Formed near the start of the 1990s in Charlotte, NC, The Belmont Playboys set out as a rockabilly revival band. Their approach blends classic rockabilly instrumentation and repertoire with fresh original songs, performed at the pace and ferocity of a punk act. Onstage the group occasionally weaves in brief passages from hard-rock and heavy-metal acts such as AC/DC and Metallica, adding a modern edge to the sound. The current roster features Mike Hendrix handling guitar and vocals, Mark Griffiths on bass, Chipps Baker covering sax, vocals, and guitar, and Mark Painter at the drums. Extensive road work has placed them alongside such 1950s and early-1960s rock-and-roll figures as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Little Richard, and Carl Perkins, each of whom voiced strong approval of the band.
The Playboys’ debut, Hit the Road, appeared first as a self-issued cassette that moved a thousand units. Their second effort, Drive-in Rhythm, arrived in 1993 and was likewise released independently. A contract with Teen Rebel Records followed, yielding Wolf Patrol in 1996 and Hot Rod Heart in 1997. When Teen Rebel folded, Deep South Records picked up the group, reissuing those two earlier albums along with the 1999 concert recording One Night of Sin Live.
