Our Story

〰️

Our Story 〰️

It's about the music, it's always been about the music.

RED HILL Entertainment (RH) is a full-service events company promoting four of its own events while also providing client based event management services. RH is owned and operated by two independent music and events companies in Australia – The Hills Are Alive Group (THAA) and Unified Music Group (UMG).

RH staff and partners have years of collective experience working in music and live events successfully running 7 large scale single day and multi-day camping festivals with over 40,000+ attendees. The RH team has been previously contracted by Live Nation for the delivery of DOWNLOAD festival as well as Support Act’s first annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference, Headfirst.

Our full-time event production team has systems and tools in place to deliver viable and realistic show experiences and budgets. This is our core business; we understand and manage risks on a regular basis for our own shows and the clients we work with. Red Hill Entertainment has great relationships with local governments, collaborators, stakeholders, and agencies to ensure safe and timely delivery of all event plans, documentation and deliverables.

Red Hill Entertainment is experienced at creating unique, memorable, and inclusive experiences for fans and artists.

Our Team

〰️

Our Team 〰️

Aidan McLaren - Director

  • Aidan is a passionate live music lover, Artist Manager and Festival Director/Programmer based in Victoria. Over the past 20 years he has programmed over 700 artists across more than 50 Victorian festivals, concerts and events. In addition to his festival roles, Aidan is a respected artist manager and currently co-manages the music careers of Boy & Bear, Steph Strings, Mike Waters and Matilda Pearl.

    Prior to starting The Hills Are Alive Group with his brother Rhett in 2009, Aidan worked extensively in the education and positive youth pathways sector. Aidan’s first job was rounding up cows as a 10 year old.

Rhett McLaren - Director

  • Rhett has been running music concerts and festivals since the age of 15 (23 years). With limited gig opportunities for bands in the regional area where he grew up, Rhett and his brother Aidan worked with the local council and State Government (The PUSH / FReeZA) to host concerts in their country town of Leongatha, Victoria. These concerts grew to attracting 500-600 kids from all over the district. Buses ferried kids to halls from over the shire to see 3-4 up and coming local bands along with major national headline acts.

    Upon moving to Melbourne as a young adult studying Mechanical Engineering Rhett began working in concert production specialising in lighting design/operation. It was in that environment were Rhett's passion for production and ‘the show’ continued to grow inspiring him to learn all about the ins and outs of hosting large scale events. In 2009, Rhett and his brother Aidan started The Hills Are Alive Group (THAA) to host their first multi-day music camping festival ‘The Hills Are Alive’ on their family farm. From humble belongings, THAA grew and now promotes three major event brands; The Hills Are Alive, NYE on the Hill, Ocean Sounds, runs a record label called THAA Records promoting and supporting emerging Victorian artists and also managers notable Australian artists, Boy & Bear, Steph Strings, Matilda Pearl and Steve Cousins.

    In 2014, Rhett and his brother Aidan teamed up with Jaddan Comerford CEO & Founder of UNIFIED MUSIC GROUP to create RED HILL Entertainment a full service promotion and event delivery company focused on delivering world class events. Rhett's role within RED HILL is Managing Director, overseeing all operational elements of the company, the events its hosts and the amazing team that delivers them!

Jaddan Comerford - Director

  • Jaddan Comerford is the Founding CEO of UNIFIED Music Group, a globally renowned multi-service music company.

    From its suburban Melbourne bedroom beginnings as Boomtown Records to its stake as one of Australia's largest independent music companies, UNIFIED now offers a full suite of artist and music services across the globe. In 2021, the company is proud to have celebrated its official 10-year anniversary as Jaddan moves towards a milestone 20 years in the music business in 2022.

    Today UNIFIED provides a range of services including artist management, label and distribution services, publishing, touring, festivals and merchandise to a diverse roster of local and international artists. With its head office based in the heartbeat of Melbourne’s live music scene, UNIFIED also has offices in Sydney, Los Angeles and London as the company continues its worldwide pursuit.

    Via its management arm, UNIFIED’s team of managers cultivate the careers of Vance Joy, Illy, The Amity Affliction, Dashboard Confessional, Client Liaison, Ocean Alley, SAFIA and more.

    Meanwhile, the company is home to a group of established brands including direct-to-consumer merchandise outlet, 24 Hundred, and Australia’s premier heavy and alternative music label, UNFD, home to some of the world’s most adored artists and records in the scene.

    On the live front, UNIFIED established Australia’s premiere heavy music festival – UNIFY Gathering – in 2015 and are responsible for bringing the likes of The Ghost Inside, Alexisonfire, Rise Against, Underoath, Taking Back Sunday, Parkway Drive and more to Australian shores across their sold-out events.

    Jaddan is committed to developing artists and the careers of the next generation of the music industry through the work of UNIFIED. Driven by his deep passion for independent music and its community, he continues to oversee the company’s global expansion into its next decade and beyond.

    Jaddan is also an angel investor and co-founder of Side Stage Ventures - a new investment syndicate and community of founders, builders and creatives on a mission to back entrepreneurs in the earliest stages of building companies. Side Stage is at the intersection of technology, creativity and culture, with investments in companies such as Heaps Normal, Vitruvian, Mr Yum and Tixel.

Kat Coppins

  • Kat has been on the Red Hill Team for the past 4 years, responsible for the management and execution of all Red Hill Entertainment events and festivals.

    With over 16 years’ experience in large scale, mass participation events; Kat has worked in both private and public sectors producing events in various industries such as sporting, fashion, music and non-profit; always with a strong focus on live events & experiences.

    Originally from Canada, Kat spent several years in music touring and was an integral part of the Event Management Team for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics where she worked as the Guest Relations Manager hosting sponsors, executives, Olympic athletes, and artists.

    Kat’s passion for music combined with her exemplary event management experience has her in the perfect role as Event Operations Manager overseeing the Red Hill Entertainment events portfolio, leading, mentoring and managing the festival team.

    Kat leads by example, creating positive, supportive, and inclusive work environments for all.

William Patston

  • Will has been a part of Red Hill for the past 3 years, responsible for the marketing strategy and activity across all festivals, as well as content planning, brand custodianship and management. With over 7 years experience in the industry; Will is dedicated to developing Red Hill’s strategic go-to-market activity, with a strong focus on innovation, creativity and sales growth.

    As a highly motivated team player, he specialises in building communities, developing and executing exciting brand strategies and creating unique content that audiences love.

Reahn Hayman

  • Reahn joined the Red Hill Entertainment team late in 2021 working closely with Kat across event management and operations for all events under the RHE roster. Reahn began volunteering at events across Victoria, both small and large, whilst studying at University and slowly began receiving paid roles in departments such as Artist Liaison, ECC, within ticketing teams and more.

    After finishing her university degree during the pandemic Reahn landed her role within the Red Hill Entertainment team thanks to connections made volunteering and working within the industry. Reahn's passion for live music, events and love of Australian music is channelled into her work, planning and operating music festivals for many to enjoy.