The View’s riotous Caird Hall gigs have become the stuff of legend ever since the Dryburgh band first exploded onto the music scene in 2007.
Debut album Hats Off to the Buskers took the shaggy-haired teenagers to the top of the UK album chart and introduced a nation to the concept of the Superstar Tradesman.
The View became one of the most talked about bands in Britain before taking a break in 2017 after a decade of hit singles and hundreds of thousands of album sales.
Now they are back and firing on all cylinders.
The August release of new album Exorcism of Youth will be followed by Scottish gigs in Edinburgh, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen before a Caird Hall show on December 17.
The View and Christmas at the Caird Hall go together like turkey and stuffing and we have opened our archives to look back at some of the band’s homecoming gigs.
April 2007
Some hardcore fans slept outside the venue’s box office to be first in line for the £12.50 tickets and ensure they would be going to the homecoming performance.
The evening of entertainment at the sell-out Caird Hall concert in April 2007 was a celebration of all things Dundee, with four local bands supporting.
Almost every member of the audience claimed to be related in one way or another to the View quartet or to members of the star attraction’s support bands.
Same Jeans and Superstar Tradesman were dedicated to familiar faces in the crowd and sparked a frenzy of activity as the audience got to its feet in unison to dance along with the anthemic Wasted Little DJs, the song which started their amazing rise to the top last August and which ending the night in fine style.
The band rounded off their set with their trademark chant “The View Are On Fire” reverberating around the old venue.
The guys took a welcome day off following the concert before heading off on their full sell-out UK tour, that took in some of the country’s biggest venues.
February 2009
Second album Which Bitch made the Top 10 after being released in February 2009 and the band returned to the Caird Hall to perform another sell-out show.
They received a gift before the homecoming show to mark the success of the album from long-time friend of the band Doreen Culley who created an edible work of art.
The opening chords of recent single 5 Rebbecca’s caused pandemonium in the mosh pit although the biggest problem of the evening was the Caird Hall sound system.
Of course, to the devoted teenage fan base that made up the majority of the concert audience this all mattered little.
December 2009
The View went back to writing and recording tracks for third album Bread & Circuses but decided to perform a Christmas concert at the Caird Hall in December 2009.
The Caird Hall show would be the band’s last appearance in their hometown in 2009 before leaving for Australia for a tour which included a Hogmanay gig in Tasmania.
It may not have been a sell-out, but the screams of the 1,500 or so fans at the hastily-arranged View gig still made it probably its loudest ever Christmas party.
The concert was a breathless run-through of their hits from both albums with Face For The Radio the set highlight which had the audience all but drowning out the band.
April 2011
Bread & Circuses failed to significantly dent the chart on release in March 2011 but they returned to the Caird Hall for yet another triumphant show the following month.
After the obligatory, “You alright Dundee” from lead singer Kyle Falconer, explosive single Grace saw them hit the floor running.
The fans sang every word of every song, but none more than “this song we’ve not played for yonks!”, Same Jeans, a blistering rendition of their biggest hit.
Set closer Shock Horror brought just about the loudest roars of the night.
December 2014
It was that time of year again — shopping nightmares, endless nights out, really annoying TV ads and The View performing a Christmas gig at the Caird Hall.
A packed crowd, all of whom will have known every word of their eight-year setlist, enjoyed a great singalong night with The View’s best party songs.
The Courier said: “Massive cheers from another huge audience greeted the band on opening song Comin Down and neither the pace, nor the noise, let up until the anthemic Anfield Row brought it down to medium pace, but still a huge singalong from the fans, who knew all the words to every song.”
December 2015
The View gave hundreds of avid fans an early Christmas present by playing a homecoming gig designed to raise money for local children.
The city favourites delighted their crowd with performances of their debut classics as well as an array of hits from latest album Ropewalk.
The concert saw the band show their support for a campaign that was to help more than 500 Dundee children that Christmas.
Fans on the guest list were asked for a donation while the band raffled off a signed ukulele.
December 2017
The View set the seal on the first decade of their remarkable career with a typically rousing performance at a packed Caird Hall in December 2017.
It was their farewell gig for the foreseeable future and it also rounded off the year of celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album Hats Off To The Buskers.
Now they are back to create some more Caird Hall memories.
