‘My gay friends made me feel like a queen on and off stage’: Tania Doko

This interview with Bachelor Girl’s Tania Doko is part of our regular Backstage Observer series with gay Australian singer Greg Gould. In the series, he’ll chat with interesting and well-known people in the community.

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What do your LGBTI fans mean to you?

My LGBTI fans are the most loyal of loyal. There’s no holding back when it comes to this crowd, which means I usually go nuts on stage. Many LGBTI fans are genuine friends of mine now, because once they fall in love with your music they win over a little piece of me, and I genuinely want to know more about who they are, what drives them, and their own often fascinating journeys.

What are your thoughts on marriage equality passing in Australia?

My heart skipped a thousand beats when I woke up to the news in Stockholm. It’s the ultimate acknowledgement and affirmation for the LGBTI community and therefore fundamental human rights. Living in a progressive society such as Stockholm, I say thank goodness Australia can also say Yes, out loud and proud. I think the No side had more perceived weight than in reality and once put to a public vote, albeit unfair, Australia did the right thing.

Best experience at a gay nightclub?

Chasers nightclub in Melbourne, back in 2007. It was an iconic annual event, at a venue all of us that clubbed in the nineties simply adored. I performed in a tartan skirt and custom built masterpiece top that looked like Gaffa tape plastered all over me. All of my awesome gay friends made me feel like a queen on and off stage, complete with a classic Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction, and the whole place absolutely rocking – what more could a then-Bachelor Girl ask for?

What has been your favourite career highlight to date? 

Argh, picking one is always tough., though three off the chart experiences come to mind immediately.

Singing Permission To Shine in a youth detention centre for the first time ever, and seeing some of the inmates tear up over the line “I’m gonna try to break free from this prison I’ve built”. Our AFL Grand Final performance in 2000, because I’m an AFL fan, and it was definitely on my bucket list. And bringing the band back together in recent months – very exciting.

What’s the one item you can’t live without? 

Well, let’s be straight here – how can any of us get by without our smart phones?! A blessing and a curse, for sure – a way to stay connected to loved ones and the world, especially since I live in Sweden (and never switch off, which is not always a good thing).

It’s also my portable journal, to record any idea I have in the moment. And most importantly, to record thoughts I need to vent in lieu of a friend or therapist close by.

What’s one song you wished you’d written? 

As a songwriter and lover of great, classic songs, I can’t go past What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye. Musically and lyrically it’s timeless, soulful, and so poignant to this day. It just never gets old. Donny Hathaway’s version is fire too.

Skittles or M&M’s? 

M&Ms – balls of chocolate fun all the way…

What’s your pre-show ritual?

A good amount of brrrr-ing and crazy siren sounds, quiet time, and if I’m extra nervous, I think warm and fuzzy thoughts about my three-year-old, Leo, to reduce anxiety and get back to the pure joy of singing in the first place.

What’s your favourite song to perform?

Bachelor Girl’s Can’t Wait To Meet You from our second album which we wrote in Stockholm in 2000. The lyrics, the melodies, and where it was created get me every time. Also Let’s Stay Together by Al Green. It’s one of those cracking tunes that makes my heart soar and everyone in the crowd feeds off it, like soul food.

Bachelor Girl are currently back in the studio working on a new release and tour for 2018, along with a few fun collaborations along the way. They’ll be performing at Greenwood Loft at a Popchops event in Melbourne this Friday. For more information and to buy tickets click here.