early 1993:

Rehearsals and a local gig at the Boardwalk start off the new year with real purpose, and friendships are formed with Small [later to become Smaller] and their charismatic singer "Digsy" Deasy, formerly of Cook Da Books.

March 1993:

On the 18th Oasis play a gig at Le Bateau in Liverpool supporting Small, and include a cover of Hot Chocolate’s "You Sexy Thing".

At the end of the month the band record an 8 song demo [called "Live Demonstration"] at the Porter Street Studios in Liverpool. Engineered by Chris Griffiths and Mark Coyle, the world is introduced to "Rock’n’Roll Star", "Strange Thing", "Bring It On Down", "Fade Away", "Columbia", "Cloudburst", "D’Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?", and "Married With Children".

The demo is dedicated to "Roger Moore & The Claggies". Mark Coyle has gained a new appellation.

Ten cassette copies are sent out with a J-card insert depicting a swirling Union Jack and the now famous Oasis logo designed by Tony French. Nothing happens!

April 1993:

The 10th sees Oasis trundling back to Liverpool for another gig supporting Small. This time they play at the Krazyhouse and include "Live Forever", "Strange Thing" and "Bring It On Down" in the set. Their freinds 'Real People' attend.

May 1993:

Around this time Noel meets a friend, Ian, from the Inspirals days at the Haçienda. A discussion on the merits of The The’s "Dusk" LP ensues, and the pleasure gained by Ian’s brother from his work on it. The brother? Only a Noel hero; Johnny Marr. Ian offers to pass on a copy of the demo tape. Johnny hears the tape, contacts Noel, and they visit 'Music Ground', a vintage guitar shop in Doncaster.

On the 20th Marr goes to see the band at the Boardwalk. Here he sees Liam for the first time; he thinks, this is good. After the gig Marr says he’ll mention Oasis to his own manager. The manager? Marcus Russell.

Also at the gig with the brothers Marr, are Tim Burgess and Mark Collins of The Charlatans, members of the Inspiral Carpets, Chris Sharrat of 'City Life' and various local DJs.

The band’s luck continues. The 31st sees Oasis travel to Glasgow with their friends in the band Sister Lovers. The latter are to play support to 18 Wheeler and Boyfriend at the fabulously and catchily named King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut. After alleged threats of physical and/or property damage, Oasis are allowed to play a short set.

At this point their lives are about to change irrevocably. By chance, Alan McGee, joint head of Creation Records, is waiting for a train to London. He pops in to the club to kill some time, and is impressed by a bunch of people sitting around the club. This turns out to be Oasis and its entourage.

The band clamber on stage and play "Rock’n’Roll Star", "Bring It On Down", "Up In The Sky" and an outrageous version of The Beatles’ "I Am The Walrus". McGee freaks and decides Oasis are the “future of rock ‘n’ roll”. He offers them a deal on the spot, and later interrupts the sleep of Tim Abbott to tell him so. Abbott’s heard it all before!!

June 1993:

Days later Noel, Liam and Bonehead travel to London and the Creation offices. Everything but business is discussed with McGee and Tim Abbott.

A week later, they again return for an all-night drinking and bonding session. McGee promises to buy Noel a Rolls-Royce in the event of the band’s success.

Then on the 9th, Marcus Russell appears with Marr and sees part of the band’s set at Manchester University’s Hop & Grape Bar. Within days, Noel had met Russell - at Marr’s prompting, and with his approval - and a deal had been struck. Hands were shaken.

Ironically, it is likely that this was the first gig seen by Johnny Hopkins, the Creation press officer.

July 1993:

Having been the first journalist from a national inkie to hear the "Live Demo" tape, Paul Mathur heads off to Manchester, where he sees Oasis rehearse on the 14th, and then play live upstairs at the Boardwalk on the 17th. He renounces his intention to quit the music business on the spot.

There with Mathur that night are many of the Manchester music scene cognescenti - members of The Charlatans, Real People, Inspiral Carpets, Simon Moran of booking agents SJM, Johnny Marr, Peter Hook of Revenge & New Order, Terry Christian.

