September's Rose Moon

What was the first concert you ever attended?
I grew up in Glasgow. Music was a big part of my life from early on, partly thanks to my dad, who was passionate about music and also made and repaired guitars for a living. One of his clients was the local band Wet Wet Wet, who were huge back then. I must have been around eight when my dad took me to one of their shows, at the Glasgow SECC in 1990. I don’t remember all the details of the performance, but I do remember Marti Pellow, the lead singer, holding a note for an incredibly long time and thinking it was very cool.

What’s the single biggest change in a manager’s responsibilities since you started in the biz?
Everything and nothing! On the surface, everything’s changed: social media (endless content requests), streaming, the pace, the pressure, the sheer amount of noise you’re competing with. Breaking through is harder than ever. But at the core, nothing’s changed—it’s still about championing great artists and great music. If you’re lucky enough to work with real talent, and you build the right team around them, it can still be the most rewarding job in the world.

You’re made czar of the concert industry. What’s the first thing you’d change?
I’d look at how we can make the live experience more sustainable, for artists, crews and fans. There’s so much passion in this industry but also burnout. If we want to keep live music thriving long term, we need to find smarter ways of touring and promoting that don’t exhaust everyone physically and financially.