Prescott Now: How long have you been playing?
Scott Marshall: The band has been together since 2015 when I returned to the area and reunited with my friend and drummer Gavin Giezecke. We had a very popular band here that was booked solid from 1996 to 2000 called Grandma’s Rooster then changed to Marshall Law.
I left the area for 15 years and played all over the country; Las Vegas, Chicago, L.A., San Diego, Michigan and even the Philippines for a year where my wife and I own a 140-acre working coconut farm.
Prescott Now: What genre or genres of music do you play?
Scott Marshall: I like to play guitar based on classic rock I grew up with in the ‘70s and the blues the most.
Prescott Now: What’s the smallest audience you’ve ever played for, and the biggest?
Scott Marshall: I have opened for The Marshall Tucker Band, BTO, The Buckinghams, The Spinners, Johnny Winter and Chicago blues legends Buddy Guy, Lonnie Brooks, Coco Taylor and Sugar Blue with my band Frankie and the White Boys in Chicago.
These were summer festivals with over 5,000 people. I have also played to very small crowds at times but still like to play them with the same intensity as the big shows.
Prescott Now: What is the key to being a successful musical act in Prescott and Northern Arizona?
Scott Marshall: I think the key to the success of The Free Radicals is our wide range of material and the great connection all five members have on stage. We have over 150 songs in our repertoire and can find the right music for almost any crowd. Even if we haven’t played them for a while, we always seem to nail it live.
Also, the blend of guitar, harmonica, sax and flute gives us a unique sound that few bands can offer along with three vocalists. We also have a female vocalist who joins us for weddings, country clubs, etc., and a rock solid rhythm section.
Prescott Now: What brought you to Prescott?
Scott Marshall: What brought me back to Prescott is it feels more like the America I grew up with where a sense of community is strong and the people are nicer in general including the staff at Whiskey River Tavern. Friendly, helpful and hospitable.
