Drinkin' Bru with The View

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By Matt Allen, Loaded, May 2009

The View head for Brazil

The View are heading for Brazil for two festival shows in early June. More details as I get them.

The View Chat At Camden Crawl

The View have spoken to MTV News before they play the Roundhouse this evening as part of the Camden Crawl.

The Scottish indie boys released their second record Which Bitch? back in February and play tonight just before headliners Kasabian.

Singer Kyle revealed he’s a fan of the Leicester rockers. He said: “Kasabian are brilliant. I’ve been listening to their first album a lot recently and it’s banging.”

Kyle told us the group will play with extra musicians on stage.

He said: “We’ve got these birds- the Dirty Pretty Strings- and everyone of them is hot. So having the strings we’ll get to play songs that we don’t normally get to play.”

Of Camden Bassist Kieran said: “It’s hard to not get drunk in Camden before a gig because there are so many good beer gardens!”

MTV.co.uk

Soccer AM cleared over Kyle F-Word

TV WATCHDOGS have cleared comedy football show Soccer AM after complaints were made following an appearance by Scots rockers The View where one of the band swore.

The notorious Dundee band appeared on the show on February 7 this year, where one of them used the F-word.

But despite three complaints from viewers over the language, which happened at 10.45am, broadcasting watchdog Ofcom said the matter had been resolved by the show's presenters and no further action was being taken against Sky.

"This was a live broadcast; and that the language was clearly not used with the intention to offend, given the guest’s own reaction to using the word," the watchdog said.

"Further, both presenters immediately apologised to viewers and the guests were warned by one of the presenters to “be careful” in future."

Daily Record, 27th April 2009

The View to play benefit gig

Scottish indie giants The View are set to play a hometown show in order to aid a local venue.

Dundee's award winning venue The Doghouse was recently forced to close its doors after a dispute between the licensee and the city council. However since then a growing campaign has taken place to get the venue back open.

The Doghouse was pivotal in the city's music scene, and allowed The View to rehearse their back in their early days. The band played many shows at the venue, turning it into a home from home. In 2007 Clash invited the group back to play a spectacular show in front of a specially invited audience of friends and well wishers.

The association between band and venue runs deep, with The View placing a Doghouse flyer in the collage for the sleeve to their smash hit single 'Same Jeans'. Since then the band have released their diverse second album 'Which Bitch'.

Containing some high points (ace single '5Rebeccas') as well as lows (the rapping!) the album nonetheless demonstrated the band's rapidly maturing songwriting skills. The band previewed the album at last year's RockNess festival, taking to the stage in a packed Clash Arena.

However recent shows have been dogged by rock 'n' roll behaviour with gigs in Nottingham and the Snowbombing festival being called off due to singer Kyle Falconer being too drunk to go onstage.

A trip home could be just what the doctor ordered. The fundraising show will take place at Fat Sams, the nightclub where The View gave Pete Doherty their demo tape - thereby securing their first step on the road to stardom.

The gig will take place on 2nd May.

Clash, 27th April 2009

Bands unite to save Doghouse

Bands from across Dundee are uniting to try to save a music venue which gives up-and-coming artists the chance to showcase their talents.

The Doghouse in Brown Street was closed down last month after the licensee fell behind in paying rates to the council.

The 350-capacity club has been credited with nurturing the talents of groups such as The View and The Law.

A gig featuring several local artists is due to take place to try to raise money to reopen the venue.

Sarah Hill, who ran the Doghouse, said: "We actually created a [music] scene in Dundee, before that it was all down to bands going in, playing for free and doing other people's songs.

"No-one was really giving any avenue to the young bands with the talent who were sitting in their garages or bedrooms.

"The Doghouse is almost like a community centre for the young kids who are in bands and we wanted to keep that there."

If the money can be raised to pay off the debts owed to the council, Ms Hill hopes to have the Doghouse reopened by mid-May.

She said: "With the Doghouse not there it's going to leave a massive gap and the bands are going to struggle because once they get in our venue we help them get to other venues in Scotland and outwith.

"Young bands would sorely miss out with the Doghouse not being there giving them that support and trying to encourage that and keep the local scene alive."

The Levee Breakers will be headlining the fundraising gig at the Whitehall Theatre.

Lead guitarist John Curran said: "The Doghouse has been a sorely missed venue here in Dundee.

"It has been at the core of the whole Dundee music scene for years now and has given so many bands the chance to perform.

"I just hope now in these difficult times they can reopen and be a sustainable business as well as a venue with soul."

www.bbc.co.uk, 25th April 2009

The View play Camden Crawl

...Back at the Roundhouse, The View performed a typically swaggering set that took in songs from their two albums. The Scots drew a large crowd to the venue, with many screaming along to the words of the likes of '5Rebbeccas' and 'Wasted Little DJ's', both of which were deployed by the band early on in the set.

Mid-way through the gig, The View were joined by their string section – jokingly named Dirty Pretty Strings – for an acoustic take of 'Distant Doubloon'.

The band stoked the atmosphere even more by playing fan favourites such as 'Face For The Radio' and 'Superstar Tradesman', both of which drew an impassioned response from fans.

