Review: Japan Disaster Benefit, Brixton Academy, London

Liam shines with his A-list friends at Japan aid gig

Boasting a star-studded line-up more suited to the Glastonbury main stage than London's O2 Brixton Academy, Liam Gallagher, Paul Weller and Primal Scream were among the cream of British rock acts that performed a one-off gig last night in aid of relief efforts for victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami.

Organised by Liam Gallagher, who headlined the show with his new band Beady Eye, the five-hour Japan Benefit Gig included sets from Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics, Richard Ashcroft and The Coral, all of whom have fan bases in Japan.

The ex-Oasis frontman's "bad boy" image in the Nineties may not make him the likeliest candidate to stage a Bob Geldof-esque fundraiser, but he says he was was so moved by images of the Japanese disaster that he was inspired to raise money for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Speaking before the gig, Gallagher emphasised the fundraiser was not only staged with his Japanese fans in mind. "Whenever that kind of stuff happens, it's not good, is it?" he said. "It's not just because we're popular in Japan. As a human, you just think it's heavy. We've always had close ties with Japan and great affection for our fans out there. Our hope is that this benefit concert can help the people of Japan."

Ambitions to promote new material were put aside as all bands played crowd-pleasers and old favourites to the capacity 5,000 crowd. Paul Weller's set featured several Jam songs, with old favourites such as "Eton Rifles" mixed with the title track of his latest album, Wake Up The Nation.

Several of the bands played Beatles covers as those songs still boast massive appeal in Japan. Wirral-based folk rockers, The Coral, who kicked off the show, found a particularly warm reception for their cover of "Ticket to Ride". Surprisingly, the only sombre moment came during singer-songwriter Richard Ashcroft's set as he performed The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony".

Japan was mentioned relatively infrequently and none of the harrowing images from Japan that prompted Gallagher to gather his bands of friends together were shown. This gave the gig a heightened sense of detachment from the harsh realities facing young people in Japan now.

Since the earthquake and tsunami struck on 11 March, the Japanese Red Cross has mobilised 85 teams made up of at least 700 doctors, nurses and support staff. The £150,000 raised from the £40 ticket price last night will go towards providing aid and healthcare for those affected by the disaster.

And for Gallagher, it seemed his actions were intended to speak louder than the words. The feeling of goodwill in the crowd was noticeable, but that didn't stop grumblings among some fans that Gallagher's band Beady Eye are not yet heavyweight enough to warrant a headline slot among an A-list of British rockers.

These grumblings were soon quashed in characteristic Gallagher style, as numbers such as "Bring the Light" and "Kill for a Dream" showed the band's mettle. Thronging guitar riffs and bashing drums underlined Gallagher's infamous drawl, much to the delight of the crowd, who had clearly saved their biggest cheers for the last act.

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Beady Eye, Primal Scream And Paul Weller Join Forces For Victims Of Japan Tsunami

Beady Eye, Primal Scream and Paul Weller helped raise over £150,000 at a London benefit show last night (April 3) for victims of the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan.

The gig at the O2 Brixton Academy, which was orchestrated by Liam Gallagher and the Modfather, also featured sets from Graham Coxon, The Coral and Richard Ashcroft along with a few surprise collaborations and covers by The Beatles.

The Coral were the first to cover the Fab Four as they kicked off the night with their take of 'Ticket To Ride' in between songs from their 2010 album 'Buttefly House'.

Graham Coxon quickly followed as he took the chance to debut new song 'Running For The Light' before wrapping up with 2004 hit single 'Freakin Out'.

Next up was Paul Weller who loaded the early part of his set with The Jam's greatest hits including 'The Eton Rifles' and 'Start!' sandwiched between classic tracks from his 1995 album 'Stanley Road'.

"Thanks for coming tonight and helping our brothers and sisters in Japan," he told the crowd before he introduced Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones for a surprise collaboration of another Beatles classic 'Come Together'.

Jones then played a short acoustic set as did Richard Ashcroft, who got the whole venue singing for The Verve's 'Sonnet' and 'Lucky Man'.

Primal Scream recruited Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock to stand in for Mani at tonight's show which, like their recent tour, leaned heavily towards material from 'Screamadelica'.

The night was rounded off by Beady Eye who played a similar set to that featured on their recent UK tour, performing tracks from their debut album 'Different Gear, Still Speeding'.

Frontman Liam Gallagher, who was dressed in a long green anorak, dedicated 'Kill For A Dream' to "all the people in Japan."

Earlier, he also gave a shout out to The Coral sticksman Ian Skelly before launching into 'Bring The Light'.

