Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentIgnition Management and Ignition Records, as well as managing director of
Big Brother Recordings
Big Brother Recordings Ltd. is a British record label set up in 2000 to release material by rock band Oasis in the UK and Ireland. On 19 June 2008 a deal was signed with Sony BMG which entitled them to an arranged portion of the profits from ...
.
Born in
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale (; ) is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River in Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough. The Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr conurbation has a ...
, South Wales, on the 22 of May 1953, Russell was educated at Ebbw Vale County Grammar School from 1964 to 1971. He then worked as a blast furnace operative for British Steel at Ebbw Vale Works and for NCB at Waun-y-Pound open cast coal mine between 1971 and 1974. In 1974, he left South Wales to study at Middlesex Polytechnic. Russell went on to teach at comprehensive schools in
Harlow
Harlow is a town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a Planned community, new town in 1947, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire, and occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the ...
, Essex, before becoming Head of Economics at
Royal Liberty School
The Royal Liberty School is a secondary school for boys aged 11 to 16, located in Gidea Park in the London Borough of Havering, England.
The school is situated on Upper Brentwood Road about 400 metres north of Gidea Park railway station, and ...
in
Romford
Romford is a large List of places in London, town in east London, east London, England, located northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Havering, the town is one of the major Metropolitan centres of London, metropolitan centr ...
, Essex, in 1983.
In 1984, Russell left the teaching profession to set up his own management company in the music industry, naming it Ignition. Early clients included
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 ...
, consisting of fellow Ebbw Valian lyricist Mike Jones. Subsequent clients included
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
),
Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956) is an English musician. He is a founding member of the bands Joy Division, New Order, Electronic, and Bad Lieutenant. Sumner was an early force in several areas, including the post-punk, synth-pop, and ...
Neil
Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. As a surname ...
and
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy Finn (born 25 June 1952) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. He is best known as a founding member of Split Enz. Finn founded the band in 1972 with Phil Judd and served as lead singer and principal songw ...
(
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 ...
). In May 1993, he signed a then unknown Manchester band,
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentOasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentOasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentNoel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Gallagher is the primary songwriter, lead guitarist and a co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis. After leaving Oasis, he formed Noel ...
, overseeing the launch of his highly successful 15-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 mid-2000s, Ignition's roster has grown further, taking on highly successful international touring artists such as
Catfish and the Bottlemen
Catfish and the Bottlemen are a British indie rock band formed in Llandudno, Conwy, Wales, in 2007. The band currently consists of Van McCann (lead vocals, guitars) and Benji Blakeway (bass guitar, backing vocals). Their debut album, '' The Bal ...
and Scottish singer-songwriter
Amy Macdonald
Amy Elizabeth Macdonald (born 25 August 1987) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. In 2007, she released her debut studio album, ''This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald album), This Is the Life'', which produced the singles "Mr. Rock & Roll" and "This ...
. Ignition Management has also expanded to establish a North American arm based in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, who clients include Wilderado and Sunday 1994.
Russell also co-owns Ignition Records, which has been highly active with releases over the last decade from UK no.1 album bands such as
Stereophonics
Stereophonics are a Welsh pop and rock music, Welsh rock band formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in the Cynon Valley. The band consists of Kelly Jones (lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Richard Jones (Stereophonics), Richard Jones (n ...
and
Courteeners
Courteeners are an English band formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in 2006 by Liam Fray (lead guitar/vocals), Michael Campbell (drums/backing vocals), Daniel "Conan" Moores (rhythm guitar) and Mark Cuppello (bass); the last was replaced ...
. In November 2016, Russell invested, with his Ignition co-founder, in ticket resale platform Twickets. Additionally, he became owner and major benefactor of Ebbw Vale Rugby Club from 1996 to 2004, during the advent of the professional rugby union era.