NME.COM, 26th April 2009

Which Bitch? review

Rated 4/5

The View's follow-up to chart-topping debut 'Hats off To The Buskers' is an interesting collection of songs that sees the band expand into previously uncharted territory. Anyone expecting The View to come out with another radio-ready 'Same Jeans'-style single, is going to be disappointed.

Album-opener 'Typical Time 2' is more of an introduction than a song in its own right, as The View blend twinkling, lounge bar piano with piping harmonica. It's often difficult to take any song that features an harmonica seriously, but 'Typical Time 2' is a pleasant enough introduction, before The View get properly stuck in with the foot-stamping indie-rock of '5rebeccas.'

'5rebeccas' is perhaps 'Which Bitch?'s most conventional track, and it's no surprise that it enjoyed a single release. However, the main barrier here - and indeed, in a few other songs off this album - is frontman Kyle Falconer's twitchy vocal patter and impossibly thick Scottish accent, which at times makes it difficult to understand what he's singing. This is especially true during the verses, but it's well worth working at deciphering those vocals, as a quick glance at the accompanying lyric booklet reveals some intriguing, story-telling lyrics.

The chorus is even better, as its headrush of rock n roll riffs is accompanied by a nursery-rhyme-infused chant of "5rebeccas / all of them close to me / one's a cook / one does history." Quirky and surprisingly twee, this is one chorus that was made to be sung along to.

Two more great songs that need an initial investment to properly appreciate the vocal and lyrical hooks, are 'Jimmy's Crazy Conspiracy' and 'Give Back The Sun.'

'Jimmy's Crazy Conspiracy' is a twitchy, rollicking indie sing along with willfully bonkers lyrics that are in danger of being lost on the casual listener. The same applies to the chorus of both 'Jimmy's Crazy Conspiracy' and the jerky, foot-stamping, hand-clapping sing-song chorus of 'Give Back The Sun.' But, once you've deciphered them, you'll have great fun singing along.

Of course, Falconer's nervy vocal style isn't always a barrier to the listener. On the summery, hand-clap fest of 'Temptation Dice,' Falconer's edgy, all-over-the-place vocals only adds to this song's energy and fun vibe. It perfectly complements the song's central music hook of shunting riffs and bouncing drumbeats, giving way to a spasming guitar-flutter.

'One Off Pretender' is something a little different, as verses of rap-infused, spoken-word vocals trade off choruses of looser, more relaxed singing in a style not a million miles removed from Placebo's 'Spite And Malice.'

Like the Placebo song, the semi-rapped vocals are pretty cheesy and have the potential to become rather irritating, especially when Falconer lets his lines trail off in a smug whine. However, the essential naffness of those verses, is possible to overlook when they're put next to those likeably tuneless and free-flowing choruses. 'One Off Pretender' is a cheesy rap/indie mash-up that you'll know you shouldn't like, but will.

'Unexpected' is this album's obligatory slow song, and it does a fair job of bothering the heart strings. Falconer turns out some wonderfully introverted, muttered vocals on the verses, and reaches for those emotional highs on the chorus.

The whole song is heaped with strings. Deeper, resonating strings infuse 'Unexpected' with a black-hearted undercurrent, while a surface layer of screeching, higher-pitched strings puts that final, emotional twist on the song.

'Unexpected' is a downbeat, genuinely angsty ballad, with only a bridge section that builds, but never quite peaks, holding this song back.

Right from the start, 'Glass Smash' is an attention-grabbing song, opening with multi-layered, choir-like vocals, before fluttering chords and stomping beats transport this song into off-kilter, indie-rock territory.

But, 'Glass Smash's strongest asset is Falconer's voice. His every vocal acts as a razor-sharp hook, as he alternates between pop-infused hollers and tongue-tying stuttering. Falconer's inspired vocal work makes this one of the best choruses on the album.

And then, The View really indulge themselves, swapping guitars for a full-blown orchestra on the multi-part symphony of 'Distant Doubloon.' Moving across various orchestral passages, the only constant in this meticulous musical arrangement is its underlying oompa-oompa beat. It's ridiculously catchy and its simple, repetitive nature counteracts the song's potential pretentiousness.

Over this rollicking beat, The View lay an ever-changing skin of spine-tingling, twinkling piano, trembling strings, waves of atmospheric synths and other instruments you can only guess at. As the threads of heavy orchestral arrangement wind through the verses, you'd expect Falconer's voice to get lost in the fray. This isn't the case, as this is the song where Falconer gets the balance between accent and clarity spot-on, and it makes for distinctive and charismatic listening.

This track repeatedly winds down into silence, only for that resonating beat to strike up again moments later. It's a clever trick, as the silence draws you in, claiming your full attention ready for when it waltzes back to life.

The sea-shanty-esque 'Distant Doubloon' is well worth a listen, if only because you've probably never heard anything quite like it in modern indie music. It's hard to believe this is the same band behind 'Same Jeans.'

'Covers' and 'Realisation' are two simple, sing-song tracks, but 'Covers' actually works better when The View go for a fuller sound, with a string arrangement swelling beneath the dual vocals of Falconer and guest vocalist Paolo Nutini.

'Realisation' works better as a stripped-down sing along, as a whistling recorder and folkish cello give it a quaint charm that compensates for the lack of aggressive musical hooks.

