Chip Walbert

Richard Walbert
Birth nameRichard Charles Walbert II
Also known as
  • Chip Walbert
  • xCHIPxSEM
  • DJ Chip Rock
Born (1979-01-16) January 16, 1979 (age 45)[1]
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
OriginMiami, Florida
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • disc jockey
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • bass guitar
  • vocals
Years active1997–present
Labels
Member of
  • Phantom Drive
Formerly of

Richard Charles "Chip" Walbert II (born January 16, 1979) is an American musician, songwriter, and disc jockey, originally from Tampa, Florida, but long-established in Miami, Florida.[1][2][3] He is best known for his time playing guitar in the hardcore punk and metalcore bands Where Fear and Weapons Meet, Until the End, Target Nevada, On Bodies, and Morning Again.[2][4][5][6] He also played in the bands Destro, All Hell Breaks Loose, Dance Floor Justice, Phantom Drive, No Excuses, and More Than Ever.[7][8][9]

History

Walbert was born on January 16, 1979, in Tampa, Florida, to Richard Charles Walbert and his wife Lynn (née Sannino).[1][10][11] He has two siblings, a brother Alex and a sister Brittany.[11] His father was a doctor who eventually became Co-Director of Emergency Services at Baptist Health South Florida's South Miami Hospital.[1][12][13]

Walbert became active in the South Florida hardcore punk scene in 1995, and started affiliating as straight edge that same year.[6] He formed his first band, Destro, in 1997, with high school friends Roy Ugarte and Ariel Arro (who later played in Glasseater).[8] When Destro went on a brief hiatus in 1998, he formed xMore Than Everx which only played a few shows. Destro started up again in late 1998, after drummer Ully and singer Manny left. New drummer Julio Marin (formerly of Promise No Tomorrow and later of Glasseater) joined, as did vocalist Kenn Marshall. The band recorded an extended play and a full length album, and played at such festivals as Hellfest 2K (2000), Furnace Fest (2000), and Hellfest 2001 (2001), before breaking up in 2002.

Walbert then formed All Hell Breaks Loose with members of Santa Sangre and Target Nevada.[14] In 2002, Walbert also joined Where Fear and Weapons Meet and Until the End, playing second guitar alongside John Wylie (formerly of Morning Again).[5] In 2003, Walbert started Dance Floor Justice with Alex Leon (who also played in Target Nevada, All Hell Breaks Loose, and Hockey Temper). In November 2004, All Hell Breaks Loose's drummer Joe Lamadrid died suddenly, which prompted the band to disband. Walbert then briefly played in Target Nevada.[6] Between 2004-2005, Walbert and his wife Crystal Preston Walbert operated the record label Lotus Effect Records.[15]

In 2006, he recruited Ariel Arro, Chad Kishick, and vocalist Damien Moyal for the band Best Wishes.[6] He also played guitar in No Excuses, a Tallahassee-based straight edge hardcore band. In July 2011, On Bodies (then cromprising Damien Moyal and Richard Thurston) recruited Walbert, who, in turn, enlisted fellow Florida-based drummer Julio Marin and guitarist Chad Kishick (formerly of Shai Hulud and Where Fear and Weapons Meet).[16][17] He next filled in on Morning Again's tours in 2012 and 2014. Between 2017 and 2019, Walbert was the guitarist for the band Phantom Drive.[18] All Hell Breaks Loose reunited in 2023 and are set to play a sole performance on September 8, 2023 at the South Florida Hardcore Unity festival.[19]

Walbert also performs as a disc jockey under the stage name DJ Chip Rock.[2][5] Since 1997, he has held weekly nights at such venues as Hot Wheel Skating Center, Super Wheels Skating Center, Miami Roller Rink, Galaxy Skateway, and Astro Skating Center, all located in Miami, Florida.[20] He is also a collector of band t-shirts, especially of 1990s hardcore bands, and was the editor of The South Florida Music Scene Past and Present webzine as well as the co-editor and contributor to xStuck in the Pastx webzine.[21]

  • Destro: 1997–1998, 1998–2002
  • xMore Than Everx: 1998
  • All Hell Breaks Loose: 2001–2004, 2006–2008, 2016, 2023
  • Where Fear and Weapons Meet: 2002–2004, 2012
  • Until the End: 2002–2005
  • Dance Floor Justice: 2002–2003, 2004–2008
  • Target Nevada: 2005
  • Best Wishes: 2005–2006
  • No Excuses: 2007–2008
  • On Bodies: 2011–2014
  • Morning Again: 2012, 2014
  • Phantom Drive: 2017–2019

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Births". The Tampa Tribune. January 20, 1979. p. 55. Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. January 16: Dr. and Mrs. Richard C. Walbert, boy.
  2. ^ a b c Folgar, Abel (February 17, 2011). "Five Questions With South Florida's Hardcore Son Chip Walbert". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "Episode 1: An Interview With Chip Walbert". In the Cut. December 14, 2011. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ "Episode 121: Chip Walbert (Destro, Where Fear and Weapons Meet, Until the End)". The Hardcore Archive Podcast. March 26, 2023. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ a b c Kaminski, Karol (July 8, 2012). "Where Fear and Weapons Meet reunites". Idioteq. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d Ransom, Billy (May 31, 2007). "Interview: Chip from Dance Floor Justice". xsisterhoodx. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Folgar, Abel (January 20, 2005). "In The End". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Folgar, Abel (March 31, 2016). "Miami Hardcore Icons All Hell Breaks Loose and Brethren Reunite at Churchill's". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  9. ^ "Episode 11: Chip Walbert". Team Soul Podcast. December 28, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "Martha Washington Grossjung Obituary". The Miami Herald. March 4, 1999. Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b "Stella C. Carignan Sannino Obituary". The Miami Herald. November 12, 2006. Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Augustin, Merle (May 4, 1997). "Hospital speeds up for quicker emergency room". The Miami Herald. Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "New ERs planned for Baptist, South Miami". The Miami Herald. June 23, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Folgar, Abel (May 15, 2014). "Miami's 15 Best Hardcore Bands of All Time". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  15. ^ Walbert, Chip (December 9, 2004). "Lotus Effect Records - Info". Lotus Effect Records. Archived from the original on December 9, 2004. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  16. ^ Kraus, Brian (October 23, 2011). "On Bodies (featuring singer of As Friends Rust) sign to Eulogy, release new song". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  17. ^ Arnold, Alex (August 14, 2011). "On Bodies (ex-Terror, As Friends Rust) launched". Lambgoat. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  18. ^ Folgar, Abel (January 30, 2018). "Peter Santa-Maria's Phantom Drive Is Breakup Music for Tough Guys". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  19. ^ Arnold, Alex (August 2, 2023). "All Hell Breaks Loose to reunite for South Florida showcase". Lambgoat. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  20. ^ "Meet Your DJ's: DJ Chip Rock". DJ Leroy. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  21. ^ "Pass the Mic: Record Labels and Artists on 2009 - Stuck In The Past Blog (Chip Walbert)". Scene Point Blank. October 16, 2010. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
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