Aremsee Painting sale

The View's street artist friend has just unveiled a new set of paintings for sale.

All paintings are on 24" x 24" canvas and are one off, original designs, hand painted by Ryan McPhail during January and February 2009. Each item is signed by the artist.

Each canvas is for sale for £200. If you would like to purchase contact us at aremsee69@gmail.com

See them all here

New UK Tour

The View have announced details of a trio of U.K. dates in May.

The band recently completed a sold-out headline tour of the U.K. including a home-town show at Dundee’s Caird Halll and a rapturous gig at London’s Koko. Having also completed a mammoth ‘back-to-basics’ 36-date tour of the UK last autumn, the band are set to head to Europe in March for a series of gigs.

The full list of dates in May are as follows:
Academy, Glasgow, 14th May
Academy, Manchester, 15th May
Forum, London, 16th May

Tickets for the shows go on sale at 10am on Tuesday 3rd March. The Manchester tickets are priced at £14 and the London & Glasgow shows are £15.

Piece of cake for View

Performing is a piece of cake for Dundee’s favourite chart-toppers The View, who played a sell-out gig last night at the Caird Hall.

The popular foursome were presented with a cake to mark the success of their new record Which Bitch, sitting at number four in the album charts.

They received the gift from long-time friend of the band Doreen Culley, who used her seven years’ experience of cake-making to create an edible work of art.

The tasty offering, made as a sugary replica of the album cover in vinyl, features band member figurines topped with their trademark wild hair.

Doreen met the boys through Steven Morrison, the drummer, who she has known since he was 13. She wanted to give them something to commemorate their musical success.

“The plan was to get it to London for the launch date, but I wasn’t comfortable with it going down there with a courier,” she said.

“I wanted to hand it over personally as a lot of work went into that cake—about 10 hours in total.

“I knew that this was going to be a big deal, so there was the added pressure of getting this one right, even more pressure than making wedding cakes!”

Doreen, now running her own cake-making business called Strathview Designs, added that this was the biggest challenge in her culinary career so far.

“This was the most difficult cake I’ve ever made because it is special—it is a present from me to Steven and the boys as a reward for their achievements.

“They have worked so hard,” she said.

By The Courier, 14th February 2009

Belfast photographs

Photographs from The View gig in Belfast last night

See more here.

All photos by Darran Gilpin

Bristol review

The View, Anson Rooms, Bristol 21st February 2009

Sound: The mix wasnt great, lead guitarist sometimes struggled to be heard. Singer Kyle Falconer was impressive, not hitting all notes he does on the records but carried all the songs perfectly. They were playing Gibson guitars, an es-335 for rythmn and a lp junior dc for lead, and a Rickenbacker bass. // 7

Perfomance: The performance was amazing, the atmosphere was surely the best you can get at a gig in Bristol (one of the worst places in the UK for gigs). The audience began a moshpit from the second row onwards about a 1/3 way through the set,luckily me and my mate were clinging to the barrier and werent dragged in, lest our skinny teenage bodies be crushed. They played a mixture of songs from both of their albums, cant remember exact order but i remember them playing: Glass Smash, 5Rebbeccas, Wasted Little Dj's, The Don,One Off Pretender,Skag Trendy, Temptaion Dice,Face For The Radio, Realisation, Comin Down,Typical Time 2, Wasteland, Give Back The Sun, Same Jeans, Superstar Tradesman, and Finished with a riotous Shock Horror. During 'Face For The Radio' (a full acoustic song), the mosh pit completely ceased and everyone stood belting back the words at the band, then as 'Realisation' began they all threw themselves back into the fray, I found that amusing. // 10

Impression: UK, Bristol 21st Feb 2009, in the anson rooms at the student union, basically just a rectangular room with mixing desk and stage. There were three support acts, two were pretty ineffectual, but Backhanded Compliments were amazing, they could have been brothers, looking quite similar. I would recommend them to fans of harder alternative e.g QOTSA as they sounded like a heavier ballsier Arctic Monkeys. I loved the way everyone got into it as i have been to a few dull gigs in Bristol, and also the amazing bargain price of £13 to see the best British band of the moment, really worth the money. Unforgettable moments were people crowd surfing left right and centre, security guards working their big man tits off. And hilariously a fat drunk took his shirt off and started shoving my mate from behind which i found hilarious, beer was thrown everywhere, hitting singer Kyle (and his amps) at times. Next time they are in the Bristol/Cardiff area i will defo go see them although i can expect to pay probably double what i did this time round. // 9

By ultimate-guitar.com25th February 2009

The View in Viz

Scanned from this months issue of popular UK magazine Viz.

Thanks to Ailsa for sending in.

www.viz.co.uk

Dublin Photos

Photographs from The View show at The Academy in Dublin last night. See more here.

Photos by Neratns Berns

Paolo changes point of view!

PAOLO Nutini’s latest album is still a few weeks off, but eager fans shouldn’t worry – he’s been MOONLIGHTING!

The Paisley singer/songwriter helped out pal Kyle Falconer of The View by appearing on their new album.

The Dundonian group’s second LP Which Bitch? was released on Monday, February 2, and includes the beautiful song Covers which Paolo Nutini duets with View front man Kyle.

Paolo was recording in the same town in Wales as The View at the time and Kyle asked him over to the studio one night to lay down the track.

Wild child Kyle said: “It’s a song about being selfish in the middle of the night when I can’t get to sleep and I’ll pull the covers off my girlfriend to get a conversation.

“But it’s also about someone trying to tell me what to do about the relationship and it’s me saying that I don’t want his opinion.

“We recorded it in a simple way and then Paulo happened to be next door in the studio so I just said: ‘D’you want a shot at singing on it?’

“It was already finished, there was no intentions of anybody else singing on it. So he just did a couple of my verses and they sounded good together.”

And The View’s madcap frontman denied reports he’d “forced” the Buddie to take part!

“Is it true we kidnapped him? No, he willingly got kidnapped!

“I was thinking about him when I wrote it – I like his kind of music and the way he sings.

“It was just weird it actually happened. It was a funny night. It was probably oneof the funniest nights in the studio.”

Paolo fans anxious to hear their hero sing don’t have to wait much longer – if they triumph in the latest super giveaway from the Paisley Daily Express.

We’ve got four copies of the album to hand out to lucky readers.

All they have to do is answer the simple question in the coupon and send your entry to Paolo Nutini/The View competition, FAO Andy Newport, 14 New Street, Paisley, PA1 1YA before Tuesday, March 3.

By Andrew Newport, Paisley Daily Express, 24th February 2009

The View For Snowbombing

Austria's stunning Snowbombing event is set to return again with The View added to the line up.

Set in the hills of Mayrhofen, Snowbombing has grown to become one of Europe's top events covering snowsports and music. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary organisers have arranged their best bill to date.

Fatboy Slim has already been confirmed as a headliner, with UK hip hop don Dizzee Rascal also due to perform. The eclectic bill also includes the legendary Grandmaster Flash as well as electro newcomer La Roux.

Newly added to the bill, The View are one of Britain's most talked about groups. Debut album 'Hats Off To The Buskers' hit number one, and the band set off on an infamous tour of British venues leaving carnage in their wake.

Now returning with their second album 'Which Bitch?' the band have matured somewhat. An eclectic affair, the new album combines sea shanties, orchestras and rapping with their trademark indie bite.

An incendiary live act, The View are most definitely on fire - so the organisers had better watch they don't melt the snow!

Snowbombing takes place in Mayhrhofen, Austria between March 29th - April 4th.

ClashMusic.com News, 24th February 20096

New Single Details

The View have announced details of the release of a new single. Temptation Dice is released through 1965 Records on Monday April 13th 2009 and will be available on 7” & download.

Taken from their second critically acclaimed album, Which Bitch? which was released in February and reached number 4 in the U.K. albums chart, the single was recorded at Monnow Valley studios in Wales during the summer of 2008 as part of the album sessions with acclaimed producer Owen Morris, who also worked on their platinum selling debut album Hats Off To The Buskers.

The band recently completed a sold-out headline tour of the U.K. including a home-town show at Dundee’s Caird Halll and a rapturous gig at London’s Koko. Having also completed a mammoth ‘back-to-basics’ 36-date tour of the UK last autumn, the band are set to head to Europe in March for a series of gigs.

