After representing Australia at Eurovision, Voyager frontman Danny Estrin is now a household name. He tells me what he thinks about ABBA, styling that hair and among other things, performing to 162 million people!
Tell us about your Eurovision experience!
It was one of the greatest if not THE greatest thing I’ve done in my life! Both musically and personally. I’ve always had an interest in the world of music, with a weird love for pop and all the quirky facts within, and I love Eurovision. It was strangely meant to be! People have very different experiences going into Eurovision, but I couldn’t have imagined it turning out any better. Every step along the way we were like, “Really? This is happening?” We started as a metal band from Perth in Western Australia and here we were at one of the greatest spectacles of all time.
Do you and the band have other Eurovision contestant mates?
Yeah, the Austrian girls Teya and Salena and fellow Australian Andrew Lambrou who represented Cyprus. They’re all awesome and we also keep in touch with the German guys from Lord of the Lost, The Busker from Malta and Gustaph from Belgium. There’s a nice sense of community with all these people that transcends any feeling of competition. It’s pure love and the wonderful thing is that you get to share the post-Eurovision blues.
That’s a thing?
Yes, and it hits hard. Imagine if you’re one of the young performers and suddenly propelled to playing in front of 162 million people with media on you constantly. But then there’s nothing for a while. I read an article about how some Eurovision contestants found that the phone stopped ringing and they hadn’t done anything since. That’s a huge comedown, but I find that having done live music for a long time helps to cope with this huge high that is Eurovision.
Danny Estrin
Since competing, does Voyager now have a wider global audience?
Absolutely and it shows. It’s awesome to have people not only listen to us but also come to our shows. Yes, 162 million people viewed our Eurovision performance, but they’re not all going to jump on board to come see us. Most don’t push it any further than that moment in Eurovision but those who love the event have discovered us and so many haven’t been to a heavy music gig. For instance, Canberra was sold out and one of our best shows! Heavy Metal has a stigma about it, but I think the crowd realised that heavy music can be a positive spectacle. Voyager sits in the category of not necessarily metal, but heavy music. I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved for heavy music and elevating it to a different level.
“I’m a huge ABBA fan. It’s not just gay men!”
How close is Eurovision to the Will Farrell movie?
I’m in that movie! I went to Eurovision as a fan in 2019 when it was held in Tel Aviv and I’m there in the crowd! It was during the dress rehearsal, and I was thinking, “Is that Will Farrell? What the hell is he doing here?” Then he explained he was shooting a movie and wanted crowd involvement. Some of what’s in the Eurovision movie is very true, but a lot is Americans jumping on board the Eurovision experience, and they did a fantastic job! It’s a great movie. We recently performed at a high school and the organiser gave me a mug inscribed with “Play Ja Ja Ding Dong!”
“Gay viewers gravitate more to our bass player Alex than to me, which I’m terribly jealous of!”
ABBA are Eurovision’s most successful act. Are you a fan?
I’m a huge ABBA fan. It’s not just gay men! ABBA is one of those bands I admire on so many levels because they do what we as musicians want to. They have beautiful pop melodies on top, with complexity underneath. If you listen to an ABBA song you can bop along or you can listen to the keyboard and arrangement and think, “Wow!” That’s something we strive for – to have that duality of melody with a cool rhythm underneath. They have odd time signatures too which, from a musical perspective, are satisfying to listen to and even more satisfying to play. As a musician, playing simple stuff is sometimes difficult and can get quite tedious. ABBA was one of my first musical insights and is responsible for my obsession with melody and that’s key, especially for Eurovision songs.
Danny Estrin
The Rolling Stones, Springsteen, McCartney and ABBA have all released new music in their senior years. Will Voyager still be performing at that age?
One hundred per cent! Even if we stop touring for whatever reason, the process of writing, crafting and releasing music with four of my best friends is something I’d never want to give up. It’s been way too long now to stop, and we’ve done Eurovision! Maybe we’ll do like a farewell tour to boost ticket sales and then a reunion tour! (Laughing)
You’re also an immigration lawyer. How do manage that alongside rockstar?
It becomes more difficult with more success because you get pulled in all directions, and the media takes time away from the music. The thing about Eurovision is that performing is what we did least, which is bizarre for musicians. But I’m a bit of a people pleaser and don’t like to say no. The key is that if you have a passion and drive that comes from within for both things, then you’ll make it work. I love immigration law and the people I work with. I like the vibe, but I also love playing music and when one of those stops being fun, then I’ll give it up.
Do you hang out with gay mates?
