Alan McGee, the man who discovered Oasis, is coming to Hartlepool

The former record label owner, musician, manager, and blogger will appear in 'An Evening with Alan McGee' at The Studio in Hartlepool on Saturday, May 4.

It is the only North East date in a rolling tour over the next eight months which starts and ends in his native Glasgow.

McGee, now 58, is best known for being the man who discovered a then-unknown Manchester band called Oasis, playing at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow in 1993.

He signed them to his independent label Creation Records, and released their debut album Definitely Maybe, which is regarded as one of Britpop's seminal moments.

McGee also managed or championed other influential acts such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, and The Libertines.

In 1997, the revtalised Labour Party took note of his accomplishments with Creation, and got him to spearhead a media campaign prior to the general election in order to appeal to Britain's young voters.

He was largely responsible for changing legislation in relation to musicians being able to go on the New Deal, which gave them three years to develop and be funded by the government instead of having to take other jobs to survive.

After closing down Creation in 1999 and selling his shares to Sony Music, he launched a new indie label, Poptones, which was best known for launching the career in the UK of Swedish garage-punk The Hives.

Poptones lasted until 2007, and McGee announced the following year that he was quitting music management and other activities after 25 years to concentrate on bringing up his daughter.

By 2012 his interest in music was revitalised, however, and he now runs Creation Management, whose artists include The Jesus and Mary Chain, Wilko Johnson, Happy Mondays, Black Grape, Cast, Glasvegas, and The Bluetones.

He has been quoted as saying: "I want Creation Management to become as big as Creation Records was. Together with my business partner we want to work with these great artists, help them reach all their full potential, as well as bringing on new young talent."

Audiences are invited to join McGee as he discusses his career, the music industry and his relationships with bands such as Primal Scream. There will be opportunities to ask questions.

The night will be hosted by author and broadcaster Rob Fiddaman, and tickets, priced £15, are on sale now from www.seetickets.com