LIVE! : Quiet Riot @ Sunset Station

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

May 14, 2011 at Sunset Station in Las Vegas, NV.

Quiet Riot performed at the Outdoor Concert Series at Sunset Station in Las Vegas on May 14. On Nov. 25, 2007, the ’80s genre lost one of metal’s most popular front-man, Kevin Dubrow. After the tragic death of Kevin Dubrow, many fans wondered what would become of the once popular metal band Quiet Riot?

In 2011, Quiet Riot is back on the road touring once again, comprised of Frankie Banali on drums, Chuck Wright on bass, guitarist Alex Grossi, and singer Mark Huff. I had the opportunity to check out Quiet Riot featuring new singer Mark Huff in Vegas on May 14 and I was not disappointed. Although, the legacy of Kevin Dubrow will live on forever with Quiet Riot, the band performed such hits as ”Cum On Feel The Noize”, and ”Slick Black Cadillac” with much conviction and new found energy.

Singer Mark Huff and founding Quiet Riot member Frankie Banali paid tribute to the late Kevin Dubrow numerous times during the set including on the poignant ”Thunderbird.” Singer Mark Huff has a bluesy vocal style similar to Dubrow. One of the highlights of the set was when former Quiet Riot singer Paul Shortino and bassist Sean McNabb, who played bass on the QR album, joined the band onstage to perform ”Stay With Me Tonight.” I had the opportunity to discuss the performance with Paul Shortino after the show and he informed me, “It has been over 20 years since I have performed this song onstage with Quiet Riot. It was a lot of fun. What a great way to spend my birthday!”

Guitarist Alex Grossi did a great job performing the classic Quiet Riot guitar riffs with a modern day flair. Alex adds a new spark to the band. In many interviews singer Kevin Dubrow always referred to Alex as a young Randy Rhoads.

The momentum of the set didn’t end there, as the band launched into two of their biggest hits ”Mama We’re All Crazy Now”, and ”Metal Health.” Drummer Frankie Banali is one of metal’s premiere drummers and back onstage performing where he belongs! From the smile on Frankie Banali’s face and the response of the audience, it is safe to say Quiet Riot is back and ready to make some new fans along the way. For Quiet Riot tour dates visit www.officialquietriot.com.

Frankie Banali

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

HRH: Frankie, Thank you for checking in with Hardrock Haven. Freakshow recently unleashed their debut album on Retrospect Records. How has the response been so far for the band and the release?

FRANKIE: The critic reviews have really been wonderful and positive. Listener response has been tremendous, which is really gratifying to hear for a new band these days.

HRH: How did Freakshow come to fruition? I know you toured with Cinderella and Jeff in the past, but how did you meet the rest of the band?

FRANKIE: Oddly enough, it didn’t have anything to do with me knowing Jeff or having toured together, though I love Jeff’s playing and had hoped to work with him for many years.

Markus Allen Christopher called me, explained who he was and that he wanted to know if I would be interested in recording with him. I told Markus that I would have to hear the material first to decide if I was the right drummer for the songs. We talked over a period of time, and he sent me a four-song demo, which was very well done. It was obvious that he could write great rock songs and record them well, could play great rock-crushing guitar, and could sing as good as any of the majors within the genre. We talked on the phone a number of times, and I decided that I might be a good fit for the songs with my particular style and drum sound.

HRH: Freakshow is made up of some of the best talent in the business. Every musician in the band has made an impact in music today. How did each musician’s style reflect in the making of the new Freakshow release?

FRANKIE: Everyone, I think, just played and recorded the parts that best fit the type and styles of songs that made up the entire Freakshow CD. It’s easy to record great songs; it’s difficult to make songs that are just OK into a great song. Everyone did their best to leave their individual style on each of the tracks.

HRH: You are greatly influenced by the late John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. How did this play a major factor in the recording of the Freakshow debut?

FRANKIE: It neither did nor didn’t. There are some tracks like “It’s Really Over” and “Mistreat Me” that lend themselves to that style, a somewhat common thread to the style of Led Zeppelin and the great John Henry Bonham, and that is a great comfort zone for my style of drumming. That also applies to the track “Welcome To The Freakshow” to a lesser degree. Then there are tracks like “Ripper,” which is by and large very removed from a Zeppelin-esque style of songwriting and drumming.

HRH: The music industry has changed so much since the the ‘80s. Tell us the story behind the signing of Freakshow to Retrospect Records.

FRANKIE: We signed on to Retrospect Records after shopping the major labels, none of which are really signing rock bands of this genre to any great degree. I feel sorry for bands now trying to get a real record deal with an advance because they rarely, if ever, exist anymore. It was easier to have Retrospect release the Freakshow CD than it was to self-release it, but the end results, as far as exposure, are about the same.

