Work Hard PR is a music and event publicity company founded by Roland Hyams, who began working in PR in 1981 with legendary independent publicist Keith Altham, assisting in handling the Rolling Stones, The Who, Police, Slade, Moody Blues and Donovan, among many others.

By 1984 he had become a partner in Modern Publicity (with Alan Edwards), bringing into the company and personally handling bands such as The Cult, Icicle Works, and Dead Or Alive. In 1986 he set up on his own as Roland Hyams PR and built up a client roster which included acts such as Duran Duran, Joan Armatrading, Bill Wyman, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden and The Stranglers.

After a period of diversification into management, trading as Rock Hard PR and Management, (managing acts such as the Godfathers, who got signed to Epic in the States for a three album worldwide deal), whilst still publicising acts such as Iron Maiden, he returned to PR full time and to mark the occasion established Work Hard PR in 1995.

Work Hard have generated numerous successful PR campaigns over the years for both well-known, and exciting new acts' records and tours, plus various major music festivals and alternative events.

‘Name’ acts’ records and tours worked on include Anvil, Asia, Black Sabbath, Brian Setzer, Dio, ELP, Peter Frampton, KISS, Lita Ford, Magnum, Motorhead, Ozzy Osbourne, Queensryche, Robert Plant, Saxon, Sepultura, Skid Row, Skinny Puppy, Slayer, Steve Earl, Strawbs, (+ with Sandy Denny) Twisted Sister, UFO, Uriah Heep, WASP, Whitesnake and Wolfsbane.

Events publicised in the past and present include the KISS headlined Kaos in the Park in 1997, Ozzfest at Milton Keynes Bowl in 1998, The Bulldog Bash in 2001 - 2006, Monsters Of Rock in 2006 at Milton Keynes Bowl, The Bizarre Ball in 2008 and 2009, GuilFest 2007 – 2012 and The London International Tattoo Convention 2005-12.

Work Hard also love finding talented new bands to launch and champion to the media. Roland Hyams has been the first to blast a variety of new rock acts such as The Answer, Saint Jude, The Jokers, A Pale Horse Named Death, Breed 77, Sons Of Icarus, and The Trews out to the press.

Highly respected freelance journalist and publicist Alison Bateman edited renowned fanzine Bubblegum Slut (nominated in EMAP Publishing group’s fanzine awards in 2004 and 2005) for ten years, as well as freelancing for Tour Dates, Vive Le Rock etc. before joining Work Hard in 2011. Since coming on board, Alison has worked with the likes of Tarja Turunen, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, Viva Le Pink (and frontwoman Missy Le Pink’s Tattoo Tonic Ink Aftercare Balm) Sanguine, Bermondsey Joyriders and Club Antichrist.

Work Hard’s database, which has been constantly updated and modified over the last 31 years, contains a huge number of both print and online national and regional press journalists and editors’ contact details. A comprehensive rock radio database has also been compiled over the last fifteen years, in response to clients’ requirements for a one-stop shop for rock publicity in the UK.

Email Roland Hyams here

Email Alison Bateman here

ARTICLE : The Independent showcases the best PRs in the music business (pdf scan)

© Work Hard PR 2010