Their website was also the most visited music site in the U.K. in January and their track Wasteland will soundtrack Nike’s new football ad campaign starring Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Fernando Torres debuting in February.

By Leanne, Glasswerk, 24th February 2009

Nike's new ad campaign

A SONG by The View has been chosen by Nike to launch its biggest UK advert in a decade.

The Dundee band's recording of Wasteland, taken from their debut album Hats Off To The Buskers, is being used by the sportswear firm as the soundtrack for the new ad campaign Show your 5.

The song is used on a 90-second TV ad which features Wayne Rooney, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand playing in a gritty five-a-side match against players from inner city areas to launch a nation wide football tournament.
The advert is being debuted during tonight's UEFA Champions League match between Manchester United and Inter Milan, and will spearhead a heavy campaign over the next three months.

Like the band, it has an urban feel to it as all the action is captured on CCTV cameras.

It is a real coup for bandmates Kyle Falconer, Kieren Webster, Pete Reilly and Steve Morrison, and it will help secure their success this year after a recent onslaught on the album charts.

It also sees a bit of a turnaround for the guys, who reached No.4 in the charts with their second album Which Bitch? just a few weeks ago.

In 2007, just following the release of their first album, the boys admitted to turning down a £1million offer for their anthem Same Jeans to be used in a jeans advert.

At the time it was claimed the 'indie' band didn't want to 'sell out', however, this time they seem to have changed their minds.

Perhaps their rock 'n' roll lifestyle became too expensive to sustain without saying yes to a few things. The band's ad-worthiness means they follow in the footsteps of fellow Scots The Fratellis, Paolo Nutini and KT Tunstall, who all have soundtracked telly ads.

Glasgow band The Fratellis broke into the US after their song Flathead was used on an Apple iPod and iTunes advert, while Paolo Nutini secured spanking new footwear for practically the rest of his life when he did a deal with Puma for his track New Shoes.

The Paisley singer agreed to appear performing the song New Shoes across television, mobile, radio and online campaigns.

As well as being featured in Puma stores everywhere, he made a documentary for the brand and agreed to personal appearances.

St Andrews singer KT also benefitted from the commercial market after her songs like Suddenly I See became in demand from retailers and TV shows alike.

Having turned down a lucrative ham advert - because she was a vegetarian - KT's management struck a deal with when her music was used as the soundtrack for the US Open tennis campaign in 2006.

Excerpts from other tracks were subsequently used in TV shows Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, and Will & Grace.

Her single Suddenly I See was used in the opening scene of the 2006 fashion satire The Devil Wears Prada, as a backing track on the second series of US dance competition show So You Think You Can Dance and was featured in the September 2007 Next television advert Ali's Party.

The song was also used for Hillary Clinton's political campaign and in the video game, Thrillville.

For The View, the Nike ad comes just in advance of their new single Temptation Dice, which will be released on April 13.

By Beverley Lyons and Laura Sutherland, Daily Record, 24th February 2009

Nike advert video

Nike Advert

Nike is to launch its biggest UK ad campaign in a decade featuring Wayne Rooney, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand playing in a gritty five-a-side match against players from inner city areas to launch a nationwide football tournament.

The sportswear firm aims to enlist 16,000 players to take part in more than 200 five-a-side tournaments over eight weeks. Local winning teams progress to city finals ahead of a national final on 10 May.

The advertising campaign will be spearheaded by a 90-second TV ad, created by Wieden & Kennedy London, that launches during tomorrow night's UEFA Champions League match between Manchester United and Inter Milan, MediaGuardian.co.uk can reveal.

The TV campaign, set to The View's song Wasteland, taps into the urban feel of five-a-side matches and shows the Nike stars playing against inner city footballers in Manchester.

The ad features action apparently captured on CCTV cameras.

"The whole idea of the campaign is based around self-expression," said Stuart Harkness, a creative director at Wieden & Kennedy London. "CCTV is a part of everyday life in Britain. We wanted to subvert the use of CCTV to capture and showcase young talent.

"Rio grew up in Peckham, Joe Cole grew up in north London – in a sense it is about the players going back to their roots."

The campaign is called Show Your 5 – which ties in with the sportswear company's line of five-a-side clothing, Nike 5 – and aims to tap into the burgeoning growth of the game across the UK.

Nike says the five-a-side format is now more popular among young footballers than the traditional 11-a-side game.

Ed Elworthy, head of brand connections at Nike UK, said the campaign uses audio visual content to evoke a "snapshot of how football is being played on the pitches and in the streets, parks and cities across the UK".

"It is the first time Nike has taken five-a-side nationally and used it to make a statement," said Julian Cheevers, group account director for Nike at Wieden&Kennedy.

The campaign has harnessed a range of digital assets, developed by ad agency AKQA, and began with a pre-launch seeding of the campaign with a teaser clip on blogs and social networking websites.

The clip features Wayne Rooney being "nutmegged" by one of the urban footballers in a scene that leaves team-mate Ferdinand in stitches.

Players in the tournament can download a widget, NikeFootball TV, which will automatically build team profiles and show where rival teams are on an interactive map.

By Mark Sweney, Guardian, 23rd February 2009

'Wasteland' set for Nike advert

Dundee band The View have been given a major boost by the news one of their songs is to be used in a new Nike advert (writes David Clegg, GrapeVine writer).

The Dryburgh lads’ song Wasteland, from their debut album Hats Off to the Buskers, will be the soundtrack to the global sport brand’s new football advert starring Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole.

Meanwhile, the four-piece — Kyle Falconer, Kieren Webster, Pete Reilly and Steve Morrison — have also announced details of their new single.

Temptation Dice will be released through 1965 Records on Monday, April 13, and will be available on seven-inch and download.

Taken from their second top-five album Which Bitch?, the single was recorded at Monnow Valley studios in Wales with acclaimed producer Owen Morris.

The band recently completed a sold-out headline tour of the UK, which included a hometown show at Dundee’s Caird Hall.

They are now set to head to Europe in March for a series of gigs.

Evening Telegraph, 23rd February 2009

Evolution Festival

The View are set for the Newcastle-based Evolution Festival alongside Friendly Fires, Nouvelle Vague and Twisted Wheel, Dizzee Rascal and The Wombats and Mystery Jets,

Evolution Festival 2009 will take place at Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside from 24-25 May.

Tickets are on sale now at the bargain price of £15 (plus booking fee).

Click here to buy Evolution Weekender tickets.

Cambridge Review

Review of the Cambridge show from photographer, Valerio Berdin.

The View, four Scottish guys from Dundee, are responsible for my rare moment of optimism, so carry on reading, you know it doesn’t happen often.

Cambridge gig ticked all the boxes. A hour of pure, sparkling third millennium brit-pop.

I have seen, photographed, met the View in the past several times. I had never been that impressed, to me they always sounded just another band filling the void left by the Libertines‘ split. The differences, a strong Scottish accent and Gibsons replacing Telecasters, were not enough.

The View first album, Hats Off to the Buskers, was a UK number one and Mercury nominated, people loved it but I was not one of them.

A couple of years spent touring and recording, festivals, cocaine penalties, and travelling the world have been important. The View still look (and are) very young but have clearly matured.

Tonight gig started a bit late. Apparently some problems with the set-list. 15 minutes waiting and the roadies replace the first sheets with a different list. Having photographed both, I can tell the 16 songs are roughly the same and in a very similar order.

I want to read it as a special care the View put on to the music they are about to playing.

As soon as the band walks on stage, it rains beer for a good minute. Bent on my cameras, I am soaked. The View, their heads covered with hoodies, were expecting such a sticky reception; my lenses didn’t look as happy.

A wall of guitars, heavy drumming, steady bass and steer energy is the response to the beers and set the field over which the songs develop. This is not going to be a light meal. There is matter and it matters.
A keyboards, to my fear, sits on the back but but it turns out to be complementary to their new sounds that remains heavily guitar-driven.

What impressed me was the musicality of the (new and old) songs. A melodic taste spiced up by riffs, short solos, quick change of tempos. The fast beat stops then starts again. Acoustic and electric guitars merge within the same song without suffocating each other.

Now and then I perceive the risk of falling into Arctic Monkeys zone, but with such a full charge of positive energy, desire of playing and chemistry with the audience (who is there for them and not as a surrogate for someone else) the risk isn’t that dangerous. Actually it is positive.

