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.

Jeff Labar and Markus Allen Christopher of Freakshow

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Jeff LaBar (Cinderella and Freakshow) checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about his band new band, Freakshow, which also features drummer Frankie Banali and bassist Tony Franklin. He also talked about the new release, Welcome to the Freakshow; the current status of Cinderella and an update on Tom Kiefer; how Freakshow was formed; the difference in his guitar playing between the two respective bands; his background as a guitarist; and a whole lot more.

Not to be outdone, Markus Allen Christopher follows the audio interview with a text interview of his own!

Freakshow’s Markus Allen Christopher!

HRH: Hey Markus, thanks for being here with Hardrock Haven again! Can you give us the background behind Freakshow? How you guys got together, whose idea was it, how did you each get recruited, etc.?

MAC: I DID ORIGINALLY. I ASKED JEFF FIRST IF HE WANTED TO COME IN THE STUDIO AND PLAY ON SOME NEW SONGS I WAS WORKING ON AND HE WAS TOTALLY INTERESTED AND I CONTACTED FRANKIE ABOUT WHAT I WAS DOING AND THEN HE WAS INTO IT AND THE REST KINDA FELL INTO PLACE AFTER FRANKIE AND MYSELF WORKED OUT THE NEW SONGS. TONY, WHO WE BOTH KNEW, WAS THE FIRST AND OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR THE CD.

HRH: Who came up with the band name, Freakshow, and how many other names did you throw in the trash before deciding on “Freakshow?”

MAC: WE HAD A FEW OTHER IDEAS. FRANKIE CAME UP WITH THE NAME OFF OF SOMETHING I SAID. WHEN HE SAID HOW ABOUT FREAKSHOW? I SAID YEAH THAT’S IT. WE WERE TEXTING ALL DAY ABOUT IT. LOL

HRH: Markus, I’ve known you for a few years from your band Miss Crazy. So, for a horrible and lame joke, how “crazy” is it for you to be in a band with Jeff, Frankie Banali and Tony Franklin? To go from Miss Crazy to a bonafide METAL supergroup?

MAC: LOL YEAH WE HAVE KNOWN EACHOTHER FOR A BIT HUH? I MUST SAY IT IS VERY KICK ASS! I MEAN I REMEMBER THESE GUYS ON MTV! I HAVE SEEN BOTH OF THESE DUDES IN ARENAS. I WAS A TOTAL KID IN THE CROWD.I GREW UP LOVING CINDERELLA AND QUIET RIOT. TO BE INVOLVED WITH THEM AND PLAY MUSIC TOGETHER IS UNREAL. I JUST THANK GOD FOR THIS BAND AND THE CD. LET ALONE THESE GUYS ARE MY FRIENDS!

HRH: Tell me a little bit about what Frankie Banali and Tony Franklin bring, respectively, to Freakshow … what’s it like playing with those amazing talents?

MAC: I THINK IT’S THE GREATEST. WAYNE GRETSKY’S OF ROCK. FRANKIE MAKES ME WANNA TRY SO HARD TO BE GOOD. HE IS A MODERN DAY JOHN BONHAM. TONY IS BASS GUITAR. THE FIRM AND BLUE MURDER. SAY NO MORE.

HRH: Your new album, Welcome to the Freakshow, is going to be released in April on Retrospect Records. I’ve been lucky enough to hear it, and it is better than I would have dared hoped for. Before we get into the songs, how did you hook up with Retrospect Records … what was it like shopping this incredible release around?

MAC: WE SHOPPED IT AND HAD SOME GOOD INTEREST BUT NOT THE DEALS WE WERE LOOKING FOR. DURING A RECESSION IT IS DIFFICULT FOR LABELS TO GIVE OUT EXPECTED BUDGETS. WE CONSIDERED SOME OTHER OPTIONS AND LAST MINUTE WE GOT AN OFFER AND IT SEEMED TO WORK OUT FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

HRH: Comparing your vocal style on Miss Crazy to Freakshow, they are similar. Except for the opening track “Welcome to the Freakshow,” where you sound like you are channeling Robert Plant, at times. So, during the recordings, did you purposely try to be more diverse with your vocals and not stick to the Miss Crazy formula, or did you even worry about it and just let everything rip?

