PROFILE
COLE PERPICK
By Shanine Cook
D
espite beginning his audio career
less than a decade ago, Cole Perpick
boasts an impressive resume that
could make even seasoned veter-
ans a bit envious. Working with Gearforce,
the Vancouver-based rental company that
provides high-end systems for elite touring
artists, Perpick has designed and operated
systems for high-profile artists such as Bryan
Adams and major events like the Vancouver
Festival of Hope.
Born in Vancouver, BC, Perpick spent many
of his early years in Qualicum Beach on Van-
couver Island, leading up to his high school
graduation. He spent his childhood packing
up the car and driving around the island with
his parents and two sisters for day trips and
sports tournaments. His father, Jody, is also a
longtime music and audio professional and
gave his son a first-hand view of what the
touring life was like.
The younger Perpick’s journey into profes-
sional touring with Gearforce has provided
him the opportunity to work with top-tier
artists like the aforementioned Adams, as well
as Michael Buble, Diana Krall, Tegan and Sara,
and more. Working with such a diverse list of
accomplished acts and being able to travel to
nearly 60 countries around the world has him
continually counting his blessings.
Outside of major concert tours, Perpick
has also been involved with world-class
events both at home and abroad, such as The
Juno Awards, BBC Radio 2’s Live in Hyde Park,
and Rock in Rio Lisboa. He’s also had a foot in
the sporting world, working on the musical
programming at events like Red Bull Crashed
Ice, two NHL Winter Classics, and the Grey Cup
halftime show.
As part of the system design team at the
Red Bull Crashed Ice event in Edmonton, AB,
a few years back, Perpick had an interesting
experience deploying an unusual and expan-
sive reinforcement rig. “That was an interesting
project to be a part of because we had to map
out several blocks in the city and design mul-
tiple PA towers to cover crowds of people in
different spectator areas,” he shares. “The chal-
lenge was supplying each tower with power
and signal, as well as a good solution for the
multiple delay times throughout the course.”
Similarly, he recalls the challenge of
designing a system for the grand opening
celebrations of Regina's Mosaic Stadium last
year – a 33,000-capacity venue in a football-
crazed town. The event went off without a
hitch and, in the end, is another impressive
resume credit, especially considering his rela-
tive youth. He’s also had his systems hit major
arenas like Toronto’s Air Canada Centre and
Montreal’s Bell Centre, and even international
staples like London, England’s O2 Arena.
“I also enjoy getting to do shows in re-
ally interesting countries like Syria, Lebanon,
Nepal, Zimbabwe, and so on,” he shares about
places that don’t enjoy the abundance of
live events one would find in a country like
Canada. “It can be a bit more difficult to find
certain gear or make a plan for the concert
in places like that, but getting to work with
the great local crews and see really interest-
ing places makes it a highlight for sure.” He
especially enjoys seeing the excitement of a
crowd being entertained in a way that many
other parts of the world may take for granted.
Of course, the business has its highs and
lows, and the work can be long and grueling
at times – especially on the road – but Perpick
loves what he does and enjoys the fact that he
gets to meet so many unique and interesting
people on such a diverse array of jobs. “I have
found that it is a pretty small community of
people, relatively speaking, who do this, so
when you get back to countries you worked in
a couple years later and see the same people
who you worked with the last time, it’s fun
to catch up and see what they have been up
to,” he shares.
Residing in Halifax, NS with his wife and their
Doberman pinscher, Perpick and his family en-
joy spending their leisure time in the outdoors,
camping, attending sporting events, and of
course, taking in live music. And as much as he
enjoys hitting the road on a major tour, he’s just
as happy to visit new places on a more relaxed
schedule. He’s looking forward to heading back
to his native B.C. in the near future to visit family
and meet his soon-to-arrive niece or nephew.
Now, Perpick is amidst Bryan Adams’ Ulti-
mate World Tour and is looking forward to the
interesting places that he is “sure will provide
some unique challenges and even more great
experiences.”
Shanine Cook is an Editorial Assistant with Professional Sound.
18 PROFESSIONAL SOUND