The View know that the Libertines’ lemon does not have any juice left so they are squeezing few drops from someone else’s fruit to dress their own salad. (I must be still thinking at my dinner).

The references from the past are frequent, these kids have studied the history lesson.

Realisation has a memory of a ska/reggae beat that recall the Clash and memories of early Brixton punks.

Comin’ down, who opens the debut, tonight has such a heavy guitar sound to sit comfortably at the crossroad where the QOTSA met the Stooges, including Kyle Falconer swallowing the mic in Iggy style. Born on my same day, seventeen years later (!!), the View singer is as young as it looks; as young as rock’n'roll will always be.

Among the rock riffs there is space for a new ballad, Covers. Luckily the live version doesn’t host Paolo Nutini cameo and sounds better. It catches my attention for the brilliant opening:

“I’ll pull my covers off my lady in the night,
To see the cold reaction when she realises actions I’ve taken,
To start conversation.”

The band members interchange instruments and roles smartly. They are very attent to the fans response and quickly keep quiet or accompain the audience chants. Many songs are ready for summer festivals. If in a small venue and with just few weeks to learn the choruses they generate massive sing-along I can imagine what is going to happen this summer.

Give Back The Sun is the perfect answer to this icy winter, its steady guitar riff delivers slices of warmth and almost takes the drum role.

The venue lights up to daylight for the early hit Superstar Tradesman. The entire crowd is back singing along with them but the closure is left to a new song, the second single, Shock Horror.
Another sign of confidence from a band ready for glory.

There is no encore and no need for it. As the Manic Street Preachers taught, there is no way to comeback on stage after a powerful performance to sing a couple of songs and retain the same energy. Better leave it.

I drive back home starving but amazed by the concert. The View today are a different band from those four guys aping the Libertines two years ago.

They are a solid rock band. With the Arctic Monkeys they join the exclusive club of Brit bands with a good second album. They have very good songs, a powerful line-up and they can only get better as long as playing live will be synonymous of having fun.

Curious to know what the crowd was singing along (I am difficult to catch Scottish accent, you know!) back home I google for the Superstar Tradesman lyrics to discover an early statement that they are quite clearly honouring.

“I don’t want money I want a thing called happiness
I don’t want cash you know I’d quite like memories
To keep us on track let’s never look back”

The View look very happy indeed, are far from being interested to money and clearly aren’t looking back. Their confindence is a boost on my confidence that “rock’n'roll will never die”.

Check them out on [myspace] and the exhaustive [website] and try to catch them live.

Fan review of Cambridge

The View, Junction, Cambridge, 19th February 2009

Following mandatory chants of "The View are on fire!", the band took to the stage. They openwith Glass Smash, one of the highlights of their latest album, 'Which Bitch?', and a song which has one of the middle eights I've heard in a while ("I'll try...Something SPONTANEOUS!"; you have to hear it, really). They follow this with their anthemic recent single, 5 Rebecca's. Next is the brilliant Wasted Little DJ's, the first song they play from their debut 'Hats Off to the Buskers' and definitely one of the best songs in their back catalogue. It's a strong opening to the show and one wonders how they will go about following it. Soon after this, singer Kyle Falconer and bassist Kieran Webster swap positions and Webster provides vocals on songs such as Skag Trendy and One off Pretender. They do this a surprising amount during the gig - undoubtedly such a system will encourage further comparison to Oasis and The Libertines. Following a rowdy start, the mood is calmed briefly as Falconer equips himself with an acoustic guitar and plays the amusing yet sweet Covers from their new album, with the keyboardist singing the vocal part which Paolo Nutini sings on the album. Even better is the tender Face For the Radio, though the confused crowd use this song as an opportunity to crowdsurf, rather than get their lighters out as one would expect.

The crowd were, for the most part, quite pleasant. were very energetic and into the music, without resorting to acting violently. As is usual at gigs, however, there were a couple of exceptions to this. The first was a man who was obviously under the influence of some very strong drug, and seemed to wander round the crowd making room for himself and not watching the band - essentially an animated corpse. Even more annoying was a woman who stood in the middle of the crowd with her arms folded and aggressively pushed away anybody that dared to get near her (or at least she did to me). Clearly she did not understand the concept of a gig, as it is generally considered acceptable to dance and enjoy oneself at a concert, and if you don't want to be physically involved in the gig then the obvious thing to do is stand nearer the back where people will be more laid back. Fortunately I managed to avoid these two buffoons for most of the gig and didn't let them spoil it for me.

The audience became slightly less energetic as a few less familiar songs from the new album were played. Momentum was soon restored, however, with Comin' Down, the energetic opener from 'Buskers, and then the most famous View song, Same Jeans (pleasingly not used as the set closer). By this point I have somehow managed to get very close to the stage. The next song is Give Back the Sun, the penultimate song on Which Bitch?. On the album, it is a pleasant song; live however, it becomes truly alive and could be appropriately described as epic. The real highlights of the gig are saved for the very end - a euphoric rendition of Superstar Tradesman is played, with everybody around me jumping gleefully. They close with a similarly joyful Shock Horror, perhaps the best song from their recent album and a brilliant ending to the set. If it wasn't dreadfully cliché to do so, I would conclude this blog by saying that The View are, metaphorically speaking at least, undoubtedly 'on fire'.

By Smidge, 20th February 2009

Which Bitch? review

Rating: 8/10

Scottish quartet, The View, released their second album recently. Here's nme-e's analysis...

If you're expecting a follow on from 'Hats Off To The Buskers', you're in for a big surprise. However, that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. One of my all time top bands, Blur, earned my respect by continually mixing things up and while the Dundonians haven't gone off at a tangent at least they've aimed at newer horizons.

Indeed, 'Which Bitch' would probably be in the running for most eclectic release of the year were such an award to exist.

Honky tonk opener, "Typical Time", is blown out of the water by brass-tacks rocker "5Rebbeccas". Rough and ready rock 'n' roll also blasts through "Temptation Dice", "Glass Smash" and "Shock Horror".

In between, there's time for a little experimentation: "One Off Pretender" sounds like Fun Lovin' Criminals, albeit with the broadest Scottish accent since The Proclaimers. "Distant Doubloon" is also off the wall. Moods and melancholy also spring into life on "Unexpected" and "Covers" (guest appearance from compatriot Paolo Nutini included).

As if that wasn't enough, "Double Yellow Lines" and "Give Back The Sun" almost seem to be on the album to assure us this really IS the same The View who gave us "Same Jeans" just two years ago.

My conclusion? If you want a new album by The View, don't get this, but if you want to hear something fresh and original, buy 'Which Bitch' - it's by a new band called...

Nick's Musical Express, 19th February 2009

Fight Club

The NME's review of The View at London's Koko.

NME, 18th February 2008

Photos from Leeds

Photos from The View's show at Leeds, Met University on 17th February

See more from Leeds here.

Inverness video

Superstar Tradesman

Koko review

To enjoy widespread live success but scant commercial recognition is the curse of the second wave of British indie bands inspired by the DIY ethos of The Libertines. Without the trumped-up poeticism of Pete Doherty and his peers or the pop wit of Arctic Monkeys, The View and groups like them have been condemned to the cultural hinterland of entertaining a crowd in different cities every night of the week while being largely ignored by the Top 40.

Rocketing through a set which takes in the hits from Hats Off to the Buskers, as well as material from its just-released follow-up, Which Bitch?, The View put to bed the question of how comfortably the early and late material of a band who have, as the NME claimed, committed “commercial suicide”, could co-exist. The band have made concessions in terms of their popularity, though clearly the low record sales and enthusiastic crowd tell two different stories.

Beginning with “Glass Smash”, the band’s opening gambit is jittery and electric. As if he needs to ask, lead singer Kyle Falconer shouts, “Are you up for it?”, to which the crowd respond with an hour and a half of pint-throwing (into the air, mainly), and riotous dancing. Any illusion of composure which might have been created watching their tight first two numbers is shattered joyously before the third. The crowd adore it.

“One Off Pretender” and “Same Jeans” are dispatched with drunken panache, accompanied by chants of “The View, The View, The View are on fire”, while the band’s performance frequently threatens to collapse under the weight of its own enthusiasm.

While they excel at energising a crowd with drunken hedonism, a softer side is evidenced by “Unexpected”, for which they are joined by a mini-orchestra who succeed in translating a touching song on record into a respectable live performance. “Superstar Tradesman” and “Shock Horror” then raise the energy levels once again.

