Eighteen months to 2 years ago, I seemed to see The View all the time. Last time I saw them properly was at The Forum in London last April, but the first time was only about 6 months before that - and I'm sure I saw them half a dozen times in that short period. They have been away for a while, making a second album, and this was the sole London date on a huge tour of the UK - taking in some very small venues, in some towns that wouldn't normally get a visit from a band like this. So, this was by far the biggest date on the tour, and there seemed to be photographers galore at the front.Support for this show were Holy Ghost Revival, one of The View's labelmates on 1965 Records. Having a former Rough Trade employee as your head honcho (one who signed The Libertines too), should spell success - but The View aside, none of 1965's other signings have really pulled up any trees. Watching Holy Ghost Revival made it easy to see why not. The band had a pretty "unique" stage show - pretty entertaining in parts, and you could see how somebody could see them live in a small(er) venue and think they were amazing. But, they seemed to be all about the live show, and not much about their songs, which seemed distinctly average.
The band are from Seattle, and have a frontman who more than earns his money. He sang 2 songs from in the crowd, and he reminded you of Iggy Pop with his shirt off, rolling around on the stage. Their tour manager even came on stage to sing one song, which was probably the best of their set. It was very entertaining to watch (even if it was a bit reminiscent of The Darkness in its over the top, cheesiness) - you didn't want to take your eyes off the stage in case you missed something. But, not a single song that they played made any lasting impression. I can see how they got signed on the strength of their live show - but can also see why they don't sell many records. If you heard them on CD without seeing them live, you wouldn't give them a second listen. That said, I will try to get in early, next time I see them supporting somebody, as they are worth another look live.
Very early (but then, this is the Astoria), The View came on stage to a venue that still had lots of space to move around in. They started off with a couple of new songs, the second of which was the excellent new single 5 Rebbeccas. That was followed immediately by Wasted Little DJs, by the end of which, everybody was thoroughly warmed up! The set comprised about half old and half new songs overall, the newer songs sounded generally quite good, albeit more elaborate and less punky than the older material. The audience seemed to react well to the new songs too, which bodes well for their new album. But overall, it was of course difficult to go mad to songs that you were hearing for the first time. This was a showcase gig, but the warmest audience reactions were still for the old, familiar songs - and these were sprinkled in regularly, so that a familiar tune was never far away. The set ended up in familiar style, with Same Jeans and Superstar Tradesman, although there did seem to be a couple of other decent songs that might make potential set closers in a few months time. The View seem to be capable of writing material that at least lives up to their first album. Welcome back.
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