Review: Perth prog-metal band Voyager close out Bunbury Fringe in style

Closing out a regional fringe festival with a prog-metal band might be perceived by some as an unconventional choice but Voyager certainly did not disappoint. As soon as the Bunbury Fringe program was released last year and I noticed Voyager was closing out the festival in the Alcoa Big Top, the Eurovision fan in me squealed with excitement. That being said, going into the show, Dreamer — the song Voyager attempted to represent Australia at Eurovision with last year — was the only song I knew from their extensive discography. I guess you could say this was going to allow me to walk into the Big Top with an open mind, in the midst of several dedicated fans making a beeline for the front of the stage as soon as they were allowed inside. As soon as I heard the first guitar riffs and beats of the drum, the Big Top was transformed into a technicolour wall of soun; until a few technical difficulties kicked in. Despite the audible absence of the guitars early on, the band members soldiered on to the appreciation of the packed fans. Voyager were soon back on track and continuing on with their set, comprising various tracks from previous albums such as Colours in the Sun, Univers, and Ghost Mile, along with more recent releases like Submarine and a short cover of Darude’s Sandstorm. Luckily for me, I did not have to wait very long to experience Dreamer live as frontman Danny Estrin gave a spiel about Eurovision and how the band “smashed the public vote” with the song during Australia Decides last year, only to be pipped by Sheldon Riley with Not the Same. It was easy to see why so many people loved the song, with everyone that was up on their feet, myself included, grooving along and singing all the words at their top of their lungs. Overall, the positive and fun-loving energy inside the Alcoa Big Top between the band and the audience was absolutely contagious as people danced and head-banged the night away. The hour-long set flew by and certainly left people not wanting the night to end as they chanted “one more song” until the tent lights were turned back on, signalling the end of the show and the end of Bunbury Fringe for another year. I think it would be safe to say Voyager gained more new fans after closing out Bunbury Fringe with a bang. P.S. If Voyager could release a studio version of their Sandstorm cover, this millennial would certainly appreciate it.