It seems now finally that Liam Gallagher’s new band Beady Eye have shaken off the expectation of failure that surrounded them from the word go. Shorn of the creative impetus behind Oasis, Noel Gallagher, the overwhelming predictions for the younger brothers’ new guise was of underwhelming mediocrity. However, debut album ‘Different Gear, Still Speeding’ has received the positive praise that it deserved, and as Tuesday’s live show at Southampton Guildhall proves, the live show leaves little to be desired.
No shout-outs for ‘Wonderwall’ or ‘Morning Glory’, Beady Eye owned the packed-out venue with a raucous set comprising their entire record, with Liam particularly a front man reborn. The energetic support of Steve Cradock may have wetted the appetites, as well as a superb selection of Beatles, Rolling Stones and Who tracks that led up to their appearance, but there was only one reason why a flock of Gallagher impersonators and ‘lads’ descended on Southampton tonight.
From the moment Liam took the stage it was a prime example of why he is still one of the biggest rock stars still around; moody, arrogant, full of attitude and strutting around like he owns the place. With just a simple statement ‘We are Beady Eye and this is Four Letter Word’, we are off and running in triumphant fashion with the boisterous album opener.
It’s a hell of a lot like an Oasis gig actually. You’ve got your go-mental tracks, the jump-and-downers, like ‘Beatles and Stones’, next single ‘Millionaire’ and the piano rocker ‘Bring The Light’; but you’ve also got your grab-the-nearest-skinhead sing-a-longs; ‘The Roller’ the first, ‘Kill For A Dream’ and ‘The Beat Goes On’ coming later. And, much like an Oasis gig, you’ve got your little stage movement, you’ve got little in the way of a stage ‘show’, you’re covered in beer and you’re lucky if you’re not next to a fight.
But there’s one difference. Anyone who was lucky enough to see a later-day Oasis gig saw a band in top form but a lead singer who had stopped putting 100% into his voice. Liam Gallagher in Oasis post-Britpop was about anger and style, but not about vocal quality. That seems to have changed in Beady Eye. He’s now dotting all the I’s and crossing all the T’s as he puts his range to the test in the high-key ‘For Anyone’ and rasping ‘Wind-Up Dream’. And it’s phenomenal, not quite ‘Definitely Maybe’ class but a Liam on a mission to prove himself and Beady Eye is a force to be reckoned with.
With the Champagne Supernova-esque ‘The Morning Son’ capping the all-conquering main set, the band return for two more – the psychedelic ‘Wigwam’ and World of Twist cover ‘Sons of the Stage’; que more hysteria amongst a young but wild crowd. ‘Thanks for coming out, checking it out’ is the goodbye message from Liam, safe in the knowledge it was a job well done tonight.
We shuffle out, reeking off Carlsberg and the lads you hugged half way through, to The Beatles’ ‘Good Night’. An extremely fitting way to cap it all off, I think.
NWR
