Wheat Chiefs
Encyclopedia
The Wheat Chiefs was a Canadian
melodic rock
band with punk rock
influence formed in 1988 Edmonton, Alberta and later relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia. The group featured several members of SNFU
and one from Jr. Gone Wild
.
and Brent Belke
formed the band, who were initially named Ship of Fools, in 1989 after the demise of SNFU, the influential skate punk
band they had co-founded. The group was soon renamed the Wheat Chiefs. With Marc Belke singing lead vocals, the band added melodic, alternative rock
aesthetics to the punk rock sound of SNFU. At various points, the band also included drummers Ed Dobek (of Jr. Gone Wild and the pre-SNFU band Live Sex Show) and Dave Rees
, and bassists Trent Buhler and Rob Johnson
.
SNFU reformed in 1991, but the Belkes kept the Wheat Chiefs active as a side project. Additionally, Rees and Johnson each held long tenures as members of SNFU.
The Wheat Chiefs released one album, Redeemer, in 1996. The disc was culled from various recording sessions from 1992–1994, including drumming by both Doebek and Rees. One track from this disc, "Joe Murphy," was featured on the Puck Rock Volume 1 compilation, a full disc of hockey
-related punk rock songs assembled by John Wright
of The Hanson Brothers
and NoMeansNo
.
The Wheat Chiefs disbanded in 1998 when Brent Belke quit both groups to pursue work in film. Johnson and Marc Belke continued with SNFU without Rees, although each has since left the group.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
melodic rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band with punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
influence formed in 1988 Edmonton, Alberta and later relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia. The group featured several members of SNFU
SNFU
SNFU is a Canadian punk rock band formed in 1981 in Edmonton, Alberta and later relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia. They have released nine full-length albums and are cited as a formative influence on the skate punk sub-genre....
and one from Jr. Gone Wild
Jr. Gone Wild
Jr. Gone Wild was a country/punk rock based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, founded in 1982.The band's founding members were Mike McDonald, Tom Wolfe, Adele Wolfe, and Bill Pontez, they formed in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They played several gigs in Calgary including The Calgarian Hotel and The...
.
History
Twin brothers MarcMarc Belke
Marc Belke is a Canadian musician and radio personality. He played guitar in the punk and alternative rock bands SNFU and The Wheat Chiefs, and also sang lead vocals in the latter...
and Brent Belke
Brent Belke
Brent Belke is a Canadian guitarist and composer. After playing in the punk and alternative rock bands SNFU and The Wheat Chiefs from 1981–1998, Belke began a career composing music for film and television....
formed the band, who were initially named Ship of Fools, in 1989 after the demise of SNFU, the influential skate punk
Skate punk
Skate punk is a sub genre of punk rock, originally a derivative of the West Coast hardcore punk scene, that is named after its popularity among skateboarders and association with skateboarding culture. Skate punk most commonly describes the sound of melodic hardcore bands from the 1990s with an...
band they had co-founded. The group was soon renamed the Wheat Chiefs. With Marc Belke singing lead vocals, the band added melodic, alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
aesthetics to the punk rock sound of SNFU. At various points, the band also included drummers Ed Dobek (of Jr. Gone Wild and the pre-SNFU band Live Sex Show) and Dave Rees
Dave Rees
David Rees is an American-born musician and television editor currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Rees played drums in the punk rock band SNFU and the alternative rock band Wheat Chiefs...
, and bassists Trent Buhler and Rob Johnson
Rob Johnson (musician)
Rob Johnson is a Canadian musician currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia...
.
SNFU reformed in 1991, but the Belkes kept the Wheat Chiefs active as a side project. Additionally, Rees and Johnson each held long tenures as members of SNFU.
The Wheat Chiefs released one album, Redeemer, in 1996. The disc was culled from various recording sessions from 1992–1994, including drumming by both Doebek and Rees. One track from this disc, "Joe Murphy," was featured on the Puck Rock Volume 1 compilation, a full disc of hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
-related punk rock songs assembled by John Wright
John Wright (musician)
John Wright is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He replaced the former drummer, Murray Jackson. He is best known as the drummer, keyboardist, occasional vocalist and co-songwriter in the progressive punk rock/punk jazz band NoMeansNo, as well as the lead singer and co-songwriter of the...
of The Hanson Brothers
The Hanson Brothers
The Hanson Brothers are a Canadian punk rock band based in Vancouver, British Columbia and led by John and Rob Wright and Tom Holliston, all members of the punk rock band Nomeansno....
and NoMeansNo
Nomeansno
NoMeansNo is a Canadian progressive punk rock music group originally from Victoria, British Columbia and now located in Vancouver.The band has never had, nor have they seemed to pursue, strong mainstream success, but they do have a devoted underground following in North America and Europe...
.
The Wheat Chiefs disbanded in 1998 when Brent Belke quit both groups to pursue work in film. Johnson and Marc Belke continued with SNFU without Rees, although each has since left the group.
Members
- Marc BelkeMarc BelkeMarc Belke is a Canadian musician and radio personality. He played guitar in the punk and alternative rock bands SNFU and The Wheat Chiefs, and also sang lead vocals in the latter...
– vocals, guitar (1989–1998) - Brent BelkeBrent BelkeBrent Belke is a Canadian guitarist and composer. After playing in the punk and alternative rock bands SNFU and The Wheat Chiefs from 1981–1998, Belke began a career composing music for film and television....
– guitar, vocals (1989–1998) - Trent Buhler – bass (1989–1992)
- Rob JohnsonRob Johnson (musician)Rob Johnson is a Canadian musician currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia...
– bass (1992–1998) - Ed Dobek – drums
- Dave ReesDave ReesDavid Rees is an American-born musician and television editor currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Rees played drums in the punk rock band SNFU and the alternative rock band Wheat Chiefs...
– drums
External links
- Wheat Chiefs at Radio3
- Former official SNFU website