James ‘Oysters’ Kilpatrick is one of Australia’s most experienced FOH engineers and has mixed for a who’s who of Australian music: Midnight Oil, Eskimo Joe, Delta Goodrem, Rogue Traders, Yothu Yindi, The Living End, Slim Dusty …….. the list is endless.
What would you normally be doing this time of year?
Post Grand Final touring with assorted acts, usually my busy time of year. This year’s work had ranged from bands, comedy and orchestral work … now it’s all gone.
What’s a fairly normal day at the moment for you?
Cooking, walking the dog …… I’ve been locked down for months in Melbourne so not many opportunities to leave. This is the first week out really.
I spend a few hours a day on my Pro Tools rig restoring old recordings and helping the state library record podcasts remotely.
Are you learning anything to improve your skills set?
My hobby is anamorphic cinematography, so teaching myself shooting, framing, depth of field and colour correction.
Also been working on a ham Youtube show with a bunch of other crew called The Roadie Show.
What bad habits have you slipped into?
Drinking out of boredom, not training and not eating properly.
How are you coping financially?
Strangely I’m getting money to live from a right-wing government and the part-time podcast job with a mortgage deferral has kept me alive. March onwards will be the test for us all.
When do you think live entertainment with return and in what format?
Eventually, it will be a distant memory for some and back to normal we will go. It’s a matter of how long and who survived the wait.
Do you have any words of encouragement?
Do something arty …. record, edit, make things … web page design … podcasts.
What makes you happy at the moment?
Making media with my out of work brothers and having a laugh while we are at it