HRH: What was the vibe in the studio like working with Jeff, Tony, and Markus?

FRANKIE: The entire “band” was never in the studio at anytime. We sort of worked on shifts. First, I went in with Markus, then Jeff and finally Tony. Markus had thought that he and I would do pre-production for two or three days, then take four days to record the drum tracks. He played me the additional six songs that I had not heard when I arrived at his house with just a guitar in San Jose, and I gave him my suggestions and ideas. We went to the studio that same night, and we ran down all the songs with me behind the drums, and we fine-tuned it. That was the extent of the pre-production. It was just a handful of hours in one day.

We then went into the studio the next evening, set up the drums, got drum sounds, and I recorded the drums to six of the songs in one six-and-a-half-hour session, came in the next day and tracked the following four in two and a half hours. So, all in all, it was less than three days to rehearse and track the drums. The eleventh track, the acoustic “Mistaken” was something that Markus sent me as an MP3 demo after I returned to LA. I liked it so much that I booked a small studio in LA, recorded percussion to it, timpani, shakers, conga and cymbals and sent Markus a data file of the tracks and gave him the option to use the percussion or not. He decided to use them.

HRH: Tell us about the songwriting process for the band? Did each member contribute to the writing of the Freakshow release?

FRANKIE: Actually, you would have to ask Markus about the music and lyrics since he is the primary writer of these songs. The music and lyrics, for the most part, were already well on their way to completion when I got involved. The six he and I worked on when I first arrived for the sessions were sorted out rather easily, and Markus felt that the contributions that I made on “It’s Really Over” and “Four Leave Clover” were above and beyond what I had done on the recordings overall and merited songwriting credits on my part, and therefore I am a co-writer on those two songs. It was great that Markus appreciated and understood the value of my input on those two tracks in particular. The bottom line is that I treated the drum parts to each song so that they would complement the feel of each song to the best of my abilities.

HRH: How did the band come up with the name Freakshow?

FRANKIE: One day, Markus had an addiction to sending me text messages with a variety of different names. I reciprocated by sending him back some text name ideas. At one point, he texted me something, I don’t remember what it was, but it triggered something in my mind. That something was “Freakshow,” and he loved it. No hidden meaning, no brew-ha-ha!

HRH: Every member of Freakshow has their own accomplishments. What was your goal when putting the band together? Did every member want to create a sound that was different from their previous bands?

FRANKIE: The Freakshow songs just happen to be a great vehicle for each of our individual styles. Since we all came from different backgrounds, the sound is different from what each of us has done in the past, yet there is still a thread of each of our musical histories without the loss of the essence of what each of us brought to the songs stylistically or individually.

HRH: The marketing and launching of a new band have changed so dramatically since the ‘80s. Now, newer bands today have MySpace and iTunes versus MTV. What are your thoughts on this?

FRANKIE: MySpace is great to have, but I think of it as more social than business insofar as exposure on a professional or industry level, though they are immediate and far reaching nonetheless. ITunes and Amazon, in a way, fill the void of all the record stores and outlets that have simply ceased to exist.

HRH: Speaking of iTunes, the new Freakshow release is on iTunes, correct?

FRANKIE: Yes, they are indeed. Start your Freakshow shopping engines now!

HRH: Back in the ‘80s, there was vinyl. What are your thoughts on all the new technology that has been developed since the heyday? What are some of the pros and cons of vinyl versus digital?

FRANKIE: The only “pro” is that the audio quality of the CD product is excellent. The disastrous “con” is that, unlike the sound issues with vinyl and the generational audio loss on cassettes, a CD is representative in audio quality of a “master” recording. This and the advent of home recording, copying of released CDs has killed the music industry by providing a “product” that can be copied, shared and illegally downloaded over the Internet. The labels make less money, and the artists make even less than ever. This has a stifling effect on every aspect of the music industry. There is no secret that there is barely a music industry that is active any longer, or active as we once knew it. It is becoming increasingly impossible for bands to tour these days and make any sort of living doing it.

HRH: Frankie, you are one of the most influential drummers in the business. What drew you to working with bassist Tony Franklin?

FRANKIE: Thank you, but I don’t know about being an influential drummer; I certainly try hard! As for Tony, it’s a well-known matter of record that he is entirely my favorite bass player to work with. We’ve recorded together on more records than I can recall, starting with the Gary Hoey “Animal Instinct” in the mid ‘90s and as recent as a few weeks ago on another session. I can’t say enough great things about Tony, both as a person and as a musician. Top shelf in every respect.

HRH: What has the highlight been for you in launching your new band project Freakshow?

