For the uninitiated, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes consist of Joey Cape
(Lagwagon) on guitar, Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) on lead guitar, Dave Raun
(Lagwagon) on the drums, Fat Wreck-head-honcho/NOFX main-dude Fat Mike,
and rounded out by the incomparable crooner, Spike Slawson. Together, Me
First and the Gimme Gimmes are an outfit that has always operated more
like a beer-hall Pussycat Dolls than a regular mortal band.
When duty calls for one of the Gimmes to perform with their other band, rest
assured a traveling Gimme will step in. John Reis, you guessed it, guitarist and
lead vocals for Rocket from the Crypt or Jonny “2 Bags” Wickersham from Social
Distortion will be filling in and on occasion, Jay Bentley from Bad Religion or
maybe CJ Ramone from a little band you may have heard of, The Ramones, will
sub for Fat Mike. Most recently we saw the UK import, Pinch from The Damned,
on the skins. You never know what star-studded lineup you will get at a Gimmes
show, but you know it will not disappoint.
So, what is really left to say about punk super-group and cover band
extraordinaire Me First and the Gimme Gimmes? After 7 studio albums, a live
record and too many singles to count, they’ve tackled just about every genre
under the sun. Be it Motown, Country, show tunes, Japanese Pop (sung in
Japanese!), these seasoned punk rock pros have triumphed on every occasion
in a way only the Gimmes could. With such an extensive and wide ranging
catalog, where does one begin?... With a live show of course! The powerhouse
continues and they’ll be singing ballads, showtunes, Country and Motown tunes
all year long, so don’t miss it!