"This one's for the drummer out of The Coral," Gallagher said. "Apparently it's his favourite song ever."

Before wrapping up the night with the final Beatles cover 'Across The Universe', he thanked the bands and the crowd for helping to raise funds for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Beady Eye played:

'Four Letter Word'
'Beatles And Stones'
'Millionaire'
'The Roller'
'Bring The Light'
'Standing On The Edge Of The Noise'
'Kill For A Dream'
'Man Of Misery'
'The Morning Sun'
'Sons Of The Stage'
'Across The Universe'

Source: www.nme.com

Pretty Green To Launch App

Liverpool Based smart phone application developer Apposing has launched its app for the clothing label owed by former Oasis star Liam Gallagher.

LDP Creative reported last year how the firm had signed the deal with Gallagher’s Pretty Green label to develop the app.

The now Beady Eye star began working with the Apposing team to as a key way of marketing the rapidly-growing business.

The app allows customers to view all the latest collections, buy products online, view nearest stockists and get directions using the GPS system.

Users also have the chance to read all the latest Pretty Green news, watch exclusive videos and play a Pretty Green game with the chance to win a discount code for use in the store.

Dave Brown, creative director of Apposing, told LDP Creative: “We are all huge Oasis and Beady Eye fans here at Apposing, so we jumped at the chance to work with Liam Gallagher and his team to design this app solution.

“Pretty Green has a very definite image and brand that the design concept was built around.

“Our challenge was to use the brand effectively, marrying this with the functional requirements of the app and for those to work together to the best outcome.

“What began as a fairly basic app has developed during the build phase and there are plans to take this to the next stage in the future.” Liam Gallagher’s new range offers two styles of clothing through its Green and Black labels.

The Green label is a casual range including everyday signature pieces.

The Black label offers classic British tailoring.

Pretty Green were recently crowned Menswear Brand of the Year at the Draper’s Awards.

It beat off competition by the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, Boss Orange and Paul Smith.

Mr Brown added: “We look forward to taking this supersonic app to the next level, with loads of exciting ideas already under discussion for the next phase.”

Source: www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk

Beady Eye Setlist From The 02 In Brixton

Beady Eye played at the 02 in Brixton in London tonight, at the Japan Disaster Benefit in aid of the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

The show has already raised over £150,000 for the charity, Beady Eye closed their set with 'Across The Universe' by The Beatles played in front of the Japanese flag.

Setlist

Four Letter Word
Beatles & Stones
Millionaire
The Roller
Bring The Light
Standing On The Edge Of The Noise
Kill For A Dream
Man Of Misery
Morning Son
Sons Of The Stage
Across The Universe

To make a donation click here.

Beady Eye Interview From The Japan Disaster Benefit Show

Xfm's Dave Berry spoke to the boys backstage at O2 Academy Brixton.

Liam Gallagher On Japan's 'Horrific' Tsunami

Liam Gallagher performs with his band Beady Eye at the Brixton Academy tonight in a concert to raise money for victims of last month's Japan tsunami. Alex Thomson spoke to him after the sound check.

a Japan Disaster Benefit charity concert is being held at London's Brixton Academy tonight to raise money for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

The concert was instigated by former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, now with Beady Eye. Also performing at the concern will be Paul Weller, Primal Scream, Richard Ashcroft, Graham Coxon and The Coral.

Alex Thomson spoke to Liam Gallagher ahead of tonight's and showed him the incredible scenes he witnessed while reporting from Japan, including footage from Ofunato which, in the wake of the disaster, continues to play the Beatles song Yesterday over the town's tannoy.

Liam Gallagher told Channel 4 News of his reaction when he saw the images of Japan's tsunami on television. "It was just horrific," he said. "Just terrible, man."

Click here to watch two video interviews.

Source: www.channel4.com

Japan Disaster Benefit Gig Tonight In London Featuring Beady Eye, Paul Weller And More

Japan Disaster Benefit in aid of the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

XFM will have have exclusive access to the show featuring Beady Eye, Paul Weller and Primal Scream... Graham Coxon, Richard Ashcroft, Kelly Jones and The Coral are also on the bill for the charity show at O2 Academy Brixton later today.

The money raised from the show is going towards helping those who have been affected by the recent eathquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan.

The gig is completely sold-out but we will be broadcasting from backstage from 6pm (UK time).

And even if you are not attending you can donate to the Japan Disaster Fund here.

Listen to the show hhere.

Watch Beady Eye On Italian Top Of The Pops

Broadcast earlier today on the Italian Top Of The Pops, Liam Gallagher is interviewed and Beady Eye perform 'The Roller'.

