| Kyle Falconer | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kyle Francis Falconer |
| Born | 6 June 1987 Dundee, Scotland |
| Genres | Indie pop Alternative rock |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, piano, bass guitar, harmonica, drums |
| Years active | 2005 - present |
| Associated acts | The View, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl |
Kyle Francis Falconer[1] (born 6 June 1987, Dundee, Scotland) 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.[2]
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.[3]
As of 2009, he and the rest of the band currently reside in Liverpool.
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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." "[4]
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?"[5]
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.
In interviews Falconer frequently cites Oasis, 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.[6] 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."[7]
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.[7] 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".[6]
The View'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.[8] 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.[9]
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.[10]
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.[11] However, The View did not issue an official statement of apology.
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