Oasis original who was there when the band first got together says reunion was ‘inevitable’ despite Liam and Noel’s decades-long feud

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

Katrina Russell played a major role in the way the band was managed while at Creation Records, which helped propel Oasis to fame some 30 years ago.

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

Despite witnessing the band’s breakup and the bitter feud between the two up close, Ms. Russell always knew they would get back together.

In a 2020 interview with her local newspaper, Ms. Russell said she was confident fans would get a reunion, but it might not be a world tour.

“The fans will have a reunion at some point, blood is thicker than water, they are brothers,” she told CornwallLive.

‘No matter what the women and the journalists say, what they went through together cannot be underestimated.

“I don’t think it will be a world tour, but you will get a big gig.”

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

Mrs. Matthews organized dance evenings at the time. The two met there and hit it off right away.

Mrs Russell said: ‘The next time Meg and Noel Gallagher got together was just when Oasis were moving forward.

‘It was immediately clear that the band was unique; that they would be incredible.

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

“I said to Meg, ‘Give me a job at the record label.’ I went over there and started working for free.”

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

The two hit it off immediately and Mrs. Russell was offered a job at the front desk.

Shortly after, she was promoted one after the other until she became Mr. McGee’s assistant, which she attributed to her good friendship with Meg and Noel.

She added: ‘The reason I got on so well at Creation was because I was so involved with Meg and Noel, and was always with them in their home, Supernova Heights.

“You couldn’t believe how many people were there, how many parties were being thrown. Just the most amazing and wild time to be a part of.”

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

Well-known film stars such as Ewan McGregor and Jonny Lee Miller were also regular guests at Noel Gallagher’s parties, which reportedly lasted for days.

Mrs. Russell became indispensable to the running of Creation Records because her boss Alan was struggling with drug addiction.

She claims her boss nearly died and had to be carried out of a plane when the band got their big break.

The former PA said she at one point had to mediate between her boss and the band, which she described as “completely crazy”.

By the time Oasis released their second album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory, the label needed two large buildings, one for Oasis and the other for the other artists.

Her close relationship with the Gallagher brothers gave her insight into their legendary fights, which she confirmed were real.

Speaking about Liam and Noel’s infamous rows at the height of their fame, Russell said: ‘Sometimes you had to hide under desks when they were arguing, but that was part of the charm.’

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

Mrs Magee’s best friend is Anais Gallagher, Noel and Meg’s daughter, who is also reportedly ‘overjoyed’ at the news of the reunion.

The reigning Miss England said her mother had assured her that Oasis would definitely get back together one day, despite a 15-year spat that made it seem unlikely they would ever get back together.

Mrs Magee, a lifeguard from Newquay, said: ‘My mum always knew it would happen, it was more a matter of when it would happen.

“She had so much faith in it and knew it was inevitable. She would say, ‘Blood is thicker than water,’ and in the end they would go for the idea anyway.

‘My mother, and also Meg, worked hard to make Oasis what it was in the 90s.

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

“My mother is clearly thrilled – as is the whole world, it seems. I can’t wait.”

“I love them so much and I think this is what the world needs right now.”

Milla Magee won the Miss England title after wearing an iconic 90s 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 celebrities such as Kate Moss, Ray Winston and Jason Statham.

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

She added: ‘I can’t wait to go to one of the Oasis gigs, just to relive a bit of what my mum and Meg were like in the 90s for two hours.

‘The energy and excitement of that time, it feels like it’s come full circle.

‘I think a whole new generation is going to be introduced to British pop culture and what real music is all about.

‘Personally, I only heard the stories from my mother and Meg, but that was it, just stories. Now I can really experience it.

‘I haven’t talked to Anais about it yet, but I know she’ll be really happy that it’s finally happening too.

“Given the divisions in the world, I think this is what everyone needed to bring people back together.”

Ms Magee said she was bullied at school as a 200-pound teenager, but now she has the final say.

She became the first plus-size woman to win the title of Miss England, after beating 39 other beauty queens.

She shared that she had issues with body image in the past, but has now accepted her size and is confident about her own body.