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Interviews archive - F
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Interview with:
Markus Allen Christopher of
Freakshow
Interviewed by Tawny Khat
Interview completed: June 19, 2009
This is a written transcript of a telephone interview I did with Markus. I'm pleased to be bringing you this interview, because I think Freakshow is one of the best bands going today. So, sit back and enjoy the interview, then make sure to buy yourself a copy of their debut CD.
EP (Electric Pussycat): I've read some of your other interviews, and in order to avoid asking the same questions you've already answered in the past I'd like to start off by asking you how album sales are going?
MAC (Markus Allen Christopher): They're doing good. We don't actually get a quarterly report until the 3rd month [after release]. But, from MySpace messages and what not, Sam from Retrospect [Records] mentioned we're the fastest, best seller he's ever had out of all his albums, so I take that as a good sign.
EP: Yeah, awesome! That's awesome news. Has the band already started working on new tunes for a follow-up album?
MAC: No, no, I mean, we haven't even played a show for this. This album just came out the 20th of May. To even be considering doing another one would be a little farfetched at this point.
EP: Sure, okay. I know some bands just keep on writing is why I asked. So, are there any plans for a tour?
MAC: Oh, yeah, absolutely! We've run into some little snags here and there on a couple things, some personal things with family members. But, we're looking to get something going and by the end of summer, maybe September, hopefully we can get out and meet all the fans we have, because there's a lot of them. We're getting a lot of requests to play different places, so when that comes about I'm gonna be very excited to go out there and kick some ass.
EP: Awesome! Well, I hope you guys come to Phoenix.
MAC: Oh, for sure. I love Phoenix. I've played in the Arizona Cardinals Stadium, by the way, with Buckcherry when I was in Miss Crazy, which I'm still in Miss Crazy, but it's been put on hold for Freakshow since Freakshow is my number one priority right now, but I do have two albums out with that band.
EP: Right. Okay, I know you're a fan of a lot of the 80s rock and it seems to be coming back, so who are some of your favorite NEW bands that are bringing back that genre.
MAC: Hmmm, new ones. I mean there's bands that are coming out and doing that kind of stuff, like Miss Crazy and Crashdiet and those bands, that started this back up again like three or four years ago, but there's a lot of new ones, you know, with the hair cuts and the bleached blonde and looking like Motley Crue and all that, so that's great. At least they're not looking like Fall Out Boy, or My Chemical Romance, or with those emo haircuts that everyone seems to have.
EP: (laughing) Right.
MAC: It's kind of weird, because a lot of these new bands that say they're rock, they all got, like, Adam Lambert haircuts, you know what I mean? (laughing)
EP: (laughing) Right.
MAC: How's that rock, you know?
EP: Yeah, well it's this whole resurgence that inspired me to start this webzine, so yeah, there's a lot of bands, especially over in Scandinavia, like you said, Crashdiet, and others....
MAC: Yeah! There's a lot, and those bands are big fans of us as we are them. This music, regardless of how you look at it, it's underground.
EP: Right.
MAC: It's not the number one thing that people want in this world, or it's not that they don't, it's just that corporate radio and corporate America, as far as music goes, they're going for the Britneys, the Beyonces, the All American Rejects, the Fall Out Boys, and that kind of stuff is really as heavy as you're going to get, except for the total metal that's already established with their fans, like Disturbed and stuff. And, they rip, by the way.
EP: Yeah, I saw them a few years back at a local club.
MAC: But, the new bands like us, with the recession it's kind of hard to get a good deal. The bands that are already established are established and living off that. A lot of these record companies are going to have a hard time honoring the contracts of the artists that they have.
EP: Right. So, out of the new bands coming out, do you have any favorites? You mentioned Crashdiet....
MAC: Well, they're not really favorites....I don't really listen to a lot of music that's new, in my league, because my style with Freakshow or Miss Crazy is with that era that I love so much. A lot of anything new that's doing the vocals that I like, or the guitar playing, are those vintage bands, let alone that many of them have so many records that there's always something new that I discover. I'd rather stay in that period and keep learning from those people, let alone playing with them which is even better. A lot of the new stuff that I'm into, I'm actually into the new Britney Spears album, the new Rihanna and Lady Gaga. I like girl singers, you know, Pink, Kelly Clarkson. I like to listen to stuff that is completely different than what I do and I like to sing along to those CDs, too, because it helps me with my range, vocally. But, new bands? There isn't really anything that's blowing me out of the water. Rev Theory is pretty cool, but I select the vintage band's that are putting out new albums, a few of them. Some no, some yes, but it's even hard to hear any of those bands from back then on the radio, except on classic rock stations, but then they're only playing their stuff from the 80s, not their new stuff.
