DIFFERENT GEAR, STILL SEETHING: A LOOK AT BEADY EYE'S SHORT RUN

10/31/25

After the fall of the mighty Oasis, a new group stood in the shadow of the commercial giant. Noel had left Oasis after a dispute backstage at a gig in Paris, leaving Liam, Andy Bell, Gem Archer, and Chris Sharrock to form a new group in August 2009. The remaining members decided to continue making music under the name Beady Eye, seemingly a nod to Liam's beady-eyed brother. From an interview in 2011, conducted by Darryl Sterdan, Liam claimed that the name had no deeper meaning and was "Just...a saying in England." He doubled down and said, "[At the time] we were still called Andy, Liam, Gem and Chris. I thought that was a shit name for a band." Liam announced in November 2009 that he and the former members of Oasis had begun writing songs for their new project and that they'd be playing shows soon after. They began recording their debut album in late 2009 or early 2010. There honestly isn't a ton known about the band, so I haven't been able to find a definitive date. The first single, released on November 9th, 2010, was entitled "Bring the Light". It was initially released as a download only single, but it soon had a limited physical release that helped it chart at #61 on the UK Singles chart. "Four Letter Word", my personal favorite from their first record, was released in December 2010 as a promotional single. In January 2011, "The Roller" was released; the last single to be dropped before the release of their debut album. 

The bands first record, Different Gear, Still Speeding, was released in February of 2011. It was recorded and produced by Steve Lillywhite at RAK Studios in London. To have Steve Lillywhite produce the album, despite his extensive career, was a controversial decision amongst fans. It sold 66,817 copies in its first week, debuting at #3 on the UK Albums chart. It was certified as gold on the UK Albums chart, selling 191,000 copies, around 400,000 or so short of the worst performing Oasis album, Dig Out Your Soul. The record received mixed reviews upon release, the average score being 65%. Critics were surprised to find that it surpassed the preconceived notion that it would fail due to the lack of Noel's songwriting input. They highlighted Liam's voice as a selling point of the record, as it had improved since his voice had been shot during the final Oasis tours. I'm relistening to the record as I write this post and I'm on board with much of what the critics are saying. Liam's voice sounds surprisingly great compared to what I've seen from the final Oasis tour, but I feel that it falls short of Dig Out Your Soul, an uncut gem from Oasis' discography. Take a look at the album cover though. It's actually awesome. A little girl riding an alligator like a horse? So sick. Side tangent: the photo of the girl riding the alligator is from the 1920s, taken at an alligator farm in LA. Patrons of the farm were permitted to feed and ride the alligators. It was open for 50 f**king years. Side tangent over. 

The album opens with the aforementioned "Four Letter Word", a pure rock 'n' roll ripper. I like to think that this song was a not-so-gentle reminder of Liam's raunchy temperament and a giant f**k you to his brother. "I don't know what it is I'm feelin', A four letter word really gets my meaning, Nothing ever lasts, Forever."  One hell of a way to open an album. Different Gear, Still Speeding keeps the same obvious 60's psychedelic influence as the later Oasis records, but again, lacking Noel's songwriting touch. I have nothing against Gem or Andy's ability to write catchy songs, but you can tell there is a certain charm missing. This could be akin to the dodgy production work, but it's all up to interpretation. The lyrics department is also lacking HEAVILY. Completely nonsensical at times. But overall, the record is a 6/10. There are some great tracks, but some of them are just ok. Considering that only 191,000 copies were sold, I'd think that a majority would agree. But this isn't an album review, so let's get on with the story.

The band toured the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Americas from March to December in 2011. Liam told the press that they refused to play Oasis songs so that they'd be known for their music and not the previous band's. "Previous band's" feels weird to say now. Jeff Wootton joined Beady Eye to play bass, solidifying the band's lineup for the next two years. After some promotional work for Different Gear, Still Speeding in mid-late February, the band officially embarked on their tour on March 3rd, 2011. They played the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow, Scotland, co-headlining with Miles Kane, on March 3rd and 4th. Beady Eye and crew then moved to the O2 Apollo in Manchester for another 2 dates. Over the next 2 months, the band would tour the UK and Europe, with a random date in Japan in early May. After another string of shows through May and early June, Beady Eye hit the East Coast of the United States (and one show in Canada). With 5 shows down in the US, they returned to the UK, Ireland, and Europe to play club venues and festival dates. The group would not be stateside again until late November (into Decemeber), where they played the last 9 shows of 2011, ending the 10 month tour. According to a SPIN Magazine article, the band would play all of Different Gear, Still Speeding, plus a few B-sides, and a cover during a majority of the tour. 

