Beady Eye is proof that good things can come from break-ups. After the dissolution of Oasis, Liam Gallagher started Beady Eye with three other former members of Oasis — guitarists Andy Bell and Gem Archer and drummer, Chris Sharrock. They are often joined on tour by Jay Mehler, the former bassist with Kasabian. The band's first album, Different Gear, Still Speeding, was produced by Steve Lillywhite, who had previously worked with U2, Peter Gabriel and Morrissey, and released in November 2010 to largely positive reviews. Q magazine stated that the album was Liam Gallagher's best work since What's the Story Morning Glory? back in the early days of Oasis.
In Europe the album appeared on the band's own eponymous record label, while in America it was released through the Dangerbird Records label. Four Top 100 singles were released from the debut album, “Bring the Light,” “Millionaire,” “The Beat Goes On” and the most successful single from the album, “The Roller,” which peaked at number 31 on the singles chart. Beady Eye went on a mammoth nine-month tour from March to December 2011which took in the UK, USA and several European countries.
As well as performing their own original material, Beady Eye also perform several Oasis songs as part of their set, and they famously performed “Wonderwall” at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Beady Eye's second album, BE, was produced by Dave Sitek, who is highly regarded for his work with TV on the Radio, Jane's Addiction and Bat For Lashes, and went on sale in June 2013.
Despite Gallagher's previous assertions that he would never play it again, Beady Eye opened the Glastonbury Festival in June 2013 with an unannounced performance on the alternative Other Stage. The band's August 2013 tour, which included an appearance at the V Festival, had to be cut short because of a head injury to Gem Archer sustained at his home. As well as achieving considerable success, particularly in terms of album sales, in the UK and Ireland, Beady Eye also have a sizeable cult following in North America and Europe. In December 2013, it was announced that the band would be undertaking a European tour in 2014 which would include shows in 12 cities, including Barcelona, Lisbon and Paris.