Alan McGee (born 29 September 1960) is a Scottish music industry mogul and musician famed for founding the independent Creation Records label which ran from 1983 to 2000.
In the last decade he has managed Mogwai, The Kills, The Libertines, Mew, The Charlatans, Dirty Pretty Things, The Beta Band and Black Affair and still believes in and loves new bands like Glasvegas, The Grants and Spinnerette.
On September 12, 2008, at 48 years of age, Alan McGee retired from 25 years of band music management and involvement with record companies.
The Libertines
McGee took on managing duties for The Libertines after Banny Poostchi abandoned the task in late October 2003. After Peter Doherty and Carl Barat reunited upon the former's release from prison that month, McGee invited the two frontmen to his country house in Wales to spend some time together after a long separation. On this sojourn Barat and Doherty famously suffered an altercation and Barat severely injured himself against a bathroom sink afterward. Doherty wrote on October 24, 2003:
"spend some time together he said, writesome songs he said,... he didn't say anything about possessed cats and carlos having to get his eyeball stitched up... oh we're together but something has finally given....
This is a bit of me I thought, choosing the coldest room in Mr Magees big old stone house in the black hills. A boingy old brass rust bed and victoriana arcady, reading couch, bandylegged desk. We set up a little studio with the bilo recorder and mimi amps in the echoey 'library' room. Some fine new compositions being sown and reaped in the harvest of souls, then explosions and bloodshed and oh me lonely horrors as Alan whisks the delerious biggles off to hospital, then the eye hospital. sex symbol in an eye patch? buccaneers indeed.
...
The three of us dined together again tonight. Carl very spun out, theanaesthetic wearing off I seen doom in his face.
I went upstairs after and sat on his bed and we were laughing about things afore too long. I told him he was my best friend and I care for him so much, am worried about him, and love him. He held me and said 'Its been a long time since you said that'
I can hear him now, brightening up, joking with Alan, we're all gonna watch a peter sellers film I think, or the wicker man, there is no time here.
...
no.. it was the whiskey..always the whisky, and the bathroom mirror and oh sweet jesus
Alan Magee "oh great, I've taken on a band witha genius singwriter witha penchant for crack and a sex symbol who likes to beat himself up"
shhhhhhh
...
no drinkies tonight thats for sure, Mr Magee's on standby, and a little freaked out after recent catastrophes."
Alan McGee ran the Death Disco clubnight, named after the Public Image Limited song, which took place every Wednesday at The Notting Hill Arts Club, W11. The clubnight is mentioned in the Libertines song "Don't Look Back Into the Sun":
"Then they played that song at the Death Disco
It started fast but it ends so slow
And all the time just reminded me of you"
Doherty also mentions McGee in the early Babyshambles song, Gang of Gin, which features the lyrics,
"I'll tell you my story
the treachery it bores me
Carl and McGee both promised me
it would not happen this way
Carl is kept sedated
the frontman elevated
and McGee doing all he can
to ruin my band
and keep me out the way"
McGee threatened to sue Doherty if Babyshambles ever released the song.
Post-Libertines
Alan McGee managed The Libertines until their demise in November 2004, to then become manager of Barat's subsequent band Dirty Pretty Things. In an interview with Contact Music in 2005, McGee stated, "If we can reform The Libertines, if we can get Peter back with Carl and everybody can be in the same space firing off the same shotgun, we'll sell three million records.
But I think they want to work with each other again so it's just about getting them in sync, getting Peter to accept Carl and Carl to accept Peter and have them vaguely on the same playing field."