The View offer up two harder-rocking tracks in the form of 'Shock horror' and 'Double Yellow Lines.' Both are packed with euphoric, heady guitars and stomping drumbeats, and feature massive, sing along choruses. These are two tracks that'll get rooms full of people singing and dancing along when they get a live airing.

Album-closer 'Gem of a Bird' is clunky, folkish indie that sees Katie Gwyther join Falconer on vocal duties, for a charismatic and casual sing along. Trimmed in rattling acoustic guitar, 'Gem of a Bird' has a laidback appeal and brings this album to a toe-tapping conclusion. Shame about the screeching strings at the end, though.

You have to admire The View's refusal to recreate 'Hats Off To The Buskers.' They probably would have sold more records, but they wouldn't have come up with such a rich, varied album. 'Which Bitch?' is the sound of a band eschewing the radio-friendly indie formula and trying to break away from being that-band-who-did-that-Same-Jeans-song. Lush orchestral arrangements, folkish sing alongs and sea-shanties aren't what immediately springs to mind when you think of The View, and it is occasionally a little self-indulgent and intentionally awkward, but, 'Which Bitch?' is mostly a mature, experimental and thoughtful take on the indie genre.

By Jessica Thornsby, leedsmusicscene.net, 21st April 2009

Hop Farm Festival

The View have been added to the line-up of the forthcoming Hop Farm Festival.

The event will be headlined by Paul Weller and The Fratellis.

The Hop Farm Festival line-up also includes; The Pigeon Detectives , Ash, British Sea Power, Paul Weller, Doves, Super Furry Animals, Mystery Jets and The Rifles.

www.hopfarmfestival.com

Which Bitch? review (Germany)

Rated 3.5/5

Das zweite Album der vier Schotten, nach "Hats Off To The Buskers", erfindet die Rockmusik nicht neu, zeigt aber, wie wichtig die Liebe zum Detail ist. Da haben wir zum Beispiel den Eröffnungssong "Typical Time 2", der sich anhört wie ein vergnügter Abend im Pub: Einer klimpert etwas auf dem alten Piano in der Ecke, der andere holt die Mundharmonika aus der Hosentasche, und irgendjemand singt dazu. Ein unprätentiöser kleiner Spaß, den Sänger Kyle Falconer unterwegs aufgenommen hat, als Gruß an die Freundin.

Doch dann kommt "5 Rebbeccas" und lässt es mächtig krachen. Das Schlagzeug rollt erbarmungslos nach vorne und wird dort auch den Rest des Albums über bleiben. Dahinter röhren die Gitarren, eine ganze Mauer, schwer verzerrt finden sie ihren jangelnden Rhythmus. Der hymnische, aber nicht pathetische Gesang erzählt von alten Schulzeiten. "Unexpected" beginnt düster und handelt dann auch vom unerwarteten Tod des Vaters von Kyle Falconer, die Streicher am Ende klingen sehr angemessen, das gesamte Arrangement hat fast etwas Altmeisterliches.

Das folgende "Temptation Dice" klingt deshalb etwas platt, denn es ist die Sorte sanft vom Punk geküsster Polter-Rock, die seit Jahrzehnten aus den schottischen und irischen Hochländern dringt. Was machen Big Country eigentlich heute? Ein gewisse U2-haftigkeit muss man The View in dieser Hinsicht ebenfalls attestieren, wegen des stolzen Musikantentums und des episch weiten Sounds. Womöglich sind The Killers auch ein wichtiger Einfluss. Das von Oliver Kraus orchestrierte "Distant Dubloon" kommt dann wieder aus einer ganz anderen Ecke: Angeblich inspiriert von Gustav Mahler, klingt es eher nach einem Musical - einem guten allerdings.

Produziert wurde "Which Bitch?" von Owen Morris, dem Mann hinter Klassikern wie "(What's The Story) Morning Glory" und "A Northern Soul" von The Verve. Und auch bei The View hat er einen guten Job gemacht und dafür gesorgt, dass eine Menge passiert in den Songs: Streicher, Bläser, komische Breaks - langweilig wird es selten. Da kann sich so manche englische Rockband mal ein schönes Stück abschneiden, von diesem Sonntagsbraten von einem Album. (1965 Records)

Jürgen Ziemer, Rolling Stone

Rotonde, Belgium review

The View, des écossais originaires de Dundee ont très vite obtenu un succès assez incroyable en Angleterre. Leur premier album, "Hats Off To The Buskers", s’est retrouvé N°1 des ventes en janvier 2007, boosté par un single imparable, "Same Jeans". Leur deuxième opus, "Which Bitch?", bien que sorti en janvier dans les îles britanniques n’est distribué chez nous que depuis quelques jours.

Le moins que l’on puisse dire, c’est qu’ils nous ont assené une grosse claque d’entrée de jeu. Débutant avec "Glass Smash", un des tous bons extraits du nouvel album (efficace même si pas trop représentatif avec un rythme légèrement far west), suivi du dernier single en date ("5Rebbeccas") et du titre qui les a fait connaître, "Wasted Little DJs". Un début tout simplement parfait, qui allait baliser le déroulement de la soirée. Suivra un mini moment de répit pendant lequel les spectateurs anglais scanderont "The View, The View, The View are on fire!", cri de ralliement des fans lors des festivals anglais en 2007 (d’ailleurs l’adresse de leur site officiel est www.theviewareonfire.co.uk). Kyle Falconer, le guitariste et chanteur principal porte une veste de training vintage bleue et a une masse de cheveux bouclés qui lui cachent les yeux. Son alter ego (en tant que compositeur et chanteur occasionnel) Kieren Webster, ressemble à Rod Stewart à la fin des années 70, tandis que le batteur Steve Morrison, torse nu et cheveux plats lui aussi, fait plutôt référence à Iggy Pop. Reste le second guitariste, Pete Reilly, qui passe un peu inaperçu, au même titre qu’un claviériste de tournée, volontairement mis en retrait.

