After four albums, The View have no shortage of material to unleash on their legions of fans, writes Alan Wilson, Rocktalk writer.
For some bands, that means picking and choosing an hour’s worth of their favourite songs and taking the plaudits before leaving the building.
But this was a homecoming Christmas gig for the Dundee heroes and Kyle, Kieren, Pete and Steve, along with keyboard player and backing vocalist Reni, know what is required when they are in front of their mates in the Caird Hall.
Starting off with singles Grace from third album Bread and Circuses and Wasted Little DJs from debut album Hats Off to the Buskers, it was an electric start, performed at breakneck speed.
So fast, in fact, it was hard to make out the lyrics, not that it mattered as 100% of the audience knew them all anyway.
Hit after hit, including Superstar Tradesman, Underneath The Lights, Sunday a fantastic highlight Same Jeans, old standards Gran’s For Tea and Skag Trendy, How Long, Blondie, Face for the Radio, The Clock and current single Tacky Tattoo followed in the near-two hour set, along with their favourite album tracks from all four top 20 albums.
Add in the huge response for the cover of Oasis’ Cigarettes and Alcohol and it was hardly surprising that Kieren bemoaned how hot it was on stage.
Even less surprising to witness were the constant hordes of sweaty teenagers and early-twentysomethings, some barely able to stand, streaming towards the exits for some much-needed fresh air.
In contrast to the frenzied start to the show, the classiest song of the night, The Clock, was given the respect it deserved, the audience singing along in a thankfully slightly less frantic mood.
Face for the Radio kept it acoustic but no less noisy, while at the tail end of the show, Shock Horror was a pulsating finisher.
With an impressive light show and a pretty fine sound, it was yet another triumphant night for the Dryburgh foursome in what has become an annual fixture in the city’s music calendar.
Before them, their pals Anderson McGinty Webster Ward and Fisher provided a superb support set.
Playing to the early crowd, it seemed a hard task to be heard about the chatter of hundreds of mainly 14-year-old girls intent on positioning themselves for when The View came on. But the sheer quality of their songs, eclectic instrumentation and songwriting won the day and the crowd lapped them up as they always do.
For a fuller photo gallery, click here.
awilson@thecourier.co.uk