On This Day In Oasis History...

On April 2nd 1996 Oasis played at the Sald Zeleste in Barcelona, Spain.

Noel Gallagher Confirms He Is Recording Album In Los Angeles

Noel Gallagher has told KAT TALES TV that he is recording an album, click here to see some recent pictures of Noel and to read Kat's experience on meeting Noel.

Beady Eye Interview Inside The April Issue Of The Illinois Entertainer

In many ways, it smacked of the old boy-who-cried-’Wolf!’ yarn. Mouthy Mancunian siblings Noel and Liam Gallagher — the guitarist and vocalist of legendary Britpop combo Oasis, respectively — had gotten into so many knock-down, drag-out scraps, and walked out on each other mid-tour so many times that it was starting to feel routine. All part of their colorful, always-controversial rock-star shtick. So seriously — what ill omens could one more backstage dust-up portend? The brothers always shook hands, went back to their respective corners, and came out swinging, making punchy, pugnacious Oasis anthems again.

Appearing: Saturday, June 18th at Metro in Chicago.

But not this time.

This time was different. In August 2009, at Paris’ huge Rock En Seine Festival, an altercation broke out between the Gallaghers that quickly escalated into Liam reportedly smashing Noel’s guitar. With one minute to showtime, before a crowd of 30,000, it was announced that Oasis would not be performing that night. Or ever again: Noel, finally fed up with such shenanigans, had quit his own platinum-selling band, for good this time.

The rock world collectively shrugged, rolled its eyes, and muttered, “Whatever — we’ll se how long this separation lasts.” But it turned out to be the real deal. Noel has soldiered on with an as-yet-unreleased solo album. And Liam? After much conjecture about his own possible solo foray, he made an announcement that he and the remaining members of Oasis — guitarist Gem Archer, bassist Andy Bell, and drummer Chris Sharrock — would be continuing under the banner of Beady Eye, and recording their debut at London’s swank RAK Studios with top-flight producer Steve Lillywhite. No joke — Bell even switched back to the six-string he used to wield in his previous outfits, Ride and Hurricane #1.

And believe it or not, the feud still goes on. Even though Beady Eye just issued a rollicking, Oasis-edged bow aptly dubbed Different Gear, Still Speeding. Noel? “Nah, I haven’t spoken to him,” his kid brother sniffs, disdainfully. “We’ve got nothing to say to each other.” But what about the line in the new anthem “Kill For A Dream,” wherein he somberly sings lines like, “I’m here if you wanna call”? Is he expressing any regrets? “No,” he responds, flatly. “It was written before that, and I think Andy wrote that. And I’m sure he’s had some personal shit going down, too, but you’d have to ask him. So it was actually written before [the breakup], and it’s got nothing to do with Noel.”

While Gallagher may sound cold and unforgiving, in truth he’s been staying so busy, he can afford to keep sibling rivalry on the back burner for months, maybe even years. He’s successfully launched his own posh clothing company, Pretty Green, which has two different thematic labels: black, featuring classic English tailoring; and Green, for more casual wear. And he’s hawking the whole mod-fashionable gamut, from Clark’s-inspired desert boots to parkas, polo shirts, and safari jackets. “And it’s going all right, mate, it’s doing well,” he says of his empire. “I’ve got three shops now, too — one on Carnaby Street, one in Manchester, one in Glasgow. And we’re gonna have one in New York and one in Japan coming soon. New York is opening really soon, like in June or something.”

Is Liam living the Derek Zoolander life now? Attending fashion shows or partying with all the big-name designers? He guffaws. “I don’t get involved in it. Just like the music business. I don’t get involved in that, either — I just do my thing and get out. If you have to start hanging out with [fashion snobs]? No deal! Just like the music business. Do I go and hang out with the fucking head of Sony? No. I don’t.”

Actually, Beady Eye isn’t inked to Columbia or its corporate parent Sony, as Oasis once was. They’ve formed their own label called — wait for it — Beady Eye Records, distributed in the States by cutting-edge (and fairly Anglophile) imprint Dangerbird. How did they arrive at such an unusual moniker? “Well, we tried a few names, but they’d all been taken,” Gallagher sighs. Like Cat’s Eyes, which happened to be the moniker of Horrors frontman Faris Badwan’s spooky new duo. “But I dunno — you’ve gotta call yourself something, and that was the name that everyone was kinda buzzing about. And it means being aware of things, keeping an eye on things, and not letting things get out of your hands.”