Closing the set, the band launch into an uproarious cover of Oasis’s “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, to the delight of the crowd. Rousing themselves for a final crescendo, a fountain of half-full plastic pint glasses thrown upwards from the crowd mark their appreciation, while the band struggle through the cover bereft of technical ability but salvaged by glorious drunken energy.

by Jack Riley, The Independant, 19 February 2009

Which Bitch? review

Obscenely young and pint-sized though they may be, there’s a certain large ballsiness possessed by The View – the shaggy Scottish four-piece who were once hailed as a Scot version of the Libertines, now ought to simply be regarded as, well, brilliant. The Libertines reference is now outdated and not as fitting as it once was even though The View indeed have much in common with Pete Doherty and Carl Barat’s band of merry fuck-ups – to wit, grimy images of a Scotland/UK only they know, references to the everyman on the street, to ladies of ill-repute, to haggard junkies and eloquent poetry of the hazards of adolescence. In a better indication of where Which Bitch? was pointed, their ridiculously good debut album, Hats Off To The Buskers, full of raggedly urgent, belligerent indie-rawk, also easily brought to mind the sonic adventure of Echo & The Bunnymen, The Who or even contemporaries Arctic Monkeys. Yet despite these comparisons, no one would’ve expected Which Bitch? to be this good.

Having once more enlisted the undoubtedly aggressive production services of Owen Morris (Oasis), Which Bitch? is as similar to …Buskers as Two And A Half Men is to a comedy; where …Buskers relied on a rolling avalanche of whip-smart lyricism and punchy guitars, Bitch boasts a sound grasp on simply branching out with its tunes, and more importantly, it displays the ideas necessary behind crafting a proper ‘album’.

That second point is the most salient – when Bitch presents curios such as One Off Pretender with frontman Kyle Falconer’s mushy accented voice out of tune but still beguiling, or presents the amazingly bizarre Covers with its horns, pianos and string section – it does so with an eye to how the entire album feels. There are still the crunching guitar-rock moments present – in the punky Glass Smash, the sing-along genius of 5 Rebeccas and the party-starting of Double Yellow Lines for instance – but across the board, there’s a far greater willingness on Which Bitch? to fuck with expectation, sounds, texture and atmosphere than anyone could’ve imagined after …Buskers (even if Face For The Radio hinted at it).

This is backed up by moments such as the amazingly touching ballad Unexpected (dedicated to Falconer’s deceased father) or the oompah-laced rock of Jimmy’s Crazy Conspiracy, but the finest ‘what the fuck?’ moment comes with Distant Dubloon, a mini-rock opera pirate-shanty that works as a strangely poignant allegory about street violence. It’s crazy, sure, but it’s also gobsmackingly ambitious, especially for a band who are all aged between 19 and 23.

Elsewhere there are brilliant oddities such as the recorder-led Realisation, the lazily heartfelt Covers (where they’re joined by the Paisley tones of Paulo Nutini), and sun-drenched epically beautiful closer Give Back The Sun, which perfectly caps off a remarkable achievement for a ragtag bunch of lairy Scots; with Which Bitch? they’ve managed to capture an incredible array of emotive oomph, but have avoided it coming across as wet by tempering it perfectly with their usual mutinous, hedonistic rawk. This is not bad for a band you expected to fall by the wayside as they sung about jeans and tradesmen as we all tired of pale Arctic Monkey ripoffs – The View fucking showed us.

By, Jaymz Clements, Beat (Australia), 18th February 2009

Backstage Interview

WATCH this exclusive backstage chat between Laura Sutherland and Scots rockers The View, just before they go onstage at their sellout show at Edinburgh's Picturehouse. The band's Steven Morrison and Kyle Falconer talk about their new album, life on tour, working with Paolo Nutini and future collaborations.


www.dailyrecord.co.uk

Kyle yourself up

Channel Bee are running a competition to "Kyle Yourself Up" in honour of his now legendary appearance on Tim Lovejoy's daily chat show.

See competition video here.

That means you'll get the Adidas tracksuit, Nike shoes, Piano gloves, Vodka and Coca-Cola. To win all the stuff, guess the time of the first goal in Sunday’s Newcastle v Everton game, kickoff at 4pm.

Enter competition here.

www.channelbee.com

Koko Photos

Photos from The View's show at Koko on 10th February.

View them here.

All photos by Holly Erskine

Koko Review

Background
It seems a long time since The View shot to notoriety partly due to Pete Doherty who gave them a break after hearing a tape they gave him to listen to while Babyshambles were on tour in Dundee. Their debut album ‘Hats Off To The Buskers’, came shortly after that. Now with the recent release of their new album’ ‘Which Bitch’, which The NME seems to suggest, is a change of direction and even that not all their fans will like I look forward to seeing them for the first time as headliners. I have not heard much of the other two bands tonight just read their names in The NME.

The Gig
As I enter the venue there are not many people here but I am sure that will change. The Koko is a regular feature on English TV with it playing host to channel 4’s Album Chart Show. The place is nice and over the years the years has played host to acts as diverse as Charlie Chaplin to The Clash in its many guises during its 108 year history. I have been here a good few times and I like it. I don’t have long to wait for the first band.

Tommy Sparks. Tommy and his band come on stage to muted applause from the assembled crowed. With Tommy playing rhythm guitar supported by the usual lead guitarist, bass, drummer and keyboard player. They start with a quick catchy number which sounds great. Followed by a another nice one though the bass sounds a little to high to me on this one.

I am already interested to hear more from this band. Their third song sounds like the sort of track you would hear on a soundtrack to a movie like ‘American Pie’, maybe a slightly 80’s sound. The band are well coordinated and give good backing to the singer. Next comes one with a slow beginning but soon takes a more rocky direction which makes me think they are trying to sound like U2. The songs on the whole sound well constructed and quite satisfying.

The fifth one is called something like ‘Evening Hits, it has a kind of electric sounding intro. The song reminds a 70’s Happy Mondays. After that comes one that has strong Primal Scream sound at the start before heading off in a more Franz Ferdinand/ Ska direction. They finish with another one that kicks off with kind of a techno sound that becomes something that might be described as post modern glam rock. Nice set 7/10

Twisted Wheel are a three piece who hale from Manchester who are soon to embark on a tour with the Enemy.

After some frenetic activity on stage tonight’s main support band appear on stage.

They kick off with a punky Ska number. It reminds me somewhat of The Sex Pistols. The second song, ‘She’s A Weapon’, has more punk anger and is almost spat at the crowd. Sounds great. Their third follows the same vain with a hint of ‘The Las’ in the mix. ‘Let Them Have It On’ is the next one and reminds me a lot of tonight’s headliners. There is a more mellow sound on ‘Strife’, their next number after a heavy intro a definite Beatles influence here. The next one is a return to more punky stuff. Then comes a new one though I have to admit they are all new to me. The Singers voice reminds me of a young Rod Stewart from is time with The Faces. As a whole I think their sound is like a more rocky Oasis.

Second from Last comes a full on punk number with some great drumming. Finally they top the set off with a more tuneful number that reminds me quite a lot of Paul Weller. This is is full on balls out stuff these are definitely Ones To Watch. 8/10

The View. We have quite a long wait for tonight’s headliners to come on. As things heat up with anticipation the crowd can be heard to chant ‘The View Are On Fire’. When they do appear it’s already twenty-five to ten.

They kick straight into their set in vigorous fashion with ‘Glass Smash’ from their new album. It sounds fresh and exciting and that sets the tone for the show. By the third song ‘Wasted Little DJs’ the crowd is jumping hysterically. Then the band hit us with ‘The Don’ and the place explodes. As is the case with any band more familiar songs get the best response, that is not to say the new stuff does not go down well, it dose.

As the the band hit the crowed the band with another new song I get the feeling that this is not a gig for the faint hearted with bear another liquids flying all over the place some of which seem worryingly warm. The song reminds me of a punky Inspiral Carpets song.

One Off Pretender which comes next is dedicated to the police with tongue very much in cheek. It’s a Ska song with a hint of Happy Mondays and may represent something of a change of direction for the band. Now comes another fan favourite, ‘Skag Trendy’, which is electric and exciting. The band are going through their set at a blistering pace.

A couple more tracks sale by before the band perform an acoustic set which showcases their musical abilities well. ‘Face For The Radio’ and new song , ‘Realisation’ sound great stripped down.

