William Rogue
Encyclopedia
Stewart William Allan more familiar by his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

, William Rogue, is a Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

 musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

 and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

 most widely known as the principal songwriter, lead guitarist and lead vocalist with the rock band The Blimp
The Blimp
The Blimp were a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. The group comprised William Rogue , Ray Alexander , George Berry , Gary Craig and JD Allan...

.

Early life

Allan was born in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, the second of three children. At the age of four his family moved to Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 where his father worked as an engineering draughtsman
Technical writing
Technical writing, a form of technical communication, is a style of writing used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, engineering, chemistry, the aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics, and biotechnology....

. In 1981 his father was involved in a serious car accident that led to the family returning to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 in 1982, first to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 for a short time and then to Scotland.

Allan attended Shawlands Academy
Shawlands Academy
Shawlands Academy is a non-denominational secondary school on the southside of Glasgow, Scotland.-Admissions:It has a roll of approximately 1,250 pupils and 90 teachers...

 secondary school in Glasgow until 1990 when he left to join the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

. He served aboard the HMS Argyll
HMS Argyll
Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Argyll after the region of Argyll in Scotland. Her motto is ne obliviscaris ....

 as a marine engineer for two years.

Music

On leaving the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 in 1992 Allan enrolled on a music technology course at Stow College
Stow College
-History:The college is named after David Stow, whose primary teaching seminary was founded close to the college at Dundasvale. Stow was the first purpose-built Further Education college in Glasgow, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2009....

 in Glasgow. It was here that he met long time friend and collaborator, Mark Brown. Allan and Brown formed a band called The Bodies, which included Allan’s older brother, JD Allan
JD Allan
David John Allan , or as he is more commonly known, JD Allan, is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and web developer. Allan is the older brother of musician and actor, William Rogue, and a former member of the rock band The Blimp.-External links:*...

, and James Clifford. Brown and Clifford would later go on to join the Cosmic Rough Riders
Cosmic Rough Riders
The Cosmic Rough Riders are a pop/rock band from Glasgow, United Kingdom. They were originally formed in 1998 by Daniel Wylie and Stephen Fleming, and later they were joined by Mark Brown and James Clifford...

. During the early 1990s The Bodies performed alongside other notable Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

 acts of the period including Urusei Yatsura
Urusei Yatsura (band)
Urusei Yatsura were a Glaswegian Alternative rock, Indie rock rock indie band.-History:Founding members Fergus Lawrie and Graham Kemp met in the summer of 1993, whilst attending the University of Glasgow. They recruited Elaine Graham as bassist, and the line-up was completed with the subsequent...

, The Yummy Fur and Glass Onion (who would later change their name to Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...

). The Bodies also made regular appearances at the Kazoo Club hosted by Alex Kapranos
Alex Kapranos
Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley , commonly known as Alex Kapranos, is a United Kingdom-based musician who is the lead singer and the guitarist of the Glasgow band Franz Ferdinand.-Early life:...

.

In 1994 Allan departed The Bodies to form the Caffeine Cake Orchestra with Ray Alexander, Malcolm Scott Mearns and Del Frame (later replaced by Alasdair Fisher). The Bodies continued briefly, bringing in Stephen Fleming to replace Allan on lead guitar. Fleming would eventually go on to form the Cosmic Rough Riders with Daniel Wylie. In early 1995 Allan was joined in the Caffeine Cake Orchestra by his brother, JD Allan
JD Allan
David John Allan , or as he is more commonly known, JD Allan, is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter and web developer. Allan is the older brother of musician and actor, William Rogue, and a former member of the rock band The Blimp.-External links:*...

. Until the summer of 1997 the Caffeine Cake Orchestra gigged extensively in and around Scotland, including performances alongside Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...

, Dawn of the Replicants
Dawn of the Replicants
Dawn of the Replicants are a Scottish indie rock quintet from Galashiels, described by Allmusic as "one of the most inventive groups in the United Kingdom. Impossible to categorize"...

 and Black Iron Skyline (who would later change their name to Bis
Bis (band)
Bis are a Scottish indie pop band composed of Steven Clark , John Clark , and Amanda MacKinnon . Formed in 1994, the band broke up in 2003, but reformed briefly in 2007 for a series of concerts.-History:...

), and a live television appearance on STV music programme VJ’s.

The Blimp

Toward the end of 1998 Allan, Alexander and JD Allan began rehearsing with Mark Brown, Gary Craig and saxophonist Carol McBay. This would constitute the original line up of The Blimp
The Blimp
The Blimp were a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. The group comprised William Rogue , Ray Alexander , George Berry , Gary Craig and JD Allan...

. In the spring of 2000 Brown departed to join the Cosmic Rough Riders. George Berry was brought in to replace him soon after. Berry and Craig were former members of Rust, which included Gordon Garrow and Kenny McLeod, subsequently of Eska. At the beginning of 2001 Carol McBay relocated to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and departed the band. In the spring of 2001 The Blimp began recording the first of several sessions with engineer and producer Duncan Cameron, which would be released as their debut album, Square Go, the following year.

