Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Hats off to The View
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 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 demo version of Same Jeans was a particular favourite, and it was pretty exciting to see them live for the first time in Glasgow and get introduced to the legendary ‘The View are on fire’ chants.
“I remember seeing them at the Art School in Glasgow and I’m pretty sure most of the audience had come through on a bus from Dundee, but word soon spread.”
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.
“They did wonderful strippedback versions of Same Jeans, Face
For The Radio and Wasted Little DJs,” recalled Jim.
“More than once I had to translate the broad Dundonian for my colleagues and that became a bit of a standing joke.”
Jim reckons the support the band got from Radio 1 was “probably key” to their success.
“It was pretty special hearing Zane Lowe big them up for the first time,” he said.
“I was lucky enough to see them at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Caird Park in 2006. That was pretty special.
“It was just so exciting to see the band develop in a fairly short time with bigger venues each time and some memorable festival appearances.
“I remember seeing them do an acoustic thing at Koko in London when they were nominated for XFM’s New Music Award in 2008.