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Voyager singer Danny Estrin reveals devastating cancer diagnosis

Danny Estrin, frontman of Perth prog-metal outfit Voyager , has been diagnosed with cancer and will undergo emergency surgery next week.

The charismatic 41-year-old singer, keytar player, immigration lawyer and father of two young girls received the shocking news on the eve of the band’s first shows in Europe and the UK since representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The international dates have been postponed until late 2024, while an Australian tour scheduled for February next year will remain as scheduled until the band get a clearer picture of their frontman’s health.

“Last week I was dealt some life-altering news: I’ve been diagnosed with a form of cancer that requires immediate treatment,” Estrin said on Thursday via Voyager’s Australian publicist.

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“I am absolutely devastated that we cannot perform on our forthcoming European tour, especially after this incredible Eurovision year we’ve had.

“I am on strict doctors’ orders to not take this lightly, put my health first and get this sorted so that we can be on stage again as soon as possible.

“This has been an extremely hard decision to make,” the star concluded, “but one that everyone will hopefully understand.”

The European and UK tour was due to kick off on October 3 in Hamburg, where the German-born Estrin grew up before emigrating to Australia with his family in 1992, and finish on October 25 in Liverpool, where Voyager placed ninth in Eurovision.

The band, which formed in 1999 and was greatly anticipating the biggest European headline tour of its career, has postponed all international touring plans while Estrin receives medical care.

Voyager’s final performance for the foreseeable future will be at the 40th anniversary celebrations of Australia II winning the America’s Cup on Sunday in Victoria Quay, Fremantle alongside Hoodoo Gurus, Baby Animals and Slim Jim and the Fatts.

Estrin and his bandmates are due to unveil their version of the Men at Work anthem Down Under at the concert.

“Come and party with us before I start treatment,” Estrin wrote to fans on Voyager’s Instagram page. “Love, your fierce friend, Danny!”

The band recently announced a six-date Australian tour starting in Perth on February 3 in support of their latest album, Fearless in Love.

Voyager’s management shared news of the star’s shock cancer diagnosis on Thursday morning with their tour promoters and organisers of the America’s Cup anniversary concert.

UK-based manager Lulu Davis told The West Australian that after Sunday’s performance, Estrin will completely focus on his treatment.

The rocker, his family and his bandmates request privacy and will not undertake any media engagements until further notice.

Fans wishing to support the band through this difficult period are encouraged to purchase merchandise through official channels, sign up to their Patreon page and follow their social media pages.

In addition to leading Voyager on stage and in the studio, Estrin is a partner in Estrin Saul Lawyers and Migration Specialists, which has offices in Perth and Adelaide.

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Australia's Eurovision Song Contest entrant Voyager finally get to deliver on their 'Promise' in Liverpool

Voyager have had a different sort of journey to get to Eurovision than any of Australia's previous entrants in the world's biggest Song Contest.

For one, they're a band — and we haven't had one of those before. For another, they're a progressive metal band, capable of delivering everything from 80s pop to crunchy metal.

In addition, although the line-up has changed markedly over the band's time, there is nearly a quarter of a century of history there.

The key to their longevity is that, not only have they been able to make seven full-length albums, but they have a solid reputation as a kick-arse live band.

And, aside from Kate Miller-Heidke — who came ninth with Zero Gravity in 2019 —  the Perth-based quintet are the only performers from this country at Eurovision not to come to prominence via a reality TV competition.

So when they take to the stage at Liverpool Arena for their semi-final, seeking a place in Sunday morning's grand final, their song Promise will not look or sound like anything we've sent before.

Of the three students who began Voyager at the University of Western Australia, more than two decades ago, only lead singer Estrin remains in the current line-up — who have been together since 2011 — along with drummer Ash Doodkorte, bassist Alex Canion and guitarists Simone Dow and Scott Kay.

But in addition to their discography, numerous overseas tours and taking their brand of heavy music across the mainland capital cities in Australia over the years gives them priceless experience for taking on the Contest.

Speaking to ABC from London after a series of preview party performances prior to heading to Liverpool, Estrin — whose other job is as an immigration lawyer — puts Voyager's career in perspective.

"It's the overnight success story that's taken 20 years," he says.

"I assess it as training. And I feel sorry for the people who are doing their first or second or third show at Eurovision because it's really, really hard and it's very intimidating. And we've had a lot of practise over the years. 

"It's like you've been practising for years, you've honed your art to a fine finesse and you, you're comfortable. You're comfortable on the shitty stages. On the big stages as well."

Estrin grew up in Germany before moving to Australia with his family when he was 11.

"I remember listening to Eurovision [growing up]. My mum had a double vinyl, the Eurovision winners. It's like this bright blue thing. I remember teaching with the song Ding a Dong (Netherlands, 1975). That was one of my favourites.

