Beady Eye In Abu Dhabi

With arms behind his back, Liam Gallagher stumbled onto the stage in his own unmistakable fashion at Abu Dhabi's Flash Forum on Yas Island last night to an awaiting audience.

The crowd had gathered slowly, but by the time Gallagher and his band Beady Eye picked up their instruments, the 4,000 capacity tent - shaped like a dark zeppelin hangar - was nearly packed. And after the quick courtesy of a "good evening", they burst into Four Letter Word, one of the tracks from the band's debut album.

"It's the first time we've come here. It's great to visit somewhere new," said the guitarist Andy Bell shortly before the band took to the stage, after admitting that the heat had been something of a shock.

Bell claimed that they'd been kept free from sweat by living in "a refrigerator" since they'd arrived on Thursday evening. Liam - who had apparently spent his brief time backstage meditating with a cup of green tea - was taking on the heat with a somewhat daring zipped-up jacket.

Beady Eye were formed in 2009 by Liam and fellow members of Oasis after Noel Gallagher left the hugely successful band that his brother and he had formed in 1991.

The new band's first album, The Roller, was released this year, and peaked at number three on the UK charts.

"I don't actually know Beady Eye that well," said Ian Dickenson from the Flash Forum fan pit. "I'm really just here because of Oasis."

Judging by the crowd's reaction as Beady Eye ploughed through their album tracks, it didn't really matter who was there for Oasis or not.

Source: www.thenational.ae