He fronted the 1980s punk band Blaze X. Cunniffe was born in Cambridge, England, and then lived in Ellesmere Port, but moved back to his family's hometown of Tuam in Ireland at the age of 14.

In Tuam CBS he formed Blaze X with friends Paul Ralph, Davy Carton and Ja Keating.

He went on to form a short-lived band with a group of friends, naming themselves "Tuatha" a reflection of Paul's time in Ireland.

Dreams is considered the song which most aptly displays Paul's fine[2] talent for words and the English language.

In keeping with Paul's sense of humour, these sessions were recorded in a hall attached to a Catholic convent in Roehampton, South West London.