Friday, October 17, 2008

Rhythm And Booze

THE View's hell raising front man Kyle Falconer has rubbished the Scottish government's plans to raise the age limit for buying alcohol in stores and off licences to 21.

Alex Salmond is determined to push ahead with the plan and will debate it at the SNP conference this week.

But Kyle, who claims he enjoyed his first bottle of Alcopops when he was just 13, thinks the change in the law is unlikely to have an impact - because getting blitzed is a rite of passage for teenagers.

Even more shocking is his revelation that taking drugs is equally popular among teenagers for the same reason.

The singer, 21, said: "Raising the limit won't make any difference.

"The majority of people are normal and normal people have alcohol because they are inquisitive. When you are a teenager you don't know what is going to happen and your mind doesn't run that deep.

"So why would you not want to take alcohol?

Why would you not want to take drugs?

When you are that age, it is the prime time to be inquisitive. I can't understand why people question it, it happens. If you don't have a bevvy, fair enough. But you'll never see the likes of what we've seen. If you're not going to drink you'll never see it."

The View were banned from all 300 Travelodges in the UK after allegedly causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

But the singer says he has no intention of cleaning up his act.

He said: "I'm 21 and I'll drink as much as I want. It's annoying sometimes when people tell me I shouldn't drink. People tell me I need to settle down, but what do they care about me. It sounds like I'm annoyed but I'm not."

Kyle said the longest he has been sober was a two week spell last summer.

"I was off the bevvy in Japan because I was in hospital," he explained. " I had blood poisoning. I had been travelling and hadn't got the shots I needed.

"I get it all the time. I got cellulitis two weeks ago. It's not pretty."

Scots fans will get the first chance to hear songs from their forthcoming album Which Bitch on the current tour.

The latest long player is the follow up to their debut album Hats Off To The Buskers, which shot straight to No.1 and earned the band a string of hit songs, such as chart-topper Same Jeans, Wasted Little DJs and Superstar Trademan.

The band are playing a series of intimate dates at Inverness Raigmore tonight, Forres The Loft on Saturday, Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire on Sunday, to tie in with their new single 5 Rebeccas.

They return to Scotland as part of the return-to-basics 35-date tour for gigs at Glasgow's King Tut's on November 12, Aberdeen Lemon Tree on November 27, Glasgow's Barrowlands on November 28, Kirkcaldy Ocean Nightclub (29) and Dundee Fat Sams (30).

The band - Kyle, bassist Keiren Webster, guitarist Peter Reilly and drummer Steven Morrison - have been given security guards ahead of the dates, to protect them after a string of bust ups.

Peter said: "We've all had scraps. The security are there to protect us from ourselves. The first night we said we didn't need security, Kyle fell asleep on a pool table in a pub."

Kyle added: "When we first got security guards we were like, 'What is he doing here? What do we need them for?

He's not getting on the bus.' We got annoyed. We were busy trying to get our mates on the bus and getting into arguments with security over it. You don't understand why you need them until a giant Dutch boy tries to smack your puss and the security guy just takes the guy's fist in his hand and you're like, 'Sound'.

"And if I am too drunk, I can say, gie's acuddy back.' "All the time we get hassle. I have got the fear all the time.

"There is always somebody who will sit down and pretend they just want a wee chat and ask how you are doing. It happens that much that I can clock it from a mile away when somebody wants to come up and give me grief. It's ridiculous.

"We've all had narrow escapes. We have all been close to death many times.

"We're not afraid of it. I have been close to death many a time."

Kyle also feels the band's fame can be a pain when he is out and about getting in his stash of cigarettes and alcohol.

He said: "Even before we had a reception outside Dundee we were being plagued by Dundonians. The whole thing kicked off. We always had a massive fan base in Dundee right from the start.

"Dundonians appreciate good music.

"But you get loads of stupid people.

The majority of the time somebody wants to grab my hair. There's loads of p****s but once in a while somebody will be really interested.

"It's the nature of the business. I can get out of a taxi in Dundee and a guy will say, 'Alright Kyle. Going to your mum's house?' "That's a bit annoying. How does he know who I am and how does he know my address.

"I'll go to the supermarket to get fags and beer and somebody will say to me, 'Kyle. I thought you were supposed to be off the bevvy.'"

Kyle also admits the band have also come to blows with each other while out on the road.

He said: "Sometimes we're sick of the sound of each other or sick of the smell."

'Why would you not want to take alcohol? When you are a teenager it is the time to be inquisitive'

By John Dingwall, Daily Record 17th October 2008

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