Paul Ripley
Paul knows what makes a plug land—because he gets pitched to daily.
John King
John brings the manager’s mindset to every move we make.
It's generally accepted, usually after a pint or two, that Paul is less of a chap and more of a fixture in Manchester's illustrious music scene – think of him as one of the city's undisputed, if slightly more understated, legends. You get the picture.
His early days were spent flogging guitars at the almost mythical A1 Music in Manchester. Now, A1 wasn't just any old shop; it was the sort of place where future rock royalty nipped in for a new axe. We're talking the likes of John McGeoch, Bernard Sumner, and even Patti Smith popping by. One imagines Paul, with a customary cup of tea in hand, casually asking, "Six strings or twelve, Ms. Smith?" before these names became quite so, well, loud.
Naturally, after proving he could sell a plectrum to a drummer, Paul swanned off into managing and tour managing bands. No biggie. He presumably ensured the tour bus occasionally went in the right direction and that the rider demands for blue M&Ms were met with appropriate Mancunian stoicism. Then, as it often does for the chosen few, the glittering world of broadcasting decided it couldn't possibly cope without him.
A stint with Comic Relief (saving the world, one red nose at a time) and a dalliance with the BBC followed, which was all very respectable, of course. But then, over a decade ago, Paul decided to give the industry a proper poke in the eye by establishing the now-legendary Fab Radio International. When the naysayers chirped, "It'll never last, old boy," Paul, in a fit of admirable stubbornness (or what some might call 'being a bit determined'), decided it absolutely would. And, lo and behold, by attracting guests such as the Manic Street Preachers and a veritable who's who of the Manchester music firmament, he’s now the Programme Controller of a radio station that's not only thriving but also refreshingly diverse. Take that, industry!
Now, when it comes to the dark arts of PR and Plugging, let's just say that between us, we've been around the block a few times, probably stopped for a bacon butty, and then gone round again for good measure. We've collected the t-shirts, made the blunders (character building, those), and had a few corkers in the success department. Coupled with our other various jaunts through the music industry, we’re the sort of team you’d rather have on your side.
John was originally set on becoming a teacher, attending Leeds University in 1987. That's where he met Tony Runeckles, where they soon discovered that they shared a passion for music as well as a few sherberts, and attended many gigs, record fares and music shops discovering new artists, bands and genres to swell their collective record collections.
Finding his passion for music and gigging was overtaking his passion for education, John got thrown out for being a party animal. At a loose end, John badgered the managers of his two favourite bands at the time - Big Country and The Truth - and eventually started working for both bands, enjoying the mentorship of both band's managers.
This experience allowed John to further his management career where he worked with Nine Below Zero, Steve Harley, Simon Townshend (currently in The Who), Intervurt (Mark Brzezicki's band), Manchester favourites Smile Like Fools, Jo Greenwood (In the City winner and ex Hoopla Baby) along with many others.
John also managed Producer, Mark Tolle, whose credits include four tracks on The Stone Roses' Second Coming LP, New Fads, Mock Turtles, Paris Angels, Tanita Tikaram, Aswad, Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy, and many others.
John reconnected with Tony in 1997 to form The Sound Judgement Partnership; a management and PR company combined which represented many "In The City" finalists, including Jo Greenwood, Wilson and The Imagineers. The partnership also represented producer/ engineer/ live engineer, Nigel Luby whose credits include The Police, Yes, Big Country, and The Alarm amongst many others.
In 1999 John partnered with Phil Saxe (ex Happy Mondays manager and ex Head of A&R at Factory Records) in setting up a new label, Clear Recordings, signing KneeHigh and The Neutrinos.
John finally realised his long forgotten teaching ambitions, when he lectured at Salford University on The Music Business Management Degree course, where his module contributed to 20% of the final degree (not bad considering he got thrown out of University himself). John also became guest lecturer at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).
At the end of the millenium, John became a board member of The Manchester City Music Network, whilst also finding time to partner with Steve Payne (legendary national plugger whose credits include Rolling Stones, Queen, AC-DC, Big Country, Marillion, and Tina Turner) to form The Bureau, a national plugging company that enjoyed a lot of success, including securing the first ever live session for an unsigned artist (Jason Isaacs) with Virgin Radio along with getting Russia's largest rock band at the time (Blast) considerable playlisting and exposure.
As well as being a partner in Atomik PR, John is currently managing Tony Butler (ex Big Country) and up-and-coming band, Jackson Hewitt.
Tony Michaelides
Tony’s been plugging music long before it was cool.
Tony Runeckles
Tony knows how to get people talking—and writing.
As a trailblazer in independent regional promotion, he ran one of the UK’s top PR companies for over two decades—working with legends like David Bowie, U2, and New Order’s Peter Hook (whom he also managed during his solo project, Revenge).
Based in Manchester during its musical heyday, Tony was always in the thick of it—producing and presenting his own radio show The Last Radio Program, sitting on The BRITs Voting Academy, and speaking on panels at music conferences around the world.
He helped launch U2’s first-ever radio and TV appearances, and in the process, discovered what it really takes for artists to break through: relentless hustle and smart strategy.
Passionate about artist development, Tony earned the rare title of Alien of Extraordinary Ability for his services to music and the arts, leading him to the U.S., where he’s since been sharing his insider knowledge through lectures, workshops, and as a TEDx speaker.
Now a published author with his Lessons Learned from Rock ‘n’ Roll series (and more eBooks on the way), Tony continues to do what he’s always done best—champion real artists with real potential.
"Tony has been one of the UK’s foremost record promoters and undoubtedly one of the best U2 has had the pleasure of working with. It was in those crucial formative years that we were grateful for the passionate belief Tony had in the band and pleasing to see the hugely successful career he built off the back of the work he did with U2 and the calibre of acts he has continued to work with."
Paul McGuinness, Manager U2 1978-2013
With years in PR, marketing, and digital strategy, Tony is our press and storytelling pro. A longtime lover of indie, electronic, and dance music, he blends industry know-how with a passion for the underground.
Tony formed The Sound Judgement Partnership with John King in 1997, providing artists with both management services as well as PR, press and promotional campaigns. The company represented Nigel luby, Jason Isaacs, Jo Greenwood, Wilson and The Imagineers.
Founding a digital marketing agency just as digital changed the world, Tony worked with a number of corporate brands including Virgin, Disney and Our Price. Outside of the corporate day job, he provided videography services to bands, founding Goat Films and working with bands including History of Guns.
Tony brings serious copy chops and a sharp press instinct to every campaign—crafting narratives that cut through and get artists the coverage they deserve.
From killer bios to press hooks that stick, he makes sure your story gets told—and gets noticed.