Tim Millikan is a Live, Studio and Broadcast engineer, in the past 40 years in the industry he has toured and mixed some of the worlds biggest bands including Midnight Oil, INXS, Crowded House, Gurrumul, Jason Bonham, Rockwiz, Paul Kelly, Gene Simmons, John Butler, and hundreds more.
What would you normally be doing this time of year?
I’m currently supposed to be in Europe with John Butler, but that was obviously cancelled.
What’s a normal day for you at the moment?
I’ve been building for 11 years, and am almost finished, so I’ve been getting stuck into the last jobs that need doing on that, as well as getting my winter firewood cut, split and stacked away
Are you learning anything to improve your skills set?
I’ve been concentrating on the house, but there’s a few things I want to delve more deeply into once I can devote time to them.
What bad habits have you slipped into?
Watching too much night time tv
How are you coping financially?
Luckily I had some savings, and that is taking some of the financial stress away, but it won’t last forever, I’ve done the usual applications like everyone has, luckily it doesn’t cost as much living off the grid.
When do you think live entertainment with return and in what format?
I hate to sound like a dooms dayer, but I can’t see the live touring scene getting back anything like it was till at least the 21/22 season, at earliest, the industry will rally and diversify, doing what shows we can as restrictions lift, it may bring the smaller club live scene back to prominence as it was through the 70s, 80s and early 90s, we will prevail
Do you have any words of encouragement?
Stay focused and determined, don’t undercut yourself as things start to return, your talent hasn’t changed because of this, in most cases, our industry will be better trained and up to date with the latest technology more than ever
What makes you happy at the moment?
Being home for more than a couple of weeks
Lockdown is a new series whereby tech personnel can share how they are coping in lockdown. If you’d like to participate, please answer these eight questions and send to cat@alia.com.au
