WHEN indie music ruled Britain they were at the top of the pile, living the life of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll.

So when the singer for Oxford legends Ride and Alan McGee – the man who made the band famous – met again yesterday, they had some tales to tell.

Mark Gardener, who led the “shoegazing” band from 1988 to 1996, interviewed the former Creation records boss at a book signing.

Scot Mr McGee launched the careers of Oasis, Primal Scream, The Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine to name but a few.

The label was as famous for its party lifestyle as the records it put out, but the two still had some memories of the years before Creation folded in 2000.

Mr McGee said at Waterstones, Broad Street, on Wednesday: “Mark was not just the singer, he was the secret weapon.

“We used to fly Mark out to LA so we could cause havoc.”

The 53-year-old spoke of his affection for Ride: “I probably could have got arrested for stalking young boys. They were only about 17, 18 and I was 29. I was following them around like a groupie.”

Fans got an extra treat as legendary producer John Leckie – whose credits include The Stone Roses – also attended the signing of Mr McGee’s book Creation Stories: Riots, Raves and Running a Label.

Ride’s biggest single was Leave Them All Behind, which hit number nine in 1992 and three of their four LPs – Nowhere, Going Blank Again and Carnival of Light – went top 20.

Mr Gardener and Ride band mates Laurence Colbert, Steve Queralt and Andy Bell attended Cheney School in Headington. Andy Bell went on to join Oasis and Beady Eye.

East Oxford’s Mr Gardener, 43, said: “The starting phase was amazing because we had just no idea it would go off and work like that.

“It felt great to be on Creation.”

He told the audience: “It is really nice to come and see Alan.”