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“Voyager shows a different side to Australian music!”

Paul Clarke, Australia's Creative Director writes from Liverpool on the buzz surrounding this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

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With the Eurovision Song Contest Final upon us, Paul Clarke, Australia’s Creative Director for SBS answered the following questions for TV Tonight:

What’s it like on the ground and how does Liverpool differ from previous years?

PC: Liverpool is perfect for the host city. Really friendly, huge music tradition, and this year you aren’t tripping over the local language to get things done (sometimes the Scouse accent can feel foreign though…many of the Europeans are struggling to understand the locals, who think that is hilarious!)

How are Voyager being received by the Eurovision family?

PC: Truly, Voyager have been received very warmly. They have covered just about all the songs in the contest on their socials and the other artists absolutely love them. They’re also getting recognised here, there, and everywhere in Liverpool, with fans stopping them for a chat and some photos. It feels like we’re really amongst it this year and embraced in a way we haven’t been before.

Tell us about the staging of their song?

PC: Well, it’s a mid ‘80s Toyota convertible – Danny is a huge fan. I think there’s a narrative about going forward out of your problems to tie into the lyrics of the song, but he’s probably just a hoon.

What was it about Promise that saw them chosen as our 2023 representatives? Our first ever band, discuss!

PC: Voyager won the popular vote by a mile at Eurovision: Australia Decides, but they narrowly lost to Sheldon Riley. After Eurovision in Turin, we had what I called a ‘preservation of friendship meeting’, and we asked if they would submit a song for consideration. An early version of Promise arrived and is just getting better and better with every iteration. I love the song. I think it has the best guitar solo and best keytar solo ever on a Eurovision track. It’s great that they are a metal band. It just shows a different side to Australian music, and they are totally brilliant musicians.

Can you now spill on why Australia Decides didn’t happen? 

PC: Eurovision: Australia Decides comes together as a result of different layers of funding. Some of those changed and we just fell a bit short. Unfortunately, we ran out of runway.

Who do you perceive as our biggest competition, and one dark horse?

PC: It looks like the Scandies – Norway, Sweden and Finland. One outside hope is the really, really, good looking Marco Mengoni (Italy). If he looks in the camera, watch out!

2023 is our final guaranteed year at Eurovision, have there been discussions about Australia returning?

PC: It’s a live discussion that we’ll pick up once this year’s event is behind us.

There is some chatter SBS may struggle to afford the next contract. Can you clarify?

PC: I don’t think the license fees for Eurovision are anything like the other big music formats. For now, we’re focusing on Voyager’s upcoming performance, and we’ll pick up discussions with the EBU once this year’s event is over.

Fingers crossed for much success, have you dreamt of big plans if we win?

PC: I think about it regularly. It will be pretty majestic, and the host links and comedy will be laconic, in keeping with our sense of humour. We will have a great year when it happens.

Live:

Eurovision Song Contest Semi Final 2 Live 5am AEST Friday on SBS *
Eurovision Song Contest Final Live 5am AEST Sunday on SBS *

* Voting www.esc.vote (20 votes per person, 65c per vote).

Replays on SBS (no voting):

Eurovision: Semi Final 1 7:30pm Friday
Eurovision: Semi Final 2 7:30pm Saturday
Eurovision: Final 7:30pm Sunday

Who will win Eurovision 2023?

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14 Responses

  1. Music is a personal choice which I love all genres because I was born in what I consider the best era of music..Rock and Roll (some historians say the modern era of music evolved from there)…all bands and singers have a gimme to attack attention to themselves….of which Lodi I used as an example. Like everyone I’m entitled to my opinion… if you think it was harsh that’s your prerogative but I stand by the question being boring (there’s a difference to being invalid). There is plenty of information out there on the ins and outs of Eurovision people can avail themselves of instead of the same old questions hence why I agree with David. Now as for the various contestants I enjoy the weird, wonderful and OTT and I’ve watched it evolve over many years…but at its heart it is just a song contest that the winner/s “might” go onto find fame and fortune….and I would also like to point out I’m certainly not impressed with Piers Morgan calling it ..a stain humanity…..either.

