The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
In the rear view
Looking back at rebellious rockers’ roots 15 years on
In 2005, a group of likeminded, shaggy-haired Dundee teenagers got together to form a band. The lads, pupils at St John’s RC High School, started off doing covers of tunes by bands like Squeeze and the Sex Pistols.
The View, as they called themselves, soon began working on their own songs and performed them at school talent contests.
Fronted by lead singer and guitarist Kyle Falconer, with guitarist Pete Reilly, bassist Kieren Webster and original drummer Michael Annable, the Dryburgh quartet were hugely popular.
They progressed to play more cover gigs and weddings around Tayside, and after their second concert at Dundee’s Doghouse, they were signed to the city’s independent record label Two Thumbs.
Confidence among band members was soaring and they started to push for bigger gigs that would boost their profile.
When Falconer heard Pete Doherty was doing a gig with his band Babyshambles at Dundee’s Fat Sam’s in late 2005, he saw it as an opportunity to promote The View.
In true brass-necked Falconer style, he turned up at the venue and begged to be given a support slot.
Former general manager Colin Rattray gave in to his pleas and handed the band’s demo CD over to Doherty.
He loved it, asked if they were still kicking around, and agreed The View could open the gig for him.
That was the beginning of their break into the big time.
Fifteen years ago, in March 2006, the band released the self-titled The View EP.
It was the first official release by the band and was limited to just 2,000 copies.
It was made available to the public through the band’s online forums, and sold out within a matter of weeks.
Three tracks from the EP, Comin’ Down, Street Lights and Face for the Radio, would later appear on the band’s critically acclaimed debut album, Hats Off to the Buskers, released in 2007.
This topped the UK Albums Chart in January 2007 and was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize.
The View emerged alongside a host of British indie bands, but few others have stood the test of time.
Dundee-born DJ and broadcaster Jim Gellatly first played The View on XFM Scotland in December 2005.
He had been tipped off about them by Grant Dickson, who was managing the band at that time and had sent Jim one of their CDs.
“I’m pretty sure I read a lot about them in The Courier at the time – my mum kept the weekly Rocktalk column for me,” said Jim.
“I played them on XFM for the first time in late 2005 and it wasn’t long until they were a staple on my playlists.”
The band played their first XFM session for Jim in April 2006 by which time they were starting to break out with official support slots for Babyshambles and Primal Scream.
Jim reckons the support the band got from Radio 1 was “probably key” to their success.
“I was lucky enough to see them at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Caird Park in 2006. That was pretty special.”
Alan Wilson, Rocktalk writer for The Courier for more than a decade, was the first music journalist to write about The View.
“It was obvious from the first time I met them they were something different from everything else around at the time,” said Alan.
“They were all about 16, rehearsing in the upstairs room in the old Doghouse.
“A friend of mine John More was looking after them and he was gushing about them and took me upstairs to meet them. They sounded amazing and their songs were so catchy.
“Then Grant Dickson became their manager and he sent them on their ‘World Tour of Dundee’, playing gigs in just about any pub that would have them, which meant they were mentioned in the gig guide every week for about six months.
“It also meant their Dryburgh fanbase spread right through the entire city and beyond, with hundreds of kids turning up everywhere they were playing, before they had even released a record.”
Alan said Grant, who lived nearby, would ring his doorbell almost every week to play the band’s latest demo CD.
He was blown away by tracks like Face For The Radio, Same Jeans, Wasted Little DJs and Claudia.
“I became good friends with them and all their families and there were some great nights at gigs all over Scotland,” said Alan.
“There were crazy times. Kyle, Kieran, Steve and Pete were wild, sometimes outrageous and they left a trail of rock ‘n’ roll madness all over the UK. But they are good guys and it’s hard not to like them.
“The View have turned out to be one of, if not the most successful Dundee band ever in terms of chart success.”
The View decided to take a break in 2017 to pursue other projects. Falconer said “everyone’s doing their own thing”, but insisted the band would be able to reform at some stage.
“It’s just a wee break,” he said. Over the years Falconer has gained a reputation as a loose cannon with stories of his hedonistic exploits.
In 2017, he was fined £25,000 for aggressive behaviour and using homophobic language that caused a Scotland-bound plane to divert.
He objected when he wasn’t allowed to sit next to fiancee Laura Wilde on a flight from Spain in June 2016. He then bumped into the woman next to him and started a fight with her husband.
Falconer was arrested in Nantes, France, after pilots made an emergency landing.
Today, the 33-year-old has settled down and has two children with Laura.
With five albums by The View, a solo EP and an album, Falconer is due to release his new solo album, No Love Songs for Laura, in June.