Comedian Morgana Robinson and singer Brody Dalle on their close sister relationship
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Version 0 of 1. Her story Morgana Robinson, 31, comedian I was brought up an only child and always wanted a brother or sister. I knew I had them somewhere – my father had four children with three women. He was quite a naughty boy. We were all born in Australia, but I moved to England young. On my gap year I actually went back round Australia trying to find them. But they'd changed names, addresses. One day, years later, I was working in a restaurant and got a phone call from my father – we don't talk much – saying: "Your sister is on the front cover of The Face; she's a rock star now. She lives in LA and she's changed her name from Bree to Brody." I ran down to the newsagent's – and there on the front of The Face was this scary woman covered in tattoos licking a guitar. It scared the life out of me. I was shaking as I read the magazine. The story said she'd been looking for me. It also said she was playing at Brixton Academy. I took my passport and basically ran there. I remember crying my eyes out during the gig, and then backstage, too. I was so nervous when she walked in. But it was as if we'd known each other for years. We said: "We have the same nose!" That was the first thing we said to each other. That was 10 years ago. We're very close now and see each other whenever we can. I stay with her in LA and have barbecues with the Queens of the Stone Age [Dalle is married to lead singer Josh Homme]. She doesn't stay in my poxy council flat when she's here, though! We talk about everything. She gives me advice, usually quite sweary. She calls me Nonny and thinks I'm goofy. She's definitely the sexy one. I'm the funny one. It's sad we didn't run around together as babies, but I'm grateful to have her now. Our family is very disjointed and messy. Alcoholism, other things. We're trying to bring it back together, slowly. Our brother is an ironman and just runs round the world all the time. Our other sister joined a cult, I think. We're the modern-day Mitfords. Channel Morgana will be available exclusively on BBC iPlayer from early June Her story Brody Dalle, 35, singer I remember feeding Morgana candy bananas on a lawn when I was three. My mum was somehow living with my biological dad, his new wife – and their child. Morgana doesn't remember this. Or the time I pushed her down 40 stairs. Our family split apart when we were kids, ending up all over the world. Twenty year later, I remember coming off stage at Brixton Academy and my tour manager saying: "There's a surprise in this room." I walked in and there she was. It was unreal. We just stared at each other. I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. I don't remember what we said, but can picture the moment. There was some early weirdness; when you don't know somebody, you wonder what they want. But we ironed it out, and now we're fundamentally connected and comfortable. Nonny is the perfect little sister. She's funny and loud but incredibly sensitive and perceptive. She walks into a room and it's like a light. She's special. We talk about everything, especially boys. I love that she busts this social expectation of women to act demurely. Mind you, I thought there was something wrong with her when she started doing early characters – she would make these crazy faces, and my husband would say: "What is wrong with your sister?" Our biological father is a womaniser. I saw him right after I met Morgana and just screamed at him. He was adopted. You don't leave a trail of women and children if you're not damaged. He had our sister Felicity with another woman nine months after I was born. I've never met her – she lives in some weird cult out in the Queensland bush. Our brother Ben doesn't speak to her either. Apparently there's another sister, who's French. It was intensely painful to not have a dad. To have no feelings about the person who created you except pain. But the beautiful thing about my relationship with Morgana is that it's healed a lot of that. It's hard when you live so far away from somebody, but we still connect. I talked to her this morning. I love her. Brody Dalle's album Diploid Love is out now If you'd like to appear in this column, email meandyou@observer.co.uk |