"And just that melody and just the kind of vibe of Eurovision being very heavily melody focused. That certainly rubbed off on me because most of the stuff that I was listening to at the time was classical music.

"It was kind of the only exposure I had to any sort of vaguely pop music. And it just continued through my university years and then when we moved to Australia. It [Eurovision] has been a part of me for a very, very long time."

Melody is at the heart of what Voyager does, so they are a good fit for the Contest. While Estrin's desire to make it to Eurovision has been there for decades, other band members caught up later.

But the story of how Voyager finally got the gig to represent Australia is a tale of at least three songs, not one.

Runaway just misses out

Voyager had been sending in songs to the national selection ever since Australia first competed in 2015.

The first one Australia heard was the band's 2020 entry for Australia Decides, Runaway.

As an intro to the band, it made a splash. SBS played a short snippet from the video to highlight songs that didn't quite make the final shortlist for Australia Decides.

The melody is there from the start, with strong guitars and big vocals — but the star of the show is the keytar, as Estrin takes special delivery of one of his trademark instruments in the middle of a Western Australian lake.

That year, Montaigne won Australia Decides with Don't Break Me , but never got to perform it on the big stage, as Eurovision was cancelled due to COVID.

Australia's creative director for Eurovision, Paul Clarke, says Runaway was the 11th-rated song, just missing out on the final 10.

Jury doubts spoil Eurovision hopes for Dreamer

Last year it was Dreamer, with the synth sound, fluoro colours and still a metal edge as well.

"Ash [Doodkorte] and Danny [Estrin] flew over to meet us at the Eurovision — Australia Decides (E-AD) show on the Gold Coast  and they were lovely guys," Clarke says. "We encouraged them to enter the following year and they came up with Dreamer … hearing that song the idea dawned that they were right for Eurovision."

Voyager were a big hit in the live show on the Gold Coast, but in the end they came second in 2022 to Sheldon Riley , who went to Eurovision in Turin performing his big power ballad, Not the Same. 

"[Voyager] won the public vote of E-AD last year, but a few of the judges thought that there would be a lot of rock bands following Maneskin's win [for Italy in 2019] — that often happens and didn't want to be seen that we were going with Voyager to 'copycat'," Clarke says.

"After that, we had a 'preservation of friendship' meeting.

"I encouraged them to have another crack. They came up with the song Promise. I thought it was even better than Dreamer."

Kay talks about the changes between Runaway, Dreamer and Promise.

"I think we've been able to think a little bit more about how the staging and the sort of televised nature of Eurovision alters how we write a song," he says.

"I think we've thought a lot more about how it would translate to a stage rather than just writing it for music's sake. So there's a bit more of an analytical approach, but no less creative."

Canion says:

"The biggest learning curve for us was learning how to become a band for TV. Not for a live audience.

"It's such a different way of performing and something that it was such valuable experience for us. Especially going into to Big Eurovision."

Estrin adds:

"Restraint is really important because if you look at the [2023] Madrid pre-party, we were just so raring to go, we're just like, let all our energy loose. Which is not necessarily the best thing to do.

"But we were just so excited to be playing music rather than talking about it for months that we just had to do it. So I think restraint and control are the big things that we learned from Australia Decides."

Promise fulfilled? Voyager can't wait to find out

The band was told they were finally into Eurovision on a Zoom call with organisers after submitting a demo of Promise. Estrin says the band's drive to make it to the Contest was matched by a desire to get there with the right song.

"The song had to be right. We wouldn't have put our hat in the ring if we weren't behind the song. Cause we spend months talking about it and if you're not sure about it then you don't come across as confident.

"Whereas now we're like, yeah, this is sick. We love this. We love every single second of that and we can talk proudly about it. And I think that's really important that that comes across."

Promise is a cleverly crafted three-minute composition, half-anthem, half Eurovision in a snapshot, designed for the biggest stage.

From one perspective, the band throws everything but the kitchen sink at this. There are 80s-style synths, a classic rhythm section from drummer Doodkorte and bassist Canion, some strong, contrasting vocals from Estrin and Canion, and cracking lead guitar from Simone Dow and Scott Kay.

Then add the trademark keytars and a bit of harpsichord — and a massive metal 'growl' from Canion in the breakdown in the middle and there is something in this for everyone.

The song itself is about how we deal with the stresses of modern life, posing a number of questions along the way.

Have you ever been alone too much? / Have you ever prayed for human touch? / Have you ever just lost a little part of you / To find a little something new?

And the chorus allows the crowd to join in with Estrin's vocal before Canion delivers the fierce 'growl'.

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh / Since you told me everything's alright / Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh / Promise me it's gonna be al…Right! 

