Gig Review - The View

The View
The Met Lounge, Peterborough
Wednesday, 6th September 2006

Peterborough is a long way from Dundee, but news travels fast in rock n’ roll, resulting in the pokey venue selling out before you had a chance to ask “Did you hear that Little DJs song on Jo Whiley today?”

The four likely lads in The View are riding a rollercoaster of commercial radio fervour, with even the most sceptical cynic heard humming That song on the bus. But you can’t blame Kyle, Keiren, Peter and Steve for that – nobody turns down success however fast it comes.

But are these Scottish scallies another Bravery, following one good single with a turgid album and soulless live performances? Songs like the infectious ‘Coming Down’ dispel this thought with one howl of Kyle’s voice. Sounding like an early-Libertines Pete Doherty crossing swords with Bobby Gillespie, it clashes against jagged guitars with remarkable cohesion for such an inexperienced band.

However, a shambolic and loveable quality which has earned Libertines comparisons is evident in ‘Skag Trendy’, with danceable noise substituting for any conventional melody, yet managing to remain altogether charming.

It is, of course, ‘Wasted Little DJs’ that earns the largest cheer from the lager-fuelled crowd, chanting every word as if waiting for this moment all week. The laddish nature of the crowd is striking – The View’s possible longevity could owe to this, with blokes normally seen throwing chairs in the local Wetherspoons as attracted to their urgent indie sound as the drainpipe-clad scenesters standing at the back.

Nevertheless, more substance is needed if these tykes are to last the course. Mid-set, songs began to blend into one, with incomprehensible mutterings from Kyle between numbers only adding to the reduction of intensity.

Whether they have enough great songs is still debatable. They need the help of ‘Definitely Maybe’ producer Owen Morris to ensure their album has a cleaner sound, while maintaining their live energy. But with only a handful of gigs behind them, their potential is almost as huge as their haircuts.

6 out of 10


Greg Rose