Influencés par la scène punk, ils rendent à la fois l’énergie des Clash ("Wasteland") et la fougue des Sex Pistols ("One Off Pretender"). D’ailleurs, la similitude de voix entre Kieren Webster et Johnny Rotten est assez incroyable. Cependant, il n’y a pas photo, le vrai chanteur, c’est bien Kyle Falconer, qui a une voix à la fois douce et agressive, mais toujours mélodieuse. L’occasion de s’en rendre compte nous sera donnée avec une version acoustique de "Face For The Radio", très réussie. Autres moments privilégiés: le nouveau single "Temptation Dice", "Give Back The Sun" bourré de reverb et le toujours aussi efficace "Superstar Tradesman". Sans oublier une version incroyable de "Comin Down", façon rock 70’s à la Led Zeppelin ou Deep Purple. C’est avec un excellent "Shock Horror" que le groupe a pris congé du Botanique au terme d’une prestation de grande qualité qui n’a laissé aucun répit aux spectateurs (dont les plus jeunes ont d’ailleurs abondamment pogoté). Bon, d’accord, on n’a absolument rien compris de ce qu’ils ont voulu nous raconter, mais leurs instruments ont parlé pour eux. Place maintenant à un nouveau passage au Pukkelpop en août prochain?

See photos here
English translation here

www.musicinbelgium.net/

Paris review

De passage dans notre capitale pour défendre leur pétillant deuxième album Which Bitch? paru au début de l'année, les jeunes Ecossais en ont mis plein la vue (sans mauvais jeu de mots) à la Maroquinerie. Un constat s'impose de fait : sur scène, The View est une machine rock bien huilée.

Déjà excités lors de leur montée sur les planches à 20h, les quatre musiciens rempliront sans mal leur mission : prendre un plaisir fou à faire sonner leurs guitares pendant trente minutes non stop. Au vu de leur musique rebelle, jeune et exaltée, le pari semblait - à l'évidence - gagné d'avance. Programmé en simple ouverture de soirée pour Mando Diao, The View a tout de même réussi à rameuter un sacré paquets de fans agglutinés aux quatre coins de la salle quasi pleine.
Sur scène, le groupe parait aussi à l'aise et décontracté qu'un poisson dans l'eau. A tel point que si son énergie mise en avant s'avère relativement communicative, la qualité d'exécution de certains morceaux, elle, semble être parfois tombée à la trappe. Mais les pop-songs de ces garçons sont tout à fait taillées pour faire danser les minettes (fait confirmé sur le titre 5Rebecas) et leur rock désinvolte est aussi punk qu'enlevé et efficace.

Rodé par ses concerts à la pelle, The View vit donc le show à fond, comme s'il était peut-être son dernier. Ce soir, pas question d'être dans l'image ou le paraître. Non. Dans l'attitude de ces jeunes adolescents un brin rebelles, tout est lâché naturellement, sans trop de réflexions. Alternant entre titres du premier album Hats Off To The Buskers (Same Jeans, Wasteland, Coming Down) et chansons du second (One off Pretender, Temptation Dice, Shock Horror), les Ecossais font sourire et chanter certains visages féminins tout au long du concert et pogoter gentiment une partie de son public posté au devant de la fosse.

Au final, leur musique a du charme, contient ce qu'il faut de candeur et d'allégresse pour apprécier leur show à sa juste valeur : rien ne transcende réellement mais l'impression d'assister à un concert de jeunes rockeurs tout simplement épanouis prend le dessus de la critique. Coté instrumentation, le batteur, torse nu, gardera son pied collé à sa pédale de grosse caisse dans le seul but de faire le plus de bruit possible alors que le bassiste Kieren Webster et le guitariste Kyle Falconer, en grands camarades solidaires, s'échangeront tour à tour leur instrument et le micro.

Un vrai travail d'équipe des anglais à qui l'on aurait bien demandé de pouvoir rester un peu plus longtemps sur scène.

By Emeline, soundofviolence.net

Heidelberger review

Mit ihrem neuen Album "Which bitch" im Gepäck machte die schottische Indierockband aus Dundee Station im Heidelberger Karlstorbahnhof. Ärgerlicherweise fing die Band jedoch erst mit einer Verspätung von 2 Stunden an, was dazu geführt hat, dass leider nicht alle Besucher so lange ausgehalten hatten. Als es dann jedoch losging, ging es gewaltig los!

