EVER wonder what Liam Gallagher does when he's not swaggering around like the living, breathing embodiment of the mad-for-it rock 'n' roll star?

His legions of parka-wearing acolytes might want to believe otherwise, but the singer no longer spends his days snarling at photographers, trashing hotel rooms and sticking pins in a Noel doll (well, maybe sometimes).

Now his life is about spirituality, jogging and playing golf.

"In me pram I was a rock star, but I'm older now," says the 39-year-old. "I don't wanna grow up like a d**k."

The former Oasis frontman, who brings new band Beady Eye to the Corn Exchange on Monday night, admits he was keen to clean up his act because he will turn 40 next year.

"I'm a spiritual kinda guy," he says. "I'm not wearing a sheet and walking down the street banging a tambourine. And I'm not turning into f****** Bono. It's private. But I'm connected, man... to something."

After a pause, he adds, "I don't want to sound like a hippy but it's great. I run. World to myself. Birds. Trees. No hassle from eejits. With golf, I love making proper contact with that ball. I'm still on the fish. Sardines or salmon. Salad. I feel good. It's only the ciggies that stand in me way."

Beady Eye formed from the ashes of Oasis - who split after Gallagher fell out with brother Noel backstage at the Rock en Seine music festival near Paris in 2009 - and sees the singer joined by ex-Oasis men Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock.

And while expectations weren't too high for the new outfit - after all, Noel was Oasis' chief songwriter, and the rest of the band hadn't penned more than a handful of songs between them during their time in the band - debut album Different Gear, Still Speeding stormed the charts at No3, while their first sell-out UK tour brought to mind the wild, party-spirited Oasis gigs of the mid-90s.

"People didn't think we could walk or talk without Noel," says Gallagher, unable to resist a swipe at the naysayers. "We knew what we were doing though.

"Gem's been playing guitar since he was nine," he continues. "I've been doing this 18, 19 years, so I know what I'm doing in my department. Andy too, Chris, everyone - we know how to make a record.

"The only doubt would be whether it would connect with people and whether they wanted it," he adds.

As they prepare to make their Capital debut on a second sell-out tour, Beady Eye are ready to take things up several notches.

"The best thing is - and I'm not making excuses here - most of us were all flued up on that tour," says Gallagher, "so it was great reading these amazing live reviews knowing that we were only at 50 per cent.

"There are people who didn't think we had it in us, and I genuinely feel bad for them," he adds.

The singer is grateful there have been no hecklers at the gigs, ready to declare their undying allegiance to brother Noel.

"There's been none of that - no chanting for him or the old songs, so that was good."

Asked if he enjoyed recording Different Gear, Still Speeding, Gallagher says that he did, before having a dig at his brother's controlling ways when making Oasis albums.

"I'd just be sitting around for weeks while they all jammed, then he'd disappear and I'd be left to sing in a booth with a producer I'd known for two weeks."

Mention how his voice sounded a lot better on the first Beady Eye tour than it had at past Oasis gigs like Murrayfield a couple of years back, and he goes on a bit of a rant.

"I'll tell you why that is... I've been using in-ear monitors for the last 10 years," he begins, referring to the tiny headphones he wore on stage while performing with Oasis.

"It's like being on Mr and Mrs. I'd spend all day with the band and then when the show came I'd have to go off and put these things in my ears.

"It was a bit like him saying 'You eff off over there while I turn my guitars up'. Our kid had his guitars so loud it's rude, you know, like 'I'm-not-even-in-this-band' levels, and the amps were pointing at me, so I'd have to wear in-ears to be able to sing, or shout over that.

"So, I've stopped using the in-ears and what I'm hearing on stage is what everyone else is hearing."

Mellower than he used to be but still no shrinking violet, Gallagher reckons Beady Eye can become the biggest band on the planet.

"F*** being as big as Oasis," he says. "I want to be bigger than The Beatles, man."

Mostly he formed Beady Eye for the love of making music but, like anyone, he still has bills to pay.

"People think when you've got money it just stays in a big pile forever, but you spend it, don't you?" he says. "You've got to work and keep busy or you'll go mad.

"And I'm not doing this because of money, it's because I love it, and I don't have a choice. I didn't think 'I'd like to join a band' and then join one - it happened to me.

"Not getting all cosmic," he adds, "but there's something bigger up there telling us all to get out and do something. People want to hear us play music. We're part of a much bigger picture."

via L4e / source: Edinburgh Evening News

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