The studio version is cohesive, building naturally and nailing a big finish. The normal question that follows at Eurovision is whether entrants can perform live. That is not a concern, here. 

Voyager have played for and with all sorts of rock and metal royalty, from Queensryche to Nightwish, and they have a big fanbase, including in Europe.

Drummer Ash Doodkorte makes the rather brave statement that "nothing could possibly happen to us on stage [at Eurovision] that hasn't happened to us 10 times worse and 20 times before."

Estrin then recalls a moment that happened at one of the pre-party shows in The Netherlands.

"There's this wonderful scene in Spinal Tap where the band is being led down corridors backstage and they get lost and their usher doesn't know where they're going. And it's probably about a five to six-minute sequence where they're just going down this labyrinth, they can't get on stage.

"We had a very similar situation in Amsterdam, so we've certainly had a lot of Spinal Tap moments in our career and let's hope that the actual event at Eurovision doesn't give us another one."

Musically the band can do anything from big, heavy epics to a stripped-back piano ballad, like Summer Always Comes Again. Do they think their versatility helps them hit numerous audiences at Eurovision?

"Yeah, absolutely," says Estrin. "The wonderful thing about metal generally is when people think metal, they think of Cookie Monster vocals and they think of bands like Slayer and those traditional kind of metal bands that are extremely heavy.

"But there are so many metal genres and sub metal genres which have really beautiful melodies which are sophisticated and refined and don't necessarily sound like metal when you listen to it. So this is such a great way for people to discover not only us, but also heavy music.

"Summer Always Comes Again is not a metal song, but it's in the metal category. And what a shame if people go, I don't want to listen to metal and they're missing out on this wonderful song.

"The beauty of us doing Eurovision is people go, hang on, I didn't like metal, but I like this. Maybe I do like metal. Right?"

Canion joins in.

"It's interesting this year that there's a direct comparison with two bands [at Eurovision] that have metal in their name — us and [Germany's] Lord of the Lost.

"We are both technically metal bands, but sound nothing alike. So it's a great way for people to be like, oh okay, well this is metal and this is metal, but they don't sound the same."

Last year Sheldon Riley had to practise singing his number with carrying sandbags to mimic the wearing of his 40 kilo dress that he wore on stage.

What does training for Eurovision look like for Voyager?

"I don't think I'll need sandbags necessarily, but I think maybe a bit more stretches to make sure that when we are jumping around, I don't want to pull a hammy in front of 180 million people and making sure our impeccable costumes don't break," says Estrin.

Doodkorte provides an intriguing visual of proceedings.

"We've been doing rehearsals in big rooms just tied at each other's waists, like a bunch of mountaineers so we don't run too far from each other.

"Cause it's a very big Eurovision stage and we'll want to use all of it, but then we might not be in frame. So it's a bit of forced discipline."

Clarke is confident in what Voyager bring to the table for 2023.

"They're a pretty special band. They are great friends, they write terrific songs, they've got great singers in Danny and Alex, and they have a really irreverent sense of the moment, while understanding how important it is. They will stand out, trust me."

The video for Promise was an open skies number, with Voyager filming at famous WA locations like Nature's Window, for a show-stopping sequence as Simone Dow shreds on the guitar, and then Estrin performs a rapid keytar solo.

Scott Kay describes it as "the ultimate rockstar's dream. Really."

The man tasked with creating an impact in Liverpool is 2023 staging director Marvin Dietmann, who has sorted out the vision for many Eurovision numbers over the years, including the 2014 Contest winner, Rise Like A Phoenix by Austria's Conchita Wurst. 

"It's an interesting song that really encourages a feeling of being by yourself at the start, and builds to a moment that brings everyone together. I love the build – I think Queen would be really happy with the song structure and the solo. So it has to be staging that builds, and relates to them [Voyager]," Clarke says.

Asked if there will be any surprises, Estrin goes straight for one of the cult-hit Eurovision moments of all time, Poland's suggestive visuals from their 2014 entry,  quipping: "I'm going to be churning a lot of butter suggestively on stage."

He follows up by saying the band does have "something a little extra planned".

"I can tell you what ... there's no ice skaters, there's no monster outfits, but it will be something a little bit extra, which I think people will go, that's special, that's pretty speccy. It is Eurovision, after all!"

The elephant in the room is the fact that this is Australia's last year of the contract with the Eurovision Broadcasting Union (EBU) to compete at the Contest, and there are no guarantees we will be back in 2024.

"We sure have done our best to deliver great music, performances and staging. At this stage, our future in the song contest is a live discussion, but it’s no secret we love being part of Eurovision," Clarke says. "Right now, we’re focused on giving the best performance we can with our very first band entry."