Dass das Konzert dann doch noch zu einer Tour de force geriet, war nicht vorhersehbar und sorgte für mehr Libertines-feel, als man es sich gewünscht hätte. Dummerweise hatte der Gittarist der Band eine kurze Pause im Tourplan der Band zu einem Ausflug ins heimische UK genutzt und kam nicht rechtzeitig zurück. Angeblich fiel ein Flug aus. "Hello Cleveland"-ick-hör-dir-trapsen. Als The View dann jedoch um kurz nach 23 Uhr endlich die Bühne betraten, wurden die tapferen 300 Fans, die brav ausgehalten hatten, mit einer hingebungsvollen Show der Band entschädigt, die zwar nur ca. eine Stunde dauerte, aber damit im Erwartungshorizont von jungen UK- Bands blieb. Ärgerlicherweise gab es keinerlei offizielle Ansage oder Entschuldigung bezüglich der Verspätung.

Die Setlist zog die erwartete best-of-Essenz der beiden Alben und wurde vom Heidelberger Publikum dankbar angenommen. Vor allem die ersten drei Songs sorgten für Begeisterung, vor der Bühne ging es hoch her, erst mit The Don wurde es ein wenig weniger wild. Für den Song Face For The Radio gab es gar eine akustische 3-Gitarren-Einlage, eine willkommene Abwechslung im Sound, der sonst der Maxime "voll auf die 12" folgte. Unterstützt wurde die Band von einem Gast-Keyboarder, der auch insbesondere in der ersten Konzerthälfte zudem den Chorgesang unterstützte. Unterm Strich blieb es in mitreißendes Erlebnis, die Band in einem so intimen Rahmen zu sehen, wie sie das nicht durchgehend hohe Niveau ihrer Songs durch eine leidenschaftliche Performance ausglich.

Setlist:
Glass Smash * 5 Rebbeccas * Wasted Little Djs * The Don * Temptation Dice * One Off Pretender * Skag Trendy * Wasteland * Typical Time 2* Face For The Radio * Realisation * Jimmy's * Coming down * Same Jeans * Give back the sun * Superstar Tradesman

www.regioactive.de

Temptation Dice review

Rated 4/5

The View released their new single Temptation Dice through 1965 Records as a 7” and download only – and it rocks, as usual. Taken from their second critically acclaimed album, Which Bitch? [released in February], 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. As ever with The View, catchy guitar licks are placed very much to the fore (the song has a stonking central riff), while a catchy hand-clap beats ensures that it contains an infectious energy. Kyle Falconer, meanwhile, re-establishes the cheeky vocal style we loved so much on the band’s earlier hits such as Same Jeans. All in all, there’s a lot to like.

indielondon.co.uk

Temptation Dice review

Rated 4/5

Oooh, those tempting Dundee types and their temptation dice! But, after a disappointing performance from last single 'Shock Horror', will they manage to - ahem - tempt back the crowds with their latest offering? The answer is a resounding yes.

The third single from the group's second album, Which Bitch?, is exactly the sort of tune that'll tickle their indie followers like a cheeky seaside postcard.

The guitars shimmy and shake as they did on the band's 2007 breakthrough hit 'Same Jeans', and it's hard not to picture a 1950s-style singalong as Kyle Falconer cranks out those notes. Which certainly isn't a bad thing - the quartet keep their collective tongue firmly in cheek here, and, as a result, have come up with a single that's got ramshackle charm in all the right places.

Orange.co.uk

Kyle at The Gaslight

Kyle Falconer, Kieran Leonard, Drew McConnell and Joe McAdam filmed at the Gaslight at the Hideaway, London on 12th April 2009.

Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover)


Killamangiro (Babyshambles Cover)


Live Forever (Oasis Cover)


Kieran Leonard hosts and perfoms his weekly residency at the Hideaway Bar in Archway, London. Expect a night of folk and blues and refurbished 60s paranoia. 8pm-1am, every Sunday.

Past events have seen support performances from Drew McConnell, Kyle Falconer, Carl Barât, Joe McAdam, Matt Park, Anto Dust, King Dog, Leaflitter, Anthony Love, and New Rhodes amongst others.

listen to some of Kieran's tunes at www.myspace.com/kieranleonardmusic.

Munich gig review

THE VIEW, Zenith Avenue, Munich

FACING a crowd of 6,000 German fans - here for tonight's headliners Mando Diao - Tayside's favourite indie tearaways have their work cut out.

But they rise to the challenge with a supercharged set that's as sharp and to the point as any they've played in their short career.

"Nobody here will be able to understand our accents," grins bassist Kieren Webster, clearly forgetting that, even back home in Scotland, most folk outside of Dundee's Dryburgh struggle to comprehend them.

Tonight, however, the music speaks for itself as the band romp through the highlights of new album Which Bitch?

Shock Horror sounds stunning, Pete Reilly's guitar ringing out across the entire arena while Stevie Morrison hammers out that galloping drumbeat. And old favourites like Wasted Little DJs and Superstar Tradesman are drilled out with impeccable tightness.

Shorn of the ramshackle, art-of-falling-apart performances that they've sometimes been prone to over here - partly the result of having a crowd of mates messing around at the side of the stage, partly the consequence of too much vodka and Red Bull - songs like Same Jeans and Skag Trendy have new life breathed into them.

Swedish rockers Diao (think early Oasis but with a string of Euro No1s) are clearly impressed, inviting the four-piece for a backstage bevvy.

But on this form, they should be worried that The View have got their chart-conquering ways in their sights.

