Band’s van stolen during UK tour

The Bay City Rollers have said their van has been stolen “with all our gear in it” during a tour of the UK.

The band said the van was stolen in Walsall in the West Midlands, ahead of a scheduled gig in East Sussex, on Friday.

Manager, keyboardist and vocalist John McLaughlin said the Rollers had lost “the guitars, the keyboard, bass, all our tartan”.

West Midlands Police has been contacted for comment.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex, McLaughlin said the band had stayed in Birmingham last night.

“We woke up in the morning for a bit of breakfast… and the van had disappeared,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking because all our gear’s obviously all painted tartan.”

But he added that management at Trading Boundaries in Fletching had hired instruments for this evening, while the theft had been reported to police.

“We’re going to have some guitars at least, some drums at least,” he said in a video posted to Facebook earlier. “It might be hand claps, foot stomps and a cappella.”

“So you beautiful people who are coming, bear with us, maybe sing a bit louder – it is Friday the 13th,” he added. “One way or another we’ll be there because we keep on rolling.”

He said bandmate Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood had travelled separately on a train, and “luckily he’s got his tartan guitar”.

The band said the white Splitter van’s registration number was BX62 DMU.

McLaughlin later posted a video from a train to Euston as the band travelled to East Sussex.

The band’s line-up has altered since its 1970s heyday, with McLaughlin joining last year.

Founding members Alan Longmuir and Les McKeown died in 2018 and 2021, respectively.