The View @ Cambridge Junction

The View:

It had been eight years since we were last treated to any studio recordings by The View, so when the band detailed their sixth studio album earlier this year the indie world rejoiced. This exciting news was followed by the announcement of mammoth 24 date UK tour to celebrate the band's comeback. This tour also sees The View pair up with This Feeling, one of the best organizations for championing upcoming musicians, to showcase the best local artists in support slots for each date. Last night's gig saw the band return to Cambridge for the first time in over 10 years, playing a brilliant headline show at Cambridge Junction. Support came in the form of local star Oscar Corney and his incredible band. 

The Indie boom from the early 2000s may seem a distant pass now, but like a phoenix The View have risen from its ashes with one of the albums of the year, 'Exorcism of Youth'. The record is The View at their very best; floor fillers being delivered in an assertive way. All that was needed was a live performance to match the album's brilliance, and The View more than delivered that...

The night was filled with hits a plenty, consisting of songs from their debut album 'Hats Off to the Buskers', their most recent album 'Exorcism of Youth' and all the bangers from in between. The View are led through the set by the genius showmanship of Kyle Falconer, backed up by the brilliant bass playing of Kieren Webster and the swagger-filled guitar playing of Pete Reilly. The original trio are joined by their new live drummer Jay Sharrock who is a ball of energy on the sticks, and long-term touring keyboardist Darren Rennie. The chemistry between the five is palpable, with their Scottish patter keeping the crowd laughing throughout the night.

The crowd seemed almost hesitant at the start of the night, but it didn't take long for The View's energy to rub off on the crowd, further motivated by hilarious words of encouragement from the stage like "come on you fannies". Before long chants of "The View are on fire" were being sung around the Junction between songs. 'Allergic to Mornings' gathered one of the biggest singalongs of the night with the crowd lapping up its catchy chorus, whilst mega-hit 'Same Jeans' got the expected raucous eruption.

The highlight of the night for me was the band's performance of 'Superstar Tradesman' which saw a crowd singalong lead the first verse, before being joined back by Falconer for a huge chorus. This epitomised the night, a sense of unity being steered by a live band who are as good as they come.

There are still a number of dates left on this tour, and we cannot recommend you head down to a show near you