By Joe Miller, News Of The World, 19th April 2009

MTV Romania to broadcast gig

MTV Romania are set to broadcast The View's gig at Glasgow's Barrowlands.

For more info see here.

Euro Tour Videos

Glass Smash - Gasometer, Vienna, 26th March 2009
Shock Horror - Columbiahalle, 9th April 2009
Wasted Little DJ's - Cologne, 8th April 2009
Same Jeans - Cologne, 8th April 2009
Glass Smash - Cologne, 8th April 2009

This Sunday....

...Owen Morris and Derek Smith present O.D. live on air' from 7pm Sunday 19th April.

On Black Diamond Radio (local Edinburgh radio), Owen and Derek present weekly show championing new Scottish music.

Upcoming shows to feature bands such as The Brogues, The Law, St Judes Infirmary and The View etc etc

Music, chat, jokes and advice on how to survive in the crazy world of music. With a Welsh take on the Scottish problem.

Listen live from anywhere in the world here.

Show 1
Owen Morris
Starting this Sunday (the 19th April) Owen Morris takes to the air with a show debuting new bands and new music. From 7pm tune in to hear Owens first show with special guest Rick McMurray, the drummer from the number one band 'Ash'.

Rick has been living in Edinburgh for three years now, and is a good first person to interview on the show. He started in Ash straight from school, has released six successful albums (two number one albums in the UK and huge amounts of hit singles), Ash are now at the forefront of internet releases (their new album is being released by themselves over the internet) and he should give us exclusive plays of new Ash recordings. Rick is full of story's and advice for up and coming musicians in bands.

The View in Brussels

Photos from The View gig at the Rotunde in Brussels on 6th April 2009. See more here.

Kieren joins Doherty on stage

Kieren joined Pete Doherty on stage at his solo gig at Fat Sams, Dundee on 15th April 2009.

Watch videos below.
Don't Look Back Into The Sun
Fuck Forever

Utrecht review

Wanneer The View in Tivoli het podium betreedt, juicht het publiek de band luid toe en op de voorste rijen is het gedurende het hele optreden dan ook een gezellige boel. Wie van een afstand naar de verrichtingen van de Schotse punkrockers kijkt, moet echter concluderen dat het allemaal niet zo veel om het lijf heeft.

In 2007 levert The View met Hats off to the Buskers een heel aardige bijdrage aan het reanimeren van de britpop, in het kielzog van de Arctic Monkeys, al gaven The Libertines een paar jaar daarvoor het startschot. Met de nieuwe cd Which Bitch? moet de band die aandacht zien vast te houden. Dat zal nog een hele klus worden, want vanavond gaan de nieuwe nummers het ene oor in en het andere uit. Wat blijft is de vertrouwde punkrock à la The Clash, met alle muzikale zijpaden als ska en folk die daarbij ingeslagen worden.

Daarbij houdt The View het live vooral levendig door af en toe van gitaren te wisselen: bassist wordt zanger/gitarist en vice versa, of de elektrische gitaren worden vervangen door akoestische, zoiets. Noem het charmante nonchalance, maar het ziet er allemaal nogal knullig uit. Op enig moment krijgt Kyle Falconer zijn akoestische gitaar niet omgegespt, ondanks hulp van een toegesnelde roadie, en zingt dan maar zittend op het drumpodium een liedje. Later vergeet hij zijn bas om te ruilen voor een gewone gitaar. Jongens...

Wanneer je een paar bier op hebt, met je vrienden bent en het boeit allemaal niet, is het vast heel feestelijk, maar het blijft een rommeltje, hoe goed doordacht sommige liedjes ook in elkaar steken. The View is een feestband en wie wat te vieren heeft, mag op de medewerking van de jonge Schotten rekenen; veel meer moet je er maar niet van maken.

By Emil Peeters, kindamuzik.net, 2nd April 2009

Nijmegen gig review

Mijn ticket voor het optreden van The View in Doornroosje te Nijmegen was al aangeschaft voordat hun tweede cd “Which bitch?” in de bus viel. Die viel me behoorlijk tegen maar om te zeggen dat ik daardoor mijn ticketaanschaf betreurde is echter niet het geval. Goed, na de uitstekende single “5Rebbecca’s” was ik er hoopvol van uit gegaan dat het een voorproefje was van een in kwaliteit net zo hoogwaardig tweede album als debuut “Hats off to the buskers”, maar zelfs toen dat niet zo bleek te zijn, bleef ik er redelijk vertrouwen in houden dat het live toch nog zou goed komen. Dat ze op de bühne in hun element zijn, had ik immers al twee keer mogen meemaken, met energieke sets in Paradiso en op Pukkelpop. De bonus dvd van “Which bitch”, die onder meer een concert van de band bevat, mag wat dat betreft als bewijsstuk dienen. Een aantal nummers van genoemde cd zijn in de setlist van het concert opgenomen en komen op de bühne beter uit de verf dan op plaat.

