The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Back on the tracks
Birnam Arts, Dunkeld, October 2
The View are all set to get their tour back on track this weekend. The Dundee heroes postponed a gig in Fort William last Saturday after frontman Kyle Falconer tweeted: “Won’t be any more View shows. Love you guys! x”.
However, fears that they’d sensationally split were played down this week as it was confirmed their remaining shows would go on as planned.
The View play Loopallu tonight, then Aberdeen, Dunkeld, Edinburgh, Falkirk and Manchester’s Neighbourhood Festival next Saturday. They’re venues that missed out on the band’s original Hats Off To The Buskers 10th anniversary tour earlier this year.
Kyle, Kieren, Pete and Steven have undoubtedly come a long way since those heady days in 2007 when mass acclaim greeted their debut LP.
They’ve since recorded four further albums. More recently, Kyle formed his own solo backing band, first glimpsed at last month’s Carnival Fifty-Six in Dundee. But for many it’s still Buskers that best represents the band’s soul.
Their first producer, Perthshirebased Robin Wynn-Evans, is one who reflects on those early days with particular fondness.
“Before we got them in the studio and started a label they were still just 17 and had jobs or study places lined up,” he recalls.
“They had to decide if it was going to be worth it. We worked with them for nearly 18 months before the album, demo-ing and recording and working them up with gigs.
“Those were the starry days but I wouldn’t even let them have a drink when we were in the studio because I thought it might affect the energy behind what they were doing.”
Justifying Evans’ faith, The View signed to a major label and recorded Buskers with Oasis producer Owen Morris.
“They could’ve developed for another couple of years before they went for an album, but it wouldn’t have worked,” Robin insists. “My label Two Thumbs did their first release, The View EP, and our recording of Face For The Radio ended up on Buskers.
“What was great about them was their youthful vigour, an attempt to create a punk pop revolution. That was the idea.”
Tickets for Monday’s show at Dunkeld are still available from Birnam Arts and Ticketmaster.
“There are quite a lot of locals coming but the majority will be from Perth out towards Dundee,” says the 350-capacity venue’s acting manager James Irvine.
“We got offered The View at relatively short notice and they should draw a younger crowd than we’d normally get. Playing here will feel a lot more intimate than normal for the band and we’re delighted to have them.”