Oasis reunion ‘inevitable’ despite Liam and Noel’s feud

An Oasis original who was there in the early days of the band’s career said she always knew a reunion was ‘inevitable’ despite Liam and Noel Gallagher’s ongoing feud.

Katrina Russell was instrumental in how the band was managed while working at Creation Records, which helped shoot Oasis into stardom around 30 years ago.

She is the best friend of Meg Matthews, Noel’s first wife, and also dated Robbie Williams and Steve Coogan before settling for a quieter life in Cornwall after being a famous ‘It girl’ in the 90s.

Despite having a front-row seat of the band’s split and the pair’s bitter feud, Ms Russell always knew they would reform.

Katrina Russell with Alan McGee, co-founder of Creation Records that signed Oasis 

Katrina Russell and Megan Mathews pictured together. They are still best friends today after being famous ‘It girls’ in the 1990s

In an interview with her local paper in 2020, Ms Russell said she was sure fans would get a reunion but it may not be a world tour.

‘The fans will get a reunion at some point, blood is thicker than water, they’re brothers,’ she told CornwallLive.

‘It doesn’t matter what the wives and the journalists say, what they went through together you can’t underestimate.

‘I don’t think it’ll be a world tour but you’ll get a big gig.’

Ms Russell was 18 years old, living in London and DJ Paul Oakenfield was her boyfriend when she met Meg Matthews.

At this time, Ms Matthews was running dance nights, which is where the pair met, and they instantly hit it off.

Ms Russell said: ‘The next thing Meg and Noel Gallagher got together just as Oasis were getting somewhere.

‘It was instantly obvious that the band were something else; that they were going to be unbelievable.

”I’ll always remember where I was when I first heard Live Forever. I sat down and thought, ‘this is the future’.

Milla Magee pictured with mum Katrina Russell. The Newquay lifeguard is now reigning Miss England

Group portrait of British rock band Oasis at Nomad Studios in Manchester in November 1993

‘I said to Meg, get me a job at the record label and I literally went there and started working for nothing.’

Ms Russell met Alan McGee, Scottish music producer and co-founder of Creation Records who had just signed Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain to his label and soon he would take on Oasis.

The pair instantly hit it off and Ms Russell was offered a job on reception.

Soon afterwards, she was given promotion after promotion until she became Mr McGee’s PA, which she puts down to being such good friends with Meg and Noel.

She added: ‘The reason I was able to get on so well at Creation was because I was so involved with Meg and Noel, always with them at their house, Supernova Heights.

‘You couldn’t believe the people that were there, the parties that went on. Just the most amazing and wild time to be around.’

She partied with some of the biggest names in music such as U2 and Massive Attack.

Also, A-list movie stars such as Ewan McGregor and Jonny Lee Miller were regular at Noel Gallagher’s parties, which would reportedly go on for days.

Ms Russell became vital to the running of Creation Records as her boss Alan was battling a drug problem.

She claims her boss almost died and had to be stretchered off a plane when the band got their big break.

The former PA said at one point she was having to mediate between her boss and the band, which she described as being ‘off their t**s’.

By the time of Oasis’ second album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, the label needed two big buildings, one for Oasis and the other for the rest of the acts.

Because of her close relationship with the Gallagher brothers, she had insight into their legendary fights which she confirms are genuine.

Speaking of Liam and Noel’s infamous bust-ups at the height of their fame, Ms Russell added: ‘You had to hide under the desks sometimes when they were kicking off, but that was part of the charm.’

Ms Russell is also the mother of Miss England Milla Magee, 23, who is goddaughter of Meg Matthews and Alan McGee.

Ms Magee’s best friend is Anais Gallagher, Noel and Meg’s daughter, who is also said to be ‘over the moon’ with news of the reunion.

The reigning Miss England said her mother had reassured her that Oasis would definitely get back together one day despite a war of words lasting 15 years and a reunion looking unlikely.

Noel Gallagher performs live at the Astoria in London, on August 19 1994

Liam and Noel Gallagher Oasis at the Knebworth Festival in August 1996

Ms Magee, a lifeguard from Newquay, said: ‘My mum just always knew it was going to happen, it was more a case of when that was going to be.

‘She was so confident about it and knew it was inevitable and would say blood is thicker than water and they will eventually come round to the idea.

‘My mum worked so hard, as did Meg, to make Oasis into what they were in the 90s.

‘They were both absolute powerhouses at the time as was my godfather Alan McGee. They all deserve for this to happen.

‘My mum is obviously delighted – as is the whole world is it seems. I can’t wait.

‘I love them to pieces and I think this is what the world needs right now.’

Milla Magee took the Miss England crown after wearing an iconic 1990s Meg Matthews dress on the catwalk in May this year.

She grew up in the world of Britpop and celebrity culture in London surrounded by the likes of Kate Moss, Ray Winston and Jason Statham.

Her dad Brenhan Magee also owns the bar where Made In Chelsea was filmed.

Liam Gallagher of Oasis performs on stage at Glastonbury in 1994

Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher are pictured performing live on stage in 2001 

She added: ‘I cannot wait to go to one of the Oasis gigs, just to relive for two hours a tiny bit of what my mum and Meg would have lived in the 90s.

‘The energy and excitement of those times, it feels like it has come full circle.

‘I think a whole new generation is about to be exposed to Brit pop culture and what real music is all about.

‘Personally I just heard all of my mum and Meg’s stories but that’s all they were, just stories. Now I can experience it for real.

‘I haven’t spoken to Anais about it yet but I know she’ll be over the moon it’s finally happening too.

‘With the world as divided as it is, I think this is what everybody needed to bring people back together.’

Ms Magee said she was bullied at school as a 14 stone teenager but has now had the last laugh.

She became the first ‘plus-size’ woman to take home the Miss England crown after she beat competition from 39 other beauty queens.

She said she suffered with body image issues in the past but has now embraced her size and is confident in her own skin.