Het is vrij druk, ofschoon niet uitverkocht, in Doornroosje, waar The View in mei 2007 al eens eerder te zien is geweest. Het viertal jonge Schotten heeft live ondersteuning gekregen van een toetsenist die, wanneer nodig, zijn bijdrage levert en vervolgens weer in de coulissen verdwijnt. Het gezicht van zanger / gitarist Kyle Falconer wordt nog steeds goeddeels bedekt door zijn weelderige krullen, maar zijn stem openbaart zich in volle glorie. Ofschoon niet onverdienstelijk is de zang van Kieren Webster, zijn beste maatje op basgitaar, minder aansprekend tijdens het handjevol nummers dat hij de ‘lead vocals’ voor zijn rekening mag nemen. De setlist is netjes verdeeld over de twee albums: negen nummers zijn afkomstig van “Which bitch?”, acht stammen van het debuut. Wat ik op voorhand al verwachtte blijkt uit te komen: het publiek reageert het meest enthousiast op laatstgenoemde, maar daar zitten dan ook maar liefst zes singles tussen die zich sinds 2006 / 2007 hebben ontpopt tot vaste waarden in de playlist van elke zichzelf respecterende indie dj. “Face for the radio” kan derhalve rekenen op meezingende toeschouwers en tijdens “Same jeans” besluit een jongeman te gaan crowdsurfen.

Het kan zijn dat “Which bitch?” nog moet rijpen maar het mist gewoonweg de ‘instant appeal’ en beklijvende liedjes waar diens voorganger bol van stond. “Shock horror”, setopener “Glass smash” en “One off pretender” maken meer indruk dan de studioversies maar het blijven toch een beetje ‘net niet (helemaal)’ nummers die live meer overeind blijven door de enthousiasmerende uitvoering dan dankzij compositorische kwaliteiten. Na een dik uur verlaat de band het publiek bedankend, het podium. Aan toegiften doen ze (nog steeds) niet, waar ik overigens respect voor heb, want het is in de meeste gevallen een obligate onderbreking waarvan je in de meeste gevallen het nut kan afvragen. “Did you enjoy the show?” vraagt de T-shirt verkoper me na afloop in een Schots accent, terwijl ik mijn blik over het tentoongestelde aanbod laat dwalen. “Yeah, I did”, antwoord ik, terwijl mijn rechterhand onwillekeurig in een broekzak op zoek gaat naar een verfomfaaid geldbiljet. “I had a nice view”, grap ik er onbedoeld achteraan.

By Eddy Teunissen, indindo.web-log.nl, 3rd April 2009

See photos from show here.

Dutch tour photos

Photos from the Duth leg of the European tour. See all here.
All taken by Leonie

Celebrity Soccer Six

The Celebrity Soccer Six football tournament is back at Chelsea Football Club on Sunday May 24th where a host of stars from music, sport, TV, film and entertainment will descend on Stamford Bridge in a bid to be crowned champions of the most star studded celebrity sports event in the UK.

The first names to be released include JLS, The View, Babyshambles, the Hoosiers, Ben Adams, X Factor’s Austin Drage and NDUBZ with many more big names still to be announced.

A very limited number of tickets are on sale now and are available from www.chelseafc.com/tickets, priced at just £12 for adults and £10 juniors.

Doornroosje Photos

Photos by Tom Roelofs. See more here.

The View at Doornroosje 3rd April 2009.

Which Bitch? review

When it comes to the mainstream, it's incredibly easy to generalise on the basis of a band's previous work or another song you've heard on the radio, and the obvious reason for this is that most bands aired on popular radio stations play it safe most of the time and hence end up sounding relatively similar to whatever you heard three months ago. Case in fact: Coldplay experienced only subtle changes over the course of their first three LPs and it was easy to generalise and like or dislike Coldplay, as opposed to specific songs or albums. If Viva La Vida proved anything, though, it's that sometimes (although not often) pop groups deserve a second look, and another record which serves as evidence in the same direction is The View's 2009 release Which Bitch? Where their debut was almost entirely bland and unexciting, most people listening to this album will expect the same, but the truth is that they will be greeted with a noticeably (although not radically) different beast. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing will probably depend on whether they like music or just listen to the radio when they're bored.

Opener Typical Time 2 is brilliant in its quirkiness and folk feel because it's going to make the average mainstream indie-pop listener sit up and take notice instead of allowing this release to become background noise like The View's first album did so often, and if there's one thing this album achieves, it's holding your interest. Sometimes it manages to do that through well-forged melodic numbers which bounce along and provide the necessary, light-hearted hooks; even 5Rebbeccas, which seems to document split personalities and drug-use – 'the one I love the most has turned into a junkie' – never even borders on depressing or downbeat. Sometimes the attention it demands is more a product of weirdness or over-ambition, owing to the eclectic instrumentation (60s type horns, melodramatic strings, and so on) which occasionally feels forced and marginally out of place. But there's usually something going on, and compared to Hats Off To The Buskers it certainly counts as experimental, although in terms of music in general the term obviously doesn't apply. On the whole, however, Which Bitch? takes more calculated risks and holds more musical merit than most albums that will garner any mainstream praise in 2009, and for that it surely deserves some credit.

Although it only stands at 55 minutes of very subtly folk-tinged pop music, the album still feels like a very long listen. In part this is due to the deliberate recording-studio feel The View feel they need to afford pretty much every track, starting with background noise, someone plugging in their guitar, or the bassist saying something utterly pointless. As such, the songs never really flow, although the track listing does feel as though it's been deliberated over to some extent – the first half of the album, in particular, peaks and settles at the right points and Unexpected, which offers a surprisingly successful drop in tempo as an acoustic guitar- and string-dominated ballad, adds just enough variety to ensure the tracks don't all blend into one. Another contributor to this flow is Covers, which provides a change in vocals in the form of a guest appearance by Paolo Nutini, although this attempt is notably less memorable. Again, though, it's picked up by a quicker number, Double Yellow Lines (an ode to the way drunk people find their way home) which is propelled by an insistent drum beat that refuses to let the energy drop, and a very prominent and important guitar line.

