Features / Dundee rockers get set for mid-summer show
One of Scotland’s top bands will visit Shetland for the second time this weekend. Dundee four-piece The View will headline Lerwick’s Mareel on Saturday as they bring their indie-rock gusto to the isles for a mid summer show.
The group – whose debut album ‘Hats Off to the Buskers’ reached No.1 seven years ago – first played Shetland in 2012.
The Klub Revolution gig will also mark a homecoming for Shetland born Jack Sandison, who will return with his band The Holy Ghosts to provide support alongside fellow warm-up acts The Last and North Country Fair.
Speaking to Shetland News, View bassist Kieren Webster said that the group might incorporate some rare songs into their usual, high energy live set as a treat for their northerly fans.
“I’m pretty excited, it should be cool. The last time was a really good gig, so we’re hoping for the same. It’s good to play places where bands don’t come to every other day. People see it as more of an event and everyone makes the effort.
“We were on a stripped back, acoustic tour last week, so we’ll maybe throw in a couple of the older and more obscure songs, as well as the normal live electric set. It’ll probably be a mish-mash of both.”
The Lerwick date comes only weeks before The View play London’s Hyde Park as support for The Libertines and Webster added that after almost ten years in existence, the band still hope to one day top the bill at a festival event.
“We’ve still not headlined a major festival, which is something that I would want to do,” the bass player replied when asked what The View still hope to achieve.
“I suppose that’s really the big one. We’ve done main stages and played pretty high up – T in the Park, the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury – but we’ve never headlined a major festival. I take it our best chance of doing that would be in Scotland. That would be the biggest goal.”
Sandison meanwhile will bring his Holy Ghosts bandmates to the isles off the back of releasing of their debut album ‘Ride Them Down’.
The blues-tinged rock and rollers, who Oasis producer Owen Morris dubbed the ‘best live band on the Scottish music scene by far’, will provide the main support to The View and frontman Sandison is set to grace Mareel’s stage for the first time.
It has been a few years since I have gigged on Shetland soil and it will be the first official gig as The Holy Ghosts in this format,” he said. “I have
only been in Mareel during the Blues Festival, and word is certainly getting around that is an established venue in the north. We look forward to gracing her on Saturday night. We pray she is not a harsh mistress. Lord don’t slow us down!
“Since the build-up to the release of the album we have supported Status Quo in front of 5,500 people, supported The View on tour as well as also playing three sell-out shows for our album launches. We hope the people of Shetland will like the album and give it a listen.
“Needless to say the boys and myself are all very excited to come back. Our guitarist Jon has very fond memories and we always like to see familiar Shetland faces at the shows.
“We are yet to branch out into the Shetland scene and we hope this will be a great opportunity for locals to see the kind of music we are creating south. Since the last time we have added brass and defined our sound with newer elements of country and a modern take on rhythm and blues.”
- There are still some tickets available to see The View at Mareel on Saturday night at Shetland Box Office, priced £23.
Chris Cope
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