Falkirk performer gears up for her star turn on stage at Eurovision 2023

Simone Dow and her band Voyager will be performing the song Promise, which she co-wrote with bandmates Alex Cannon, Ashley Doodkirte, Daniel Estrin, and Scott Kay, to represent Australia in this year’s contest on May 9.

Progressive metal outfit Voyager were formed in Perth, Western Australia, back in 1999 and have so far released seven full-length albums.

So how did a Falkirk Bairn and former pupil of the town’s Victoria Primary School come to be playing for an Australian band in the world’s single biggest song contest?

Let’s let dad Richard Dow, who also lives in Australia, explain.

“Simone and myself were born in Falkirk Royal so we're both Bairns,” he said. “She attended Victoria Primary for a little while before we all emigrated. We arrived in Australia back in 1991 when Simone was six.

"She went to Osborne Park Primary, then Noranda primary where she began taking classical guitar lessons. She was playing secondary school pieces at primary and it was was clear from the beginning she had a talent."

Rock ‘n’ Roll is strong within the Dow family – dad Richard was a member of the popular 1970s country rockers Thrush and her grandfather was a big band drummer.

Richard said: “I played in several bands based in Falkirk. Thrush was the most successful one as we did telly’s Thingummygig, featured on BBC radio and toured up and down the country.

“We played Apollo in Glasgow, as well as the Playhouse and Oden in Edinburgh. My dad was a big band drummer saw he taught me drums. The first few bands I was in I played drums, but I later taught myself guitar.”

Simone’s amazing six string talent was fostered by her dad and her granddad.

Richard said: “I bought her various electric guitars and amps and eventually she started a band. She got advanced lessons on scales, but by the time she was 15 they couldn't take her any further.

"My dad bought her a Gibson Les Paul and I bought her a Fender Telecaster. She was now playing with a band called Scourge then was asked to join Psychonaut. The

guitarist with this band also played with Voyager and eventually she was asked ro join.

"She has been a constant member with Danny the singer now and this new line up which has been stable for several years is the best yet.”

And the band is now about to embark on what could be its biggest adventure yet – with their Falkirk-born guitarist literally playing a lead role.

Endorsed by Ernie Ball Music Man guitars, she has just taken ownership of their brand new Kaizen guitar which she will plug into her Mesa Boogie amplification.

Richard confirmed Simone and Voyager have now left Australia and will be playing shows in London, Madrid and, finally Liverpool, before they hit the stage

at Eurovision on May 9.

So Falkirk Bairns will have another entry to cheer for along with Mae Muller’s I Wrote a Song.