Live Review: Beady Eye

Uncensored and unfazed, there is no-one else in rock music like Liam Gallagher. Walking out to thunderous applause at the Enmore, the grand opening of Flick Of The Finger, instantly adopting and never wavering from his trademark pose; hands behind back, head tilted upwards, leaning forwards he took his audience on a journey through '60s-inspired Beady Eye tunes and some more commonly known Oasis numbers.

Drummer Chris Sharrock looked awkward behind his kit until the second song when he threw his drumstick some two metres into the air, caught it and kept playing without missing a beat. Gem Archer on bass did his best impression of looking like a mid-'90s Noel Gallagher as his side profile never turned from the giant Marshall stack he stood in front of while Jay Mehler of Kasabian fame revealed the depth of musicianship Beady Eye bring with them.

When Wonderwall was strummed out, every face, young and old beamed from ear to ear, every voice singing along. Cigarettes & Alcohol, a '90s anthem from Oasis' first album Definitely Maybe, allowed the crowd to erupt in a way that Wonderwall hadn't brought on. Gone with the long, ruffled John Lennon hairdo, Gallagher was sporting a short, sleek haircut. Both cigarettes and alcohol seemed a long way from the Beady Eye frontman's reach, caught intermittently sipping from a water bottle – with a white towel wrapped over his shoulders he looked more like a prize fighter with a lean and toned physique.

Shine A Light, a Beady Eye song sharing the same title but having no other similarity with the 2008 Rolling Stones hit, was a foretaste of the night's end. To clapping chanting and cheering with comedian Jimmy Carr just visible on stage left, the lads walked back on for their encore, Gallagher heading straight for the mic. “Who likes the Rolling Stones?” he asked before the instantly recognisable first chords of Gimme Shelter threw the crowd into chaos and disbelief. Gallagher knows how to make an entrance, but tonight's gig proved he's not too shabby at making an exit either.