Aussie group Voyager through to Eurovision final

Voyager. Photo courtesy The West Australian

By Katelyn Catanzariti in Liverpool

PERTH rockers Voyager have made it through to the Eurovision final after performing in all their glam glory at the second semi final.

The Australians will join the top 10 along with Lithuania, Poland, Armenia, Slovenia. Albania, Cyprus, Estonia, Belgium and Austria in the grand final on Saturday, UK time.

The band had said that becoming “a part of the Eurovision family” by taking part in the semi-final has already exceeded their expectations, so they weren’t feeling pressure to take out the trophy or even reach the finals.

“You are fiercely competitive in some ways but in other ways, you’re just all there to have a good time and perform to the best of your abilities and it’s all about the music for the end of the day,” lead singer and keytarist Danny Estrin told AAP.

“Does it mean we don’t have what it takes to win it? I think we do.”

 (AP PHOTO)

But if worst comes to worst, the group is philosophical.

“We’re a progressive metal band from Perth, Western Australia, playing Eurovision in Liverpool. I mean, how could we ever consider ourselves losers in this,” bassist Alex Canion said.

Unlike many competitions in life, a music contest can come down to tastes and on-the-day performance, the band said.

“We’re not running a hundred-metre race. Well we are, but we’ve all got different costumes on,” said Estrin, adding their finals costumes would be “extra”.

“It’s so subjective. There’s no ‘who can perform the song fastest’,” bassist Alex Canion agreed.

And with a potential final audience of some 180 million viewers, the exposure is second to none, drummer Ashley Doodkorte said.

“On the day, on the night, we all get that same three minutes in front of that same audience. Everyone wins,” Doodkorte said.

Eurovision should go some way to developing a global following for the band that has existed in one form or another for some two decades.

“This has all been an elaborate and highly effective album release strategy for our eighth album which comes out after we finish Eurovision,” part-time lawyer Estrin joked.

“Already, up to this point now, we’ve already won.”

The 2023 Eurovision is being held in Liverpool and hosted by the UK on behalf of Ukraine, whose Kalush Orchestra claimed victory last year.

First published at Canberra City News, May 12, 2023