Frankie's Latest FB Post

[Slander]

I for one am giving the band a chance. I'm a fan of Frankie's as many of you have gotten to know throughout the years, however what happened to Dave crushes me. I interviewed him recently, and while he's in a good place, there's no doubt his departure from Survivor was painful. With that said, I thought it was worth posting FS latest comments on FB:

Hello Friends...!

We have been in Mexica playoff shows. Enjoying a few days off on the beach and in the water. It's nice to see everyone having such a great time as we continue to evlove and get better.

I recently received an email from a guy I respect the heck out of. It was valdation for a job well done. He commented on the photo by stating "now that looks like a rock band" and then said "Nice work!" This is a terrific man who has been involved with Survivor, and myself, for many years. He has been a big help to me and the band at times I have needed it most.

I think that what we do is strive to be better and no matter what. We strive to do out best work. Ws strive to be the best person possible and it then become it becomes ingrained in our hearts and our souls. Nothing comes easy but this transition has been the easiest one of my career. Do we have work to do? You bet. But is it good to do the hardest of all and be at your best? You bet! The process is never ending. Such is life...

Done Henley, as always, puts it best when he quotes JD Souther and says, "things happen, people change". Change is constant. Change is the one thing we can all count on and without question. So we adapt. We adjust our sails to the wind and go. No other way for this band reporter to put it. And the flack we take for our work is all just a part doing the work. As time goes on and more folks see this band perform the music speaks loudest.

This whole original thing is crap. What about Boston, Tom does a great job, Journey, Neil and the boys do a great job, Foreigner, they get away with the most. I think some of us simply have the will power to keep moving forward. To make more of what is there and to perform the hits the very best way we can. it is that simple. Then again, I wake up to Exile On Main Street!

I always know I will take a bit of flack from those I can all out by their names, or is some cases, ones they pose as. That's cool, we all have a right to our say. Say what you will but I have the vantage point of playing in this band. I get to hear us at rehearsals and watch the band on stage. And when I listen, I hear the band sound better than ever. All the songs back being played in the original keys gives them a far batter sound sonically. It is where and how they were written. That's all due to a guy singing his ass off and hitting all the notes. And we write them high!

I'm off to the beach for some R&R! You all enjoy the day. We never know, it could be our last... Live it up. Keith Richards (I love that guy) still does...

fs

[George_g888]

This whole original thing is crap. What about Boston, Tom does a great job, Journey, Neil and the boys do a great job, Foreigner, they get away with the most. I think some of us simply have the will power to keep moving forward. To make more of what is there and to perform the hits the very best way we can. it is that simple. Then again, I wake up to Exile On Main Street!

Doesn't really matter but I wouldn't put Journey in this category. Yes Steve Perry has been gone for a long time, but they have 4/5 of the big guys there. Survivor, Boston, and Foreigner on the other hand....

[def]

Oh Slander, excuse me, but I couldn't disagree more. This post is another painful proof of a weird reception of reality and furthermore complete ignorance of recent classic rock history. The grandmaster himself picks bands to prove his mantra "the whole original thing is crap", that are just the more or less evidence, that the "original thing" is mandatory in our days if you want to stay relevant and be true to loyal fans:

Boston: They rarely publish something (which of course fits to the Survivor situation for the last twenty years) and if they do it is anything than relevant. I will not comment on the turmoil that was around when the one member commited suicide and the question was asked who were the ones to take their the share on this tragedy...

Foreigner: If there is something good to say about the live incarnation of this band than it is most of all Kelly Hansen and the other excellent musicians minus Mick Jones. Although i do not know one of them personally, I guess that MJ and FS would get along perfectly on a desert island. Foreigner is nothing they used to be. Beside the years ago good release of "Can't Slow Down" they only release live albums, best of, greatest hits, re-recordings, unplugged live, acoustic best of...and another live album. What a joke with such a brilliant singer! And if you would ask LG how he and MJ split ways together, you just need to read LG's biography. If half of it is true, it is shameful enough.

Journey: Neither the way they parted ways with SP , JSS and SA has been tasteful or an expression of "change" or artistical progressione. It has just been the proof of a malfunctioning band - and I do not think that NS and JC have anything to do with what happened to DC to be fair. Did they publish something relevant? At least they tried...

Now, coming back to Survivor, FS plays in another more distateful league than the mentioned acts: He sued JJ, he sues JP, he dismissed MD, he dismissed RMcA (just remember what McA wife posted at that time) and he dismissed DB at least twice. Nothing relevant has been published for lets say twenty years. You can act that way if you are a world class solo act. David Coverdale can act that way because the whole concept of Whitesnake relied on him from the beginning on. You can't rely on that concept if you are no good singer and lets say mediocre guitar slinger that has his biggest talent in bringing other peoples songwriting with some licks to shine (which is a great talent!).

The best thing about the recent incarnation is, that that Cameron kid gets a lot of life experience. If he survives this part of his career beeing in this joke, he may have a career...

