Love story: How an Aussie rocker and a punk grandma found harmony

Music has always played a big part in the lives of Mick Medew and Ursula Collie, who were both in their mid-50s when they met and bonded over a mutual love of live music. Just over a decade later, the Brisbane/Meanjin couple are musical and life partners.

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These are Mick and Ursula's words.

Ursula: I didn't know about this Mick Medew as a rock star … until I joined Facebook.

A lot of the locals on a Facebook group I’m in were talking about this band, the Screaming Tribesmen. I had a listen and thought they're pretty good and then I got introduced to [Mick]. That was 2015 and we were friends for a year.

Mick: I didn't date for about five years after [my marriage ended]. Eventually, I had a couple of girlfriends, but it didn't work out. 

Love at first date

Mick: Things just changed overnight from our first date. We had talked before, and I had a good feeling about things.

Ursula: After the kiss in the driveway after our first date I thought, oh yes, this is going to work. It was a bit tricky having dates because Mick was having to look after his mum. 

I'd go over there a couple of nights a week, stay for a little while after he put her to bed, and then drive home. Then Mick would come here one night a week or so. It went like that for a couple of years, but both of us weren't in a big hurry.

Mick: Because I had the commitment with my mum, who was in her 90s, I wasn't sure how I was going to go with Urs, but she never put me under any pressure. She let me look after my mum and I was very thankful for that, because that was something I had to do.

We moved in together and got married

Ursula: Both of our mums passed away in 2018 and Mick moved in with me. I'd lived in this place since 2008 as a renter and then we bought the house with Mick's inheritance and my inheritance in 2020.

I was in my 50s and I was working as a nanny. The kids were getting older, so I knew there was going to be an end in sight. I was very worried about my future, how I would survive. So, I'm very grateful that we've got this house … It makes me feel more relaxed, secure and better about our future together.

Mick: In 2019 we got engaged. We would have got married earlier except for COVID. We didn't actually get married till 2021.

Ursula: I was a first-time bride at 61. My mother used to be a manager of a Vinnies and I saw this white dress with gold beading there in the 90s, and I bought it, and I said to myself, if I ever get married, I'll wear this dress. And you know, 30 years later, I did.

Mick: I don't have children myself. I don't really regret it, because being a musician for such a long time at a young age, I think I was a little bit too wrapped up in myself and I'm not sure whether I would have been a good dad. But with Ursula's grandkids, they're just both really nice kids, they want to be involved with me, and it's really lovely, actually.

Ursula: They're only seven and three, so Mick's been around the whole time.

Finding harmony together

Ursula: I was in an 80s band in Brisbane called Ironing Music. I was also playing bass in a country band, but nothing really serious — I'd played maybe five gigs my whole life.

In 2019, I found a keyboard. I cleaned it up, put batteries in it, and I just started playing. I was looking up how to play Cars by Gary Numan on YouTube, and then Mick started playing it with me. And then we were like, oh, well, let's do some more songs, so it's just all evolved since then … COVID was good for us.

Ursula: At 66 I can still jump around and sing and perform and when I turn around, I'll look at Mick, and we'll eye each other and start jumping together or smiling, and that's a nice feeling, that we're in it together.

Ursula: Mick lives off his royalties, and … well, there's not much of that going on, but I'm even getting royalties because I wrote a song called Punk Grandma.

Mick: We're not big spenders.

What we love about each other

Mick: She's a very happy person and I feel that when a person is happy, it's contagious. It's the same as if a person is anxious or depressed — it's catching. She's got a very positive outlook on things and that attracted me to her.

Ursula: I love Mick's sense of humour, and he's so easygoing. It just feels very natural and relaxed. 

Mick: I look at other couples — some of my friends are in bands and they go off on tour and the wife stays behind, or they're both working — and it makes it hard for them to see each other. I feel lucky that it works for us to be together almost all the time.