Review: Beady Eye, Corn Exchange

Liam Gallagher says he's moved on. Oasis in the past. Beady Eye in the future. Typical of the man, his recent interviews are littered with f-words and talk about how his new band can become the biggest on the planet.

"F*** being as big as Oasis," he said. "I want to be bigger than The Beatles."

No pressure, then, as the gobby singer swaggered on stage for Beady Eye's first live outing in these parts.

Like when Oasis played Murrayfield in 2009, there was a real air of occasion as Gallagher returned with a line-up that includes all of his former band, bar brother Noel.

The venue was packed with die-hards and, even though Beady Eye didn't play any Oasis songs, it didn't seem to matter to fans, who greeted songs from Different Gear, Still Speeding like old favourites.

The standard line from critics is that the album's "slightly better than expected", but the crowd gave it a resounding roar of approval, as opening number Four Letter Word unleashed mayhem.

As songs, they're hardly the same standard as the likes of Live Forever and Some Might Say but, along with everything else, the band played them with an energy and enthusiasm that was lacking from the Murrayfield shambles.

As he approaches 40, Gallagher may be mellower than he was, but he still commands attention. Whether sneering into his microphone with his hands behind his back, or messing with a scarf that never left his hands, he oozed the charisma and confidence of one rock 'n' roll's greatest frontmen.

True, standouts The Roller, Bring The Light and Beatles And Stones owe too much to The Beatles and the Stones, but then you could say that about most Oasis tunes, too.

The main thing is these songs inspired mass singalongs last night and, if they can knock out a few more in the same vein, Beady Eye have huge potential.

Source: scotsman.com

Photo Credit: Site Visitor Michael Logan