I saw UFO six months ago. A real classic band. They played for an intimate audience of 300. This band had a lot difficulties in their carreer with Michael Schenker, Paul Raymond, Andy Parker beeing in and out of the band. One of their crucial members is not with them anymore due to health problems. They rocked the shed to its grounds. Mogg, Raymond, Parker in addition of the great Vinnie Moore seem to have come full circle for years now. They provide brilliant gigs and still publish new albums (Conspiracy Of Stars is great). They know what they are best at and they are wise. They maintain the legacy as long as it may go. Great, really great. This is an example FS should have referred to. Of course it would not fit with Survivor.

I had high hopes of a final album from the joint DB/JJ era and I would have appreciated it even without JP - although I think his participation would have been crucial to make a brilliant instead of a maybe good album - it will never happen! Survivor will take its place in classic rock history as one of the band with the most missed opportunities. They, no he will be remembered as one of the biggest losers and ...no, I do not want to get sued!

[Slander]

When did I say I agreed with the post? I just said I would give them a chance that's it. I am still smarting from Dave's dismissal which I cannot fantom.

[def]

Ok, i re- read. You did not! Excuse me. I am from germany , so sometimes i misinterpret. My long posting just goes to FS. Aĺl the best, Slander!

[Journey/Survivor]

I love Frankie Sullivan's guitar playing as much or more than anyone you'll ever find. But the guy is simply put, a bad person through and through. Outside of his music talent, the guy is really a waste of a human life. For him to say that he tries to be the best person possible is a huge joke.

[Mikele]

Frankie has a point (obviously, he is in and we are out) and I must say he's a great post writer when he wants it. It's clear that those last events (DB out, CB in) were business decisions, to generate interest in the band and maybe spark some needed fire in the performance...but what will happen next? It's not just a matter of "playing all the hits" to put it in Frankie' words (but let's first hear Cameron deliver Caught in the game or Poor man son), but to put Survivor name back where it belongs.

If you leave out Boston (that I consider done), Journey and Foreigner are pleasing the fans, with releases, merch, extensive touring and great musicianship to deliver the best show they can. What do real Survivor fans have instead? An inactive website, no merch, no releases, no insight (what exactly happened to MD? Slander you hould have asked DB!) and an original singer that's available and willing but not recruited. I have wished FS to fix all that in the last 10 year...I lost hope now

[Journey/Survivor]

It's clear that those last events (DB out, CB in) were business decisions, to generate interest in the band and maybe spark some needed fire in the performance...but what will happen next?

I don't intend this as being a shot at Cameron Barton in anyway.... But he is NOT going to gain Survivor any positive publicity. Survivor are done in terms of publicity and large touring crowds. The only people who give a rats ass about Survivor anymore are the diehard fans of the band. And we would all prefer Dave Bickler to be in the band.
The only way that hiring a new singer for Survivor would have generated any positive publicity and increased ticket sales is if they had hired a truly big-name singer.
If Peterik were still in the band, I could have seen the possibility of them having been able to lure a "name-singer" along the lines of Kevin Chalfant, Joe Lynn Turner, or even Tommy Shaw if Shaw wasn't in Styx. But Sullivan can not get a new big name singer in the band at this time. The band barely exists in terms of touring, and are totally done in terms of releasing new material. And Sullivan has a reputation of being a total asshole that no one wants to work with.
Dave Bickler would have helped Survivor far more than Cameron Barton can.
Again, nothing personal against Barton. But he's NOT going to be an Arnel Pineda for Survivor.
It would have been one thing to have added Barton alongside Bickler, but in place of Bickler was just a big mistake. It comes down to Sullivan's greed and not wanting to pay Bickler.

[Mikele]

It's clear that those last events (DB out, CB in) were business decisions, to generate interest in the band and maybe spark some needed fire in the performance...but what will happen next?

I don't intend this as being a shot at Cameron Barton in anyway.... But he is NOT going to gain Survivor any positive publicity. Survivor are done in terms of publicity and large touring crowds. The only people who give a rats ass about Survivor anymore are the diehard fans of the band. And we would all prefer Dave Bickler to be in the band.
The only way that hiring a new singer for Survivor would have generated any positive publicity and increased ticket sales is if they had hired a truly big-name singer.
.

Well I don't think so. I bet they are getting some positive reactions from the casual fans and casino-goers, who probably wouldn't even know a big name when they see it but still get excited when exposed to this "the voice-x factor" kind of story...you know, average people love to get emotional over such life stories. And actually the feedback is good if you consider the rapid surge in "likes" on their FB page (the negative comments are removed daily, but they don't count).

Now, 2-3 years ago we had Jimi and Dave sharing vocals, and Marc on drums. It was what we all dreamed of, and great to witness, but still not enough to get to the level you talk about... Why? Well, if you read Peterik's book you get the answers:

- Survivor was, in JP words, a "WORLD CLASS ACT". And that's what you should expect. Instead, you get "a sloppy" version of this band (still in Jim words), performance-wise. Even though Frankie's mantra of "playing all the hits for the fans" goes on, they still could play 3-4 fans favorite more instead of wasting 15 minutes. And that happened in the last gig too. And some players are not at the level one would expect from Survivor.
- Frankie never wanted the band to expand their horizons, passing on on many opportunities since back in the days. I've recently read that they couldn't reach an agreement with Frontiers Records to play a gig in Italy a couple years ago with Jimi in the band. They could have played in front of thousands of rabid fans!!!! And possible keep em wanting more, you know..

[Red13JoePa]

What a low-bridge on Dave.