Duly noted. But ultimately, the usually egocentric Gallagher — who was, in fact, just named The Greatest Frontman Of All Time by Britain’s music bible Q Magazine — has been munching some humble pie to arrive at Beady Eye. “I couldn’t have done a solo record — it’s not in my nature,” he confesses. “I can’t even play an instrument — I’m not a solo guy, so I wouldn’t do it even if I could. I need to be in a band — I need a bevy of other people around me, d’ya know what I mean? I enjoy being in a band.”

Once the post-Oasis decision was made, what plan of attack did the musicians come up with? Archer — who’s sitting in on the interview with Gallagher — picks up the tale. “We didn’t sit around thinking about it,” he recalls. “We just kinda had a little plan to take some time off, because we had a mega-long, 13-month tour. And then we thought, ‘Well, we ain’t hangin’ up our guitars just yet — there’s too much to do!’ So it took about a week to get in the studio and start demoing, and then it just kinda grew. And grew and grew. Simple as that, man. And before you know it, you’ve got six tunes. Then you have a break for Christmas, and before you know it you’ve got 10 tunes, then it’s 13. Then you go into the studio, and it’s kinda just done itself — all we’ve got to do is just turn up!”

The writing on all 13 cuts is credited to Gallagher/Archer/Bell. No hotdogging, no glory hounds, no time for sergeants. As Archer sees it, “We came together as a band massively on putting flesh on the bones of the demos, d’ya know what I mean? Andy would have just a Dictaphone demo, with just a voice on a cassette. And Liam will probably just play it on a guitar in front of ya. So then, as a band, we massively got involved in making it, making it fully formed. And that’s even down to the drumbeat. Or, Is it gonna be guitars, is it gonna be piano? Is it gonna be fast? Where’s the key gonna be? So with everything, we were all involved in that. And then the production, too.”

In fact, Beady Eye even argued with the veteran Lillywhite over key production points. On “The Roller” — a decidedly Lennon-ish slab of slapback that feels like “All You Need Is Love,” rewritten sideways — he tried to steer the band away from a Beatles-school sound. “We wanted to try some double tracking on the vocals, for that Lennon thing — we wanted to try it because we really like that Lennon sound,” says Archer. “But Steve? He was dead-set against it.”

“So that’s all us, that is, man — that Lennon vibe!” Gallagher chimes in, proudly. Naturally, John Lennon was always one of his stylistic idols, an influence you can still hear reverberating through his nasal vocals today. Archer — who penned the lyrics — adds that the track is about “being bulletproof, not letting life crack ya. I mean, we all get cracked. But sometimes, it’s good to have a mate who’s bulletproof, isn’t it? And then they can sort you out. And maybe he’s ‘The Roller.’”

Another bluesy jangler is titled ‘Beatles And Stones.’ But in retrospect, your average archive-combing young rock fan probably doesn’t understand why you’d ever have to choose one over the other. “Me neither!” barks Gallagher. “That’s why it’s called ‘Beatles And Stones’ — I wrote it, but it’s not about The Beatles and it’s not about The Stones, exactly. It’s more about wanting to stand the test of time. I mean, I want our music to still sound great in 20 or 30 years’ time.”

– Tom Lanham

For the complete story, grab the April issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

Source: illinoisentertainer.com

Pretty Green Japan Paisley Print Tee Now Available To Buy

Pretty Green has designed a limited edition Japan Paisley Print Tee to raise money in aid of the British Red Cross Tsunami Appeal.

The massive earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan on 11th March have caused widespread destruction and suffering. The Japanese Red Cross has been on the ground since the disaster began, providing first aid and emergency healthcare as well as distributing relief items.

Speaking about the disaster in Japan, Liam Gallagher said: “We’ve always had close ties with Japan and a great affection for our fans out there. We’ve been saddened by the horrific TV images of the disaster.”

All profits from the sale of the Japan Paisley Print Tee (£15) will go directly to the British Red Cross Tsunami Appeal. Donations will be used towards helping the Japanese people recover from this devastating natural disaster over the coming months and years.

The tee made from our finest luxury soft-touch jersey cotton features the iconic Japanese symbol for 'Love' and an intricate detailed outline of Japan, both printed in our iconic 12 colour paisley print.

The Japan Paisley Print Tee is available to buy online now

The tee will also be available within our Carnaby Street store today from 16:00pm and within our Manchester and Glasgow stores tomorrow from 12.00pm.

If you wish to donate to the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal you can do so by Clicking Here or by calling 08450 53 53 53. The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949) and Scotland (SC037738).