They switch back to electric with ‘Jimmy’s Crazy Conspiracy’, and ‘Comin’ Down’. Then ‘Same Jeans’ manages to reignite the exhausted crowd crowd into new heights of frenzy.

The set eventually concludes with ‘Superstar Tradesman’ and new single ‘Shock Horror’, which is instantly likeable.

Its all over but not quite. There is one more twist when lead singer, Kyle Falconer does a fantastic cover of Oasis’s seminal classic ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’. We have come full circle. 9/10

Conclusion:
After the lights come up and the gig is over I am very satisfied. All three bands are worth seeing in my book and i am sure I will see Twisted Wheel again but probably as headliners. The View are really worth the money with a load of very catchy songs to their credit they should get very big if they just keep up the good work and go their own way. The new album is good and is worthy of the first. As I leave I remember the downside of this venue as I queue fir about half an hour to get out…
Overall Verdict: Bands 9/10 (audience 9/10)

Review by Ian

Which Bitch? review

EXACTLY two years since the acclaimed Hats of to the Buskers, The View are back with their second album Which Bitch?

Opening with music reminiscent of an old Western movie, the album unfolds beautifully into the post-Libertines rock that we have come to love. Songs like 5Rebbeccas and Double Yellow Lines contain the same quirkiness from before, but the introduction of strings and horns show off the band’s musical progression.

A perfect album for Spring, you won’t be disappointed.

By Cathy Black, ©FAME INC, 16th February 2009

Channel Bee Mash Up Video

Channel Bee have put together a mash-up of Tim Lovejoy's interview with Kyle and Pete.

Live Broadcast Tonight

The broadcast of The View's Q Music Club show goes out tonight on Q Radio at 9pm

More info and pictures at www.qthemusic.com

View love

PEERING out from under his mop of thick black curls, Kyle Falconer is sharing a moment with the fans.

Arms outstretched, screaming for his attention, they press towards the stage where he stands beaming broadly, looking as if there’s nowhere else in the world he’d rather be.

So far, so rock ’n’ roll. The weird thing is, the gig finished several minutes ago and the rest of his bandmates are in the dressing room.

Kyle, however, has other ideas. Delighted by the ecstatic response of this sell-out crowd, he’s determined to savour it and, for the time being, refuses to leave.

Suddenly, his trademark grin gets wider. He dashes to the drum riser, turns around and takes a running jump into the crowd.

Within seconds, he’s disappeared out of sight under a crush of indie kids desperately jostling to get close. Panicking, the road crew dive in to rescue him and the singer becomes the object of a dangerous-looking tug of war that threatens to leave him with, at the very least, a few dislocated joints.

Finally his rescuers manage to push him as far as the stage door where he bobs up and punches the air in triumph. He’s still grinning.

It’s a fitting end to The View’s first show on home turf since the release of Which Bitch?. And just like the new album itself, it’s full of surprises.

From the moment they tear into opener Glass Smash — a whirlwind of crashing drums and buzzsaw guitars — it’s clear that they’re back to being the viciously well-drilled outfit that first emerged from Dundee in the early months of 2006.

Watched from the wings by a dozen mates having a party of their own, they charge through a set strong on hits, including storming versions of 5 Rebbeccas, Wasted Little DJs and Superstar Tradesman, and even pack in an unexpected acoustic interlude.

The crowd greet old faves like Comin’ Down and new crackers like One-Off Pretender with equal frenzy, but when they rocket towards the climax with a bruising Shock Horror — another classic in the making — it’s clear the future is looking very good.

By Tim Barr, News Of The World, 16th February 2009

View to a thrill

By Patrick Gough »

WHEN The View burst out of Dundee in 2006, they very quickly established themselves as one of the nation’s most popular indie outfits with their debut album, Hats Off to the Buskers, going straight into the charts at number one early in 2007.

The foursome – Kyle Falconer (vocals/guitar), Pete Reilly (guitar), Kieren Webster (vocals/bass) and Steve Morrison (drums) – are back on the road in support of a superb second album, Which Bitch?

The UK tour comes to an end at Southampton University on Sunday.

Kyle took time off to answer some questions from Polly Weeks:
How has your style progressed since Hats Off to the Buskers?
“It’s just been a natural thing. The label gave us loads of time to do the second album.

“We used piano for the first time and tried to come up with new ideas.

“We finished the album early on, but kept going back into the studio to add new stuff.”

Owen Morris, who produced Oasis and The Verve, returned to work with you again. Was that always planned?
“Yeah, definitely! The record company weren’t that sure; they get a little freaked out when we’re all together because it costs a lot of money.”

Did he have any good gossip?
Yeah, he’s got a lot of stories! That’s what we did most: get down and record tunes, and then sit back and listen to his stories. He’s a great man.

How’s life treating you right now?
“It’s good because we’re going on tour. We’re hoping to get a quartet to back us. It’s a bit expensive so I’m going to make a few Dundee calls and get some cheapos in!”

By Patrick Gough, This Is Dorset, 16th February 2009

Interview with The View and McPhail

Exclusive five page interview with The View in The Real State magazine issue 5 - available at Borders, Groucho's, newsagents etc. etc.! plus a spread on McPhail and interview about the album artwork.

myspace.com/therealstate

Caird Hall Photos

Photography by Stuart Cameron

I Want Nutini On Stage

KYLE Falconer is hoping to perform The View's track Covers live on stage with Paolo Nutini, but he can't get the Paisley crooner to answer his phone.

The View recorded the track, which features on new album Which Bitch?, with Paolo after discovering they were holed up in nearby studios last year.

And now the Dundee band have revealed they would like to perform the track live with Paolo.

We caught up with Kyle backstage at Edinburgh's Picture House before their gig this week and he said: "It would be amazing to perform with Paolo, but he is pretty busy.

"He's a great musician and we've been in touch since doing the track.

"We both live in London and he invited me round to play football. I couldn't make it though and haven't been able to get in touch since.

"I've tried calling but I don't think he picks up when it's a private number, but then again neither do I."

By Beverley Lyons And Laura Sutherland, Daily Record, 14th February 2009

The View’s homecoming

IT WAS a classic moment. As The View blasted into Same Jeans, frontman Kyle Falconer turned his microphone to the fans, who grabbed it and were pounced on by the security men.

The song died out, Kyle took a strop and told everyone he wasn’t playing unless the crowd were allowed to sing it.

After some negotiation, new mics and a Pete Reilly-led chorus of The View Are On Fire, Kyle relented and the Caird Hall audience sung the top-three as one.

The View, back and in raucous form, blasted their way through a set of old and new tunes, celebrating their renewed status in the higher reaches of the album charts.

More than 2000 fans assembled at the Caird Hall, greeting them with a huge cheer as they strode on stage, Kieren shouting “Dundee.”

The band, which is sitting at number four in the album charts with new record Which Bitch?, are never ones to forget their roots.

The “D” word was used almost at every turn for the first half dozen numbers, but there was no need—they had the crowd from the first notes of Glass Smash, which was followed by the first single off the new album, 5 Rebeccas.

Wasted Little DJs prompted frenzied dancing, with everybody bouncing as one, before they introduced another new song, Temptation Dice.

Fans favourite Skag Trendy, from debut album Hats Off To The Buskers, followed before Pete introduced Wasteland, dedicating it to the “Dryburgh boys.”

Dropping down the sound levels, it was time for the acoustic classic, Face For The Radio, which always provides the spine-chilling, band and audience as one voice sing-along.

Kyle then asked the crowd if they were up for yet another new song, that one on the album with Paolo Nutini.

Without waiting for the reaction, Kyle and their keyboard-playing “fifth member,” Reni, doing the Paolo role, rode their way through Covers.

The View have gone on a long journey since their first pub gigs in 2005. Now seasoned performers, they indulge in relaxed banter with the crowd, which is hardly surprising given the number of friendly faces on their sizeable guest list.

Superstar Tradesman has the crowd in raptures before new single, Shock Horror, ended the set in style.

Fantastic stuff that proves The View are back and will be with us for a long time.

Kicking off proceedings earlier in the evening were promising young Dundee band, The Brogues, before The Law showed why they are tipped for bigger things, playing songs from their unreleased debut album.

