CREATION STORIES

UK, 2021, 15 minutes, Colour.

Ewan Bremner, Leo Flanagan, Richard Jobson, Suki Waterhouse, Saskia Reeves, Jason Fleming, Jason Isaacs, Paul Kaye, Steven Berkoff, Ed Byrne, James Payton, Thomas Turgoose, Irvine Welsh, Nick Moran.

Directed by Nick Moran.

Creation Stories is a portrait of Alan McGee, a young lad from Scotland in the 1970s, king on music but not successful at playing, building up his knowledge, stirred by punk rock in the 1980s, with an ear for bands who would be successful, including The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Oasis amongst others.

The framework of the film is an interview by an ambitious journalist, Gemma (Suki Waterhouse), in the US, an older Alan McGee. The older Alan is played very effectively by Ewan Bremner. The younger is played by Leo Flanagan (with strong visual resemblance). There is a further later interview between the two for television.

The Bible indicates that creation was God making a world from nothing. To that extent, the company, Creation Records, was made by Alan McGee in rather godlike determination out of nothing.

This is a story also of rise and fall, especially alcohol and drugs and later rehab and AA meetings.

While this is not of particular interest to those who are not keen on the history of British popular music, at the end, there is political interest in Alan McGee’s connection with the British Labour Party and Tony Blair, discussions with Peter Mandelson and Alistair Campbell, and his later disillusionment with Blair and the party.

The film was directed by Nick Moran who also appears in the film and cowritten by the team of Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanaugh (Trainspotting) who also appear.

(Quite a number of adverse criticisms from Scottish viewers who complain about Edinburgh accents used instead of Glasgow accents!)

1. British and popular musical history of the 80s and 90s, into the 21^st century? Creation records? Alan McGee as the founder and manager?
2. The musical score, the range of popular groups and their songs, The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Oasis…? The aftermath of the Sex Pistols? Punk rock?
3. Scotland in the 1970s, family life, poor, music, changes, music shops?
4. Alan, his father’s criticisms, proper, the Masons (and his uniform)? Alan defying his father, his friends, going to the city, the shops, the bands? His attempts at playing, not successful?
5. The device of the older Alan McGee being interviewed, Gemma, television, 21^st-century interview, the range of flashbacks, building up the picture? 21^st-century Alan, his success, picking the musicians, promoting the bands, creating the company, his associates, in the UK, in the US, personal success? The background of his personal life, relationships? Issues of drinking, drugtaking, proliferation of drugs, the effect?
6. Alan as an operator, moving around, listening to the groups, picking the talent, promotion? American links? The example of Oasis, the Gallaghers, his signing them, promoting them?
7. Giving up the company, going into rehab, the meetings, the effect?
8. With Malcolm McLaren, working with him, helping him?
9. The political connection, the British Labour Party, meetings with Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson, Alistair Campbell? Donations? His becoming disillusioned, despising Peter Mandelson, criticisms of Blair?
10. Alan McGee 60 at the time the film was made, further interviews with Gemma, his rant on the television set, backing down?
11. Looking back over his life, his career, reuniting with his family, with his father, a marriage, rehab? His influence on the British music industry?