MAC: THANKS DERRIC. I KINDA JUST DID WHAT I FELT FOR EACH SONG. I THINK THE SONGS ON FREAKSHOW MADE ME REALLY WANT TO OPEN UP. SHOWING PEOPLE I CAN REALLY SING. I AM MY INFLUENCES. I BORROW FROM THE BEST BECAUSE I WANT TO BE THE BEST I CAN. FREAKSHOW BROUGHT THAT OUT FOR ALL OF US IT SEEMS. YOU CAN HEAR THAT ON THIS FREAKSHOW DEBUT.

HRH: How did the songwriting process work on the new release? Did you all add your own parts to each track, was there one central songwriter, how’d that process work between four new components?

MAC: I WROTE THE CD MAINLY AND CO-WROTE 2 SONGS WITH FRANKIE. IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER TOO MUCH WHO WROTE THE SONGS TO ME. THE PARTS THAT EVERYONE PLAYS ON THE FREAKSHOW CD IS LIKE A MOVIE WITH 4 KILLER ACTORS IN IT. WHAT EVERYONE BRINGS TO THIS CD IS RIPPING!!

HRH: “It’s Really Over” owns one of the dirtiest grooves on the CD, somewhat comparable to Led Zeppelin, except maybe even more sexual. Is this song self-biographical to any members, or, just one of those songs everyone can relate to?

MAC: OH BOY. OUR ZEP INFLUENCE IS TOTALLY THERE. FRANKIE HAS ALOT TO DO WITH THAT. I LOVE ZEP TOO. WE CAN’T HELP THAT. I LOVE THIS SONG TOO. IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

HRH: For the band, how important was it to them for the overall sound that you are a skilled guitarist as well, and can pull the rhythm plow while LaBar focuses on his leads and solos? Was that something the band wanted, a singer who could
add another musical element to the equation?

MAC: I DON’T KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS ABOUT THE GUITAR. WE NEVER ADDRESSED THAT REALLY. I JUST PLAY GUITAR AND THAT IS KINDA WHO I AM. MY PLAYING IS A BIG PART OF THE FREAKSHOW SOUND AS IT IS WITH M!SS CRAZY. I SHOWED THESE GUYS I CAN PLAY AND THAT IS MY STORY. JEFF KILLS ON LEAD GUITAR. I WISH I WAS THAT GOOD AT LEAD. I CAN PLAY, BUT NOT LIKE HIM!

HRH: Also, what does this mean for Miss Crazy? Is that going to be on hold for a while?

MAC: THAT IS SAFE TO SAY. M!SS CRAZY IS HOW I GOT HERE. M!SS CRAZY FANS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME. FRANKIE AND JEFF DIG ON THE TRIP I HAD WITH THAT BAND. IT IS ALL ABOUT HARD ROCK! WE MIGHT DO A FEW CRAZY SONGS LIVE. ANOTHER M!SS CRAZY CD IS POSSIBLE IF THE TIMING IS RIGHT. NOT A CONCERN OF MINE AT THE TIME BEING.

HRH: Has the band decided on a single yet? If so, which track?

MAC: OH YEAH! 2ND TRACK ON THE CD “EVERYONE”

HRH: When you guys hit the tour circuit, everyone is going to be curious, to hear what Freakshow is all about. So, can we expect to see you on the festival circuit this summer, like maybe Rocklahoma, Rock Gone Wild, or maybe in my backyard, at Dakota Rockfest?

MAC: THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I AM REALLY EXCITED TO PLAY LIVE AGAIN!!

HRH: Is there anything I left out that you’d like to leave with our Hardrock Haven faithful?

MAC: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME DERRIC. I APPRECIATE YOU AND HARDROCK HAVEN. THANKS TO ALL THE FREAKSHOW AND M1SS CRAZY FANS AND HARD ROCK FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD. CAN’T WAIT TO MEET AND ROCK EVERYONE! ENJOY OUR NEW CD!! CHECK OUT OUR PAGE ON MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/freakshowrox GOD BLESS!

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