Source: www.prettygreen.com

Beady Eye Reschedule Far East Tour

Beady Eye have announced that as a result of the continuing challenges being presented in the aftermath of the Japanese Earthquake & Tsunami they have been forced to reschedule their Far East tour of Japan and South Korea in May.

They will be rescheduling their sold out tour of Japan and their debut gig in Seoul to take place in September. Please keep checking the website for further details.

Tickets for the Seoul gig will be refunded at the point of purchase, for more detail please go to ticket.interpark.com, Tel: 1544-1555.

Beady Eye are extremely excited about embarking on their first tour of Japan and South Korea and are disappointed they have to wait a little longer than expected to do so. They ask their fans to be patient, and promise it will be well worth waiting for.

Source: www.beadyeyemusic.com

Liam Gallagher Loves Mario And Tevez

Liam Gallagher must see a bit of himself in Mario Balotelli.

The Beady Eye frontman loves Manchester City's Italian striker and his weekly bouts of shenanigans.

However Balotelli will never top Carlos Tevez as Liam's favourite modern-day Blues star. He said: "Mario is smart - I like the fact he's a bit of a head case. But Carlos Tevez, man, he's a damn fine footballer and it's not just because he lets me have the run of his executive box."

Liam will be hoping both men do the business against Manchester United in their FA Cup semi-final in a couple of weeks - purely so his band can sing City's official cup final song.

They'll struggle topping the Anfield Rap...

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

Liam Gallagher Set To Appear In The Dr Who Christmas Special

Liam Gallagher is set to make a guest appearance in the Christmas Special of Dr Who.

He will film the scenes in the Welsh capital Cardiff later this month, when Beady Eye play in Newport as part of the bands UK and Irish tour.

A source told us "Liam was asked earlier this year if he would like to appear in the Christmas Special, and he jumped at the chance as he loves the show."

Matt Smith who is the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor, has said he is looking forward to working with Liam.

It's not the first time the show has had a singer in one of it's episodes, in 2007 Kylie Minogue featured in the Christmas special 'Voyage Of The Damned'.

Executive producer and writer Russell T Davies described his casting as a "very exceptional case", having written the part specifically for Gallagher.

Click here. for a closer look at the character Liam will play.

Tickets For Beady Eye's Show At Somerset House On Sale Later Today

Beady Eye are pleased to announce they will be headlining an outdoor summer gig at London's Somerset House on 12th July.

Tickets go on general sale later today (1st April) at 9am through Ticketmaster.

On This Day In Oasis History...

On April 1st 2000, Oasis appeared on Later With Jools Holland, the concert was Oasis' first live British performance in over 2 years and gave UK fans a sneak peak at the new members Gem Archer & Andy Bell in action.

Above are a few videos from the show.

Beady Eye On Italian Top Of The Pops This Weekend

Fans in Italy will be pleased to know that Beady Eye will be on Top Of The Pops on Saturday April 2 at 14:00 local time on TV RAI DUE.

Beady Eye recorded two songs at the recording 'The Roller' that will be broadcast on Saturday and 'Millionaire' that is rumoured to be broadcast around the time of the singles release.

The above video was recorded at recording of the show.

London Premiere Upside Down - The Creation Records Story

The official public premiere of Upside Down is in London on Tuesday, April 26th at the HMV Forum, Kentish Town. Kick off at 7pm.

Alongside the screening we have a special night planned, including a Q&A with director Danny O’Connor, Ride’s very own Mark Gardener and former MD of the label, Tim Abbott.

John Robb will host.

There will also be performances from Creation artists, including Mark Gardener, the Jazz Butcher, and the band that inspired Alan McGee to start the label, the legendary Television Personalities.

Tickets are already going fast, more details here.

Liam Gallagher Blasts Un-Ambitious Bands

Liam Gallagher says bands who don't want hit records are like ''d**ks'' who wear sun cream on holiday.

The former Oasis star wants his new band Beady Eye to be massive all over the world and he thinks musicians who don't want success are as gutless as safety-first holidaymakers.

He angrily said: "It's like people who go on holiday, putting sun cream on. Do you want a tan or what, you d**k? You go on a top holiday somewhere hot and you come back whiter than white. We're made to sound arrogant because of time wasters like that."

Liam's ambition for Beady Eye is for them to be as big as The Beatles, and even more popular than his first band Oasis.

Liam's bandmate Andy Bell shares his lofty ambition and thinks all bands want to match the Fab Four's incredible accomplishments.

The guitarist said: "All bands deep down want to do that. The Strokes, Elbow all of them. If you sat any band in a room and said, 'Do you want to be as big as The Beatles?' they'd all say yes."