Also there is Emma Morgan, a local stringer for the national New Musical Express [NME]. It is she who gives Oasis their first review in the national music press. She praises the band in glowing terms: "Shout to the rooftops and dance in the streets... they stomp out the kind of terrifyingly memorable tunes... Oasis really are the shoots of vitality in a barren pop land."

Two days later Oasis are back in Liverpool at Le Bateau.

summer 1993:

Meanwhile, McGee continues his pursuit of Oasis. McGee entices David Massey at Sony US to hear the Porter Street demos. Massey goes "completely bonkers" over "Columbia".

Creation feel they are building a platform sufficiently stable and financially powerful enough to persuade Noel that the band’s future lies with Creation.

September 1993:

But not everyting goes the band's way. On the 11th they cross the Pennines for a gig at The Duchess of York in Leeds. No-one turns up! But the band play by way of a rehearsal and do an encore for the barman.

Meantime, the "Live Demo" is passed to another Manchester musician, Marc Riley. then co-hosting a BBC Radio 5 programme from Manchester called 'Hit The North' with Mark Radcliffe.

Booked onto the programme on the 12th, the stroppy appearance culminates in the band insulting co-presenter for the evening, Peter Hook of New Order & Revenge.

On the 14th, the band play at the Canal Bar as part of the 'In The City' festival - a UK music biz schmooze-fest. The night is billed as a Creation Night, and they play alongside Medalark 11 and 18 Wheeler. Blessed Ethel receive the Best New Band award.

Paul Mathur in the Melody Maker [MM] gives their performance the lead live review.

The month ends with the band recording demos at Loco Studios, including "Live Forever", "Up In The Sky" and "Digsy's Dinner".

October 1993:

The buzz continues to build. The band get a couple of mentions in the NME gossip columns, John Robb also pronouncing that "the future is Oasis".

Gigs are also played in and around Manchester, supporting Liz Phair and the Milltown Bros on one-off dates.

Oasis finally signs on the 22nd with Sony Records and licensed to Creation Records in the UK. The advance a paltry £60,000. Noel signs a publishing deal with Creation Songs/Sony Music Publishing.

That evening the party repairs to the Falcon in Camden where a very drunk Liam invades the stage whilst Whiteout play.

They celebrate with a short series of gigs supporting BMX Bandits on a 4-date tour.

November 1993:

McGee’s attempts to entice Sony US finally succeeds when Richard Griffiths, President of Sony, succumbs to the excitable blandishments of his Head of A&R David Massey. The latter, having heard the demo, pops over to see Oasis play at the Powerhaus in London on the 3rd. He is ecstatic. Shortly after, Oasis sign to Epic, a Sony US label.

Further excitement is generated as Oasis continue on the road. First supporting CNN in Sheffield, then St Etienne over three dates, and finally with Verve and Acetone for six dates in December.

December 1993:

Hardly have the band begun to seep into the public consciousness, and NME try to start the Oasis backlash. The review for the Birmingham Institute gig on the 1st is negative towards Liam. In soon to be typical style, he threatens to slap the reviewer should he meet him. Johnny Cigarettes; look out. Over at MM for the Glasgow Plaza gig on the 2nd, Calvin Bush gushes!

At this time, Bonehead is still driving the band from gig to gig, and the band is joined at Warwick University on the 8th by technician Phil Smith who is on permanent sabbatical from the hibernating Stone Roses.

Meanwhile, Creation decides to issue a promo only copy of “Columbia”. To ramp up the hype, only 510 copies are pressed. One reaches Christine Boar, a producer of the BBC Radio 1 Evening Session who gets it playlisted. The swell of positive critiques starts here.

After playing their final gig of the year at the Krazyhouse in Liverpool on 16th December as support to Real People, the band head straight into the Pink Museum Studio in Liverpool, where they stay from the 17th to the 21st. Dave Scott engineers. They leave with "Up In The Sky", "Bring It On Down", "Live Forever", "Shakermaker", "Take Me Away" and "Supersonic" in the can.

The 21st sees them finish at Pink Museum and head down to London for an all-night drinking session with Primal Scream; putting them in the mood for their first Radio 1 session at Maida Vale on the 22nd.

• Contents
• Chronology - index

c 1998 Andrew Turner

aturner@interalpha.co.uk

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