Regardless of the result, and the future of the Contest in Australia, those present at Liverpool Arena and the viewers watching and streaming at home can be clear on one thing — Voyager will be putting on a show at Eurovision. And that's a promise.

Australia's Eurovision semi-final is on Friday morning at 5am AEST. ABC will have a wrap of the semi, and will live blog the Grand Final on Sunday from 4:30am AEST.

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Voyager: "We are progressive in many ways"

With Voyager on album number six, it feels like the melodic prog metallers are now truly finding their feet in the prog world. The Aussies open up about their impressive new effort Ghost Mile…

Voyager are in a pretty darn good mood. As the Australian prog metallers speak down the phone from their home city Perth, you can hear guitarist Simone Dow’s infectious, bellowing belly laugh from the other side of the world as it picks up like gusts of wind, setting off her bandmates, too.

They have every right to be feeling jolly. They’re on the cusp of releasing the best album of their career, Ghost Mile . It seems, after six records and a slew of line-up changes, the band have finally found their groove.

“With each album it’s definitely been more and more of a band writing exercise, whereas it never used to be like that,” Dow says. “We’re writing in the jam room now, all five of us together. We’ve got the same line-up again, and it’s very cohesive.”

The only mainstay in Voyager since their inception in 1999 has been singer and keyboard player Daniel Estrin. “I used to be the youngest member of the band, but now I’m the oldest,” he quips.

Take a listen to the eye-wateringly compelling and catchy Ghost Mile and you can tell that Voyager have grown up. It’s focused and firm, leaning towards contemporary tech riffs for its gruffer moments, but still slathering itself with all the luminescent melody in the world.

Stomping lead track Ascension sounds defiantly massive as it juxtaposes snarly, pointed riffs with Estrin’s lofty, wouldn’t-sound-out-of-place-in-the-80s vocals, while What A Wonderful Day is an intriguing cocktail of electronic flourishes that exemplifies how Voyager aren’t ones to shy away from more typical song structures. Disconnected , meanwhile, explodes with snarling machine gun guitar work that actually wouldn’t sound out of place on a Meshuggah record.

Voyager’s line-up – completed by Scott Kay on guitar, drummer Ashley Doodkorte and bassist Alex Canion – has remained in place since their last album V , and you can tell, with their sound evolving organically after the record’s release in 2014.

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The tech crew who worked on that album remained on board too, and the sound is truly fit for mainstream consumption, with its hues crisp and clear, booming and bright. It’s clinical without feeling colourless.

“I think it’s a natural progression from where we left off, and we seem to have been doing that with our last few albums,” Estrin says. “Just taking the main elements and building on that, and I’d say this is probably our most modern one to date. I think in terms of some of the things we’re trying, it’s also probably our most daring one. There are some pretty different things on there.”

“I don’t think it’s really a forced change, it just happened naturally, from what we’d been listening to,” Kay adds. “We’d been listening to a lot less of just heavy music in general, and as a group, listening to all kinds of other stuff. I think that’s kind of seeped its way into what we’re doing. It’s less of a strictly metal record – there’s all these different elements to it.”

Some of the influences swirling in the buzzing minds of Voyager during the writing of Ghost Mile included the likes of the djent-leaning Periphery and TesseracT , but there was ambient and indie too.

It’s a contrast to Voyager’s earliest material, which erred on the side of power metal, while later releases promoted a modern-day theatricality linked more with the likes of arena mainstays Avenged Sevenfold . Largely gone, too, is the gothic look which permeated some old promotional photos.

“I compare it to Pantera , because they started as a power metal band and went into a completely different direction,” Estrin says. “There are some similarities. Voyager started very much out of a genesis of power metal and progressive metal, and I think it’s come a long way from there. That wasn’t a conscious thing, it was a natural progression. It’s become what it has today.

“You can tell, even on the first few albums, there are some elements of what we’re doing now. But one thing that will never change is the catchy choruses, the big anthemic poppy top that Voyager is used to. We’ve combined that more with the heavy grooves and complex riffage underneath, to appease the prog fans and to make it more fun to play because otherwise you’d just be playing boring pop songs, and who wants to do that?”

The band quickly gained traction worldwide despite hailing from Australia, as they landed slots at the likes of the ProgPower festivals and were snapped up by Dutch label DVS.

They had to cut their teeth, though, playing local gigs alongside acts from genres like grindcore and death metal because of the compact size of the country’s scene at the time.

“It was almost a struggle to make an impact in Australia,” Estrin reflects. “Being an Australian band in the early days was really to our advantage, and we had a bit of a cult status I guess all over the world. The scene in Australia was really small back in the day. I guess we were sort of pioneers in starting it, and making melodic and progressive music that little bit more accessible. Now, I wouldn’t say it’s mainstream, but it’s a very healthy scene.”