By Alan Wilson, The Courier, 14th February 2009

Koko review

So, everyone's favourite young scallys choose the awesome Koko in Camden as a venue to highlight a blistering two-years-and-a-bit career thats taken them from the backstreets of Dundee to potential Indie mega stardom. Celebrating the early success of second album 'Which Bitch?', there was no doubt that the mixed crowd were in for a gig as close to the 'Rock and Roll Star' so eloquently described by hero Noel Gallagher.

I arrived a tad later than I wished, having had no notice of the support, catching only the last couple of songs from Twisted Wheel , but even those were enough to make me want to hear more. The headline band were certainly enthusiastic about their support, and rightly so. Keep an ear out for them, they are loud, raucous and very good.

At 9.30pm, and a bit overdue, the four lads came into view glowing in blue LED, and crashed straight into 'Glass Smash' - exactly what I want to hear. Let's face it, I want to see them smash the place up, make the guitars sing, and scream the chorus of every note, with amps turned to maximum. Having been a fan since the early release of 'Wasted Little DJ's', it was an absolute delight to hear their first single lined up after the storming '5 Rebeccas', and all was going very well indeed, thank you very much.

And then, it sort of, well, went a tad flat. I'm all for Kyle and Kieren swapping guitars and lead vocals, but the fact is Kyle is different gear. His voice has something so distinct that it's hard to think it's anyone else; equally, it's hard to imagine anyone else singing their songs. As for stage presence, he is a tad unique, his legs either doing a bit of Jack Penante, or John Wayne, and sometimes both at the same time - he is a superb front man, and holds the audience spellbound. Sure, he is probably drunk, but it works, rather like a Scottish Libertines (I know, Im sorry), and you do feel a love for them.

My problem lies when they move on to the, erm, more 'mature' second album songs. There are some clever one-liners (introducing the violins and pals as 'Dirty Pretty Strings'), but I felt that they lost me half-way through the act. 'Distant Doubloon' and 'One Off Pretender' were lost live, whilst the beautiful album version of 'Unexpected' was again disguised by the occasion. I dunno, although obvious, I just felt that the gig cried out simply for the Skag Trendy's of the world, and could have been an hour long of almost perfect party-time rather than a mish-mash of emotions.

To end the gig proper with 'Give Back The Sun', the brilliant 'Superstar Tradesman' and current single, which I love, 'Shock Horror' ('we wouldna be here if youd ha nae bought it') is almost perfection, and showed that, when right, The View really are on fire. I'd have had WL DJ's as the last song, but hey, I'm old enough to have been their Dad.

This is the first time I have seen the band live, and I would do again. I just reckon that the two albums played consecutively in your student bedroom, with Amp turned to 11, lends more belief to the effort behind the writing. The View aren't just a band with R&R ambition, but they are perched on a fine set of scales. If they go one way, they will be absolutely massive, headlining festivals for the next five years (come on, how different class are they to the likes of Franz and the like?); however, I feel there's also a danger that there could be a backlash. With the likes of Owen Morris behind them, it's unlikely, but theres nowt as fickle as folk.

By Cameron Oliver, Music News, 14 February 2009

Koko review

Gig Rated 5/5

The crowd starts to thicken for headline act, post punk indie rockers from Dundee, The View, up next. With half an hour to go the moshers are jostling for positions. Suddenly a boy in the crowd starts their signature chant: The View, The View, The View Are On Fire!, and it spreads like wildfire.

The band stroll on and launch into 'Glass Shatter' provoking an all out sing-a-long. All hell breaks loose around me. The crowd goes mental and I'm swept forward in the surge. Seconds later I find myself in the thick of it: the mosh pit. My partner in crime, Alex, is swept away in the human sea of singing, sweaty, teenage kicks. All good...

The tunes keep coming and the energy with which they are delivered never diminishes. A fresh and eclectic set with thumping drums from sexy, shirtless drummer Steve Morrison. There are some lovely touches, strings courtesy of a trio of ladies with violins introduces as "Dirty Pretty Strings". The band are obviously enjoying it as much as we are and nearly every song from the new album "Which B*tch?" seems a possible single. These boys know how to rock out.

It's difficult to single tracks out from the largely high-speed set occasionally punctuated by ditties like "Typical Time 2", which give us brief respite in the pit. Inevitably their biggest hit to date "Same Jeans" made the already frenzied crowd go insane. I managed to loose my favourite cardigan and my Oyster cards in the mayhem. Worth it though!

The View's 20 song set:
Glass Smash / 5Rebbeccas / Wasted Little DJs / The Don / Temptation Dice / One Off Pretender / Skag Trendy / Wasteland / Typical Time 2 / Unexpected / Distant Doubloon / Face For The Radio / Realisation / Jimmy's Crazy Conspiracy / Comin' Down / Same Jeans / Give Back The Sun / Superstar Tradesman / Shock Horror / Don't Look Back In Anger

Support Acts
Kicking off the night's high octane proceedings was Swedish metal-popster Tommy Sparks. His catchy tunes stuffed with hooks and rifts... pure Scandinavian cool.

Next up Oldham trio Twisted Wheel. Northern guitar-rock, furiously fast, raw and angry. Reminiscent of The Clash or The Jam (apparently The View are fans and watched their set from the side of the stage).

The Independent, 13th February 2009

Keeping their feet on the ground

FROM The Raigmore Motel to Rock Ness, Dundonians The View are well used to entertaining Highland rock fans.

"If you go a bit too far north they can get a bit quiet, but it's good up there, I like it," frontman Kyle Falconer said. "Anywhere in Scotland is good to play."

With Sunday's Ironworks show already a sell out and second album "Which Bitch?" going straight into the album charts at number four last week, the four-piece arrives in Inverness with an ever growing profile and, it seems, with celeb fan endorsements — Lily Allen has posted an internet picture of herself after buying three copies of the album.

However, Falconer and the rest of the band are not letting their success go to their heads and are still the familiar View of old, "still a-rockin' and a-rollin'."

And following the success of number one debut "Hats Off To The Buskers", Falconer is pretty pleased with the new product. "We've had a few reviews in and they've been all good up to now," he said.

"I've been getting more into the production side, so I've listened to it a lot and really like what we've done. We're more into the music, but we're still doing what we're doing and getting into trouble. Nothing's changed.

"It just seems like it's change, except we can afford to buy stuff now when we used to be skint."

Not that getting a steady wage means The View regard what they do as just a job. "It's just the opposite. We're having fun and doing the best we can do," Falconer added.

The band has even learned to live with the demands of their busy promotion schedule with its interviews and sessions.

"We used to moan about it, especially in Japan and that where it was right round the clock," Falconer said. "But as you get older and mature, you realise that you've got to do these things, so that's what we've been doing.

Inverness Courier, 13th February, 2009

Picture House gig

THE View played a highly charged set to a raucous crowd at Edinburgh's Picture House last night to launch new album Which Bitch?

Kyle Falconer, Kieren Webster, Pete Reilly and Steven Morrison had fellow Dundonians The Law warm up the crowd.
Kieren told The Razz: "We've totally got it together and are completely up for it."

Opener Glass Smash prompted a mass singalong from the crowd while favourites Same Jeans and Superstar Tradesman followed alongside new tracks Shock Horror and Realisation.

By Beverley Lyons and Laura Sutherland, Daily Record 13th February 2009

Backstage at Koko

As you'd expect - and as NME found out - backstage with The View is a heady mixture of soothing panpipe music, fiercely contested games of backgammon and grape eating contests.

Ok, ok, we're lying.

We caught up with the feisty tykes a few minutes before their Shockwaves NME Awards Show at London KOKO on Monday (February 10).

As you'll see from the videos below, when gearing up to go onstage the Scots like nothing more than slapping each other, wearing eyeliner and singing Beatles songs.

Here's Kyle and Kieren talking about the band's pre-gig rituals. If you're reading, Jon Bon Jovi, watch out...

Videos
Pre Gig Rituals
Kyle and Kieren from big up Twisted Wheel
Dirty Pretty Strings

NME.com, 12th February 2008

Video from Koko

Shock Horror and Don't Look Back In Anger from Koko on 10th February 2009.

Rock ’n’ roll View

Dundee band The View are set to conquer the world this year. But despite gathering celebrity fans by the coachload, they have not forgotten their promises, writes Susan Welsh

BEING in a rock band, one might assume life revolves around sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.

So it comes as something of a surprise when bassist Kieren Webster of Dundee rockers, The View, revealed that he and the lads had been spending their free time doing something a million miles away from that image . . . watching old musicals.

