Dannii Minogue: I used to perform at gay clubs when other artists wouldn’t

Pop starlet Dannii Minogue is gearing to kick off her first national tour in support of Take That. Matthew Wade had a chat with her about what fans can expect.

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Pop star Dannii Minogue says that while she’s had a longstanding gay following that has supported and championed her throughout her career, the support is mutual.

“I used to perform at gay clubs when other artists wouldn’t,” she says.

“It was a thing that a lot of artists didn’t do, but I thought, I don’t care what anyone says I’m going to anyway.

“It’s not just gay people supporting me, I’m supporting them – it’s just been a nice healthy back and forth. Something that’s evolved over time.”

Minogue has a music career spanning nearly three decades, with pop hits Who Do You Love Now and All I Wanna Do faring well on the dance music charts.

She rose to fame in the eighties on the popular talent show Young Talent Time and soap opera Home and Away before making her leap into music.

Now, she’s gearing to embark on her first national tour in support of one of the world’s most successful music acts, Take That, who have an incredible 56 number one hits under their belt.

Minogue says the boys were planning a world tour and as she’d already been working closely with bandmate Gary Barlow, they asked if she’d like to join.

“It’s part of the industry – being in the right place at the right time,” she jokes.

“I lived in the UK for so many years and we were often on the same TV shows or road shows, so there’s history there, and it’ll be really cool to show them my hometown and my country.

“I’m especially looking forward to putting together my part of the show. We’ll have a live band, and I’ll perform a lot of new mashups so it’ll be quite creative.

“I want it to sound big.”

She says that many of her gay fans reach out to let her know how her music has supported them in some way.

“A lot of guys in relationships have even said my music introduced them to each other,” she says.

“I’ve seen some incredible friendships grow and I’ve had people say we met at one of your shows and he proposed and now we’re married, and that’s the stuff that artists love.”

When it comes to the hot button topic of marriage equality in Australia at the moment, Minogue wonders why it hasn’t already been passed.

“The sooner the better,” she says.

“I think it’s a shock to a lot of people that come to Australia to learn that it’s not legal, because people presume we’d have marriage equality here.

“With the plebiscite and postal vote discussions at the moment everybody’s just waiting on the edge of their seats.”

For her LGBTI fans heading along to her upcoming shows with Take That, she says she just wants them to be safe and happy.

“Let me hear you be loud – I’m there for you.”

The Take That Live 2017 tour will run from November 11 – 19. For more information and to buy tickets visit: www.ticketek.com.au