EP: Exactly, you don't even know they've come out with a new album, usually, unless you look on Amazon or MySpace....
MAC: Yeah, unless you're a really big fan of them and go to their MySpace page or website or something, but there's been some great albums that've come out in the last ten years from people like David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, and bands like Mr. Big, bands that were kicking ass, Stryper, Tesla, Queensryche, but does anyone really know unless there's a really cool tour. Tesla's been fortunate to actually continue their career in a really good way, which is good management there on their behalf. But, for a lot of bands it just doesn't happen. You have so much to compete with in the world these days, you know, video games, theme parks, beaches, the malls, it never ends, getting a new car, let alone we're in a recession. So, priority for hard rock, you really gotta promote it right, and you gotta search down deep for the rockers. It's not like I want a bunch of Chemical Romance bands for my MySpace page, you know.
EP: Yeah. Tell me something that people would be surprised to know about you.
MAC: Probably that last conversation we just had....
EP: Yeah, probably. (laugh)
MAC: Okay, well that I'm not this partier that everyone thinks. You know, when I'm on tour and I do things. I get into it and I get excited. But, it's not like I go to clubs all the time. I don't have a bunch of girls everywhere. I'm not sleeping around. I wear my hair in a ponytail most of the time. I do things that I do when I do them and I have my couple of friends that I like to associate with, but I'm very myself. I'm not this....that comes out when I play live and tour, which is where I'm most happy, but on the off time I'm nothing like that character.
EP: Okay, tell me something about Frankie people don't know. Obviously don't say something that would embarass him, but is there something you've learned about him that maybe people don't know that they'd be interested in?
MAC: Yeah, if they don't know...I'm sure a lot of people know Frankie Banali from the Quiet Riot days and those albums and those songs, but if they haven't heard Freakshow they need to hear that, because a lot of his fans don't know about it yet. There's millions of 80s rock fans and we're still trying to reach them, but what they need to know is that he's turned into 10 times that drummer. If anything, I could compare him to John Bonham from Led Zeppelin. He's gotten to that point of a drummer and them some. It's like if John Bonham were still alive, that's what Frankie Banali is.
EP: Wow, that's amazing! That's awesome.
MAC: Yeah, you know what? You know this exactly, exactly what that is.
EP: Yes! I do, I go back that far, so....
MAC: I'm just saying, it's such an honor and a gift from God to play with him in general, because he is so....just learning from the things he says. I admire his tenacity for the business. He just knows things and it's so great to listen to him and learn, and to know that he looks out for my best interest, and to do this album with him is such an amazing honor. He's so great to work with, and if anything he's made me better.
EP: That's cool. And, about Jeff, is there something that people don't know that they'd be interested to know about him?
MAC: He's pretty funny. He's a real laid back guy. He's cool and he's ready to rock 24/7. He did some of his best guitar playing ever on the album with us, Freakshow. Oh yeah, I got one for ya! He sleep walks. (laugh)
EP: Oh, really! (laugh) Wow.
MAC: Sometimes, and he's like, "Where am I?"
EP: (laugh) Oh, wow, my daughter does that, too.
MAC: It's kinda funny, but it doesn't happen all the time.
EP: Right. Yeah, a lot of people do that. And, how about Tony?
MAC: Well, if people don't know, he's the head guy at Fender Guitars. A lot of people don't know that about him. That's what he does. He's the main man at Fender.
EP: Wow, like the CEO?
MAC: From where Fender Guitars is in Los Angeles. He's one of the head guys over there.
EP: That's cool!
MAC: Other than that, what I can say about Tony is he's an amazing talent, and as in the generations that have passed there's this group of great players for this genre of music, and I have to say that Tony Franklin just off his catalog that he's done and the notoriety of Blue Murder and The Firm, he brings to the table what's missing. If he weren't the bass player on this Freakshow album, I think we could probably get a bass player that would play just .........what Tony played, it's almost like this was his album, that's how good he played on it. He's probably one of the top five bass players in the world, hands down.
