Ignition Management is a London-based music management company run by partners Marcus Russell & Alec McKinlay.
Ignition Management was formed in late 1983 by Welshman Marcus Russell, who at the time managed London based band
Latin Quarter
The Latin Quarter of Paris (, ) is an urban university campus in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne.
Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistros, t ...
, who became established in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
&
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
before going on to score a UK Hit with the song Radio Africa in 1986.
Ignition went on to manage Cambridge band
The Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writte ...
, before expanding to take on
Johnny Marr
John Martin Marr (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Maher; born 31 October 1963) is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has sinc ...
,
The The
are an English rock band from London, formed in 1979 by singer-songwriter Matt Johnson, the only constant member, and often the sole member.
achieved critical acclaim and commercial success in the UK, with 15 chart singles, seven reaching ...
and Electronic as the 1990s approached. It was at this time that previous associate Alec Mckinlay returned from his native
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
to
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to rejoin Ignition, and to later become a partner with Russell.
In May 1993 Ignition took on what was to become their most well known and successful client:
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentNoel &
Liam
Liam is a short form of the Germanic name William, or its Irish variant Uilliam.
Etymology
The original name was a merging of two Old German elements: ''willa'' ("will" or "resolution"); and ''helma'' ("helmet"). The juxtaposition of these ...
, went on to sell over 70 million albums worldwide, and become one of the world biggest touring bands, playing to a total of 1.1 million on what turned out to be their final UK Tour in 2008/9.
Between 2000–2010 Ignition also managed North American clients Mercury Rev and Black Mountain, as well as New Zealand based Neil Finn and his band
Crowded House
Crowded House are an Australian-New Zealand rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Paul Hester (drums), who were both for ...
.
Subsequent to Oasis splitting in 2009, Ignition has continued to manage Noel Gallagher, overseeing the launch of his highly successful 10 year solo career as
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 2010 as the solo moniker of Oasis (band), Oasis songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Noel Gallagher. The touring band consists of former Oasis members Gem Archer ( ...
. Since the middle of the last decade, Ignition's roster has grown further, taking on highly successful international touring artists Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Scottish singer/songwriter Amy McDonald. They have also expanded to establish a North American arm of Ignition management based in Los Angeles, whose clients include Neon Trees and Wilderado.
In November 2016, Ignition co-founders invested in ticket resale platform Twickets.