While the entire music industry was re-emerging from a difficult few years, Beccy Cole was suffering one of the worst years of her life personally. Good mate Adam Harvey suggested that cutting an album with an old friend could be the best medicine, and The Great Country Songbook Volume 3 was born, along with a national tour to match. Released on Friday, September 9, The album is about two best friends getting together again to record some of their favourite classic country songs. The pair are playing at the Mackay Northern Beaches Bowls Club and Sam had a chat with them ahead of their tour.
Sam: Can you tell me the origins of your relationship and how it got where it is today?
Adam: I think we first met in Tamworth, Bec, at the festival. I think you were pregnant with Ricky at the time, your son. How old’s Ricky now, Bec?
Beccy: Ricky’s 23, so there you go, that’s how long ago that was.
Adam: Yeah, wow. Then I think the first tour we ever did, you’d just had Ricky and he was in the pram, and I remember I’d stand backstage and rock the pram backwards and forward while you were on doing your thing, Bec, and I’d rock him to sleep. I still remember that.
Sam: Beccy, you clearly don’t shy away from sharing your personal life when performing. Can you tell me how Adam’s friendship has helped you through your ups and downs and how it birthed this album and tour?
Beccy: I was going through a fair trauma in the first part of this year. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to make it through, to be honest…Then Adam did that thing that mates do, you know. R U OK? Day is coming up and that’s when we’re encouraged to ask our mates and our friends, are you alright? Adam did that quite constantly throughout that time and he said, “is there anything I can do?” and I said “yeah, you can tour with me,” because they’re some of my favourite times and he said, “mate, I’ll tour with you until the wheels fall off.” I knew if I got through it, that he’d take me on the road. Divorces cost a lot of money, I’m realising now how much, so obviously there’s that aspect of it but also to bring my smile back on my face. My favourite place to be is on stage and I can’t think of anyone else that I love being on stage with as much as with Adam. He took it one further than the tour and suggested the album as well and orchestrated the whole thing, changed his year around for me, and pretty much orchestrated the whole thing so I owe him a lot for that.
Sam: Adam, what were you seeing at the time?
Adam: It was pretty scary, to be honest…I honestly didn’t think that she’d be here today, and I just kept annoying her and annoying and annoying and checking on her and talking to her. Then, to see her now…she’s got her spark back, and she’s just full of this positive energy again and smiling, it’s just so good to see.
Sam: Mackay gets the release day show which is exciting. What do you have planned for the Northern Beaches Bowls Club and for the rest of the tour?
Adam: What is it, Bec…“You make them laugh, make them cry, scare the hell out of them and send them home,” isn’t that your motto?
Beccy: Yep, that’s it. These days I’ve thrown in “and send an invoice,”…We’ve got the band coming, a really lovely bunch of people that played on the record as well. We’re doing songs from the first album that we put out together as well and a couple of our individual hits but mainly we spend the night on stage together which is what people have come to see…There’s no two shows that we do that are the same, that’s what I love about Adam and I. You never know what you’re going to get, we never know what we’re going to do, it’s not really planned…Adam’s always made me a better performer because he makes me rise to the occasion and we raise the bar on each other each night and I think it's good fun. We’re on the edge.
Adam: Which can be dangerous at times. I always say that Bec’s the best entertainer I’ve ever seen and when you’re on stage with her it’s amazing but it’s also scary because you never know what she’s going to do next or what she’s going to say next. It’s kind of like a rollercoaster, you just hang on and roll with the punches.
Sam: And will you be peppering the Adam and Beccy story throughout?
Beccy: Always. We’ve got too much dirt on each other not to uncover some of it, at least. This will be our 13th national tour together in 20 odd years. It’s a great friendship story and supporting each other through all sorts…we’ve gone through births, deaths, marriages, divorces, you name it, it’s happened. It's as cheesy as it sounds but we’re mates that enjoy making music together.
WHAT: Adam Harvey & Beccy Cole 'The Great Country Songbook Volume III' Tour
WHEN: Friday, September 9 from 7:00pm
WHERE: Mackay Northern Beaches Bowls Club
TICKETS: Eventbrite
Adam Harvey and Beccy Cole are performing at the Mackay Northern Beaches Bowls Club on Friday, September 9. Photos supplied