EP: Well, he'd have to be for Jimmy Page to have gotten him for The Firm....
MAC: And, John Sykes with Blue Murder, and Markus Allen Christopher with Freakshow.
EP: Absolutely! (laugh)
MAC: I mean, seriously, when you listen to the rhythms and the way we all play together, it just seems like it's always been that way. Some people just gel, because they know the trip, and when you know what you're doing, and you know it well, it just all comes together. I think Freakshow is just all a part of our personalities, and it came out great. It was like a no brainer for all of us.
EP: Yeah, I love the album. It's awesome.
MAC: Yeah, it's pretty cool!
EP: Yeah, that's why I look forward to hearing more in the future.
MAC: Yeah, me too! I'm into it. I can't wait to tour this and just get sick of that album so we can do another one, but that has to happen first.
EP: Sure. Well, I really look forward to seeing you guys live. That's gonna be great.
MAC: Yeah, me too! (laugh)
EP: What's the last CD you bought?
MAC: The last CD I bought was Rihanna's last album, and then Lady Gaga before that, and "Let There Be Rock" before that, to finalize my AC/DC collection. I didn't have that one and I have all the other remasters of the AC/DC albums. It's kind of weird, too, because all the hit albums are $8.99 and that one was $15.00, and it's only got eight songs on it.
EP: That is weird, maybe because it's so hard to find.
MAC: The album cover for that one rules, too.
EP: Those guys are so great. I've seen them in concert so many times.
MAC: Yeah, I got this box set, of AC/DC, and it's got everything. It's got like 100 songs with Bon Scott and the same thing with Brian Johnson.
EP: That's cool. Um, who is your favorite vocalist or the vocalist that most influences you?
MAC: There's kind of like five, and it kinda turned into my style, like all of them thrown into one singer. It's Joe Elliot, Brian Johnson, Steve Whitman, Tom Keifer and Robert Plant. I just threw them all in a blender and that's my style.
EP: Yeah, I can hear that, absolutely.
MAC: It's like all those guys, they had a big impact, even Bon Scott. It's that power and drive. They let everyone know who's singing. When those guys sing, everyone knows it, that commanding power that they have behind their voices. I wanted to get that and emulate that. Out of all those singers, all of them are still.....well, Tom isn't because of medical reasons with his throat....but, Brian, he sounded pretty good on that last album, but he hasn't been doing the best live over the last few years. A lot of singers eventually kind of lose what they were known for, and I'm here to make sure that that still stays strong, that style, in singers like Joe Elliot and Steve Whitman and Brian Johnson. That stuff needs to keep going and I want to be that guy, because for me that's the way of the world.
EP: I'm so glad to hear you're doing that, it's those arena vocals that are bigger than life.
MAC: Yeah! That's what I'm all about, man. Arena rock, arena vocals, I wanna be that guy that continues that. I don't want it to ever go away, and then later someone else will come along [to keep it going], but that kind of stuff isn't happening now. And, even some of the bands that were doing that, they're not singing like that anymore, in some cases because they can't. But, right now I'm 100% and I want to bring that back.
EP: That's killer. I know you did a majority of the songwriting for the album, so who or what influenced or inspired you for the songs you wrote for the Freakshow album?
MAC: I think it was just kind of back to the same formula, like I had in Miss Crazy. I just kind of did what I felt. But, playing with Frankie opened up a new door, because of where he's at. I mean, he just did a Led Zeppelin tribute album, giving thanks to what Led Zeppelin meant to him, with some friends on his solo thing. So, he was kind of in that vibe and I had kind of dabbled in a little Zeppelin, and he kind of got me in it more and I started researching them more, plus my own trip that I already have, the 80s rock, and let alone now that I got all those guys that I learned from in the band playing on the album. The way it came out there's an obvious difference between Freakshow and Miss Crazy, but then Miss Crazy is obviously me, the same singer and guitar player, so there's similarities. But, it all reverts to great, arena, hard rock. I think you can tell when you listen to the album, it's that......where you walk into an arena, wherever it is, and the lights go down and that music comes on, you know what I mean?
EP: Absolutely!
