Prog-Rock Australia Smashes the Pop Formula

MAY 15 2023 · 12:55

Voyager · "Promise" · Australia · 2023 Placement: 9 · Score: 151 · Language: English · Composers: Daniel Estrin, Simone Dow, Ashley Doodkorte, Scott Kay, Alex Canion · Venue: M&S Bank Arena · Host: Liverpool, United Kingdom · Type: performance innovation · Broadcast: streaming era Voyager — a five-piece Perth prog-metal/synthwave band that had been working since 1999 — take the Liverpool stage behind a classic 1980s sports-car prop, neon-saturated, Daniel Estrin's synth keytar slung low. 'Promise' blends progressive rock chops with 80s synth nostalgia. 151 points for 9th place. Australia's strongest Eurovision result to date. Context Australia had been participating in Eurovision since 2015 under special invitation from SBS. Voyager were a cult Australian prog band with international metal-festival circuit experience. Their selection broke Australia's pattern of big-voice solo ballad entries. The keytar was a deliberate retro-spectacle anchor. Legacy Voyager's 9th-place finish was Australia's best-ever Eurovision result. The band's international touring schedule expanded dramatically post-Liverpool. 'Promise' became a cult Eurovision fan favorite, routinely cited in best-of compilations. Australia's continued Eurovision participation rested partly on the Voyager breakthrough's commercial success.