Largely, Kieran Webster's bass work accompanies Steven Morrison's drumming well, and the rhythm trio can take the praise for a large amount of the album's relentless energy. When the bass is given centre-stage, like on Realisation – one of the weaker tracks on offer by a long way – it is usually a mistake, since Webster demonstrates no real ingenuity or originality, and whereas elsewhere a solid performance (like on the following track Give Back The Sun) holds up to scrutiny, he shouldn't really be asked, or allowed, to do any more than that. On the other hand, Pete Reilly handles the lead guitar, and the album's better tracks are largely those which incorporate his sometimes bluesy and frequently raw picking high in the mix. He has a knack for combining with the rhythm section to create builds in songs.

Kyle Falkner joins the multitude of vocalists who play up their regional accent to near-laughable results but it usually ends up enhancing the unrestrained feel that the album manages to consistently get right. At the best of times, like when he slightly loses it mid-way through Glass Smash, his voice serves as another instrument, raw and unsettled; at the worst of times, he's still a competent singer. In fairness, the words he's singing are also a massive improvement on their debut record's generic or uninteresting subject matter; here the lyrics are consistently idiosyncratic, and from time to time manage to inject wit. Said wit saves some tracks – Distant Doubloon being the most prominent example – and sets others on fire with an impressive amount of energy. Single Shock Horror contains lines like 'if you make it to the top don't come and save me, 'cause I'll be at the bottom having fun' and 'I feel sorry for you man, you've forgotten how to clap your hands'. Shock Horror, a definite stand-out, builds from a percussion-less first half-minute which sounds like it might be a piano-centred ballad, into a huge sing-along of the latter of the aforementioned lines, and the song is structured so that the fast-paced climax 3 minutes in comes as a surprise, and a very pumping one at that.

All in all, Which Bitch? is a reasonably pleasant and surprising listen. It doesn't break any barriers of quality or creativity but it maintains a familiar character throughout and for the most part holds a lot of energy in its bouncy light-heartedness. Unfortunately, the stand-outs (5Rebeccas, Shock Horror, One Off Pretender, Unexpected and Glass Smash) sit mostly towards the front of the record, and although the second half carries its weight it never really lives up to the hooks and the invigorated guitar-pop of the first 6 tracks. The singles will doubtless come from those stand-out tracks, but with a bit of luck, the album will sell too, because despite lacking in some areas and failing in terms of overall consistency, it does illustrate a more raw, interesting side to The View that it would be nice to see develop.

By Adam Knott, sputnikmusic.com, 31st March 2009

The View Attempt Snowboarding

Watch The View here attempt snowboarding at the Snowbombing festival in Austria.

Clip comes from the guys at channelbee.com

Also watch an interview with the band here.

Too long on the piste, Kyle?

ALCOHOL and altitude can be a disastrous combination — ask anyone on a skiing holiday who has downed three pints.
Or you could ask THE VIEW’s hellraising, booze-loving frontman KYLE FALCONER.

The rock scamp had to be carted off stage at the Snowbombing festival in Austria after sinking a few too many before his band’s gig on Monday.

The indie lads only played three songs of their headline slot at the event in Mayrhofen before the curly-haired caner collapsed.

One fan told me: “Kyle looked disorientated and could hardly sing. He said he’d lost his voice then walked off stage.

“Everyone booed and shortly after he came back and tried to play the guitar. But he struggled to even hold it.

“Kyle then collapsed and the rest of the band went off. It was a shambolic gig.”

Luckily, HIGH CONTRAST and DUB PISTOL SOUND SYSTEM salvaged the night for partygoers with storming performances.

Earlier, Kyle and the rest of the lads attempted to snowboard. But they spent more time falling over than carving up the slopes.

A source at the event said: “It seems Snowbombing was too rock ’n’ roll for The View.”

I love these boys. What a band.

By Gordon Smart, The Sun, 1st April 2009

Kyle 'Collapses During Gig'

The View’s Kyle Falconer collapsed during the band’s performance at the Snowbombing festival in Austria, it’s been reported.

The singer is said to have appeared “disoriented” from the start of the band’s set on Monday (March 30th).

Falconer initially claimed to have lost his voice, but eventually collapsed three songs into The View’s performance.

“Kyle looked disorientated and could hardly sing. He said he’d lost his voice then walked off stage,” a source told The Sun newspaper.

“Everyone booed and shortly after he came back and tried to play the guitar. But he struggled to even hold it.

“Kyle then collapsed and the rest of the band went off. It was a shambolic gig.”

TV presenter Tim Lovejoy, who is at the festival, also wrote about the incident on his Twitter fan page.

“Gig cancelled after 4 tunes Kyle fainted,” he wrote.

By Jason Gregory, Gigwise, Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Munich Video

The View with "Wasted Little DJ's" live in Munich at the Zenith, 27th March 2009.