MAC: And, then with my trip with the makeup and everything, it's a little more theatrical, and the mystique behind my gig, just representing rock 'n roll in general from the beginning when KISS and Alice Cooper did it. Even Brandon Lee who wanted to play rock, but didn't get to that stage in his life. I'm here to continue.
EP: Okay, cool. So, is the band making plans for the future, I mean, I know we talked about touring and that, but any specific plans like for another album or are you just playing it by ear?
MAC: I can't really say at this moment. I think we need to play and go out and see the fans and see what responses we get. But, I feel pretty good that there will be another Freakshow album. Frankie and I, we love this band, and this album we both agreed is the best album we've ever done. I know I'm not in the same league with those guys, as far as album sales go and such, but as far as chops go and being a pro and really knowing what those guys are all about and playing it right, I mean I'm playing with them, right? So, I'm ready to rock 24/7 and let's tour and go out and meet all those people and play together for a while, and if anything I'm sure that's gonna psyche us out and make us want to do another one.
EP: Right on. You know, I read that Tony Franklin would not be able to tour with the band. Do you guys have another bass player in mind, or.....?
MAC: Yeah, we have a list. We have a good list of guys and when the time's right we'll make that decision.
EP: Okay, that's cool. Is there anything else you wanted to let readers know?
MAC: Check out our MySpace, check out our songs, tell your friends and let everyone know that this kind of music is not gonna die, and as long as we have our die-hard friends and everyone keeps letting everyone know about it, the more the merrier, and before you know it we'll be out there seeing them all. I can't wait to meet all the Freakshow fans. And, check our album out.
EP: Cool, and I know they can't wait to meet you guys, too.
MAC: Yeah, and thank you again for this interview. I appreciate it.
EP: Oh, you're welcome. Thank you very much for taking the time out to talk with me, and I wish you and the band all the best.
Make sure you get yourself a Freakshow CD and keep your eyes out for them when they hit the road for a tour. You don't want to miss this band live. What an opportunity to see some living legends in person (and the soon to be legend, Markus Allen Christopher). To stay up to date with what's going on with Freakshow just go to their MySpace page, as Markus said, or their website. Also, make sure you read Shane's review of Freakshow's debut album.
Interview with:
Markus Allen Christopher of
Freakshow
Interviewed by Tawny Khat
Interview completed: June 19, 2009
This is a written transcript of a telephone interview I did with Markus. I'm pleased to be bringing you this interview, because I think Freakshow is one of the best bands going today. So, sit back and enjoy the interview, then make sure to buy yourself a copy of their debut CD.
EP (Electric Pussycat): I've read some of your other interviews, and in order to avoid asking the same questions you've already answered in the past I'd like to start off by asking you how album sales are going?MAC (Markus Allen Christopher): They're doing good. We don't actually get a quarterly report until the 3rd month [after release]. But, from MySpace messages and what not, Sam from Retrospect [Records] mentioned we're the fastest, best seller he's ever had out of all his albums, so I take that as a good sign.
EP: Yeah, awesome! That's awesome news. Has the band already started working on new tunes for a follow-up album?
MAC: No, no, I mean, we haven't even played a show for this. This album just came out the 20th of May. To even be considering doing another one would be a little farfetched at this point.
EP: Sure, okay. I know some bands just keep on writing is why I asked. So, are there any plans for a tour?
MAC: Oh, yeah, absolutely! We've run into some little snags here and there on a couple things, some personal things with family members. But, we're looking to get something going and by the end of summer, maybe September, hopefully we can get out and meet all the fans we have, because there's a lot of them. We're getting a lot of requests to play different places, so when that comes about I'm gonna be very excited to go out there and kick some ass.
EP: Awesome! Well, I hope you guys come to Phoenix.
MAC: Oh, for sure. I love Phoenix. I've played in the Arizona Cardinals Stadium, by the way, with Buckcherry when I was in Miss Crazy, which I'm still in Miss Crazy, but it's been put on hold for Freakshow since Freakshow is my number one priority right now, but I do have two albums out with that band.
EP: Right. Okay, I know you're a fan of a lot of the 80s rock and it seems to be coming back, so who are some of your favorite NEW bands that are bringing back that genre.
