The Core's Chief Zaruk

(Kaiser Cunningham)

What was the first concert you ever attended?

Mötley Crüe, Girls, Girls, Girls Tour with Whitesnake, in the Vancouver hockey arena called the Pacific Coliseum. Massive rock show: lights, pyro, rotating drum kit. It’s what got me hooked on live music.

You can go back in time and see any concert. Whom would you see and when?

Any KISS show in the early '70s.

What’s the single biggest change in a manager’s responsibilities since you started in the biz?

It used to be a much simpler job. Sign with a record label, book tours with agents and promote your music primarily through live shows. Now, there are countless avenues and responsibilities that didn’t exist before. Managers are much more deeply involved with labels and agents, as well as marketing and social teams, often having to build their own teams to cover all these areas. On top of that, the personal relationship with the artist has become more important than ever; supporting their mental health, whether it’s navigating anxiety, depression or other personal challenges, has become an essential part of the job.

You’re made czar of the concert industry. What’s the first thing you’d change?

Lots of things, but we have to figure out how to use social media as a tool without it negatively affecting the mental health of our artists.

Name a mistake you’ve made in the biz and what you learned from it.

Never let your ego get out of check. We’re privileged to work in an industry that’s meant to be fun. This isn’t life-or-death work, and we’re never bigger or better than anyone else. Be respectful, treat people the right way, and it will come back to you tenfold.