Kieren, speaking between soundchecks on the latest tour which takes in Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen this week before heading to England and the continent, said: “As a band we are doing fine, but always looking to new things.

“Lately we have been watching lots of musicals, The Rocky Horror Show, and stuff like that because we are thinking about doing a musical at some point.”

But before then, there is a long series of gigs to get through.

“At the moment we have a string section playing with us called Dirty Pretty Strings who are pretty good,” said Kieren.

“We played with them before at the Hard Rock Cafe in London and it was pretty cool, so it’s good to be joining up with them again.”

Fans lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket for the Scottish gigs can expect to hear a selection of tracks from their excellent second album, Which Bitch? which is being tipped as a classic album of the future.

Part-written on the road, and part-realised in inspired bursts of creativity in the studio, it’s an eclectic and surprising affair that the Dundee foursome, Kyle Falconer (vocals/guitars), Pete Reilly (lead guitar), Steve Morrison (drums) and Kieren, have put together.

“Everyone asks us why we chose that name for the album but it’s quite simple – Kyle came up with the name, we thought it was an interesting name, a good name for an album, so went along with it,” explained Kieren.

One track which will go down especially well with the Aberdeen audience is One Off Pretender, which is about being locked up in an Aberdeen jail cell for spurious reasons.

Among those singing its praises is Mark Ronson, who says on the band’s website: “I got The View album sometime last week and I haven’t stopped listening to it.

“I can’t remember a recent album that can boast two great tracks as musically diverse as 5 Rebeccas and Distant Doubloon.

“Kyle has one of my favourite young voices in rock ’n’ roll and is turning into a monster talent as a producer, musician, writer and arranger.”

Pop songbird Lily Allen is also a fan of the Dundee group and has gone as far as posting a photograph of herself clutching three copies of Which Bitch? on record producer James Endeacott’s Facebook.

“Lily is a good girl,” said Kieren.

“We got to know her quite well as we have played at the same festivals and gigs. I like her, she’s a good girl to have on your side.”

Meanwhile, Kieren says one of the highlights of the band’s tour will be their visit to Inverness.

“The last time we were up there we played the Raigmore Motel and Rock Ness. Both were great gigs but we wanted to come back and play at the Ironworks.

“We rehearsed there before Rock Ness and thought it was a great venue, so we promised we would come back and play there again.

“Rock Ness was excellent, a really good festival, so we wouldn’t mind playing there again either.”

With shows lined up across Europe, the one place the band would like to tackle next is America. A previous bid by them to enter the US was thwarted when frontman, Kyle, was found guilty of cocaine possession.

Kieren said: “The last time we went to the US Embassy in London, we were told we weren’t getting in.

“Since then we have all been very good and it’s looking more promising.

“We have not had definite word yet, but it is looking promising and I reckon we will be in America this year.

“Fingers crossed, we just have to wait and see.”

The View play the Caird Hall, Dundee on Friday night, The Ironworks, Inverness on Sunday and Aberdeen Music Hall on Monday, February 16. All the shows are sold out but it’s worth checking the classified section of the Press and Journal for returns.

By Susan Welsh, Press and Journal, 12th February 2009

Which Bitch? review

“Hello, is that The View’s parents?”

“Oh, it’s gone to voicemail, hang on a minute… Hello, The View’s parents. This is… a concerned listener. It has transpired that your sons’ difficult second album has been set loose on the unsuspecting ears of the British music public and it’s… well, it’s surprisingly good. Yes, really! If you would kindly call back on this number then we’ll just have a quiet word about the name.”

Now where were we?

As Scotland’s brattiest, scampiest, young rascals, The View were a delight indeed. Hard-partying and heavy-drinking, these four Dundonian miscreants exploded onto the scene with songs about stinky trousers and drunken hairdressers, but musically they were… well, let’s just say that they weren’t as terrific as the hype would have had you believe.

These young pups have made the leap to album number two, and it’s a genuine delight to report that Which Bitch?  is, frankly, a lot better than it had any right to be.

Starting off with ‘Typical Time’, the kick-off has ragtime piano and a smattering of mouth organ, with Kyle Falconer’s thick Scottish accent chiming in sweetly. Lyrically, it reflects a broader world view already than Hats Off To The Buskers, witness, “We’ve flown around the world together/Seen a marvellous range of sick bags even in Baghdad”.

Then ‘5Rebbeccas’ [sic] comes in, all beefy percussion and guitars. Like a beefed up ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’, it’s drenched in chiming guitars and tasty harmonies, and really shows producer Owen Morris’ hand in its Oasis-style drums.

There are some low points - ‘One Off Pretender’ has a bizarre spoken quality which recalls 2008’s most mediocre band The Twang and is, as such, a rotter, but these are few and far between on an album that carries the maturing ‘Days Of Pearly Spencer’-style drama of ‘Glass Smash’ and The View’s own ‘Day In The Life’, the string-laden segue-tastic ‘Distant Dubloon’. The latter calls to mind the mythology of the Good Ship Albion, a standard of early 2000s indie-botherers The Libertines, with whom The View have been most favourably compared in the past.

There’s plenty here to show that The View have moved on since their debut record. Strings, mandolins and whistling á la Roger Whittaker are a start, but really the maturing of the songwriting and the more expansive take on life shows that, contrary to popular belief, the boys have not been skiving lessons for a sneaky fag, but have been learning and growing as musicians. And it’s really great to hear.

Now, back to informing The Views’ parents. They will be pleased at their boys’ progress.

By Kirstie McCrum, Muso Guide, 11th February 2009

Review of Koko gig

The View played a highly-charged set to an ecstatic crowd at London's KOKO last night (February 10), at their Shockwaves NME Awards show.

The band, who are celebrating the release of new album 'Which Bitch?', were in playful mood as they played a 20-song set supported by Twisted Wheel and Tommy Sparks.

Launching straight into 'Glass Smash', the band provoked a mass sing-a-long from the audience right from the beginning of their set.

The View were joined on four songs by three string players, introduced by the band as 'Dirty Pretty Strings'. On 'Distant Doubloon', frontman Kyle Falconer performed backed only by the string players, while his bandmates looked on from the side of the stage.

The gig was marred towards its end when a fight broke out between the one of the bands friends and the venue staff.

The band rushed offstage to see what was happening, with only Falconer returning to the stage to play a solo rendition of Oasis' 'Don't Look Back In Anger'.

The View played:

'Glass Smash'
'5Rebbeccas'
'Wasted Little DJs'
'The Don'
'Temptation Dice'
'One Off Pretender'
'Skag Trendy'
'Wasteland'
'Typical Time 2'
'Unexpected'
'Distant Doubloon'
'Face For The Radio'
'Realisation'
'Jimmy's Crazy Conspiracy'
'Comin' Down'
'Same Jeans'
'Give Back The Sun'
'Superstar Tradesman'
'Shock Horror'
'Don't Look Back In Anger'

Speaking NME.COM shortly before taking to the stage, Falconer revealed that he was especially excited about seeing support act Twisted Wheel. "They're a fucking amazing band," he said. "We've toured with them and they're all top boys as well."

Twisted Wheel's ten-song set saw frontman Jonny Brown showcase the band's brash, northern-styled guitar rock, watched by all four members of The View.

Prior to Twisted Wheel's set, newcomer Tommy Sparks opened proceedings with a 25-minute set that included his debut single 'I'm A Rope', released on February 16.

Previewing material from his forthcoming album, Sparks drew a strong reaction from the crowd, with opener 'Much Too Much' and 'She's Got Me Dancing' going down particularly well.

NME, 11 February 2009

The View at Koko

Back in the 80’s when I lived in Glasgow it was regarded as music capital of Scotland however this mantle in recent years has been past over to Dundee, Scotland’s third largest city, and probably the windiest place in the UK. Many years before the members of The View were even born Dundee produced many pioneering pop acts such as The Average White Band and Danny Wilson and more recently Snow Patrol and KT Tunstall.

The Views rise has been meteoric and their debut album “Hats off to the Buskers” entered the charts 18 months ago at No.1 and sold over 300,000 copies in the UK alone. Their second album “Which Bitch” entered the top 5 this week and is a much harder and more mature than their debut. I have spent the last few days listening to it and am sure that it will become one of the big pop/rock albums of the year. For those of you who don’t have the album yet I have embedded their player which includes the singles off both records including live numbers from Glastonbury.

