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?”
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.
