Interviewed by Brian Rademacher
Date: August 2009

Brian Rademacher: Hello Markus and welcome to RockEyez.com once again.

First off congratulation on the FREAKSHOW CD, I see it got raves reviews around the world. Fans need the truth about FREAKSHOW and surrounding rumors.

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: Hey Thanks it’s always good talking with you Brian.

Brian Rademacher: Is it true that the FREAKSHOW debut CD was originally slated to be your first solo CD aside from MISS CRAZY?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: Yeah that is what I was originally thinking. I know things were getting a little tighter with touring and the way the music industry was headed. I written about thirteen to fifteen new songs and ideas I had. I was completely in that mindset of what I wanted to do with no guidelines.

Brian Rademacher: If that’s true why did you decide to release it as a FREAKSHOW release?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: Well it kind of started when I approached Jeff LaBar and asked him would he come in and play guitar on my solo album. He really liked MISS CRAZY and he left a couple comments on my MySpace about him digging MISS CRAZY, so he agreed, he said I’m totally in. From there I wanted to get a big named drummer. I thought of a couple different guys and got a hold of Frankie Banali. I sent him some MISS CRAZY stuff and some demos of these new songs I was working on. I kinda hinted to him what do you think of playing on these new songs for my solo album I’m going to do. He really listened to the songs and he liked what he heard and said I‘m in to record. Then we got Tony Franklin and as we were recording it we started realizing it was really good and the rough mixes were coming out great. We started texting back and forth and said why don’t we make this a band and tour. We can make this a band instead of just the solo avenue. So it was all intentions we were going to do it promote it and tour it. That is the reason I made it FREAKSHOW. I think it might have been the wrong decision.

Brian Rademacher: How long was that release in the making?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: I wrote the songs well after MISS CRAZY II at the end of 2008. I wrote the record and some of the ideas were fresh that I had floating in the back of my head. By the time Frankie got here I was finishing up the last idea. All these songs were written before the formation of FREAKSHOW. I mean it was to be my solo CD.

Brian Rademacher: The FREAKSHOW CD has been out for some time now and I have yet to see any tour dates, not even a listening party show, you guys even turned down Rocklahoma. Why would you turn Rocklahoma down when you guys could have used that as your debut show and sold tons of merchandise?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: I agree with you 100% on everything you said. I I know Jeff was also excited about playing and going out on the road. Realistically your answer is Frankie Banali. He didn’t want to play Rocklahoma, he didn’t want to play the side stages, and he didn’t want to do anything because the money wasn’t right for him. Everyone knows he had some tragedies in his life and we have been really patient with that. Jeff and I have sympathized with him for months. But what has happened here it has become a problem. Where he became secluded and wouldn’t talk to us on the phone, he wouldn’t e-mail us for months at a time. So we were in a limbo stage, but we love Frankie and always have. He played great on the record, but it has turned into something that was not what my initial intentions were. Jeff and I really wanted to tour and we don’t have the luxuries that Frankie has in his life. Then some tour offers came in and we haven’t talked to Frankie in nine month on the phone but he did send us a couple e-mails. He said the tour offers the money wasn’t good enough. Frankie was upset with all the illegal downloads, which we all were. We don’t like it but it is a compliment that twenty thousand people wanted to download us. The sales weren’t that big but that is why we wanted to go on the road, because that is the only way to sell your band these days. It just wasn’t happening, we weren’t playing, anything that was offered was turned down because the money wasn’t good enough for Frankie. Jeff and I decided we want to keep playing as far as FREAKSHOW and Frankie didn’t want to be involved, so he’s out. Frankie told us he loves the record and he says it’s the best album he’s ever recorded but he does not want to tour it. We love you Frankie but we need to play!!! Thank you. The fans deserve to see us! I feel betrayed by him personally. I know the fans feel the same.

