Kyle Falconer
Encyclopedia
Kyle Francis Falconer is the lead vocalist with Scottish band The View
. Along with the other band members, Falconer hails from the Dryburgh
district of Dundee
. He shares songwriting responsibilities with bass guitarist Kieren Webster
.
In 2007 he was convicted of possessing cocaine, resulting in the cancellation of The View's US tour.
Falconer was taken to hospital in Japan in May 2007 suffering from suspected blood poisoning, but was released after four days. The band was in Japan promoting their album Hats Off to the Buskers
and played some gigs without him before he recovered to continue the tour.
As of 2009, he and the rest of the band currently reside in Liverpool
.
Falconer had a long term girlfriend, Katie Gwyther, to whom the track 'Gem of a Bird' is dedicated. Gwyther also contributed vocals to the song, which appears on The View's second album. Of the duet Falconer notes, "There were no plans for her to actually sing on it, because I'm not saying anything good! It's just saying how my bird is always telling me how to spell stuff and everything. But I know better than her. And so forth, man. It does what it says on the tin." "
In February 2009, it was reported that Falconer and Gwyther are no longer a couple, reportedly due to his excessive alcohol consumption. Justifying the split, Falconer explained, "Am I a good drunk? No, that's why I split up from my girlfriend, she said I'm a psychopath, schizophrenic, I don't know why, I just talk rubbish, but don't we all?"
In 2010 it was revealed that Falconer's mother had died in late 2009, so that Kyle had no parents from the age of 22, as his father had died when he was a child.
, The Beatles
, The Clash
, Fleetwood Mac
and Squeeze as influences.
Although all members of The View
are said to be fans of The Beatles
, Falconer is deemed to be the most infatuated. In 2008 he claimed that the band were the first thing he thought about in the morning. The following year, he admitted that when he met Paul McCartney
he was so overwhelmed that he "had to run to the toilet and just burst into tears". He further added, "I love The Beatles
. I wanted to ask him to collaborate with us."
Falconer also notes that he "still gets a bit of a judder" when he bumps into Liam
and Noel Gallagher
, as despite his own fame, he finds it strange to have become an acquaintance of his idols. In 2000, several years before The View
's commercial success, Falconer and bandmate Pete Reilly attended Scottish music festival T in the Park
to see Oasis
perform live and were positioned at the front of the crowd.
Falconer speaks regularly about his love for Fleetwood Mac
, in particular Stevie Nicks
. In 2008, Falconer told The List that the last thing he thinks of before he goes to sleep at night is "getting married to Stevie Nicks
in her prime".
's extra-curricular activities, in particular their alcohol
and illegal drug consumption, are widely noted by the national press. As such, they are often portrayed as party animals.
Most significant of the stories which have been reported is that of Kyle Falconer's arrest and subsequent conviction relating to his possession of cocaine
. Falconer was arrested for the possession of three grams (of which police officers estimated a street value of approximately £150) of the substance following a gig at the University of Abertay in 2007. His defence agent, Billy Boyle, claimed he had been passed the drug by music industry insiders at the gig and further claimed he had not ingested any of the substance. On behalf of Falconer, Boyle also requested an absolute discharge, as it was deemed that a conviction would hinder the possibility of a future North American tour. Sheriff Paul Arthurson denied the request, fining Falconer £1000. The View
have since been refused entry to the USA, prompting public claims from Falconer that they are permanently banned from both America and Japan. In interviews since the conviction, however, the band have insisted that drugs are no longer an issue and they are hoping to fulfil a tour of the States in the near future.
On more than one occasion, Kyle Falconer has been unable to perform due to excessive alcohol consumption. During an extensive British tour in 2008, it was reported that Falconer arrived on stage at The Social in Nottingham so drunk that his band were eventually forced to replace him with the vocalist from The View's support act, The Law
. It is rumoured that while in a nearby pub before the scheduled show, Falconer himself admitted to a fan that he thought he was too drunk to perform. In a statement released after the gig, Falconer told the Daily Record
: "I'm really sorry to have let all our fans down. There's no excuses, I'm just really sorry I got so drunk and couldn't do the gig. We all love playing live, so I feel terrible I let the fans and the band down and couldn't put on our usual show." In attempt to remedy the situation, the band rescheduled the show and returned to Nottingham just months later, where Falconer fulfilled his usual duties.
More recently, the press have reported that The View's set at Austria's Snowbombing
Festival descended in chaos after Kyle Falconer supposedly collapsed whilst on stage. Fans recount that, after fainting, Falconer left the stage approximately fifteen minutes into the band's set. Bassist Kieren Webster was then forced to apologise to the crowd, claiming that Falconer was not feeling well. However, The View did not issue an official statement of apology.
The View (band)
The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music....
. Along with the other band members, Falconer hails from the Dryburgh
Dryburgh (Dundee district)
Dryburgh is the name of a district of Dundee, Scotland, home to The View. The band featured locations throughout the area in their video for their 2006 track Superstar Tradesman. The Dryburgh estate has been used for the band's 2007 videos for Skag Trendy and The Don...
district of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
. He shares songwriting responsibilities with bass guitarist Kieren Webster
Kieren Webster
Kieren Clark Webster, is the bass guitarist and occasional lead vocalist for Scottish band The View. Along with frontman Kyle Falconer, he writes the majority of The View's material. In 2006, he was placed 6th in NME's Cool List...
