Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 7 December 1995, page 29


Bull sisters find a

ace in

By LIZ ARMITAGE

LEAVING The Black Sorrows

and going it alone wasn't easy, but sisters Vika and Linda Bull have proved that they were born to sing in the spotlight.

"I knew it when I was about

five," says Vika Bull. "It's one of those things that's in you. Part of it was coming from a musical family in Tonga.

"Linda was different. She wanted to be an artist. She started going to art college, but I pulled her out and said 'come sing'."

The two briefly formed a band called The Honeymooners, then Joe Camilleri snapped them up. For six years they were on the road almost constantly with The

Black Sorrows.

"Joe taught us a lot," says Vika. "He taught us that you have to take care of your own career, because no one else will do it for you. He taught us to watch every cent, to make sure your band is happy, and how to deal with the public.

"lie didn't sit us down and tell us this, we just watched him. Joe's always been a really good front man. He knows how to work an audience, and he'll give the same show for two people or 200 people."

Lessons learnt, the Dull Sisters moved on. "We left The Black Sorrows because we were backing vocalists. With Chained To The Wheel and songs like that we got to really "Sing, but we were predominately backing vocalists. We wanted to perform on our own."

Vika and Linda have just returned from Europe, where they did the summer festival circuit in England, and recorded a song with punk/pop legend Iggy Pop (Paul Kelly's I Know Where To Go To Feel Good), at Peter Gabriel's stu

dio in Wiltshire.

"We've come a long way, not only as singers, but as songwriters," says Vika. "We're starting to write our own material, whereas before, other people wrote most of it. I would never have thought

of myself as a songwriter two years ago."

The follow-up to Vika and Linda's 1994 self-titled debut (which went platinum), is 80-per cent written, and it's due to be released early next year. The album was written with vocals and drums in mind, and it shows the influence of new percussionist Michael Barker, who co-writes most of the songs.

"He's Maori, so he understands Polynesian rhythm," says Vika.

The Bull sisters are coming to Canberra for three nights, on their Protect the Pacific Tour. They'll be testing the water with 10 new songs, and people will be really shocked, says Vika. "It's completely different to what we've done before. We sing in Tongan for the

first time.

"We always get a good audience in Canberra, It's one of our strongest places."

Vika and Linda Bull arc at

Tilley's next Saturday, Sunday and Monday night. i