The gig tonight was a part of a month long NME promotion which sees big name acts play small and intimate venues. The band were on top form and played well over an hours set to a packed venue. The band are currently on a 30 date tour and will be playing across the UK and Europe. If you have the chance I’d recommend to check them out live.

Written by John Rahim, RahimLive, 11th February 2009

Photos here

Manchester Academy photos

See more shots from Manchester Academy here.

New View Merch

Ryan McPhail has came up with the goods again for The View, this time designing some great new T-Shirts.

They will be on sale at the bands remaining tour dates starting from tonight at London's Koko.

Have a look at the full range here.

www.ryanmcphail.co.uk

Lucy The Castle video

Kyle joins Jonny from Twisted Wheel for 'Lucy The Castle'. Recorded live at XFM Winter Wonderland, Manchester, December 2008.

We'll take drugs test

DUNDEE rockers The View are to make a fresh bid to enter the US by passing a drugs test at the American Embassy in London.

The four-piece have been snapped up in the US by Downtown Music, the label behind Gnarls Barkley.

Now the band are hoping to promote their new album Which Bitch? with US tour dates.

A previous bid by the band to enter the US was thwarted, when frontman Kyle Falconer was found guilty of cocaine possession.

Bassist Kieren Webster revealed: "The last time we went to the US Embassy in London, it was bad timing because we were booked to be there early in the morning. But we had supported Noel Gallagher at the Albert Hall the night before.

"So we were all partying at the hotel with Noel afterwards.

"We were told we weren't getting in. Since then, we have spoken to a few lawyers so we are hopeful of getting in.

"If we pass the interview, the next step is a drug test.

"Things seem to be a bit more positive.

We have changed record labels over there. The old record label got p****d off because we were not getting in. From what I can gather, it's a lot more promising. Hopefully, we'll get back into America. We are on the coolest label in America so we will probably get in.

"Kyle has been well behaved and hasn't been in trouble since then. As long as he passes a drugs test we should be fine."

The band failed in their bid to get to No.1 in the UK with the new album, but the band's producer Owen Morris has hailed Which Bitch? as one of the best albums of the decade, and insists it is only a matter of time before it is hailed a classic.

Owen, who produced the band's debut as well as (What's The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis and The Verve's A Northern Soul, said: "It is one of the best albums I've ever made.

"It'll be one of the best albums of the last 10 years once people get it. It's amazing."

Kieren added: "This album is better than Hats Off To The Buskers... more thought went into it."

By John Dingwall, Daily Record, 9th February 2009

Enjoy The View With Paolo

This week sees the release of 'Which Bitch?' the second album from Paolo's fellow countrymen The View, and Paolo himself guests on the track 'Covers', with Gavin from The Vipers also contributing his trumpet playing talents.

To give you a sneak preview of The View/Paolo track - we've got ten copies of 'Which Bitch?' to give away. To be in with a chance of blagging one just answer the following question:

What is The View's home city?

A. Glasgow
B. Dundee
C. Altdorf

Just e-mail competitons@atlanticrecords.co.uk. Best of luck!

www.paolonutini.com

Enjoy The View With Paolo

This week sees the release of 'Which Bitch?' the second album from Paolo's fellow countrymen The View, and Paolo himself guests on the track 'Covers', with Gavin from The Vipers also contributing his trumpet playing talents.

Click here to sample the record on The View's website.

To give you a sneak preview of The View/Paolo track - we've got ten copies of 'Which Bitch?' to give away. To be in with a chance of blagging one just answer the following question:

What is The View's home city?

A. Glasgow
B. Dundee
C. Altdorf

Just e-mail competitons@atlanticrecords.co.uk. Best of luck!

www.paolonutini.com

Surf's up for The View

A STAGE-diving disaster has not deterred The View’s Kyle Falconer from repeating the stunt on the band’s forthcoming tour.

The frontman has a reputation for leaping from the stage into the audience at the band’s gigs – but at a Scottish show in December he accidentally broke the nose of the fan he landed on.

Ewan Ross, aged 28, was smacked in the face by Kyle’s head but there were no hard feelings. The band invited him and his mates to an exclusive after-show party as an apology.

And it hasn’t put Kyle off stage-diving when he plays Wolverhampton’s Wulfrun Hall on February 18.

‘‘I’m sure I’ll be crowd-surfing in the future,’’ he grins. ‘‘As long as you give anyone who gets hurt a couple of backstage passes, they’re alright. Give ‘em a beer and say sorry – it’s all good.

‘‘I’ve had it done to me before. That’s just the price you pay. I’ve had my nose broken twice at gigs where I’ve been in the audience. As a performer I’ve had my clothes ripped off when I’ve leapt into the crowd!’’

The View are no strangers to controversy.

In 2007 Kyle was fined £1.000 after admitting possessing cocaine and the band was banned from all 300 Travelodges in the UK after allegedly causing damage. An American tour had to be cancelled when Kyle was refused a visa due to the cocaine charge.

It’s something he now bitterly regrets.

‘‘I really, really want to get back across to America,” he says. “We’ve played there before but I didn’t get the chance to explore. We’ve applied again and we’re hoping to get in. There’s a 50/50 chance but we’ve had no word back yet.’’

There’s a Stateside element on The View’s new album, Which Bitch?, reviewed in the Mercury last week.

An American orchestra helped fill out the sound on some of the songs.

“It ended up sounding great so we broadened our horizons to see if he could work on other tracks,” says Kyle.

‘‘There will definitely be orchestration on our next album.” AC

By Andrew Coleman, Sunday Mercury8th February 2009

Sh*te, F*ck & B*llocks...

... is just some of what The View had to say on Soccer AM this morning.

Which Bitch? review

The first thing to strike you about The View is lead singer Kyle Falconer's accent. More ancient Norse than contemporary Dundee, you'd expect the lyrics to be rune-carved observations of hi-jinks on the high seas rather than a Libertines-infused taste of Tayside.

But if you can get past Falconer's love-it-or-hate-it intonation there are hints of a band flexing their musical muscle. And there's variety in abundance, from the delicate, harmonica-led opener 'Typical Time 2', to the sea shanty of 'Glass Smash', via the big musical number about Dundonians that Andrew Lloyd Webber never wrote ('Distant Doubloon').

And that voice proves soulful and rich in equal measure. On the appropriately named 'Unexpected', 'Bittersweet Symphony'-style strings introduce a folksy vocal which delights in accentuating and emphasising odd sounds in the lyric. It is charming, as are the harmonics of the line "I never claimed to be no angel" over the coarse chanting on 'Glass Smash'.

But some sun-kissed pop retains the shine of the group's Mercury-nominated debut Hats Off to the Buskers. The Oasis stomp, chugging chords and sharp but sinister refrain of "The woman I love the most has turned into a junkie" on '5Rebeccas' picks up where they left off, and the jangly jubilance of 'Temptation Dice' threatens to take the chill out of winter.

The road to longevity is littered with the discarded second albums of the music press's Next Big Things, but The View have produced an intriguing second effort of rough, choppy, romantic rock'n'roll, replacing the typical London languor with a rewarding Celtic charm.

Nick Bowden

Orange, 7th February 2009

Which Bitch? review

Rated 4/5

What you need to know… Dundee’s punk-pop brats unleash their second album.

First impressions… Shouty rockers The View are more famous for their impenetrable Scottish accents than their songs. Which is a shame, because past hits Superstar Tradesman and Wasted Little DJs sound like the kind of songs Babyshambles should be churning out, were Pete Doherty not too busy making “blood paintings” and playing with his kittens.

Like their chart-topping debut, Hats Off To The Buskers, Which Bitch? is bursting at the seams with carefree swagger, killer choruses and enough four-letter words to make Granny choke on her custard creams. But there are some muted moments as well. Unexpected is sweetly melodic and Covers, a stripped-down, trumpet-flecked duet with Paolo Nutini – yep, work that one out! – is surprisingly stunning.

You’ll like this if you like… The Libertines, early Oasis.

Our favourite track… 5 Rebbeccas sounds a bit like Status Quo after one too many Lucozades – but in a good way!

Did you know? In 2007, lead singer Kyle Falconer was charged with cocaine possession, forcing The View to cancel their US tour. Oops.

new! verdict… Bitchin’!

New Magazine, 7th February 2009