.
In 2007 he was convicted of possessing cocaine, resulting in the cancellation of The View's US tour.
Falconer was taken to hospital in Japan in May 2007 suffering from suspected blood poisoning, but was released after four days. The band was in Japan promoting their album Hats Off to the Buskers
Hats Off to the Buskers
Hats Off to the Buskers is the debut album by Scottish band The View. It was released on 22 January 2007 on 1965 Records. It was reported on the band's official forum that the album had leaked to various internet sites in mid December 2006. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at #1 on 28 January...
and played some gigs without him before he recovered to continue the tour.
As of 2009, he and the rest of the band currently reside in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
Personal life
Falconer is currently the only member of The View to have moved away from his native Dundee. He was until recently living with friends at Newington Green, London.Falconer had a long term girlfriend, Katie Gwyther, to whom the track 'Gem of a Bird' is dedicated. Gwyther also contributed vocals to the song, which appears on The View's second album. Of the duet Falconer notes, "There were no plans for her to actually sing on it, because I'm not saying anything good! It's just saying how my bird is always telling me how to spell stuff and everything. But I know better than her. And so forth, man. It does what it says on the tin." "
In February 2009, it was reported that Falconer and Gwyther are no longer a couple, reportedly due to his excessive alcohol consumption. Justifying the split, Falconer explained, "Am I a good drunk? No, that's why I split up from my girlfriend, she said I'm a psychopath, schizophrenic, I don't know why, I just talk rubbish, but don't we all?"
In 2010 it was revealed that Falconer's mother had died in late 2009, so that Kyle had no parents from the age of 22, as his father had died when he was a child.
Influences
In interviews Falconer frequently cites OasisOasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
and Squeeze as influences.
Although all members of The View
The View (band)
The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music....
are said to be fans of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Falconer is deemed to be the most infatuated. In 2008 he claimed that the band were the first thing he thought about in the morning. The following year, he admitted that when he met Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
he was so overwhelmed that he "had to run to the toilet and just burst into tears". He further added, "I love The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. I wanted to ask him to collaborate with us."
Falconer also notes that he "still gets a bit of a judder" when he bumps into Liam
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
and Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
, as despite his own fame, he finds it strange to have become an acquaintance of his idols. In 2000, several years before The View
The View (band)
The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music....
's commercial success, Falconer and bandmate Pete Reilly attended Scottish music festival T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
to see Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
perform live and were positioned at the front of the crowd.
Falconer speaks regularly about his love for Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, in particular Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
. In 2008, Falconer told The List that the last thing he thinks of before he goes to sleep at night is "getting married to Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
in her prime".
Drug and alcohol use
The ViewThe View (band)
The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music....
's extra-curricular activities, in particular their alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and illegal drug consumption, are widely noted by the national press. As such, they are often portrayed as party animals.
Most significant of the stories which have been reported is that of Kyle Falconer's arrest and subsequent conviction relating to his possession of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. Falconer was arrested for the possession of three grams (of which police officers estimated a street value of approximately £150) of the substance following a gig at the University of Abertay in 2007. His defence agent, Billy Boyle, claimed he had been passed the drug by music industry insiders at the gig and further claimed he had not ingested any of the substance. On behalf of Falconer, Boyle also requested an absolute discharge, as it was deemed that a conviction would hinder the possibility of a future North American tour. Sheriff Paul Arthurson denied the request, fining Falconer £1000. The View
The View (band)
The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music....
have since been refused entry to the USA, prompting public claims from Falconer that they are permanently banned from both America and Japan. In interviews since the conviction, however, the band have insisted that drugs are no longer an issue and they are hoping to fulfil a tour of the States in the near future.
On more than one occasion, Kyle Falconer has been unable to perform due to excessive alcohol consumption. During an extensive British tour in 2008, it was reported that Falconer arrived on stage at The Social in Nottingham so drunk that his band were eventually forced to replace him with the vocalist from The View's support act, The Law
The Law (Scotland band)
The Law are an indie rock band from Dundee in Scotland. Their debut album "A Measure Of Wealth" was released in September 2009 through their own record label Local Boy Records . The first single to precede the album, "Don't Stop, Believe", was released on 20 July 2009...
. It is rumoured that while in a nearby pub before the scheduled show, Falconer himself admitted to a fan that he thought he was too drunk to perform. In a statement released after the gig, Falconer told the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
: "I'm really sorry to have let all our fans down. There's no excuses, I'm just really sorry I got so drunk and couldn't do the gig. We all love playing live, so I feel terrible I let the fans and the band down and couldn't put on our usual show." In attempt to remedy the situation, the band rescheduled the show and returned to Nottingham just months later, where Falconer fulfilled his usual duties.
More recently, the press have reported that The View's set at Austria's Snowbombing
Snowbombing
Snowbombing is a popular week-long winter sports and music festival held annually in the spring at the Austrian ski resort of Mayrhofen.The event has been run since 2000 when it was first held at the French resort of Risoul as an après-ski nightclub promotional exercise started by English promoters...
Festival descended in chaos after Kyle Falconer supposedly collapsed whilst on stage. Fans recount that, after fainting, Falconer left the stage approximately fifteen minutes into the band's set. Bassist Kieren Webster was then forced to apologise to the crowd, claiming that Falconer was not feeling well. However, The View did not issue an official statement of apology.