Brian Rademacher: With all this going on, is FREAKSHOW one of those bands considered a studio band that fans will never see live only on disc.?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: No not at all, we decided to get Chris Jordan from MISS CRAZY and go out and tour. That was even recommended by Frankie. Frankie really didn’t want to do anything anymore with FREAKSHOW, he didn’t promote the CD, and he did a few interviews one with you guys and a few others. Once he finds out we are going to go out and tour without him, he deletes of from his MySpace, he deletes all the FREAKSHOW songs and basically disowned us. So we are going to tour but will do no more with that FREAKSHOW album because Frankie is 50% owner FREAKSHOW, my solo album. So all the money I saved to get my solo album out is dead in the water because Frankie owns half of it. I will play the songs live and I might re-record them, they are my songs. Thank you Frankie Banali for ruining the best CD I have done to date.

Brian Rademacher: I just can’t believe that Frankie is out of the band, we only did an interview with him on July 15th. Now he did mention you wrote all the songs but he also mentioned in the interview that he came up with the name FREAKSHOW. Does that mean if you continue with the band you will have to change the name?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: Well we don’t own the name for one; actually a Rap band owns that name legally. Maybe we will change it to THE FREAKSHOW maybe THE CRAZY FREAKS or THE CRAZY SHOW, who cares. Why would Frankie care? His name didn’t help sell the CD at all really. The songs are the strong point. His drumming is great. But people want to see the band live. He could care less. Frankie would try to sue us for using the name. Even if it was owned by a rap band. Hahahahahaha.

Brian Rademacher: What does Jeff LaBar think of what’s going on and please tell me he’s still part of FREAKSHOW?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: He’s bummed out about it, he fuckin told me so. I should of fucking listened to him!! But he wants to move forward. When we go out on tour we will kick ass because we will play CINDERELLA tunes, MISS CRAZY songs and FREAKSHOW songs. It should be nice.

Brian Rademacher: I know you mentioned that some songs are already written for the next release, does that means those songs have to be scrapped?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: No! Frankie had nothing to do with the new songs, just like he had nothing to do with the last one except playing drums. I gave him credit on two songs because I liked the way he played on them and I thought it was the nice thing to do. He wrote NOTHING ever.

Brian Rademacher: Do you feel by Frankie’s departure, FREAKSHOW will tour now, because in our interview we did with Frankie he seems more comfortable at home with his family and really don’t want to tour anymore?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: Absolutely, the fans deserve it. I would have loved to tour before this but everything that was offered Frankie shot down, he had great responses for the offers but it really didn’t matter. He told us in perfect paragraphs how things will not work. Bottom line is that Frankie Banali was not going to tour no matter what we did or said.

Brian Rademacher: What is the next step for Markus Allen Christopher?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: To bounce back, get a new record and go out and support it, and do it quickly. Or I might be done, In this economy, let’s see if I have a career in a year. I might be working on a farm in Canada. Not that I want to. My life is only about Rock. But I may have no choice but to stop. It’s heartbreaking really. Because I think I am as good as all my pears and influences. I just never got the real shot.

Brian Rademacher: Also what about a label, do you stay with Retrospect or do you move on?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: I really don’t know. The last I heard is that Sam at Retrospect wanted to drop the band because Frankie didn’t want to tour and promote the record. I mean what can we do Frankie owns half of my solo record and he doesn’t deserve it, all he did was play on it. Jeff LaBar owns nothing. We have to promote FREAKSHOW and tour and if Frankie wants to come after us for using the name FREAKSHOW? So be it. I don’t care. It is going to make him feel any better than to get $400.00 out of us, does it.

Brian Rademacher: Hey Markus always a pleasure would you like to say anything in ending?

MARKUS ALLEN CHRISTOPHER: I love you dude, Brian, you are a true friend and great writer. Thank you. I might have to start producing and writing for other bands. I’m a rocker and have to keep working and that’s what keeps me going and there are thousands of fans out there that want to see us live and we will rebound and have more material to play. We appreciate all the fans of FREAKSHOW, MISS CRAZY and CINDERELLA. See ya soon. Much love and honesty!! www.myspace.com/markusallenchristopher