MAC: Hmmm, new ones. I mean there's bands that are coming out and doing that kind of stuff, like Miss Crazy and Crashdiet and those bands, that started this back up again like three or four years ago, but there's a lot of new ones, you know, with the hair cuts and the bleached blonde and looking like Motley Crue and all that, so that's great. At least they're not looking like Fall Out Boy, or My Chemical Romance, or with those emo haircuts that everyone seems to have.
EP: (laughing) Right.
MAC: It's kind of weird, because a lot of these new bands that say they're rock, they all got, like, Adam Lambert haircuts, you know what I mean? (laughing)
EP: (laughing) Right.
MAC: How's that rock, you know?
EP: Yeah, well it's this whole resurgence that inspired me to start this webzine, so yeah, there's a lot of bands, especially over in Scandinavia, like you said, Crashdiet, and others....
MAC: Yeah! There's a lot, and those bands are big fans of us as we are them. This music, regardless of how you look at it, it's underground.
EP: Right.
MAC: It's not the number one thing that people want in this world, or it's not that they don't, it's just that corporate radio and corporate America, as far as music goes, they're going for the Britneys, the Beyonces, the All American Rejects, the Fall Out Boys, and that kind of stuff is really as heavy as you're going to get, except for the total metal that's already established with their fans, like Disturbed and stuff. And, they rip, by the way.
EP: Yeah, I saw them a few years back at a local club.
MAC: But, the new bands like us, with the recession it's kind of hard to get a good deal. The bands that are already established are established and living off that. A lot of these record companies are going to have a hard time honoring the contracts of the artists that they have.
EP: Right. So, out of the new bands coming out, do you have any favorites? You mentioned Crashdiet....
MAC: Well, they're not really favorites....I don't really listen to a lot of music that's new, in my league, because my style with Freakshow or Miss Crazy is with that era that I love so much. A lot of anything new that's doing the vocals that I like, or the guitar playing, are those vintage bands, let alone that many of them have so many records that there's always something new that I discover. I'd rather stay in that period and keep learning from those people, let alone playing with them which is even better. A lot of the new stuff that I'm into, I'm actually into the new Britney Spears album, the new Rihanna and Lady Gaga. I like girl singers, you know, Pink, Kelly Clarkson. I like to listen to stuff that is completely different than what I do and I like to sing along to those CDs, too, because it helps me with my range, vocally. But, new bands? There isn't really anything that's blowing me out of the water. Rev Theory is pretty cool, but I select the vintage band's that are putting out new albums, a few of them. Some no, some yes, but it's even hard to hear any of those bands from back then on the radio, except on classic rock stations, but then they're only playing their stuff from the 80s, not their new stuff.
EP: Exactly, you don't even know they've come out with a new album, usually, unless you look on Amazon or MySpace....MAC: Yeah, unless you're a really big fan of them and go to their MySpace page or website or something, but there's been some great albums that've come out in the last ten years from people like David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, and bands like Mr. Big, bands that were kicking ass, Stryper, Tesla, Queensryche, but does anyone really know unless there's a really cool tour. Tesla's been fortunate to actually continue their career in a really good way, which is good management there on their behalf. But, for a lot of bands it just doesn't happen. You have so much to compete with in the world these days, you know, video games, theme parks, beaches, the malls, it never ends, getting a new car, let alone we're in a recession. So, priority for hard rock, you really gotta promote it right, and you gotta search down deep for the rockers. It's not like I want a bunch of Chemical Romance bands for my MySpace page, you know.
EP: Yeah. Tell me something that people would be surprised to know about you.
MAC: Probably that last conversation we just had....
EP: Yeah, probably. (laugh)
MAC: Okay, well that I'm not this partier that everyone thinks. You know, when I'm on tour and I do things. I get into it and I get excited. But, it's not like I go to clubs all the time. I don't have a bunch of girls everywhere. I'm not sleeping around. I wear my hair in a ponytail most of the time. I do things that I do when I do them and I have my couple of friends that I like to associate with, but I'm very myself. I'm not this....that comes out when I play live and tour, which is where I'm most happy, but on the off time I'm nothing like that character.
EP: Okay, tell me something about Frankie people don't know. Obviously don't say something that would embarass him, but is there something you've learned about him that maybe people don't know that they'd be interested in?