The club venues where they performed were fairly small. Tiny compared to what Liam, Andy, Gem, and Chris had seen playing with Oasis. Many had a maximum of 5,000 in capacity, some even smaller. I'm not saying 5,000 people is small, but I'm sure that Liam hadn't seen that few people at a show since before Definitely Maybe... At the many festival dates they played, however, they had crowds upwards of 65,000 people. Festivals are a sketchy way to measure success though. How many of those people were actually there to see Beady Eye? That's not something we'll ever know. And I'm not taking a direct dig at Beady Eye for their festival crowds, this goes for basically any band playing at a festival. I'm biased towards club shows, since you already know everyone is there for the headliner (not the 4 headliners lol). They're a much better way to gauge if people are into the show. Most of the videos of Beady Eye performing at festivals in 2011 feature a pretty dull crowd. The small venues are definitely more lively, but no where near the movement from stadium crowds. You might think that's an unfair comparison, but small clubs can hold a significant amount of energy, like an over-shaken beer ready to burst. I think that this may have been a result of people hearing fresh material for the first time, coinciding with the fact that Beady Eye was a 'crudely reformed' version of Oasis. From watching videos and clips of their shows on YouTube, I've noticed that Liam kept his attitude and never let go of the power he had with Oasis. That band may have been left behind, but Liam's prowess sure as hell wasn't. His voice was better than the last few Oasis tours. He still couldn't hold some notes and frequently sounded like he had something in his throat. This is no surprise. He was struggling to keep his voice in shape for years at this point and constant touring did not help. The band sounded big, but not big enough. The SPIN mag article I mentioned earlier said that the band, while being very tight and masters of their instruments, felt like a backing band to Liam. All eyes were on him. At least in Oasis, there was two guys on stage to switch between when your eyes got tired of staring at one. Overall though, the tour (from what I can find) was a success. Check out "Wigwam" from the Lowlands Festival in 2011. The band sounds great and Liam's voice sounds pretty good. The outro is so rad.

In 2012, the band would only play 5 shows. The first show brought the addition of 2 Oasis tracks to the setlist, those being "Morning Glory" and "Rock 'n' Roll Star". To some, this was a step in the right direction. It's possible that Liam and crew recognized that this was a selling point for the band, even though they had *probably* known this all along. On June 30th, Beady Eye opened at the long awaited Stone Roses reunion show at Heaton Park in Manchester. After 2 festival dates in Asia and a one off show in Europe, they performed at the London Olympics Closing Ceremony, "Wonderwall" making its Beady Eye debut. During their time off the road, the band wrote and recorded intermittently throughout the next year. They had begun working on their second and final record.

The next album was to be titled Be, though Liam wanted it to be called Universal Gleam. He was shot down by the record label and the band, so he stashed it and used it for a track on his debut solo record. Beady Eye brought in Dave Sitek to produce the album. Liam was quoted saying, “He’s without a doubt the best producer I’ve ever worked with, a real outlaw – he doesn’t give a f**k, no rules...", after working with Dave on the record. In a Noisey short film about the band, "Start Anew?", during the press tour for the album, Liam saw the album as an open door for him to learn and hone his craft as a songwriter. "You don't wanna be f**king singing other peoples songs for the rest of your life, d'you know what I mean?" Gem, Liam, and Andy knew that the record gave them the ability to further distance themselves from Oasis. They had confidence in it. The tracks "Flick of the Finger" and "Second Bite of the Apple" were released prior to dropping the album, neither of which charted in the top 100 on the UK Singles chart. This was the beginning of the end. The album artwork is a tasteful semi-nude taken by Harri Peccinotti, originally used on a NOVA magazine cover, then edited by Trevor Jackson. It was banned by several outlets because it featured a partially covered nipple, to which Liam responded, "It’s not porn, is it? It’s classic, man. Classic nipple." To prevent further bans, the hype sticker was placed to cover it. The record released on June 10th, 2013, but was leaked online a full 2 weeks before.  Be was certified as silver in the UK, selling only 78,000 copies. A commercial failure. Critics had mixed reviews, similar to Different Gear, Still Speeding. While some cheered the band's improvement from their debut, others criticized the lyrics and production as weak points for the record. The sound of the band was changed. Dave Sitek helped them take a step in the right direction, though some might not agree with that. The production was a hot button issue for the first record, so it's not much of a surprise. Look up PopMatters' review of the record. It tears it to bits. 

Be opens with "Flick of the Finger", a call to arms and a reminder that the powerful are out to get you. Immediately after, "Soul Love" comes in and mellows it out, ending with a swirling ambient mess. I love that tune, but I don't know if the 3 minute outro was needed. The rest of the album is a majority slow introspective tracks, with some R'n'R hitters every so often. Some standouts include: "Soon Come Tomorrow", "Iz Rite", and "I'm Just Saying". The only two songs I don't enjoy are "Second Bite of the Apple" and "Shine a Light". I'll listen to them if I listen to the album all the way through, but I won't pick them out of the bunch. I think this album has some very strong work on it. It should've sold more than Different Gear, Still Speeding, without a doubt. The song "Don't Brother Me" was, of course, a dig at Noel. The lyrics leave a very clear path of angst and anguish from Liam's pen. Even though he had said many a time that he was done with Oasis and his brother, everyone knew he wasn't. Increasingly obvious after "Don't Brother Me". A little on the nose there eh, R-kid? "Start Anew", a melancholic number, finishes the album. No massive bang at the end. Just a slow tune. Looking at the placement of the track 10 years after the album's release places it in a new perspective. I think Liam was signaling that this new record was a revamp of Beady Eye. Of his band. Of his music. Of himself. Or like every other hopeful Oasis fan thought at the time, maybe he was trying to hint at wanting to reconcile with Noel. My final thought, though, was that it marked the end of Beady Eye. "Start Anew" was the signal that Liam needed a fresh start. He needed to take time off and fight his own inner demons. To try not to be a man with a fork in a world full of soup.

