Frankies Playground

Here is my story:
Born in 1969 in Balingen, Germany, co-founder, songwriter, manager and lead vocalist for German Hard Rock band DEADLOCK 1994-1997. DEADLOCK achieved great success in the region and their first ever live performance during a band competition booked their tickets to open for Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and ZZ Top at the Balinger Open Air Festival in 1996 (today known as Bang Your Head Festival). The band released two self produced and self financed demo albums “A Journey Into The Unknown (1996)” and “In Your Head (1997)”. Other highlights include their legendary performance at the Daytona Europe Festival where they opened directly for James Brown and shared festival stage with acts like Manowar, Deep Purple, Spindoctors, Saxon and Scorpions as well as their tour of Namibia and South Africa in 1997. Before the band’s fulfillment of their first recording contract they split up due to personal and musical differences.
FRANKIE’S PLAYGROUND is Frankie’s latest project and was recorded and mixed at Area 51 Recording Studios in Hannover (Germany), produced by Tommy Newton who is known for his work for artists like Helloween, UFO, Seeed, Big Brother (Reality show theme), Jason Bonham, Elegy and many others.
Former Conception and Ark guitarist Tøre Ostby joined as lead guitarist and also co-wrote a few tracks on the album. Guitarist Tommy Newton (Victory), bass player Otto Van Alphen (Headcrash) and drummer Matthias Liebetruth (Victory, Running Wild) completed the line-up for the project.
FRANKIE’S PLAYGROUND was released in May 1999 on Riester International Records in South Africa with “Evening Sunshine” being the first single release. It has achieved respectable sales and airplay in South Africa and achieved ‘Album of The Week’ status as well as several Top 30 chart positions. Second single release “Low Life” reached a no.1 chart position for several weeks on Tuks Radio’s SA Top 10, which is one of South Africa’s leading campus radio stations.
FRANKIE’S PLAYGROUND” is featured in the hall of fame “Hard Rock Gem” in the South African Rock Digest.
Frank’s vocal influences are primarily Ronnie James Dio, Klaus Meine, David Coverdale, Chris Cornell and Bono.
Discography:
Deadlock - A Journey Into The Unknown (1996)
Deadlock - In Your Head (1997)
Frankie’s Playground (1999)