Music
Q&A: At Last: The Etta James Story with Vika Bull
One of Australia’s most talented vocalists is returning to the Sydney Opera House to perform At Last: The Etta James Story.
Vika Bull will return to the stage singing the hits of Etta James following a hugely successful season at Arts Centre Melbourne. The show will be performed at the Sydney Opera House – Drama Theatre from July 12 to 17. Click here to buy tickets now.
It seems audiences cannot get enough of Vika Bull’s portrayal of Etta James, with the amazingly talented singer in hot demand. As well as singing Etta James’ most famous tracks, At Last also focuses on the amazing story of her life, her struggles and her triumph.
Like Etta James, Vika Bull is a powerful singer and rate talent. You really have to see her on stage to comprehend just how mesmerising she is. At Last: The Etta James Story is a truly moving and inspiring show, performed by a genuine star.
But don’t take our word for it; we have gone straight to the source to hear all about the show, the power of Etta James and the unlikely break that kick-started it all for Vika Bull.
We hope you enjoy our chat with Vika and we know you will enjoy seeing her on stage in At Last: The Etta James Story.
Ticketmaster: The Etta James story is returning to the Sydney Opera House. What is it like to perform in one of Australia’s most iconic landmarks?
Vika Bull: Well I love it. And you want to know why? Because I really love walking to the Opera House to work every day and there’s the harbour and the bridge and the ferries and I just think it is so beautiful and it is just such a joy to work there because of the setting.
I would have to say it is Australia’s top gig; you sort of have to pinch yourself and say ‘oh geez look where I am working’. I feel really lucky, I don’t take it for granted. I really, really love it.
Ticketmaster: You had a great season in Melbourne recently and played to big crowds every night. What is it about Etta’s story that people connect with?
Vika Bull: That’s an interesting question. I think maybe because she was a battler and a survivor. She had a great sense of humour. I think that part of her story people can relate to or they like it. You know, she had a lot trouble – had a lot of demons – but they didn’t defeat her. And she had such a great voice.
It is interesting because a lot of women come to the show and they drag their husbands along and they are quite surprised by their husbands’ reactions. They will say ‘I honestly just couldn’t get over it, my husband absolutely loved it’. And I think ‘isn’t that interesting, I wonder what they love about it?’ and I think it is the music and her life story. It is incredibly interesting; how she grew up and how she learnt to sing and having drug problems and things like that. And just getting over all of that and singing until the very end, it is a great story. It is a happy ending; it’s not a tragic story.
Ticketmaster: Was it her story that you were first drawn to, or her music?
Vika Bull: No it was her music. It was definitely her music. I didn’t really know her story. I didn’t really know as much (as I do now). I knew a tiny bit – that she had a few troubles – but I didn’t know a great deal. I was just a fan of her music and I loved her voice.
Ticketmaster: A lot of very famous artists have said Etta James was very inspiring to them. Was that the same for you?
Vika Bull: Yes, very much so. I listened to her a lot growing up. Well, when I first started singing I listened to Etta every day and would sing along to her records. That is how I used to practice and try to copy her. I just liked the way she could tell a story and belt it out. I also liked the fact that she could sing many different styles. That was interesting to me. That appealed to me too, it wasn’t one particular style.
When you listen to some people sing you just go ‘oh geez, isn’t that beautiful?’. It does something to your heart.
Ticketmaster: Which artists – aside from Etta James – inspired you to sing and perform?
Vika Bull: Oh, a lot. I’d have to say when I was really young I probably liked the Andrews Sisters, I liked the harmonies. I liked Mahalia Jackson because Mum and Dad used to listen to her. I liked Ruth Brown, Linda Ronstadt, lots of different people. Aretha Franklin of course. They were the main ones.
Ticketmaster: I heard a story that your first recording opportunity came when you were a receptionist at a music studio. Is it true and can you tell us the story?
Vika Bull: I was the receptionist at Platinum Records in Melbourne and there was a guy in there making a record and he had backing singers – Rebecca Barnard and this other girl, I can’t remember her name and she had lost her voice. The other girls at Platinum said ‘Vika can sing’. So Rebecca said ‘do you want to come and have a go?’ So I did. And that was my first ever experience in the studio. It is pretty weird really, I was 17 and I had no clue what I was doing. I was just like ‘yeah, yeah I can sing a bit’. It was weird, I have got to tell you, it was weird.
Then from there I joined a band and it just kept going. I didn’t sing with any of those people, I just did the session and then went to a party and met a girl who was in a band and joined the band and went from there.
It was fun though and I am still friends with Rebecca, so that is the good thing. We see each other at gigs and stuff like that. I will always thank her for that.
Ticketmaster: If you weren’t a performer what would you be doing?
Vika Bull: I don’t think I’d be doing anything. I don’t know. There was never any other option, I was just always going to be a singer and that was it. I’ve been lucky because I’ve been able to do it for 30 years.
I just thought I was going to be a singer from the age of five. I said to Mum ‘I’m leaving school, I’m going to be a singer’ and she said ‘well I don’t know about that!’. I trained as a legal secretary; that was the deal. She said if I got some sort of qualification I could become a singer. So I did that and became a singer.
Ticketmaster: What do you do off the stage? How do you relax? Do you have any interesting hobbies?
Vika Bull: That’s a good question. I tend to just muck around. I’ll go swimming, go to the gym, take the dog for a walk. Do stuff around the house, that is just what I do, just normal stuff.
When I’m not working I just catch up on other stuff. I don’t have any extreme sports or anything that I like to do and I’m not a sewer and I’m a terrible cook! So I just do stuff. I do like getting out and doing a little bit of exercise, but mainly just pottering around the house – isn’t that boring?
Ticketmaster: And lastly, if you could sing any song alongside Etta James, which would you pick?
Vika Bull: To sing with Etta? That is a good question. What would be a good song to sing as a duet? You know what I would do? In The Basement. That’s the song I would do with her. I know she sang it with Sugar Pie DeSanto, but I would like to do that with her.
Ticketmaster: Thanks for joining us, Vika, and best of luck with the show.
You can see Vika Bull perform At Last: The Etta James Story at the Sydney Opera House – Drama Theatre from July 12-17. Click here to purchase tickets.
