Even by Liam Gallagher's standards, the past week has been a big one. The talk surrounding his first sibling-less exploits ceased, and, on Monday 28th February 2011, the walking commenced. Different Gear, Still Speeding was released to an intruiged, skeptical and excited audience. Three days later, Liam, flanked by his loyal troops Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock, arrived onstage at Glasgow Barrowlands for the inaugral run of the Beady Eye express. A further four days on from their debut fling in the Highlands, it was time for this writer to witness first hand this cocky group of upstarts live at the Manchester Apollo.
For chronology's sake, let's deal with the album first;
Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding
Subtlety has never been one of Liam's strong suits and it's proven as early as the album title. Different Gear, Still Speeding isn't so much a coded message as it is a declaration of intent. An intent shown within the opening seconds of 'Four Letter Word', a monstrous psychedelic stomp that crashes through the speakers like a Desert boot through an acoustic guitar. Messrs Bell, Archer and Sharrock provide the Townshend-esque wall of sound which is built around the hungriest growl we've heard from Liam since 'My Big Mouth' some 14 years ago.
This however, does not set the tone for the rest of the album. The following, Andy Bell penned 'Millionaire' has an almost, dare I say it, country vibe with tributes being paid to, of all people, Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali ("Sweet Salvador, the shadows painted and the light he saw/ The way I see it now so clear/ Like diamonds on the water"). If that early surprise wasn't enough, Liam 'woo's', yes, 'woo's' on 'Wind Up Dream'. Where on Earth did this angry young man learn to 'woo'?
The tone for this album, in fact, is one of surprise. Surprise that it isn't simply riff after sing-a-long anthem after sunshiiiiiiiiiiine. Ok, so 'The Roller', whilst being a perfectly fine debut single, is pretty simple stuff, there's still ambition, grooves and melodies. There's of course odes to Lennon, but tastefully done, matured odes in 'The Beat Goes on' and 'The Morning Son', both of which play the album out in a glorious blaze of floaty psychedelics.
In fact, it is this dedication to the sixties that proves Liam isn't the punk he would sometimes like us to think he is. He's an absolute hippie at heart. The duff, 'My Generation' nostalgia trip that is 'Beatles and Stones' and paint-by-numbers 'Standing On The Edge Of The Noise' prove that his strength doesn't always lie in the heavier realms. The six minute voyage of 'Wigwam' adds further weight to this argument.
However, with that said, it's a three minute slice of unadulterated rock and roll that takes home the spoils of best track. The 50's piano crunch of 'Bring The Light' couldn't be any less Madchester or Britpop if it tried. No accusations of Status Quo or Beatles bootlegging can be levelled at it. It's Jerry Lewis or Little Richard if it's anything, and it'd take a damp, rigid soul to criticise Liam's vernacular on it. "I'm comin' in, ya comin out/ I'm coming up, ya comin' down" and repeated yells of "Baby come on" may not be Pulitzer winning stuff, but who gives a shit when it sounds so good?
As first albums go, and this IS a first album, despite the familiar personnel, it's a bold statement fuelled with ambition and nostalgia. It doesn't always work, but hits the mark more often than it misses. A two finger salute to the cynics if ever there was one.
Rating: 4/5
And so, onto this past Monday night at the Manchester Apollo;
Beady Eye - Manchester Apollo 07/03/2011
The atmosphere inside the Apollo fuses the passion of the football terrace with the style of 60's Carnaby Street and the smell of Howard Marks' front room. The soundtrack accompanying this baying throng pays homage to those who have inspired their main act for the evening. The Jam's 'That's Entertainment' and 'I am The Resurrection' by The Stone Roses are hardly shocking choices to warm up the sell out crowd's vocals, yet they are perfectly apt. As the clock strikes 9.15 p.m, Weller and Brown's work is done, now, over to you Mr. Gallagher.
Liam, in turn, responds with an equal measure of aggression, which threatens to boil over early doors when what looks like a bottle of poppers strikes the stage. The old Winston Churchill hand gestures are dished out before his own brand of welcoming pleasantries are exchanged with his hometown crowd. It's good to be back.
It's a testament to Bell, Archer and Sharrock that even the duds on Different Gear, Still Speeding shine in a live environment. They amp up the groove on 'Beatles and Stones', 'Wind Up Dream' and 'Three Ring Circus' and turn album track also rans into instant crowd pleasers.
However, this barnstorming cohesion can't save the lull in atmosphere for the lesser known tracks that have yet to be accustomed to. 'Millionaire', 'For Anyone' and 'Kill For A Dream' see their fair share of bar walks, a shame when considering their quality, yet an inevitability given the record's current age. The Summer festival circuit ought to see improved reactions.
"This next one's called Bring the FUCKIN' Light" declares Liam, and here come the crowd surfers, helplessly bouncing off heads and shoulders almost to the irresistable thump of the piano keys. It proves a smashingly apt halfway point. A couple of lesser album tracks allow recovery time before the home stretch kicks in.
Unfortunately, this home stretch does not include the 'run to Stonehenge and dance in a circle' hedonism of 'Wigwam', but it does include the final two album tracks, 'The Beat Goes On' and 'The Morning Son' played to absolute perfection amidst a swirl of oil lamps and kaleidoscopic imagery. Already, the arm in arm brotherhood is apparent amongst the crowd, and no one's even mentioned the dreaded 'O word'.
A brief departure is broken up with the words "Any World of Twist fans in tonight?" as the solitary encore offering, a cover of the aforementioned's 'Sons of The Stage' gets fists pumping and more limbs hurtling over the barricades. The "Liam" chants now being joined by the perhaps more suitable "Beady Eye" chants as the band depart. No grandiose gestures, not even for the hometown crowd. A simple "Nice one" and "Thankyou" are the order of the evening, indicating that, on tonight's showing, there's a lot more to come from these newcomers.