MAC: Yeah, if they don't know...I'm sure a lot of people know Frankie Banali from the Quiet Riot days and those albums and those songs, but if they haven't heard Freakshow they need to hear that, because a lot of his fans don't know about it yet. There's millions of 80s rock fans and we're still trying to reach them, but what they need to know is that he's turned into 10 times that drummer. If anything, I could compare him to John Bonham from Led Zeppelin. He's gotten to that point of a drummer and them some. It's like if John Bonham were still alive, that's what Frankie Banali is.
EP: Wow, that's amazing! That's awesome.
MAC: Yeah, you know what? You know this exactly, exactly what that is.
EP: Yes! I do, I go back that far, so....
MAC: I'm just saying, it's such an honor and a gift from God to play with him in general, because he is so....just learning from the things he says. I admire his tenacity for the business. He just knows things and it's so great to listen to him and learn, and to know that he looks out for my best interest, and to do this album with him is such an amazing honor. He's so great to work with, and if anything he's made me better.
EP: That's cool. And, about Jeff, is there something that people don't know that they'd be interested to know about him?
MAC: He's pretty funny. He's a real laid back guy. He's cool and he's ready to rock 24/7. He did some of his best guitar playing ever on the album with us, Freakshow. Oh yeah, I got one for ya! He sleep walks. (laugh)
EP: Oh, really! (laugh) Wow.
MAC: Sometimes, and he's like, "Where am I?"
EP: (laugh) Oh, wow, my daughter does that, too.
MAC: It's kinda funny, but it doesn't happen all the time.
EP: Right. Yeah, a lot of people do that. And, how about Tony?
MAC: Well, if people don't know, he's the head guy at Fender Guitars. A lot of people don't know that about him. That's what he does. He's the main man at Fender.
EP: Wow, like the CEO?
MAC: From where Fender Guitars is in Los Angeles. He's one of the head guys over there.
EP: That's cool!
MAC: Other than that, what I can say about Tony is he's an amazing talent, and as in the generations that have passed there's this group of great players for this genre of music, and I have to say that Tony Franklin just off his catalog that he's done and the notoriety of Blue Murder and The Firm, he brings to the table what's missing. If he weren't the bass player on this Freakshow album, I think we could probably get a bass player that would play just .........what Tony played, it's almost like this was his album, that's how good he played on it. He's probably one of the top five bass players in the world, hands down.
EP: Well, he'd have to be for Jimmy Page to have gotten him for The Firm....
MAC: And, John Sykes with Blue Murder, and Markus Allen Christopher with Freakshow.
EP: Absolutely! (laugh)
MAC: I mean, seriously, when you listen to the rhythms and the way we all play together, it just seems like it's always been that way. Some people just gel, because they know the trip, and when you know what you're doing, and you know it well, it just all comes together. I think Freakshow is just all a part of our personalities, and it came out great. It was like a no brainer for all of us.
EP: Yeah, I love the album. It's awesome.
MAC: Yeah, it's pretty cool!
EP: Yeah, that's why I look forward to hearing more in the future.MAC: Yeah, me too! I'm into it. I can't wait to tour this and just get sick of that album so we can do another one, but that has to happen first.
EP: Sure. Well, I really look forward to seeing you guys live. That's gonna be great.
MAC: Yeah, me too! (laugh)
EP: What's the last CD you bought?
MAC: The last CD I bought was Rihanna's last album, and then Lady Gaga before that, and "Let There Be Rock" before that, to finalize my AC/DC collection. I didn't have that one and I have all the other remasters of the AC/DC albums. It's kind of weird, too, because all the hit albums are $8.99 and that one was $15.00, and it's only got eight songs on it.
EP: That is weird, maybe because it's so hard to find.
MAC: The album cover for that one rules, too.
EP: Those guys are so great. I've seen them in concert so many times.
MAC: Yeah, I got this box set, of AC/DC, and it's got everything. It's got like 100 songs with Bon Scott and the same thing with Brian Johnson.
EP: That's cool. Um, who is your favorite vocalist or the vocalist that most influences you?
MAC: There's kind of like five, and it kinda turned into my style, like all of them thrown into one singer. It's Joe Elliot, Brian Johnson, Steve Whitman, Tom Keifer and Robert Plant. I just threw them all in a blender and that's my style.
EP: Yeah, I can hear that, absolutely.
