FREAKSHOW features Frankie Banali of Quiet Riot, Markus Allen Christopher of M!SS CRAZY, Jeff La Bar of Cinderella, and Tony Franklin of The Firm and Blue Murder.
Markus Allen Christopher
Hailing from British Columbia, Canada, Markus Allen Christopher stormed onto the rock scene in 2005 as the front man for San Francisco based Miss Crazy. His roaring vocal style quickly solidified Miss Crazy as one of the best new melodic rock bands and drew quick comparisons to singers such as Brian Johnson, Tom Keifer, Steve Whitman and Joe Elliot.
Miss Crazy released 3 Cds and toured the U.S. relentlessly from 2005 through 2008 before Markus contemplated the development of a solo project. During this period Markus contacted friends Jeff La Bar and Frankie Banali about working on a project together and Freakshow was born. Frankie called on The Fretless Monster Tony Franklin to chip in on the project on Bass and the result is a kick ass debut CD that fans of Miss Crazy, Cinderella, Quiet Riot and pretty much any arena rock fan will love.
Markus has proven himself as an extremely talented singer/songwriter and his latest work with Freakshow proves he has the perfect formula for creating the timeless sounds that rocked the airwaves throughout the 80’s.
Frankie Banali
Frankie Banali’s hard hitting, deep pocket, heavy rock drumming was a mainstay of the 80’s LA rock scene, but Frankie Banali – the person and the drummer – goes much deeper than the grooves he plays with Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P. or any number of bands you may have heard him with. Citing early influences including Ringo and Charlie Watts, Frankie got heavier via the influence of John Bonham, then deeper into technique through the likes of Terry Bozzio and other progressive players. This combination of influences set him up nicely for session work with everyone from Billy Idol (‘Mony, Mony) and guitar whiz Gary Hoey, to Billy Thorpe, Monarch, and super-duo Glenn Hughes and Pat Thrall on their classic ‘Hughes/Thrall’ album. “Still today the track ‘Hold Out Your Life’ is one of the best written and most exciting tracks that I have had the pleasure to be a part of,’ says Frankie. It’s also a great example of Frankie’s ability to drive a tune through all its dynamic variations and still make it rock mercilessly. It’s what he does with his longtime, band Quiet Riot. Through hits like ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’ and albums including Metal Health, he has added something more personal than just a big drum sound. He’s brought an excitement and degree of integrity to the grooves ‘But then that’s Frankie Banali; a great drummer and person who has a deep perspective on music and life and brings a wealth of experience and commitment to every note he plays.
Jeff La Bar
Born, Jeffrey Philip La Bar on March 18th, 1963 in Darby, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia to parents Robert and June, I have two brothers and a sister, Jack being the oldest, me, then Diane and Dave. Growing up in Upper Darby, PA and moving to Springfield, I married my after-high school sweetheart and had a son, Sebastian. I am since remarried to the love of my life, Debinique, an Iowa girl & reside in Nashville, TN.
In 1985, I joined a band called Cinderella with Tom Keifer & Eric Brittingham. Myself and another drummer, named Jimmy Drnec replaced the two founding members of the band, who would later be known as Britney Fox. Already having a record deal with Mercury/Polygram in the works, pending the labels approval of Me and Jimmy, one might say I was one lucky asshole. Well sure, but that’s not to say, a little talent and alot of hard work didn’t play a part as well.
1986 brings Cinderella’s debut album “Night Songs” and the addition of Fred Coury. Studio drummer, Jody Cortez records the record after producer, Andy Johns’ inability to work with Jimmy, so while Tom and Andy mixed, Eric and I auditioned players until we find Fred for the album cover and tour to follow. Our first tour would be with another new band called Poison, opening for the Japaneese heavy metal band, Loudness. 1986 thru ‘87 would see Cinderella open for the likes of David Lee Roth, on his first solo tour for five months and Bon Jovi, on their “Slippery When Wet” tour for seven months. The rest of ‘87 would be spent over seas, headlining in Japan and Scandinavia before playing The Monsters of Rock festivals in England and Germany.
Tony Franklin
A born performer who first took the stage at age 5, Franklin got his big break in 1984 as bassist in stellar supergroup the Firm, with guitar legend Jimmy Page, vocalist Paul Rodgers and drummer Chris Slade (AC/DC, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band). Franklin’s signature fretless growl was a distinctive and instantly recognizable element of the band’s first hit, “Radioactive.”
After two hit albums with the Firm, Franklin subsequently performed with Blue Murder (John Sykes, Carmine Appice), David Gilmour, Kate Bush, Whitesnake, Donna Lewis, Pat Travers and many others. An in-demand session bass ace, he has appeared on more than 150 albums. Franklin has released two solo albums, Brave New Tomorrow and Wonderland. To view Franklin’s Select Discography, click here.
Further, Franklin’s exemplary chops have been called on for dozens of television credits, including Late Show With David Letterman, Beverly Hills 90210, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Good Morning America, Top of the Pops (U.K.), VH-1, MTV, Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush (Finland), dozens of Japanese programs and more.