This time around, Voyager are self-releasing their album, and perhaps highlighting how today’s industry is forcing musicians to explore new revenue streams, they launched a successful PledgeMusic campaign to offer fans pre-orders alongside unique items, such as signed gig banners and handwritten lyrics.

“I don’t see it as being too different to what the old funding model was, it’s just that we’re doing this without a label fronting money for pressing and everything like that,” Kay says.

“I don’t think labels front money anymore these days,” Estrin adds. “I think it’s very rare. It definitely changes the band’s need to approach things. But also, it’s a huge new world of opportunities that we didn’t have before the internet. I think gone are the days of Bon Jovi and the private jets of the 80s and massive record deals. I think it’s a completely different paradigm, a completely different framework in which we’re working.”

Despite the band hurtling down a more adventurous path in the last few years, Estrin knows that some naysayers still argue against Voyager being called prog. While he admits that might be because “we don’t have 17 ⁄ 8 time signatures going through the whole thing”, the Aussies have plenty going for them in the thinking-outside-the-box stakes.

It’s left-leaning music which isn’t afraid to take twists or turns, despite often tunnelling down the well-trodden, melody-ridden route of ‘verse, chorus, verse’.

“I don’t mind the progressive label,” the vocalist adds. “We are progressive in many ways – we’re constantly evolving musically and we do have a lot of complexity in our songs. It’s kind of like ABBA. They write amazing pop songs, but when you dissect them, they’re extremely complex inside. They have their complexity, to make their songs interesting, but also have that catchy pop element. If that’s progressive, I don’t know? Are ABBA a prog band? Possibly…”

“I guess what makes us experimental, if you want to call us that, is our willingness to try things and just be open-minded with ideas and see where they go,” adds Kay. “I wouldn’t say there’s any conscious effort to be deliberately experimental or different. It just seems to be a matter of the sum of our parts coming together and producing whatever it is that comes out.”

There is much to be optimistic about in the Voyager camp right now. They’ve been promoting their record on Australia’s live circuit alongside wacky electronic prog metallers The Algorithm, and you would expect a full global assault to follow.

It’s likely that those attending the Ghost Mile shows will leave high on life, heart lifted. And, most tellingly, stuck with Voyager songs rattling around their head for days.

“You want a hook,” Dow says. “That’s what grabs you when you listen to a band, either a catchy vocal hook or guitar lick. Then you’ve got bands like Meshuggah… they’re fantastic, but there’s not anything that’s hooky that’s going on. There’s a lot of fantastic bands that are like tech death, but I can’t listen to that all the time, because it’s just riff after riff after riff.

“I think what we’ve got special is the music that we write. It gets stuck in your head. Maybe that’s annoying to some people, but I think it’s a good trait to have.”

Ghost Mile is out now on IAV Records. See www.voyager-australia.com for more information.

Voyager - Ghost Mile album review

Karnivool and Voyager, live in Melbourne

A writer for Prog magazine since 2014, armed with a particular taste for the darker side of rock. The dayjob is local news, so writing about the music on the side keeps things exciting - especially when Chris is based in the wild norths of Scotland. Previous bylines include national newspapers and magazines.

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‘In it for the ride’: who are Voyager, the synth-metal band representing Australia at Eurovision?

Lead singer Daniel Estrin reveals how a group of Perth students obsessed with melodic metal have made it to a Eurovision semi-final to be watched by millions

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“Synth-metal” is the short name for the genre of music played by the Perth band Voyager, who have been chosen to represent Australia at this year’s Eurovision contest.

But the quintet’s lead singer, Daniel Estrin, prefers to describe it as “epic progressive powerpop metal”.

Think melodic 80s pop with a heavy edge, climactic guitars and keytar solos.

“When people think of metal they think of Slayer, Metallica, Pantera,” Estrin says. “They don’t really think of melody.”

He thinks the niche sound will appeal to Eurovision’s audience.

“Our kind of melodic metal makes the charts [in Europe], when it doesn’t necessarily in Australia.”

Voyager will take their song Promise to the international music competition in Liverpool this May, becoming the first group to represent Australia.

Promise required “a different kind of writing process”, Estrin says. Made specifically for Eurovision, Voyager were not just producing a great song but also devising a performance that would work seamlessly from a staging perspective.

After testing a handful of initial melodies, the group’s bassist, Alex Canion, fixated on what is now the song’s theme.

“Our bass player said: ‘This is something, let’s latch on to this’.”

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The quintet wanted Promise to emulate the feeling of a journey.

“It had to start mysterious, then open up, pull back, then crush the main character, open up again and end on a positive note,” Estrin says. “It is very Voyager, but also very Eurovision.”

