I was quite excited by The View when they burst onto the scene back in 2006. Four working-class teenage kids from a less than salubrious area of the city of Dundee who made energetic and catchy indie-pop/rock at a time when such music was again proving to be hip and fashionable. The band was made up of Kyle Falconer (vocals, guitar), Kieran Webster (bass and vocals), Pete Reilly (lead guitar) and Steve Morrison (drums), with Falconer and Webster being responsible for the songs.
As it turned out, they burned very brightly for a spell and enjoyed with a number of hit singles and a debut album which made it to #1 in the UK. They are still on the go today, every bit as popular in Scotland as in their heyday, certainly when it comes to touring and performing, albeit none of their four later albums have sold anything close to the numbers of the debut.
Frontman Kyle Falconer, who has also released two solo records, has drifted in and out of the headlines over the years, and not always in a positive light, thanks to drink and drug related incidents that have spilled over into court appearances, including an air-rage incident in 2016.
Earlier this year, The View announced a reunion after six years of inactivity, with a new album and tour. Three of the original band were involved, the exception being Morrison on drums. At one of the early gigs, in Manchester, Falconer and Webster had an argument and a fight on stage, leading to the show ending early and the rest of the tour being cancelled.
They have since kissed and made-up, playing at a number of summer festivals and will head on to headline again across the UK in November and December.
Here’s an early single:-
mp3: The View – Superstar Tradesman
It didn’t change the face of pop music, but it was, and still is, great fun to listen to.