison.
Today, the story of the “kilt fight” is more than a funny backstage memory; it’s a reminder of what made the Bay City Rollers so beloved. They weren’t polished pop machines — they were five young Scots with big hearts, big dreams, and even bigger personalities.
And maybe that’s why the world loved them so much. Behind every perfect chorus and screaming crowd, there was a band laughing, teasing, and arguing — over who got to wear the shortest kilt in pop history.