Showcasing Western Australian landscapes, the accompanying music video feels epic too. Featuring the Pink Lake, then the Abrolhos Islands, the video ends with a keytar and guitar duel against a glorious sunset.

“It was almost too perfect,” Estrin says.

Voyager emerged from the campus of the University of Western Australia. “It was a bunch of first year students who wanted to do metal with keyboards.”

In 2003, the group signed to a Dutch label and began playing at festivals, while their popularity grew. Seven albums later, Voyager has amassed “this great fanbase all around the world”.

“We were born and bred in Western Australia, and now we are able to represent on the world stage,” Estrin says. “It is super satisfying.”

The group were told the good news in a casual video call.

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“The production team was like, just spitballing it out there, how would you see the staging?” Estrin says. Each band member shared what they imagined their ideal Eurovision performance would look like. “Then it was like, good news, because you are going to be representing Australia.

“And we all went: ‘What!’ It was one of those moments where you almost fall off your chair.”

Voyager have had their sights set on Eurovision since Australia first took part in 2015, submitting songs every year. They were shortlisted in 2020 and came close last year, leading in the public vote for the song Dreamer but placing second on the combined score to Sheldon Riley performing Not the Same.

“To us, last year was already a huge win,” Estrin says. “We were overwhelmed by the popular vote. We never thought we would get to that.”

This time around they have been selected without a public vote.

“It felt like we had the right song, the right support. We are as ready as we’ll ever be.”

The beauty of the Perth music scene is when niche bands across the metal and rock genres play together, Estrin says.

“We don’t have that many bands of the same genre,” he says. “One night we are playing with a death metal band, then an electric metal pop band. The crossover is really awesome.”

The flip side of a small music landscape is that it’s “hard to categorise”. Estrin says the struggle of being a synth-metal band within this already niche pool is that “people don’t get to hear your music”.

The semi-final performance expects an audience of 5 million people. If the band makes it to the finals, they expect an additional 170 million new listeners. Estrin is excited to see both the genre and his band receive “the recognition I think we do deserve”.

“Whether they like it or not, they get to hear it, and that is awesome.”

He is less concerned with the band’s outcome in the competition. “I’m in it for the ride, the enjoyment, the moment,” he says.

“Only very few people are allowed to have this experience, and I consider myself extremely lucky that through the creation of music … I’m able to travel the world and make people happy.”

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Voyager’s Simone Dow on why “prog is perfect for playing at Eurovision” as she brings tech-metal solos to one of the world’s biggest stages

Can Aussie rockers Voyager win Europe’s favorite song contest like Lordi and Måneskin before them? “It’s a dream,” says guitarist Simone Dow

Historically, the Eurovision Song Contest might not always have made for essential viewing for those of a guitar-y persuasion. But this year, it’ll be worth tuning into the grand finale on May 13, if only to catch Simone Dow, of prog-metal quintet Voyager, tearing it up for Australia on what is surely the first 7-string guitar to have ever graced the competition.

Honorary Europeans for the occasion, Voyager will be bringing the fretboard heat to the Liverpool event with their genre-busting track Promise . 

Stuffed with chewy dual-guitar riffs, eighties pop synths, earwormy hooks, melodic soloing and – last but not least – a keytar, the adventurous tune packs everything you could possibly hope for into three minutes of pure Eurovision excess. “We just can’t wait to showcase what Voyager is all about in a very large, flamboyant and over-the-top fashion,” Simone says from her home in Perth. 

The band has been vying for the opportunity to represent their country since Australia was first invited to take part in Eurovision in 2015, and now that their time has finally come, spirits in the Voyager camp are understandably sky high.

“Who doesn’t want to play on what’s quite possibly the greatest stage and greatest music experience in the world?” Simone smiles. “I’m just thrilled and we all are. You dream of playing on a massive stage where you can actually go all out and have all the bells and whistles at your disposal.” 

As she says, Voyager are more accustomed to “playing at these small pubs,” but during the contest, they will be beamed directly into the homes of around 160 million viewers worldwide. The big question is: will the voting public be ready for a progressive pop metal odyssey, or will it be “nul points” for the Aussie hopefuls?

“I think prog is actually perfect for playing at Eurovision,” she argues. “The whole point of it and the whole purpose is not just the music; they really want you to demonstrate the theatrical side of it as well. It’s the visuals, how it looks and how you tell that story on stage, as much as the music. Prog is usually five-minute epics where you’re telling a thousand stories, so why not?”

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Voyager will no doubt stand out against the competition, but it’s not as if Eurovision hasn’t seen its share of guitar-driven acts before. Most memorably, Finnish monster rockers Lordi got their scaly talons on the trophy back in 2006 after storming to victory with their thrashable, chantable anthem Hard Rock Hallelujah – proving for once and for all that riffs and distortion have a place at the otherwise squeaky clean, poptastic affair.

