Canberran Chris Beckhouse launches new music podcast, The Rider with Becko, featuring INXS's Andrew Farriss and Ben Lee

If you plan on interviewing people, it's a lot easier to ask people you already know to hop in front of the microphone.

However, usually, the friends you call on aren't Australian rock royalty - but if you've been working in radio as long as Chris Beckhouse has, it's all par of the course.

Now the program director at 2CA, Beckhouse has spent a career on-air and even picked up an Australian Commercial Radio Award recently for Best Music Presenter. But when Canberra went into lockdown a few months ago, it proved to be the perfect time to start the podcast, The Rider with Becko.

And those friends he called on for help? It was none other than INXS's Andrew Farriss, singer Ben Lee and Jet frontman Nic Cester - and that's just for the first three episodes.

The podcast's concept is pretty simple - Beckhouse sits down and finds out stories told from a life in the music industry. Along the way, he finds out what riders - aka performers' requests from a venue - people have.

"It's particularly interesting with rockstars what they demand - is it a simple six-pack of beer?" Beckhouse says.

"Apparently, it's not. Apparently, at the very peak of rock and roll, they were asking two bottles of tequila, a bottle of red wine, a bottle of white wine, but also stuff like a fresh set of towels, and a fresh set of socks. Just random stuff."

The Rider kicked off late last month with an interview with Farriss released on the anniversary of INXS singer Michael Hutchence's death.

Farriss took the chance to not only chat about his time in the industry - as both a member of INXS and now as a country singer - but how he and Hutchence complimented each other.

"I had a few interviews already recorded and I wasn't sure who to go with and it was when I was going through the Andrew Farriss interview that I realised how generous he was being and how many great stories he told me," Beckhouse says.

"He was even talking about his dad and how he learned a lot from his dad's work ethic. But also he talked about Michael and it just felt like the right one to go with.

"But Andrew and I have had lots to do each other over 10 or 11 years, at least. Whenever he was touring, we catch up for a beer and have a chat."

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So far The Rider - which comes out weekly - has kept to interviewing musicians. However, Beckhouse has plans to interview any and everyone who is involved in the music industry. He wants to chat with concert promoters, managers, producers - anyone who has a good story.

"I'm hoping to chat to Fifa Riccobono who ran Albert Music for many, many years," Beckhouse says.

"Albert's was like a powerhouse music factory back in the 70s and 80s. It was the home of AC/DC and I've talked to Fifa before and I'd love to talk to her again because she was there through the AC/DC years, and she approved Bon Scott as the lead singer of AC/DC."

The Rider with Becko is available on podcast services including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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