GRIP ~ North Atlanta's Premier Rock Party Band

Formed in 2006 and hailing from Atlanta's Northside, GRIP has been burning rubber and getting a firm GRIP on Atlanta's Premier Club Circuit, the Daytona and Thunder Beach Bike Rallies and major Car and Bike Racing Events around the Southeast.

Having won numerous Battle's of the Bands and named Southland Full Throttle Magazine favorite, GRIP has opened for Mother’s Finest, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Molly Hatchet, Rick Richards and The Georgia Satellites, Blackfoot, JB Walker, Jeff Bates and Nashville Star Chris Young.GRIP is a regular at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, GA. having played the NASCAR Kobalt Tools 500, Pep Boys 500 and Emory Healthcare 500 and Great Clips 300! In May 2009 GRIP released their first single "Southern Boyz", co-produced by Steve Stone of The Atlanta Rythym Section. Recorded and engineered by Stuart Settles and Kim Kirkwood, the song was mastered by the legendary Rodney Mills of Lynyrd Skynyrd fame. The song was # on All Southern Rock.com for over 14 weeks!

Members consist of veteran rockers Chip Hullender ~ Lead Vocals/Harmonica, Troy Wells ~ Guitar/Vocals, David Faulkner ~ Bass, Danny McCormack ~ Drums and Bill Thomas ~ Keyboards/Vocals.

GRIP History

GRIP was formed by veteran Rockers Chip Hullender and Jeff Brashears. After many years performing in different Atlanta Original and Cover bands such as Sex Cab, Ripley, Cyan, and Thunderhead, they met in 2003 when Jeff joined STAGRR. After years of performing together with STAGRR they wanted to expand the show and music and do some new heavier Classics for the younger crowds they were seeing each weekend.After Chip heard Chuck Ingram one afternoon playing a few hours made up of 30 second riffs of every Van Halen tune ever recorded at a neighbors outdoor holiday party late in 05, Chip talked to Chuck about joining the band. Chuck had been out of the club scene for over 20 years but his chops were still top form from his love of guitar. He had been entertaining the idea of gettting started again on his own but was having a time getting a band and all the material together. Chip suggested he learn the best classic dance songs STAGRR was doing and they could be up and running fast. Chuck was a real quick study....................By late February of 2006 GRIP was playing Bogey's in Woodstock, Ga. After a successful show that GRIP'D the Bogey's crowd and management, the bucks got a little bigger, the drinks got a little stronger, and the gigs started coming..........just as Chip and Jeff knew they would!

The next member to join GRIP was Dave Sams on Drums. Dave had been drumming for years with Smooth Lime Groove and had recently joined STAGRR. Jeff and Chip felt like Dave would be a good fit for GRIP.The band began working.................and working.............. and working! Playing Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina as well as many great establishments from Sugar Hill to Cartersville, in April of 2006 the band won the Best Cover Band and the Peoples Choice award at Killer Creek Harley~Davidson, that led to playing Sundown at Thundercreek and Mountain Creek Harley as well. In February o7 GRIP won the Best Rock Band award at the Whiskeystock Battle of the Bands and scored a summer concert series at The Copperhead Lodge Biker resort in Blairsville, Ga. All this before their 1st year anniversary! GRIP's second year really started taking off. They had played the first Full Throttle Bike Night each month at The Alley in Woodstock all year long and scored the monthly Full Throttle Bikini Contest. GRIP opened for the Atlanta Rhthym Section and Chris Young at Copperhead Lodge and were asked to play the Trail of Tears Kickoff party at Thundercreek Harley-Davidsona (the largest organized bike ride in the world). In Septemeber GRIP got a sponsorship from Copperhead Lodge for their trip to Thunderbeach in Panama City to play Sharkys Beach Club and The Boardwalk Beach Resort.

GRIP began performing their Original songs Believe and Trampstamp but due to different musical paths it was announced on Rocktober 31st, 2007 that Mitch Marcello formerly of Southern Crush would be taking over on Bass, replacing founding member Jeff Brashears. In 2008 GRIP began writing more Original material with Southern Boyz, Interior, and focus. In March they played The NASCAR Kobalt Tools 500 and Atlanta Motor Speedway and booked Thunder Beach Spring Bike Rally in Panama City, FL., the Rolling On For MDA Bike ride in Marietta Square, GA., Full Throttle Magazine's Rumble On The Noble in Anniston, AL and The Queens Reception Ball in Orange Beach, AL.!

In July of 2008 Ross Nuckolls took over drumming duties for David Sams and Doug Mowery Joined to play a series of shows, in that same month GRIP opened for Jeff Bates and JB Walker!In 2009 we accomplished all of our goals for the year ! We put out our single Southern Boyz which was a lot of fun recording with Stuart Settles and Kim Kirkwood. Got to play with Steve Stone from Atlanta Rhythm Section (he played Cowbell on it) had the song mastered by Rodney Mills of Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special Fame. We played the Daytona Spring Bike Rally at Full Moon Saloon, Cowboy's, Wild Bills, Wild Wing Alpharetta, Rumble on Noble, Bama Bike Fest, Atlanta Motor Speedway, our first Annual Illinois Creek Houseboat Party, 2nd Annual Mid Summer Nights Dream PJ Party, as well as the Spring and Fall Thunder Beach Rally at the Boardwalk Beach Resort in our usual timeslot right after the Ms. Thunder Beach Finale, and many places in between.

In February 2010 on GRIP's 4 year anniversary and with their Song Southern Boyz #1 on allsouthernrock.com Chuck Ingram, Ross Nuckolls and Mitch Marcello all decided to leave the band because they didn't want to pursue Original material.In March 2010 Chip picked up Troy Wells on Guitar, Hutch on Bass, Danny McCormack on Drums and Bill Thomas on Keyboards. GRIP Immediatly started rehearsing and writing new Original songs and played a summer series of shows at Little River Grill, Tom's Place, The Spolight Saloon, both Thunder Beach Rallies and on the Coca-Cola Fan Stage at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Great Clips 300 on Labor Day Weekend!

In January 2011 after almost a full year of performing together the group finsihed writing 15 Original songs and have began polishing them up for the release of thier CD.

In February of 2011 Thomas Hutchins was replaced by David Faulkner on Bass and the GRIP community jam continues....LOL!

LET GRIP GRAB YOU!