The ‘Fraze’ in Fraze Gang is Greg Fraser, formerly guitarist / vocalist in Brighton Rock, the Canadian 80’s rockers who, like many others, came to a demise after the onset of the Seattle sound. Greg has got together with his former Brighton Rock band mate bassist Stevie Skreebs, and with drummer Phil Epp, they have launched this new trio and delivered an album that recaptures the sounds of the Hair Metal bands, in particular Poison, Cinderella and White Lion. HardrockHouse recently caught up with Greg to find out a little more about the new band.

Hi Greg and thanks for taking to us here at HardrockHouse. Would you like to introduce yourself and the rest of the band to our  readers…?

GF - I'm Greg Fraser, lead singer and guitarist for FRAZE GANG. On bass we have the world famous Stevie Skreebs coming at ya. And the man they call "Philth," the one the only Phil Epp slammin the kit behind us and making a lot of racket!

I’ve just been listening to the ‘Fraze Gang’ album and it certainly takes me back to albums by band such as White Lion and Cinderella. Did you set out to recapture the whole 80’s / Hair Metal / Sunset Strip scene?

GF - I would have to say no, we did not try to recapture that scene. But having said that, I think that the whole 80's sound will always be a part of us because that was part of our youth. I think you will always see a certain element of that sound in us because we lived it. If anything we are trying to recapture the mood of that era, which was a positive attitude. Having a great time is what it's all about and that's what FRAZE GANG tries to bring to the table.

How’s the response been to the album so far? I read somewhere that you have had some strong sales in Germany?

GF - The response has been killer so far and Germany is our biggest country in terms of sales so far even exceeding our home Country of Canada.

Of course, you worked with bassist Stevie before in Brighton Rock, a band I believe lasted about a decade. What were some of the highs and lows of your experiences in that band?

GF - The highs would be seeing our hard work and never say die attitude slowly pay off. The rise from nothing to something was a great ride. Playing some unreal concerts all over the place and meeting some great people and seeing incredible things was a blast. The lows would have to be when the band ended. That was tough.

Was there a temptation to call the new band Brighton Rock, or do you see it very much as a fresh start?

GF - Never gave it a second thought. Without Gerry, Mark, & John it's not Brighton Rock. It's as simple as that. You can't beat the original. So why even try? FRAZE GANG is all about forging ahead and not hanging on to the past. It is definitely a fresh start, and it's been a great start so far!

You weren’t known as the vocalist in Brighton Rock. Did you always want to be the front man and how did you approach the vocals on this new album?

GF - I've never had any desire to be a front man. I've always wanted to be the gunslinger guitarist much like a Jimmy Page & Ritchie Blackmore. Growing up it was impossible for me to play guitar and sing at the same time. It took me years to finally get a hold of it. The thought of fronting a band back then was so unrealistic that I never gave it a second thought. But when we started this band it was so frustrating trying to find a front man that could compete with a Gerry McGhee or a Steven Tyler that we finally said why keep searching for something that might never be there. I won't settle for second rate. So in the meantime you're going to have to put up with me! And I might even surprise you. Or not!

There’s a couple of songs on the Fraze Gang album that have song titles borrowed from Rainbow, namely ‘Rainbow Eyes’ and ‘Stargazer’. How big an influence has Ritchie Blackmore been on your career?

GF - Huge. Just like everyone else, "Smoke on the water" hit a nerve with me. I had to play guitar. Ritchie has written some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. He is the first guitarist I ever heard who incorporated classical music with Rock & Roll. Being a fan of classical music myself, Ritchie hit home with me and even now I still get blown away by the stuff he has written. YOU ROCK RITCHIE!

I believe you have played some gigs around the Niagara Falls area. How have they been going and what plans have you got for more shows?

GF - As a matter of fact we are playing our first local show on Jan. 20, 2007 It's going to be off the hook. We are so pumped! All lot of are old friends are going to be there which usually means it will be a night to remember! As for the future we have a few things in the works as far as CD distribution which will dictate where the demand is for FRAZE GANG to play live. This summer we will finally start to get the ball rolling as far as live shows. Should be interesting.

What’s the scene like over in Canada right now? Is there still much of an audience for Rock music?

GF - Canada is a mirror image of the USA as far as "Pop Culture." The radio & music video format is identical. But there is an underground of cool stuff that is really inspiring that I think will set Canada apart from that cliché and FRAZE GANG hopes to be front of the line!

Do you remember much about going to gigs when you were growing up and just starting out as a guitarist? Was it bands like Triumph / Max Webster and maybe even Rush that you would go and see live?

GF - That's my roots right there. Great Canadian Rock! Also bands like Goddo, Frank Soda & The Imps, The Hunt, Saga, Zon were all huge influences on FRAZE GANG. We're still little kids when ever we go to see them live. We're yelling and cheering them on just like when we were in our teens. We got a chance to see Goddo a few months back and they still kicked our asses. We still play "So Walk On" & "Sweet Thing" when ever we rehearse. Rush were like Gods in our teens. Everything they did was a masterpiece and there was a mystique about them because they were always on tour so you were lucky if you seen them once every couple of years. But with Goddo, and The Hunt and Frank, we were lucky enough to see them many times, and they are a huge influence on FRAZE GANG. We salute you guys!

I think I’m right in saying we never got to see Brighton Rock in Europe. Was this a disappointment for you and, if it wasn’t for budgetary constraints, would you like to bring the new band over here to play for us?

GF - Brighton did get a chance to tour England in the late 80's playing places like The Marquee. I think we were there for a week, and it was so cool! It would be an honor to bring FRAZE GANG to Europe. You never know what the future holds but if the chance presents itself, we're there!

Going back into the distant past, even before Brighton Rock, you recorded an album with the band Lennox that was produced by Mick Ronson, one of my favorite musicians. Any good memories or stories about working with Ronno?

GF - Well, I got a chance to share an apartment with Mick while we were recording and that was surreal. I was in complete awe. I was only 19yrs old back then and to me Mick was larger than life. He would compliment my guitar playing sometimes and it would just floor me. He really taught me a lot about timing, and also not to be afraid to try new things instead of playing it safe. He was the first person I ever seen use a drum machine. I remember that Pete Townsend from The Who called him in the studio to invite him to their show. It was the early 80's in Toronto and it was The Who's final show. (first of many!) It was a huge deal at the time. Mick turned down the invite to stay and keep recording with us. I was blown away! Mick was a super nice guy who would buy us breakfast everyday because we were broke. He did not act like a rock star but instead was very humble almost embarrassed by his fame. He just wanted to be treated normal like everyone else. I remember him always waking up before me, and since he knew I liked to drink tea in the morning, he would already have it made for me. I'll never forget that. A very kind man who will always be missed.

And moving right back to the present, for anyone who is thinking of checking out the Fraze Gang CD what would you say to them?

GF - If your expecting to hear Brighton Rock pt2, you're not going to hear it. If you want to hear something new and fresh without all that "I'm a tortured soul" crap that a lot of bands today are going for, than look no further than FRAZE GANG! We're just a good time rock and roll band that likes to party, and you're all invited!

Finally, is there anything else you wanted to add that we haven’t already covered?

GF - I would just like to say Thank You for the exposure and for helping spread the word of FRAZE GANG. If you check out our site:-

http://www.frazegang.com/

You can hear samples of our CD and lots of other cool stuff.

We also have a myspace page:-

 http://www.myspace.com/frazegang 

So make sure all of you out there stop in and say hi! It's been a pleasure talking to you and we wish you all nothing but the best in 2007!

Greg, thanks for your time