ALAN MCGEE denies that Oasis meeting was set up.
Former music mogul Alan Mcgee has denied his legendary chance discovery of British band Oasis was set up by record industry bosses, insisting the rumour is "rubbish".
McGee was head of independent label Creation Records in 1993 when he watched a short gig by the Wonderwall hitmakers after arriving early for another band's concert in his native Scotland.
Legend has it McGee was so impressed he immediately told Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher he wanted to sign them on the spot - and they went on to become the biggest British group of the last 20 years, selling 50 million albums worldwide.
Recent rumours have suggested the "chance" meeting was actually set up in advance by bosses at the Sony record label - but McGee is adamant the random encounter with the unsigned band is true.
He tells rock magazine NME, "You're believing rubbish! Of course I was there! Ask Noel Gallagher! I've heard this story once before - someone connected to The Libertines said that Sony gave them to me. As if Sony would give me a band that sold 50 million records to put out so I could get all the money! Life's not that nice! People don't actually want to give you credit. I've heard that I didn't find Oasis, I didn't do this, I didn't do that. How many things didn't I f**king do?"
And Gallagher has backed up his former mentor's version of events, adding: "Lots of people still don't want to believe that story, but the first time I ever met McGee was at that gig."
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