FRANKIE: That we made a great rock record when many are not bothering with the genre anymore. The Freakshow record stands on it’s own.

Freakshow Welcome to the Freakshow

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Music can be a lot of things, but one of its most important aspects is that music can be an “escape.” An escape from the drudgery of everyday life; an escape from the current global state of affairs; mostly, just an escape from the negativity that may surround you. There’s a reason why, back in the ‘80s, bands like Quiet Riot, Cinderella, Poison, Def Leppard, Warrant, Ratt, Motley Crue, etc. had their say. It’s because listening to their music made you happy. No, it wasn’t uplifting, it wasn’t buoyant, but it was a hell of a good time. That burgeoning ‘80’s movement over the last half of this decade seems to have culminated in one of the most rockin’ “good time” releases in years, and that’s Freakshow’s Welcome to the Freakshow.

The band is a supergroup, and no, that ain’t stretching the truth. The band consists of drummer Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot), guitarist Jeff Labar (Cinderella), bassist Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder) and lead singer/guitarist Markus Allen Christopher (Miss Crazy). The band formed over the course of a year, when initially, Christopher invited Labar to play on his upcoming solo album. Soon, mutual friends Banali and Franklin became involved, and what was a solo album turned into a new band, Freakshow. You can pick up Welcome to the Freakshow on April 20, via Retrospect Records.

“Welcome to the Freakshow” opens the release, wielding a dirty grind and sultry vocal melodies from Christopher on his “ahhh-ahhhs.” In Miss Crazy, Christopher sings with a definite Brian Johnson/Tom Kiefer style, but he channels Robert Plant in the verses of this track. Banali, who is clearly one of Metal’s best drummers, certainly shows off his John Bonham influences on this track as well, some both bludgeoning and intricate at once. One of the biggest surprises may be how Labar turns off his bluesy Cinderella style and tears into frenetic, metallic leads and solos.

Not surprisingly, you’ll hear a hint of all the members’ current and former bands on Welcome to the Freakshow. When you hit “Everyone,” the pacing and rhythms may remind you of Cinderella’s “Once Around the Ride,” especially with the chord progressions. “Everyone” is going to be the band’s first single, and it walks that fine line between Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. At the end of the song, as it builds to Christopher’s wail of “Can you feel me!” you’ll understand why they wanted to unleash the beast with “Everyone.”

The song “It’s Really Over” may just be the most complete composition on Welcome to the Freakshow. With a bluesy, Led Zeppelin churning rhythm from Franklin and Banali, sensual and dirty vocals from Christopher, and emotional leads and solos from Labar, it’s the track that sticks in your head immediately after just one listen.

Speaking of Franklin, check out his fingers on “Four Leaf Clover.” With Banali and Franklin stealing the limelight during the first verses, you’ll get thumping art at its peak, with Christopher’s pissed off yet uber-melodic vocals delivering the message. These guys have talent to burn …

“Looking Back at Me” is another song where Christopher waylays the harsher vocals for more of his crooning style, at least during the verses. The tempo changes from verse to chorus make it one of the most intricate on the release, and Banali’s fills are immense. It almost seems like a running sonic competition—who is the best musician in Freakshow? It seems they all brought the best out of each other, and while Christopher may be the member who perhaps owns the least recognizable discography, this is the best he’s ever sounded as well.

They keep the pedal to the floor until you hit the last song on the release. “Mistreat Me” is another burner, but they always temper those raging sections with almost Def Leppard-type melodic vocal melodies during the chorus. They follow up this track with “Ripper,” another frantically paced composition that leans on the formula of “ripping” verses with a melodically-charged chorus. “Ripper” again allows Labar to wail, to show another facet to his playing you just didn’t hear in Cinderella.

Welcome to the Freakshow ends on “Mistaken,” the one time the band allows you to catch your breath. An acoustic ballad, Christopher sings with utter sadness, especially on lines like, “There it goes, like an eagle flying, going all the way. There it goes, as my heart is achin’ … you’ve mistaken me.” It would have been interesting to hear a couple more songs like this on the new release, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Freakshow should garner massive attention from the fans, simply because each musician has such a loyal following. But, this is something new, it’s not rehashed, recycled music. The arrangements are more complex than they were in the ‘80s, the production is modern, and to put it simply … none of these players ever sounded better. In other words, Welcome to the Freakshow is a hell of a good time.

Label: Retrospect Records

Track listing:
Welcome to the Freakshow
Everyone
You Who Wins
It’s Really Over
Burning Me
Four Leaf Clover
Looking Back at Me
Mindgame
Mistreat Me
Ripper
Mistaken

Online:On MySpace

HRH Rating: 8.4/10