Today the rehearsals for Eurovision 2023 continue in Liverpool. Countries rehearsing on Day 3 include Estonia, Iceland, Greece, Poland, Slovenia, Georgia, San Marino, Austria, Albania, Lithuania and Australia. The last act to rehearse today is Australia’s Voyager.
Voyager’s first rehearsal
The final act to take to the Eurovision 2023 stage at M&S Bank Arena today in Liverpool was Australia’s Voyager. Voyager will be competing in this year’s competition with their entry “Promise” following their internal selection.
Following Voyager’s first rehearsal a clip of what went on was posted on the official TikTok account of the Eurovision Song Contest. The clip showed Voyager before and after they took to the Eurovision stage for the first time, as well as giving us some insight into how their first rehearsal went.
What did we learn about Australia’s staging?
Photo credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
Voyager have come our all keytars a-blazing, resplendent in blue and silver sequinned houndstooth. As you might expect, there’s plenty of pyro in this performance, with red fireworks rounding out the final chorus. They’ve also brought a car with them on stage, which the liveblog informs us is a Toyota MR2. For those of you who, like me, know nothing about cars, it is described as “80s and sporty”. They’re going to use it to take us on a voyage during their three minutes on stage!
What we thought of Voyager’s first rehearsal
After Voyager’s first rehearsal, Rory gave his initial thoughts on the snippet that we saw.
Who are Voyager?
Voyager was formed in 1999 by a group of friends studying at the University of Western Australia. The current line-up consists of Daniel Estrin (vocals and keyboard), Simone Dow (guitar), Scott Kay (guitar), Alex Canion (bass) and Ashley Doodkorte (drums). Estrin, an immigration lawyer by day, is the only original member of the band remaining in the line-up.
The band’s first album, Element V, was released in 2003. It was picked up by Dutch label DVS Records for European distribution, which saw the band begin their international success. The next years saw them play at prog and metal festivals across Europe, including ProgPower. Their second album, uniVers, was distributed across the USA by Locomotive Records, and saw widespread acclaim. They have released a total of seven records – the most recent being 2019’s Colours In The Sun. In addition, they have toured with a number of major European bands including Epica, Nightwish, Klone and Children of Bodom.
Voyager have set their sights on representing Australia at Eurovision since the nation was invited to the contest in 2015. The band were shortlisted as participants for national selection Australia Decides in 2020, but were not ultimately invited to compete. They tried again in 2022 with “Dreamer”, where they finished in second place – third with the jury and first in the televote.
In an interview with Eurovision Fam, Estrin discussed the inspiration behind “Promise”:
“I’m generally an optimist, but the last couple of years have been difficult for many and seeing the chaos of the world, it’s about seeing what’s around you and seeking reassurance from whatever you can find. Doesn’t have to be a person, it can be nature, a person, a beautiful song, a picture that you can derive some joy and find certainty that it’s going to be alright.
“The song has a super dark moment where that hope is crushed and you’re left down and unhappy, but in a way, like life itself, you find a way out of it and emerge on the other side.”Daniel Estrin, Voyager
“Promise” has lyrics written by Estrin, with music by all members of the band.
Australia’s Eurovision Journey
Australia debuted into the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015, with Guy Sebastian representing the land down-under with his entry “Tonight Again”, finishing in 5th place. Since their debut, they have participated every single year. In 2022, Australia was represented by Sheldon Riley, with his song “Not the Same”. He qualified for the final and finished 15th, with 125 points.
What do you think of “Promise”? Can Voyager bring Eurovision to Australia? Let us know your thoughts! Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok as we prepare for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU
Rory Gannon