    1. I’m similar as being born in 1961 I had so much music swirling around and by my teens it was prog-rock to punk to electronic to krout-rock to hip-hop to pop to ska to New Romantic and everything in between. After growing up on a steady diet of late 60’s, first record I ever bought was Creedence Clearwater Revival Looking Out My Back Door/Long as I can see the Light. But you know Kraftwerk sat next to the Sex Pistols sat next to ABBA sat next to AC/DC sat next to Can sat next to Tangerine Dream sat next to Radio Birdman sat next to Afrika Bambaataa sat next to Judas Priest and on it goes with even Blondie experimenting with varying styles (including Hip Hop).

      If we’re talking Eurovision though I could even say here in Australia back in the 1980’s Kids In The Kitchen could have slotted straight in to it and I liked them as well, so yup a varied musical taste born by the era I grew up in.

  2. I thought another main reason for Australia being included is because we are such a multicultural country. Anyway time to build a bridge… As far as Voyager presentation, I thought they were great. Thank you for posting all the acts David. Audience seemed to really like them so I think they have a good chance of at least top 3. Aussie Aussie Aussie !!

  3. While I realise that SBS has been broadcasting Eurovision for many, many years … does that justify a place for Australia, more than 10,000 KM away from Europe, in Eurovision? I don’t think so. But good luck to Australia, aka Voyager, anyway.

    As for Voyager’s song … Promise … it’s OK I suppose but to MY ears & musical tastes, their song from last year … Dreamer, is so, so, so, so, … much better. IMHO, it was the standout song from Australia Decides 2022.

    Go Australia !!!!

    1. As has been posted many many times… SBS has been an Associate Member of the European Broadcasting Union for about 20+ years from memory. It would be great to move on from this question.

      1. David, Irrespective of whether the SBS has been an associate member of the EBU for 20 or even 50 years, Australia is too far away from Europe. Being a AM member is the whole point of an Associate Membership, ie. they are outside the European Broadcasting Area. Mind you, I also think there are a number of other countries that also shouldn’t be in Eurovision based on the exact same reasons that Australia shouldn’t be.

        There are dozens of broadcasters from the US (CBS & NBC, et. el.), Canada, Japan and of other countries that are AM members of the EBU that don’t get to (or perhaps don’t want to) compete in Eurovision. What makes Australia special?

        While, I realise that this question has been asked, many, many times, over multiple years, I’m not sure that’s a good reason not to ask it again. I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this point and as you say, move on.

        1. Israel also not in Europe, but yes I have had to address many times for readers who did not acknowledge EBU membership. We would also note ESC’s desire for global audience, with a US version, and hopes for Asia-Pacific. I think Australia might be asked to shift over if and when that ever happens.

          1. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia (when they were involved) are hardly Europe, either. Surely time to put this beyond tiresome subject to rest.

      2. Really the short answer to that question is that the European Broadcasting Union invited Australia to become part of it and Australia said yes, be interesting to see after this one though, as in 2019 it was signed through until 2023 and not sure the invitation has been extended yet.

    2. Totally agree with David…this question does get boring…maybe you’re ears and musical tastes might prefer Lordi..”Hard Rock Hallelujah”…Findland…winners 2006 which I could only put down to bad taste in music (and costumes)…..it’s just a song contest….that Australia has been invited to be in ….. and it’s been evolving every year since it started and SBS just happen to support and broadcast cast it.

      1. Me thinks, that’s a bit harsh. I never said the Voyager’s “Promise” was bad, it was OK and a *Lot* better that most of the other songs in this years contest. I simply stated that I thought “Dreamer” from last year was better. Again purely my opinion which may or may not match yours. Neither did I make any comment about the musical taste of anyone else. I also, didn’t make mention of any other entry in Eurovision 2023 … speaking of Finland’s 2023 entry … the less said the better but I’m sure there are other people who think it’s fantastic.

        As for the question itself, you & a million others might consider the question “boring” but that does not invalidate the question nor how many times it gets asked.

        Seems that it’s time to put this to bed … until 2024, when I’m sure someone will ask it again, either on this forum or somewhere else (I will try to remember not to ask it again myself).

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