PAUL CHEETHAM is FOUNDER and CEO of Heartburst Management. He has over twenty years experience in the music industry as a concert & festival promoter, artist manager, and event organiser.
Paul began his career working in retail at Our Price record stores while running indie club nights at venues around London in the mid-90's. He joined the Mean Fiddler Group in 1997, organising events at the group's venues such as the Mean Fiddler, the Acoustic Room, the Garage, the Jazz Cafe, and the Forum, as well as managing stages at Reading & Leeds, Phoenix, and Fleadh festivals.
Paul moved on to work for the Welldone Concert Agency in Helsinki, Finland which soon became part of EMA Telstar which in turn became SFX, Clear Channel and eventually Live Nation. Between 1999 and 2007 Paul was involved in bringing hundreds of international artists to Scandinavia and the Baltics for tours and festivals, from Muse to Morrissey, Moby to Metallica, Suede to Sting, Bowie to Blur, Ryan Adams to Bryan Adams, Whitney to the Whitestripes, Bloodhound Gang to Bon Jovi, Tina Turner to Tool, Elton John to Eels, Sugarhill Gang to Cher........and many more.
Also during this time, Paul was instrumental in identifying local talent and helping export some of it to labels, agents, and promoters outside Finland, including acts such as The Rasmus, The Crash, HIM, Lemonator, The 69 Eyes, Giant Robot, Sister Flo, Astrid Swan, Laika & The Cosmonauts, The Latebirds, Manboy, TV OFF, Murmansk and others. He worked closely with the Finnish Music Export Office on its inception in 2002 and represented artists at MUSEX events around the world at such as SXSW, CMJ, SPOT, By:Larm, Canadian Music Week, Helsinki In Berlin, Finland In Tokyo, Popkomm, and Midem.
In summer 2009, Paul relocated to Berlin, Germany and launched the New Music Office (the NMO), a music industry website to promote new artists to decision-makers inside the business and was instrumental in helping to attract interest and deals for acts such as Ewert & The Two Dragons, Highasakite, Kellermensch, Team Me, and Rubik. He also worked as a consultant and advisor to several music offices and events, including the first Tallinn Music Week, before becoming Music Manager for Popkomm and then International Relations Manager for Berlin Music Week. Between 2011 and 2013, Paul ran the Berlin office of the SSC Group, helping manage the company's agency, festivals, and brands, as well as advising on company strategy. 2014 saw Paul spearhead the highly successful online Save Radio Helsinki campaign which attracted over 35,000 Facebook followers in 3 weeks and international media coverage that helped find new owners for the Finnish independent radio station. In 2015 Paul joined the internationally respected Reeperbahn Festival team working mainly on brand development and sales in the USA, South America, and Asia, and also became a Project Manager for NOMEX, producing Nordic Playlist Radio Bar events at byLarm, Berlin Festival, and Roskilde.
As well as helping organise seminars, Paul is also an experienced moderator, panelist, and keynote speaker, having appeared at dozens of conventions around the world.
Over the years, Paul has organically gathered a remarkable collection of contacts and connections. His time as a top-line promoter and manager has given him a wealth of experience and know-how in the international music business. He now specialises in event, artist, & office management, strategic planning, and operational leadership which is all being put to very good use through HEARTBURST MANAGEMENT.
Paul began his career working in retail at Our Price record stores while running indie club nights at venues around London in the mid-90's. He joined the Mean Fiddler Group in 1997, organising events at the group's venues such as the Mean Fiddler, the Acoustic Room, the Garage, the Jazz Cafe, and the Forum, as well as managing stages at Reading & Leeds, Phoenix, and Fleadh festivals.
Paul moved on to work for the Welldone Concert Agency in Helsinki, Finland which soon became part of EMA Telstar which in turn became SFX, Clear Channel and eventually Live Nation. Between 1999 and 2007 Paul was involved in bringing hundreds of international artists to Scandinavia and the Baltics for tours and festivals, from Muse to Morrissey, Moby to Metallica, Suede to Sting, Bowie to Blur, Ryan Adams to Bryan Adams, Whitney to the Whitestripes, Bloodhound Gang to Bon Jovi, Tina Turner to Tool, Elton John to Eels, Sugarhill Gang to Cher........and many more.
Also during this time, Paul was instrumental in identifying local talent and helping export some of it to labels, agents, and promoters outside Finland, including acts such as The Rasmus, The Crash, HIM, Lemonator, The 69 Eyes, Giant Robot, Sister Flo, Astrid Swan, Laika & The Cosmonauts, The Latebirds, Manboy, TV OFF, Murmansk and others. He worked closely with the Finnish Music Export Office on its inception in 2002 and represented artists at MUSEX events around the world at such as SXSW, CMJ, SPOT, By:Larm, Canadian Music Week, Helsinki In Berlin, Finland In Tokyo, Popkomm, and Midem.
In summer 2009, Paul relocated to Berlin, Germany and launched the New Music Office (the NMO), a music industry website to promote new artists to decision-makers inside the business and was instrumental in helping to attract interest and deals for acts such as Ewert & The Two Dragons, Highasakite, Kellermensch, Team Me, and Rubik. He also worked as a consultant and advisor to several music offices and events, including the first Tallinn Music Week, before becoming Music Manager for Popkomm and then International Relations Manager for Berlin Music Week. Between 2011 and 2013, Paul ran the Berlin office of the SSC Group, helping manage the company's agency, festivals, and brands, as well as advising on company strategy. 2014 saw Paul spearhead the highly successful online Save Radio Helsinki campaign which attracted over 35,000 Facebook followers in 3 weeks and international media coverage that helped find new owners for the Finnish independent radio station. In 2015 Paul joined the internationally respected Reeperbahn Festival team working mainly on brand development and sales in the USA, South America, and Asia, and also became a Project Manager for NOMEX, producing Nordic Playlist Radio Bar events at byLarm, Berlin Festival, and Roskilde.
As well as helping organise seminars, Paul is also an experienced moderator, panelist, and keynote speaker, having appeared at dozens of conventions around the world.
Over the years, Paul has organically gathered a remarkable collection of contacts and connections. His time as a top-line promoter and manager has given him a wealth of experience and know-how in the international music business. He now specialises in event, artist, & office management, strategic planning, and operational leadership which is all being put to very good use through HEARTBURST MANAGEMENT.
some nice people said some mostly nice things about us.....
