It would be a mistake to assume sisters Vika and Linda Bull have been left feeling overshadowed by their years spent onstage as backing vocalists.<\/p>\n
For almost four decades, the musical duo has been singing their soulful harmonies alongside Australia’s best-known acts, their unmistakable voices appearing on albums that range from Paul Kelly and Kasey Chambers to Ross Wilson and John Farnham.<\/p>\n
“There’s never been a frustration being a backing singer \u2014 not for me,” says Vika.<\/p>\n
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Vika and Linda Bull are proud of their work alongside artists such as Paul Kelly.\u00a0 (Supplied: Stephen Booth)<\/p>\n
Also sharing the stage, and spotlight, with some of music’s biggest names are Queensland dancers Kira Stray and Danica McKenzie.<\/p>\n
Backing artists like Kira and Danica and the Bull sisters spend years perfecting their craft, often in the shadows.<\/p>\n
But who are these artists and how does it feel supporting the star of the show?<\/p>\n
Dancing with JLo<\/p>\n
Ever since she was a little girl, Kira Stray dreamed of touring as a backup dancer.<\/p>\n
“People would ask me, ‘What do you want to do when you’re older?’ [and I’d say], ‘I just want to tour with an artist and then once I’ve done that, I can just die happy’,” she says.<\/p>\n
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Kira says finding out she would be dancing with JLo was “the best feeling in the world”. (Supplied: Katriena Emmanuel)<\/p>\n
Yet the Gold Coast dancer did not expect it to happen so quickly and in such spectacular fashion.<\/p>\n
“I had been flying in and out of the states for training since I was 16 years old,” Kira says.<\/p>\n
There was a subsequent move to Toronto to be closer to the US and eventually the securing of an American visa.<\/p>\n
Then, within a week of moving to LA, the 25-year-old received a message from a choreographer inviting her to a “skeleton”, the dance term for a choreography workshop.<\/p>\n
“I had only been in the States for about a week, and the night before [the workshop] started, I was added to a group chat titled ‘JLo’s Tour’.<\/p>\n
“I had a heart attack. Little did I know that was actually my audition week. I was on watch that whole week.”<\/p>\n
Three weeks later, Kira found out she would be dancing with the superstar.<\/p>\n
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Kira (second from bottom) has just returned from an almost two-month-long tour of Europe.\u00a0 (Supplied)<\/p>\n
“It was honestly the best feeling in the world,” she says.<\/p>\n
Since April, Kira’s life has been a whirlwind of performances. An appearance at the Saudi Arabian leg of the Formula 1 Grand Prix was followed by a performance at the American Music Awards, before a stop at World Pride in Washington. Then there was a two-month-long tour of Europe.<\/p>\n
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In between performances with JLo, Kira found time to dance with other acts, including an appearance at Coachella with Bebe Rexha. But an offer to tour with j-hope from BTS was put on ice after injuring herself on the eve of the tour.<\/p>\n
A former backup performer herself, JLo is a dancer’s dancer, and her twelve-strong troupe are among the best in the industry.<\/p>\n
“We have quite a big team on the road with us and then of course, there’s all of the crew, the band, the backing vocalists. We all just become like one big family to be honest, it’s pretty special,” Kira says.<\/p>\n
“I think that’s the best part about it. Of course, the shows, the fans, the arenas, the stadiums and the travel is amazing, but getting to do it with a good group of people just makes it 10 times better.<\/p>\n
“And obviously under such an incredible boss. She really is one of the best, most hard-working, humble humans I’ve ever met.”<\/p>\n
Watch Celeste Barber talk about her dream to be a backup dancer for Janet Jackson on Shaun Micallef’s Eve of Destruction<\/a>.<\/p>\n Songstress sisters<\/p>\n Vika and Linda grew up listening to the Tongan Choir \u2014 “massive singers with beautiful harmonies” according to Vika \u2014 and performed together for the first time in church.<\/p>\n Vika and Linda Bull performing with Mark Seymour. (Supplied: Mushroom Creative House)<\/p>\n As adults, they eventually formed their own band called The Honeymooners, but it was short-lived as soon after they were asked to audition for Joe Camilleri’s The Black Sorrows.<\/p>\n Linda knew it was an opportunity that would be “stupid to say no to” and while it was a “step sideways for them”, it would also be a learning experience.<\/p>\n “The band had such a great reputation, and they had enormous experience collectively as a group,” she says.<\/p>\n Time with The Black Sorrows solidified the sisters’ reputation for beautiful harmonies.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n