I was influenced by The Velvet Underground. I don’t think Creation Records would have existed without their impact.  It was Joe Foster who got me into the Velvet’s and it was me getting the bands we signed up into them as well.   Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream was a massive fan as was Jesus and The Marychain. They were hip for a long time, but in the 90’s they seemed to lose their cool with the mainstream. But Lou Reed was always cool and always rude, because I met him in the 90’s at the Brixton Academy and, true to his image, he was off hand with me.  I was taken back stage to meet him, and it was text book Lou Reed.  He was surrounded by ten guys from a biker gang, Seymour Stein (vice president of Warner Bros. Records and a co-founder of Sire Records) was there, and he said “Lou, this is Alan McGee, he signs up all the best bands from England”.  Lou Reed got up, looked at me and walked past.

Seymour chased after him, and eventually Lou Reed, rather reluctantly shook my hand.  It was a bit embarrassing for both parties, and that was the only time I met him.  I didn’t really want to go and meet him but it was Seymour who insisted that I did.  I didn’t want to meet Michael Jackson either, but I did, maybe there is something in that, don’t meet me or you might die!   I am not going to lie, Lou Reed was thoroughly unpleasant, but I have been involved in music for so long, and it’s music that counts first, and if the person who makes the music isn’t a nice person, it doesn’t matter. I knew he would be unpleasant, but it didn’t, and still doesn’t, affect my love of The Velvet Underground.

People that really love music, like Creation Records, Cherry Red Records, 359 Music, ZANI, we all owe Velvet Underground so much creatively and anyone who denies that is a fucking liar.