“We actually went to see Lordi in concert,” recalls Simone, who, along with frontman/keytarist Danny Estrin, has long since been bitten by the Eurovision bug. “It was incredible. It was a full stage show they put on with props, not just wearing the outfits. It was kind of Alice Cooper-esque. I guess that was the first time I thought, ‘Wow, okay – I guess metal does perform at Eurovision!’” 

More recently in Eurovision guitar history, we’ve seen the swaggering sexually charged bombast of Måneskin take the title for Italy in 2021, and, of course, Sam Ryder so nearly clinched it for the UK last year with Spaceman – complete with its Brian May-inspired Strat solo. 

The crowning glory of Promise is Simone’s own powerhouse solo, which burns for four short but perfectly formed bars before melting seamlessly into a fiery keytar throwdown from Estrin – after which she and rhythm guitarist Scott Kay resume a powerful palm-muted chug that powers the song to its close. 

She says: “With that solo – and you’re going to laugh when I say this – I was basically thinking that I wanted it to sound kind of Per Nilsson-ish from Scar Symmetry, but simpler. 

“Obviously, he’s just a phenomenal guitar player and can play six-billion notes. I can’t play like that, but I wanted it to still sound interesting without it being overly complex. Because it is a pop song, you’re not going to be playing a one-minute shred guitar solo. It’s just something that follows the melody of what’s going on and is still a little bit playful.”

Simone cites progressive titans such as Guthrie Govan, Plini and David Maxim Micic as having influenced her technical yet accessible approach to soloing. “I just really like their note choices,” she explains. “To my ears, it just sounds really playful and they know how to not overplay. They know the point to go hell for leather and play lots of notes, but then they know how to pull it back and play these really tasty runs as well.”

Looking ahead to her own moment in the spotlight, she laughs: “It’s probably not the hardest solo I’ve ever had to play on stage, but that’s probably a good thing, what with the nerves!”

Guitar-wise, Simone’s main weapon of choice is her Barolo finish Ernie Ball Music Man JPX 7-string. She’s had an endorsement with the brand for several years, having initially been swayed away from playing Ibanez guitars by a desire to “move onto a guitar that had higher grade tone woods.” 

Built from a combination of mahogany, maple, and alder, the JPX fits the bill nicely, and although the model itself was released to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci’s signature line with Music Man, it suits Simone as if it had been designed especially for her. 

“Honestly, if I was to make a guitar for me – a signature guitar – those would be the specs that I would go for,” she says. “It’s just been an absolutely awesome tool. It’s the only guitar I take on the road with me. It takes a real bashing and it takes it well!”

Although the JPX’s Barolo finish offers a subtle sparkle, changing from black to purple in different lights, the pomp of Eurovision naturally calls for something a little showier.

Cagey on sharing the exact details until the big night, Simone does concede with a smile that she may possibly have something surprising happening for Eurovision. “I’m not going to reveal it yet,” she teases. “But there may be a new guitar getting used – maybe a new Music Man getting debuted – something a little bit more glamorous than what I usually play. So keep your eyes peeled!” 

There may be a new guitar getting used – maybe a new Music Man getting debuted – something a little bit more glamorous than what I usually play. So keep your eyes peeled

For tone, she relies on a Line 6 Helix HX Stomp to give her everything she needs, having recently “downgraded” – for reasons relating to touring cost and convenience – from a Mesa/Boogie full stack amp rig. Weighing less than a kilo and small enough to pack as carry-on luggage, the amp modeller and multi-effects processor has revolutionised the game for her. 

“They are incredible,” she enthuses. “Myself and Scott have barely even scratched the surface with them. We basically just programmed in the basics that we need which are: a clean with some nice delays and reverb, a main rhythm which is similar to a Mesa tone, a slightly boosted distortion with a delay for lead licks that need to poke out a little bit more, and then we’ve got the full on-a-mountain-top solo patch!”

Post-Eurovision, Voyager will be hitting the road to tour in Australia, putting the finishing touches to their eighth studio album, which is tipped for release later this year, and setting their sights on a return to European soil for a winter tour.

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Since graduating university with a degree in English, Ellie has spent the last decade working in a variety of media, marketing and live events roles. As well as being a regular contributor to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and GuitarWorld.com, she currently heads up the marketing team of a mid-scale venue in the south-west of England. She started dabbling with guitars around the age of seven and has been borderline obsessed ever since. She has a particular fascination with alternate tunings, is forever hunting for the perfect slide for the smaller-handed guitarist, and derives a sadistic pleasure from bothering her drummer mates with a preference for “f**king wonky” time signatures.