Until next time,
Keep on Keepin' on,
Baia
X
For chronology's sake, let's deal with the album first;
Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding
This however, does not set the tone for the rest of the album. The following, Andy Bell penned 'Millionaire' has an almost, dare I say it, country vibe with tributes being paid to, of all people, Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali ("Sweet Salvador, the shadows painted and the light he saw/ The way I see it now so clear/ Like diamonds on the water"). If that early surprise wasn't enough, Liam 'woo's', yes, 'woo's' on 'Wind Up Dream'. Where on Earth did this angry young man learn to 'woo'?
The tone for this album, in fact, is one of surprise. Surprise that it isn't simply riff after sing-a-long anthem after sunshiiiiiiiiiiine. Ok, so 'The Roller', whilst being a perfectly fine debut single, is pretty simple stuff, there's still ambition, grooves and melodies. There's of course odes to Lennon, but tastefully done, matured odes in 'The Beat Goes on' and 'The Morning Son', both of which play the album out in a glorious blaze of floaty psychedelics.
In fact, it is this dedication to the sixties that proves Liam isn't the punk he would sometimes like us to think he is. He's an absolute hippie at heart. The duff, 'My Generation' nostalgia trip that is 'Beatles and Stones' and paint-by-numbers 'Standing On The Edge Of The Noise' prove that his strength doesn't always lie in the heavier realms. The six minute voyage of 'Wigwam' adds further weight to this argument.
However, with that said, it's a three minute slice of unadulterated rock and roll that takes home the spoils of best track. The 50's piano crunch of 'Bring The Light' couldn't be any less Madchester or Britpop if it tried. No accusations of Status Quo or Beatles bootlegging can be levelled at it. It's Jerry Lewis or Little Richard if it's anything, and it'd take a damp, rigid soul to criticise Liam's vernacular on it. "I'm comin' in, ya comin out/ I'm coming up, ya comin' down" and repeated yells of "Baby come on" may not be Pulitzer winning stuff, but who gives a shit when it sounds so good?
As first albums go, and this IS a first album, despite the familiar personnel, it's a bold statement fuelled with ambition and nostalgia. It doesn't always work, but hits the mark more often than it misses. A two finger salute to the cynics if ever there was one.
Rating: 4/5
And so, onto this past Monday night at the Manchester Apollo;
Beady Eye - Manchester Apollo 07/03/2011
The atmosphere inside the Apollo fuses the passion of the football terrace with the style of 60's Carnaby Street and the smell of Howard Marks' front room. The soundtrack accompanying this baying throng pays homage to those who have inspired their main act for the evening. The Jam's 'That's Entertainment' and 'I am The Resurrection' by The Stone Roses are hardly shocking choices to warm up the sell out crowd's vocals, yet they are perfectly apt. As the clock strikes 9.15 p.m, Weller and Brown's work is done, now, over to you Mr. Gallagher.Foundation shaking chants of "Liam, Liam, Liam" swell through the underbelly of the crowd as the music comes to a halt. However, as easy as it would be to swagger onstage all ego and mad fer it bravado, it's a team effort. Easy as it would be for Liam on this, the second of his two homecoming shows Beady Eye will play on this tour, to waltz on last to savour the adulation before signalling to the rest that he's ready to start, it is 'the rest' that prompt him. Andy Bell, Gem Archer and Chris Sharrock waste no time in ripping straight into 'Four Letter Word', which loses none of the face thumping aggression and impact it possesses on vinyl.
Liam, in turn, responds with an equal measure of aggression, which threatens to boil over early doors when what looks like a bottle of poppers strikes the stage. The old Winston Churchill hand gestures are dished out before his own brand of welcoming pleasantries are exchanged with his hometown crowd. It's good to be back.
It's a testament to Bell, Archer and Sharrock that even the duds on Different Gear, Still Speeding shine in a live environment. They amp up the groove on 'Beatles and Stones', 'Wind Up Dream' and 'Three Ring Circus' and turn album track also rans into instant crowd pleasers.
However, this barnstorming cohesion can't save the lull in atmosphere for the lesser known tracks that have yet to be accustomed to. 'Millionaire', 'For Anyone' and 'Kill For A Dream' see their fair share of bar walks, a shame when considering their quality, yet an inevitability given the record's current age. The Summer festival circuit ought to see improved reactions.
"This next one's called Bring the FUCKIN' Light" declares Liam, and here come the crowd surfers, helplessly bouncing off heads and shoulders almost to the irresistable thump of the piano keys. It proves a smashingly apt halfway point. A couple of lesser album tracks allow recovery time before the home stretch kicks in.
Unfortunately, this home stretch does not include the 'run to Stonehenge and dance in a circle' hedonism of 'Wigwam', but it does include the final two album tracks, 'The Beat Goes On' and 'The Morning Son' played to absolute perfection amidst a swirl of oil lamps and kaleidoscopic imagery. Already, the arm in arm brotherhood is apparent amongst the crowd, and no one's even mentioned the dreaded 'O word'.
A brief departure is broken up with the words "Any World of Twist fans in tonight?" as the solitary encore offering, a cover of the aforementioned's 'Sons of The Stage' gets fists pumping and more limbs hurtling over the barricades. The "Liam" chants now being joined by the perhaps more suitable "Beady Eye" chants as the band depart. No grandiose gestures, not even for the hometown crowd. A simple "Nice one" and "Thankyou" are the order of the evening, indicating that, on tonight's showing, there's a lot more to come from these newcomers.
Until next time,
Keep on Keepin' on,
Baia
X
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