Oh, I’ve spent many a time at Connections nightclub in Perth. I have lots of gay friends who are not exclusively, but generally are Eurovision fans. I think around sixty per cent viewership of Eurovision are gay or LGBTQIA+ identifying, which is very cool. Interestingly, the gay viewers gravitate more to our bass player Alex than to me, which I’m terribly jealous of! He gets all the DMs about being the hottest one. Even some of my friends say, “You’re too straight but that Alex …”.
“Most of the big gay anthems with a cool beat and a big soring melody are fucking awesome!”
Eurovision certainly has its gay fans!
Yes, the gay vote is a tough and fickle one because you don’t know if you’re going to get it. But I remember being in the bathroom at Pink Flamingo on the Gold Coast when we did Australia Decides. There was a bunch of guys saying how much they loved Voyager’s energy and I thought, “Okay we’ve got something here”. It’s important for heavy/metal music to have that crossover because metal, particularly in the ’80s and ‘90s, wasn’t the gay-friendliest of music genres. There was a lot of homophobia in the 80s even though bands like Motley Crue and Poison dressed as women! There was a lot of gender-bending chest-beating machismo in a lot of metal. I was never attracted to that or those bands because I think a more sensitive, refined and fun side is important. Getting the gay vote, as cheeky as it sounds, is super important to me because it shows that metal has been demystified as a macho style of music.
Gay clubs mainly play electropop dance and disco. Do you like that music?
I love it! I love dance music and the four-to-the-floor stuff. A lot of it is melody-based, and I find it difficult to relate to more sound-based music. Most of the big gay anthems with a cool beat and a big soring melody are fucking awesome!
Danny Estrin with his Voyager bandmates
So, what’s your all-time irresistible burn-the-floor song?
Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody. It’s quite a complex song and I love the juxtaposition between a complex and pop song. Then there’s the Eurovision hits. If Loreen’s Euphoria comes on, I’m out there! I love the German band Modern Talking I’m surprised they’re not more popular with the gay community because they’re so over the top, camp and so Eighties.
What about a favourite music diva?
Cesaria Evora, who’s known as the Barefoot Diva. She’s a bit left-of-field and not flamboyant, but beautiful in her own way. Sadly, she’s no longer with us. She was a portly lady who didn’t really care about her appearance and would waddle onto the stage in bare feet, close her eyes and then her magical voice would come out. Her classic was a beautiful Mexican song called Besame Mucho.
What celebrity would you turn gay for?
There are so many! Mans Zelmerlow from Eurovision (Swedish entrant). Then there’s the Bollywood star Aamir Khan who is beautiful and Thomas Anders from Modern Talking. There are so many beautiful men around!
“There was a lot of homophobia in the 80s despite the fact that bands like Motley Crue and Poison dressed as women!”
Who has been your biggest inspiration in the world of music?
Peter Steele from the band Type O Negative. Funnily enough, he did an issue of Playgirl which was bought by more men than ever because he had a twelve-inch penis. It’s a sad story because he died quite early. He was an impressive big hunk of a man, and his music was wonderful. For me, he embodied the fact that you can have this imposing metal stature but also be sensitive and in touch with emotions – what in the Nineties, we called your ‘feminine side’. You can be vulnerable and still be a huge presence as a rock star. Peter struggled with life and died of liver failure from alcoholism. When I first heard his song Love You to Death, I thought it was incredibly heavy but also beautifully esoteric. I just want to run around naked in a green forest while listening to it! It spoke to me and has stayed with me ever since. He’s inspired me a lot.
Danny Estrin
Do you have a favourite quote?
There’s a lovely Latin quote “Nosce te ipsum” which means Know thyself. It’s a cool little motto that says if you know and are comfortable within yourself then all else will follow. We struggle so hard to find ourselves and to know who we are, but I think it comes with age. You gain a degree of confidence that you don’t necessarily have when you’re twenty!
Do you have a grooming tip?
I use a lot of Moroccanoil and I’m not saying that because they sponsored Eurovision. I love their products. I’d say don’t wash your hair too often, especially when it’s long. Moisturise it and look after your split ends. Also, see your barber regularly to make sure the eyebrows and moustache are trimmed properly. And don’t worry about getting grey hairs. Get a streak like me, which is cool!
Briefs, boxer briefs or free balling?
Boxer briefs all the way. I like ones with a hilarious design like koalas or cucumbers!
Since this interview, Danny has announced his diagnosis of cancer, which he is facing head-on with determination. To say his courage is inspirational is an understatement. I look forward to Danny recovering and rocking the stage again soon!
Voyager’s Fearless in Love album is out now
For more on Voyager visit: voyagerau.com
Follow Danny and Voyager on Instagram @danny_voyager & @voyagerau
Voyager before their Eurovision performance