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HUGO VALENTI  (Lead Vocals) ​ Hugo is an international recording artist/songwriter with a musical career spanning over three decades. He was the frontman for the band Valentine and Open Skyz. Hugo has recorded albums for Columbia (SONY), RCA, Warner Bros as well as various independent labels and movie sound tracks. In between original works, Hugo keeps busy paying tribute to his favorite band, Journey. To learn more about Hugo's career, including videos form his solo projects and former band;  CLICK HERE .  

ROBBY HOFFMAN  (Guitar)   Robby was the lead guitar player for Boston based hard rock/AOR band In The Pink (aka Sunshine Jive), who are best known for their hit song "Under Summer Skies." Robby is an alumni from the Berklee College of Music and has written and performed with many artists including Michael Bolton and Wilson Phillips. Robby is also the founder and president of a music management company where he represents multi-platinum recording artists.  

GREG SMITH  (Bass)   Greg Smith is an internationally renowned bassist and vocalist. He is the current bassist/vocalist for Ted Nugent and has also been the bassist and backing vocalist for such artists as Alice Cooper, Billy Joel, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Alan Parsons Project, Blue Oyster Cult, Dokken, Tommy James & the Shondells, Joe Lynn Turner, Vinnie Moore, Van Helsing's Curse, O2'L and Wendy O. Williams. Greg was the principal bassist and backing vocals for the Tony Award winning Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp musical Movin' Out; for it's entire 3 year run on Broadway and 1 year on the road. Endorsements: Hartke Amplification, Ernie Ball Strings, EMG Pickups. 

LANCE MILLARD  (Keys)

Having recorded and toured with the likes of 80's rock diva fiona and rock act angel. lance is the leader of the elton john tribute sir elton..

Originally an accomplished drummer, he took on the keyboards and progressed at an unbelievable pace. Lance is also a lead singer in his own right, as can be heard on Journey staples, "Feelin' That Way", "Anytime" and "Just The Same Way".

DANA SPELLMAN  (Drums)    Dana is a Boston-based session drummer who has recorded and toured with many notable artists. He is also a member of the band Hurtsmile which features Gary Cherone (Extreme, Van Halen). Dana has taught at Berklee College of Music’s World Percussion Festival. Endorsements: Zildjian Cymbals, Pearl Drums.  

VOYAGE has been hailed by fans and critics alike as the #1 Journey tribute band in the world, performing the music of Journey with chilling accuracy! 

Singer Hugo, is an absolute dead ringer for Steve Perry, both visually and vocally. He continues to stun fans with his miraculous resemblance, exact mannerisms and identical voice to Steve. Fans agree that VOYAGE delivers the closest experience to the original Steve Perry fronted lineup. 

The band also features world class musicians; Robby Hoffman, Greg Smith, Lance Millard and Dana Spellman who along with Hugo have brought the show to critical acclaim through the many sold out shows as well as private and corporate events throughout America. 

VOYAGE takes you back to the '80's era when the timeless music of JOURNEY ruled the airwaves. The talent of these five guys together has brought the meaning of TRIBUTE to a whole new level. Seein' is believin'!

Pophouse, the Swedish company behind ABBA Voyage buys KISS’ music catalog for $300 million

The rock band KISS is selling its song catalog, as well as its name, image and likeness, to Pophouse Entertainment Group AB, the Swedish company behind the popular ABBA Voyage live avatar performance.

Pophouse is paying more than $300 million, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing the terms of a private deal. The agreement includes master recordings and publishing rights.

Pophouse wants to turn KISS into an act that remains popular in culture long after its members stop making new music and performing. The company has announced plans to make a biopic about the group, as well as a live music show featuring avatars of its members.

Pophouse has already made a live show featuring the members of ABBA, the legendary Swedish pop group. That show, called ABBA Voyage, is making more than $1 million a week in London. Tens of thousands of fans flock to an arena purpose-built for the show to watch avatars of the group perform hits like  Dancing Queen  and  Chiquitita . ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus founded Pophouse with Swedish investor Conni Jonsson.

Bassist and KISS co-lead singer Gene Simmons and his band mates started talking to the team at Pophouse a couple of years ago in the midst of their final tour, the  End of the Road  World Tour. The rock band, formed by Simmons and Paul Stanley in the early 1970s, has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, and their final tour stretched over five years. 

KISS and Pophouse and have spent many months working through future projects, and the members of KISS have already flown to Walt Disney Co.’s Industrial Light & Magic to put on bodysuits and have cameras capture their performances for the avatar show.

“Kiss the touring band is over — we’ve stopped touring after 50 years,” Simmons said in an interview. “What Pophouse will do with our images, our music and our personas is unlike anything anyone has ever seen.”

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