MAC: It's like all those guys, they had a big impact, even Bon Scott. It's that power and drive. They let everyone know who's singing. When those guys sing, everyone knows it, that commanding power that they have behind their voices. I wanted to get that and emulate that. Out of all those singers, all of them are still.....well, Tom isn't because of medical reasons with his throat....but, Brian, he sounded pretty good on that last album, but he hasn't been doing the best live over the last few years. A lot of singers eventually kind of lose what they were known for, and I'm here to make sure that that still stays strong, that style, in singers like Joe Elliot and Steve Whitman and Brian Johnson. That stuff needs to keep going and I want to be that guy, because for me that's the way of the world.
EP: I'm so glad to hear you're doing that, it's those arena vocals that are bigger than life.
MAC: Yeah! That's what I'm all about, man. Arena rock, arena vocals, I wanna be that guy that continues that. I don't want it to ever go away, and then later someone else will come along [to keep it going], but that kind of stuff isn't happening now. And, even some of the bands that were doing that, they're not singing like that anymore, in some cases because they can't. But, right now I'm 100% and I want to bring that back.
EP: That's killer. I know you did a majority of the songwriting for the album, so who or what influenced or inspired you for the songs you wrote for the Freakshow album?
MAC: I think it was just kind of back to the same formula, like I had in Miss Crazy. I just kind of did what I felt. But, playing with Frankie opened up a new door, because of where he's at. I mean, he just did a Led Zeppelin tribute album, giving thanks to what Led Zeppelin meant to him, with some friends on his solo thing. So, he was kind of in that vibe and I had kind of dabbled in a little Zeppelin, and he kind of got me in it more and I started researching them more, plus my own trip that I already have, the 80s rock, and let alone now that I got all those guys that I learned from in the band playing on the album. The way it came out there's an obvious difference between Freakshow and Miss Crazy, but then Miss Crazy is obviously me, the same singer and guitar player, so there's similarities. But, it all reverts to great, arena, hard rock. I think you can tell when you listen to the album, it's that......where you walk into an arena, wherever it is, and the lights go down and that music comes on, you know what I mean?
EP: Absolutely!
MAC: And, then with my trip with the makeup and everything, it's a little more theatrical, and the mystique behind my gig, just representing rock 'n roll in general from the beginning when KISS and Alice Cooper did it. Even Brandon Lee who wanted to play rock, but didn't get to that stage in his life. I'm here to continue.
EP: Okay, cool. So, is the band making plans for the future, I mean, I know we talked about touring and that, but any specific plans like for another album or are you just playing it by ear?
MAC: I can't really say at this moment. I think we need to play and go out and see the fans and see what responses we get. But, I feel pretty good that there will be another Freakshow album. Frankie and I, we love this band, and this album we both agreed is the best album we've ever done. I know I'm not in the same league with those guys, as far as album sales go and such, but as far as chops go and being a pro and really knowing what those guys are all about and playing it right, I mean I'm playing with them, right? So, I'm ready to rock 24/7 and let's tour and go out and meet all those people and play together for a while, and if anything I'm sure that's gonna psyche us out and make us want to do another one.
EP: Right on. You know, I read that Tony Franklin would not be able to tour with the band. Do you guys have another bass player in mind, or.....?
MAC: Yeah, we have a list. We have a good list of guys and when the time's right we'll make that decision.
EP: Okay, that's cool. Is there anything else you wanted to let readers know?MAC: Check out our MySpace, check out our songs, tell your friends and let everyone know that this kind of music is not gonna die, and as long as we have our die-hard friends and everyone keeps letting everyone know about it, the more the merrier, and before you know it we'll be out there seeing them all. I can't wait to meet all the Freakshow fans. And, check our album out.
EP: Cool, and I know they can't wait to meet you guys, too.
MAC: Yeah, and thank you again for this interview. I appreciate it.
EP: Oh, you're welcome. Thank you very much for taking the time out to talk with me, and I wish you and the band all the best.
Make sure you get yourself a Freakshow CD and keep your eyes out for them when they hit the road for a tour. You don't want to miss this band live. What an opportunity to see some living legends in person (and the soon to be legend, Markus Allen Christopher). To stay up to date with what's going on with Freakshow just go to their MySpace page, as Markus said, or their website. Also, make sure you read Shane's review of Freakshow's debut album.
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