Beady Eye jumped on the road again for the Be tour on June 19th, 2013. The record released 9 days earlier, preceded by a short promotional tour. The band performed at Glastonbury Festival, despite Liam saying he'd never return. In August 2013, Gem would suffer a major head injury, leaving the band to cancel several dates, including their appearance at the V Festival. In October, Bonehead (rhythm guitar in Oasis from 1992-1999), joined Beady Eye on stage for a set honoring the Charlatans' late drummer, Jon Brookes. Oh, I forgot to mention that Jay Mehler joined the band in March in replacement of John Wootten, holding down bass duties for the remainder of their run. The tour continued through the UK, Europe, and Australia and passed the end of 2013 into March of the next year. The band was set to play Coachella in April, but cancelled their appearance, never making it to the United States on the tour. Beady Eye's final show was at Yokohama Arena in Japan on March 26th, 2014.

On October 25th, 2014, Beady Eye was officially disbanded. In classic Liam fashion, he announced the band's conclusion on Twitter. A very simple, "Beady Eye are no longer. Thanks for all your support. LGx." 

To be fair, it was no surprise that Beady Eye would come to an end after such a short period. Liam had internal struggles to deal with. The end of Oasis broke him. It put the rest of the band in a position of uncertainty. Gem Archer said that the band was left in "a state of motion" when Oasis split. They had to scramble together a live set to keep the momentum, resulting in Different Gear, Still Speeding. Andy Bell gave an interview in NME a month after Beady Eye's split. He said that the band had run its course. It was a "long fade". Andy told NME that Liam had been quiet for a while after the end of the tour, and he'd told them his heart wasn't in it anymore. Liam spoke to The Guardian, telling them that when Be was released, it was the first record that he'd put out in America that he only did one gig for. He claimed that it had gotten under his skin. I actually can't find the gig on the Beady Eye concert list, so I'm not sure if they even played the show he was talking about. They had to cancel Coachella because they couldn't afford to fly out themselves and their gear. Liam was going through a divorce with Nicole Appleton at the time and said "the best place to be is on the road...[but] there was no gigs going down." He was asked in the Noisy short film, "Start Anew?", if he'd hang up the gloves if Be failed to sell. Liam responded in typical Liam fashion, "I wont give up. You can't give up. I don't know, I might have the ass for a bit and not f**king speak to no c**t and I'll f**k off. I'll keep making a record but I might have a break for a bit. Just do other things." As soon as the record tanked he knew it was over. It left him spiraling. He was a deeply troubled man during this time. In Charlie Lightning's documentary, "As It Was", about the start of Liam's solo career, there's a segment dedicated to Beady Eye that touches on Liam's attitude towards the band and the struggles he was having not being in Oasis. I won't summarize all of it, so go watch it. It's free on YouTube. In the film, Liam said that after Be, he needed to sort himself out. It was the first time in his life that it didn't work. He'd hit the bottom. Bonehead recalls a night in which Liam tweeted 50 times, "rambling at the world". Bonehead described the tweets as angry, sad, and lost, it was a cry for help. Liam thought that it was the end of his career in music. Of course, as we'll see a little later down the line, Liam starts his solo career and gets his footing back in R'n'R. But this period of Liam's life was dismal. Noel was quoted saying, "[Beady Eye] was doomed from the start." 

Having discovered them years after their breakup, I'll never know what it was like to experience Beady Eye. I'll never be able to really tell you what they were like live. All I have is the music to base this entire post on. Good thing I know how to properly research a topic. This post would be 5 times shorter if I didn't. But that's essentially the whole story of Beady Eye's short run. I tried to gather as much about the band as I could and put it in one place. Beady Eye's story is full of doubt. Doubt that the band would be able to step out from underneath the long-casted shadow of Oasis. The band had some great tunes, but they never caught the attention of the press or, more importantly, the fans. Liam's failure with Beady Eye, in his own eyes, was to be the final point in his career. But I know there's still a lot of love out there for the band, despite his pessimism. After Oasis split, Beady Eye was shifted into a different gear, but Liam was still seething. It created a momentary outlet, until under it's own failure, the band was crushed.

Good lord that was a long one. Thanks for reading everyone. Hopefully you didn't skip right to the end. I feel like Beady Eye isn't a band that very many people know about, and as a huge Oasis fan, I feel the need to highlight the obscure parts of their diaspora.

The beat goes on. See you next week...

Cheers,

Jack

P.S. Happy Halloween!