Controversy

In the summer of 2001 The Blimp released their debut single Bad Bitch Dog Don’t Bite on London based independent label Stuntman Recordings. The single was subsequently banned from radio airplay across the capital. The reason stated was the gratuitous use of the word 'bitch' in the lyrics, despite the song clearly being about a dog. Allan’s uncompromising lyrical style and use of Glaswegian vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...

 would continue to pose problems for broadcasters throughout his career.

On 13 July 2002 The Blimp hosted and curated the J in the Dark event in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 as a counter to the T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...

 festival happening the same weekend in Balado
Balado
Balado is a park and former airfield within the Perth and Kinross council area of Scotland. It is now the venue of the annual T in the Park music festival.Poultry sheds of Balado Poultry Farm now occupy the old concrete runways of the airfield...

, Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...

. Although the event was intended as a snub to the festival’s perceived commercialism the band were criticised for the apparent reference to drug use that the event's title implied.

In the autumn of 2003 The Blimp were asked to support the Sensational Alex Harvey Band at renowned Glasgow venue, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, also known as King Tut's, is a live music venue and bar in on St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland. It is owned and managed by Glasgow-based gig promoters DF Concerts...

. They would support the band again on their nationwide tour in 2005. The Blimp supported many other acts including Misty's Big Adventure
Misty's Big Adventure
Misty's Big Adventure are an eight piece band from Birmingham, England. Their music is an eclectic mix of jazz, lounge, psychedelia, two tone, pop and punk....

, Ten Benson
Ten Benson
Ten Benson are a rock band from London, United Kingdom formed in 1997. Their early releases saw them described as "psychedelic hillbillies", but they later moved on to a heavy metal sound.-History:...

 and Toby Jepson
Toby Jepson
Toby Jepson is a singer, songwriter and was lead vocalist and guitarist in the British rock band, Little Angels between the years of 1984 and 1994...

, and were themselves supported by acts who went on to become more widely known, most notably, The Law
The Law (Scotland band)
The Law are an indie rock band from Dundee in Scotland. Their debut album "A Measure Of Wealth" was released in September 2009 through their own record label Local Boy Records . The first single to precede the album, "Don't Stop, Believe", was released on 20 July 2009...

 and Glasvegas
Glasvegas
Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of James Allan , Rab Allan , Paul Donoghue and Jonna Löfgren . The band received critical acclaim for their debut album Glasvegas which was released in September 2008, reaching No...

. In the winter of 2007 The Blimp began work on what would be their last studio album, Easy Listening with the High Commissioner. Released in the summer of the same year, the album’s closing number, Plastic Fuck Machine, was deemed unplayable by local radio, due in part to the songs title but mostly because of George Berry’s effect laden drum solo that dominates the track. The Blimp made their final live appearance at Nice N Sleazy in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 on 14 July 2007.

Solo

Allan released his debut solo album, Doodles & Sketches, featuring collaborations with Mark Brown, James Clifford and JD Allan, in late 2007. He continues to write, record and release new material as William Rogue.

Acting

Allan is an alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...

 of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a conservatoire of music, drama, and dance in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Educational Association, it is the busiest performing arts venue in Scotland...

. In his first film role he featured in the BAFTA award-winning short film, Sex & Death. His theatre roles have included the lead in Christopher Marlowe's
Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. As the foremost Elizabethan tragedian, next to William Shakespeare, he is known for his blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his mysterious death.A warrant was issued for Marlowe's arrest on 18 May...

 Edward II
Edward II (play)
Edward II is a Renaissance or Early Modern period play written by Christopher Marlowe. It is one of the earliest English history plays. The full title of the first publication is The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England, with the Tragical Fall of Proud...

, Vladimir in Samuel Beckett's
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...

 Waiting For Godot
Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's...

and a solo performance of Eric Bogosian's
Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian is an American actor, playwright, monologist, and novelist of Armenian descent.-Personal life:Bogosian, an Armenian-American, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina, a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. After graduating from Oberlin College,...

 Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll. He has also appeared in several television series, including the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

's Hamish Macbeth
Hamish Macbeth (TV series)
Hamish Macbeth is a television series made by BBC Scotland and first aired in 1995. It is loosely based on a series of mystery novels by M. C. Beaton . The series concerns a local police officer, Constable Hamish Macbeth in the fictitious town of Lochdubh on the north coast of Scotland. The titular...

and Feel the Force
Feel the Force
Feel the Force is a British television police sitcom produced for BBC Scotland by Catherine Bailey Limited.The series is written by Georgia Pritchett; the first episode was broadcast on BBC 2 on 8 May 2006...

. His most recent film work includes the Kodak award-winning short film, Stranger Things.

Allan currently lives in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 with his with wife, the writer Fiona G. Parrott, and their two children.

Discography

  • The Sad Five EP – The Bodies (1994)
  • Wrench Chain Ma Go Go – Caffeine Cake Orchestra (1996)
  • Bad Bitch Dog Don’t BiteThe Blimp
    The Blimp
    The Blimp were a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. The group comprised William Rogue , Ray Alexander , George Berry , Gary Craig and JD Allan...

