Алан МакГи: Шотландиялық музыка индустриясының тұлғасы

Scottish music industry executive

Alan John McGee (born 29 September 1960) is a Scottish businessman and music industry executive. He has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian. He co founded the independent Creation Records label, running it from 1983 until its closure in 1999. McGee subsequently founded the Poptones label, running it from 1999 to 2007. He has managed or championed acts such as the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Telescopes, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Momus, Oasis, and the Libertines. He was also the lead singer and guitarist for the indie pop group Biff Bang Pow!, who were active from 1983 to 1991.

McGee was born in East Kilbride on 29 September 1960. He grew up in Glasgow and attended King's Park Secondary School, where he met future Primal Scream founder Bobby Gillespie. McGee left school at 16 with one O grade. After the breakup of the Drains, McGee and Innes briefly joined the band H2O, then moved to London and formed the band the Laughing Apple with Mark Jardim, a drummer from Croydon.

Creation Records was one of the key labels in the mid 80s indie movement, with early releases featuring artists such as Primal Scream, the Jasmine Minks, and the Loft. When the Jesus and Mary Chain moved to Warner Brothers in 1985, Creation was able to use McGee's profits as their manager to release singles by acts including Primal Scream, Felt, and the Weather Prophets. While these records were not commercially successful, McGee's enthusiasm and ability to promote Creation releases in the weekly music media ensured a healthy following. Following an unsuccessful attempt to run an offshoot label for Warner Brothers, McGee regrouped Creation and immersed himself in the burgeoning dance and acid house scene, the legacy of which saw him release era defining albums from Creation mainstays Primal Scream and new arrivals like My Bloody Valentine and Teenage Fanclub. This brought McGee substantial exposure, and his position was noted by the revitalized Labour Party, who considered him a figurehead of youth culture and courted his influence to spearhead a media campaign prior to the 1997 General Election. McGee was largely responsible for changing government legislation in relation to musicians being able to go on the New Deal, which gave musicians three years to develop and be funded by the government instead of having to take other jobs to survive. and Creation Records was awarded "independent label of the year" every year between 1995 and 1998 by Music Week. McGee returned to making music in 1997, collaborating with Ed Ball under the name the Chemical Pilot, releasing the album Journey to the Centre of the Mind in 1998. The decision was due to his wanting to concentrate on raising his child. After he sold Creation Records to Sony, he continued to publish songs by label acts such as Oasis, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver, Teenage Fanclub, Eugene Kelly of the Vaselines, under Creation Songs. In 2007, McGee was made a Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, in recognition of the work that he has carried out with students. In November 2008, he was a visiting fellow on the popular music degree course at the University of Gloucestershire. In interviews with the Glasgow's Daily Record in September 2010 and the UK's The Independent in October 2010, McGee stated he had lost interest in music and was more interested in the esoteric and occult teachings of Aleister Crowley and Peter J. Carroll, particularly Carroll's book Liber Null.

In October 2012, McGee stated that he was going help curate the Japanese rock festival Tokyo Rocks in 2013 and through working with Tokyo Rocks had become interested in starting up an as yet unnamed record label in 2013. In May 2013, McGee announced the new label as a joint venture with Cherry Red Records called 359 Music. He stated he saw it as launch pad for new artists. In the ensuing month he reviewed 2500 submissions for signing, eventually signing 20 artists.

McGee announced in May 2014 he had restarted Creation Management with Simon Fletcher and signed the Jesus and Mary Chain as his first clients. The roster subsequently expanded to include Wilko Johnson, Happy Mondays, Black Grape, Cast, Glasvegas, the Bluetones, and Shaun William Ryder solo projects.

In August 2018, Alan McGee announced the launch of a new 7 inch label named Creation23, also with Fletcher. The label's first release was from North Essex group Rubber Jaw. In 2020 McGee set up the Creation Day festival, in collaboration with the City of Wolverhampton Council. The festival was originally due to be held at West Park, Wolverhampton on 29–30 May 2021, with Happy Mondays, Editors, and Echo and the Bunnymen as headliners, but was delayed for a year due to the COVID 19 pandemic. The festival, now branded as the Utilita Creation Day festival, is now due to take place on 28–29 May 2022, featuring IDLES and Happy Mondays as headliners, as well as Glasvegas, Sleeper, Ash, and several acts signed to Creation23.

In January 2000 he likened the Labour Party to Big Brother in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four, and accused Tony Blair of being a "control freak". He had previously been one of Labour's biggest financial donors, having donated £100,000 to the party. One of McGee's last acts as the head of Creation Records was to use £20,000 of the company's money to fund Malcolm McLaren's campaign to run for Mayor of London. In late 2009, McGee withdrew his support for the Labour Party, and wrote an article for The Sun on 1 October 2009 in which he praised Conservative leader David Cameron, saying that "at least David Cameron looks like a leader." In the 2010 general election, McGee stated that he had voted for Liberal Democrat Roger Williams.