     (2001)
  • A Thousand Bares Between UsThe Blimp
    The Blimp
    The Blimp were a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. The group comprised William Rogue , Ray Alexander , George Berry , Gary Craig and JD Allan...

     (2001)
  • Square GoThe Blimp
    The Blimp
    The Blimp were a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. The group comprised William Rogue , Ray Alexander , George Berry , Gary Craig and JD Allan...

     (2002)
  • The Core SessionThe Blimp
    The Blimp
    The Blimp were a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. The group comprised William Rogue , Ray Alexander , George Berry , Gary Craig and JD Allan...

     (2004)
  • Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard PlaceThe Blimp
    The Blimp
    The Blimp were a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. The group comprised William Rogue , Ray Alexander , George Berry , Gary Craig and JD Allan...

     (2006)
  • Easy Listening with the High CommissionerThe Blimp
    The Blimp
    The Blimp were a rock band formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. The group comprised William Rogue , Ray Alexander , George Berry , Gary Craig and JD Allan...

     (2007)
  • Doodles & Sketches – William Rogue (2007)
  • In Exile – William Rogue (2008)
  • The Bitter Suite – William Rogue (2010)

Film and television

  • VJ’s – STV (1996)
  • Hamish Macbeth
    Hamish Macbeth (TV series)
    Hamish Macbeth is a television series made by BBC Scotland and first aired in 1995. It is loosely based on a series of mystery novels by M. C. Beaton . The series concerns a local police officer, Constable Hamish Macbeth in the fictitious town of Lochdubh on the north coast of Scotland. The titular...

    BBC
    BBC
    The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

     (1997)
  • A Day in the Life – Raymond Smith (1998)
  • Last Night – Fablevision (1999)
  • Sex & Death – Cineworks (2000)
  • Voodoo – Mallinson Television Productions (2005)
  • Feel the Force
    Feel the Force
    Feel the Force is a British television police sitcom produced for BBC Scotland by Catherine Bailey Limited.The series is written by Georgia Pritchett; the first episode was broadcast on BBC 2 on 8 May 2006...

    BBC
    BBC
    The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

     (2006)
  • Big Match – Thomas Thomas Films (2006)
  • Stranger Things – Danielle Katvan (2009)
  • Copy & Pastry
    Copy & Pastry
    Copy & Pastry is an original comic web series produced by . follows two roommates who decide to start an online pastry delivery service out of their home kitchen in Berkeley, CA. The first season, consisting of 7 episodes, debuted in November 2009.-About:...

    – Two Trick Pony Productions (2009)
  • Education of Saints – Louisa Decossy (2010)
  • Spare PartsBerkeley Digital Film Institute
    Berkeley Digital Film Institute
    The Berkeley Digital Film Institute is the newest addition in San Francisco Bay Area film schools. The program is an intense, 16-month, total immersion with emphasis on Producing and Directing for Motion Pictures, Television, Commercials and Music Videos. The institute was founded in early 2007 by...

     (2010)
  • Mattina Presto Luce – Loose Charm Offers (2010)

Theatre

  • Three Penny OperaGlasgow School of Art
    Glasgow School of Art
    Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...

     (1996)
  • Making Tracks – Tour (1997)
  • Ashes in Sand – Ramshorn Theatre (1997)
  • Looking After Norman – Tour (1997)
  • Quad
    Quad (play)
    Samuel Beckett’s Quad was written in 1981 and first appeared in print in 1984 where the work is described as “[a] piece for four players, light and percussion” and has also been called a “ballet for four people.” It resembles something the shape-theatre ensemble Mummenschanz might have conceived,...

    – Glasgow University (1997)
  • Breadmakers – Tour (1997)
  • Double Dare – Tour (1997)
  • Heart of DarknessThe Arches
    The Arches (Glasgow)
    The Arches is a bar, arts venue, theatre, live music venue and nightclub in Glasgow, Scotland, which first opened in 1991. It is a not-for-profit organisation...

     (1998)
  • Rab Ha’ – Tour (1998)
  • Edward II
    Edward II (play)
    Edward II is a Renaissance or Early Modern period play written by Christopher Marlowe. It is one of the earliest English history plays. The full title of the first publication is The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England, with the Tragical Fall of Proud...

    – Ramshorn Theatre (1998)
  • Last Night – Tour (1999)
  • The Lost Boy – Ramshorn Theatre (1999)
  • Waiting For Godot
    Waiting for Godot
    Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's...

    – Tour (1999)
  • Stone of Destiny – Tour (2000)
  • Not about Nightingales
    Not About Nightingales
    Not About Nightingales is a three act play written by Tennessee Williams in 1938. The play itself focuses on a group of inmates who go on a hunger strike in attempt to better their situation. There is also a soft love story, with the characters Eva, the new secretary at the prison, and Jim, a...

    – Tour (2000)
  • Picasso at the Lapin Agile
    Picasso at the Lapin Agile
    Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a play written by Steve Martin in 1993. It features the characters of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, who meet at a bar called the Lapin Agile in Montmartre, Paris...

    – Ramshorn Theatre (2001)
  • Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll – Ramshorn Theatre (2001)

External links

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