Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

WHO: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are the consummate punk rock supergroup. If underground music had an all-star game, these guys would lead the league in voting every season. Beginning with vocal duties, we have Spike. Spike got his break in the Fat Wreck Chords warehouse, where he was notorious for his violent outbursts and singing along to Prince records. His sweet voice and charisma could not be overlooked…the rest is history. Spike also plays bass in the famed San Francisco streetpunk band the Swingin’ Utters. On the tubs—that means the drums—we have Dave, formerly of Santa Barbara greats, Rich Kids on L.S.D., and the current drummer for skate-punk torchbearers, Lagwagon. On guitar we have Jackson. Yeah, yeah, Jackson’s in the Foo Fighters. On bass there’s Fat Mike, and if ever there was a punk tycoon, it would have to be he. As frontman of NOFX and president of Fat Wreck Chords, this man is a veritable crimelord. He’s not Sicilian, he’s Jewish. And finally, we have Joey on guitar. As the singer/songwriter genius behind Lagwagon, this Santa Barbaran is a living legend and leader of the punk rock new school.

WHAT: What the hell were they thinking? Good question. As you know, or as you goddam-well-oughtta know by now, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a punk rock cover band that covers only the very best pop songs from every era! Which leaves us all asking: “Why the hell didn’t I think of that?”

WHEN: In 1997 the Gimme Gimmes released a handful of 7”s on various labels before releasing their first full length, Have a Ball. No one could’ve predicted the success to which that album was received, nor could anyone explain the phenomenon that swept the punk scene. Two years later in 1999, the Gimme Gimmes returned with their second record Are a Drag. On this album, the Gimmes took on the task of covering show tunes and punk-a-fying them. Needless to say it was a success as they did everything from Grease to Annie to Evita. 2001 brought forth their third full length, Blow in the Wind, where they took a stab at 60’s classics from artists like the Beach Boys and Bob Dylan. Then came Take A Break; 13 cover tunes that tackle R&B greats like Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, R Kelly, and more. 2005 gave us their live album,Ruin Jonny’s Bar Mitzvah. Really, they played a Bar Mitzvah and recorded the show. After a crazy European tour in 2006, the Gimmes began work on their tribute to both kinds of music: Country and Western titled Love Their Country. Me First And The Gimme Gimmes are up to their old hijinks with the release of their 7th full length, Have Another Ball. In order to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their debut album, Have a Ball, the GIMMES are releasing the second installment of recordings from the original session. Wait, say what?!? Yes, the wildly popular Have a Ball was initially recorded as a double album, but the band decided that the two disc extravaganza might be too much rock for the uninitiated masses. Subsequently there is another album’s worth of material just waiting to be devoured by Gimmes fans, old and new.Have Another Ball is chock-full of 70’s classics from the likes of John Denver, Hall and Oates, Neil Diamond, and Elton John, with that distinctive GIMME GIMMES twist.

WHERE: These boys are from San Francisco of course, a town that encourages both progressive thought and crossdressing.

WHY: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes formed in 1995 in an effort to breath some punk rock life back into classic radio hits made famous by rock pioneers like Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond. Getting together with friends and playing thoughtless music was the motivation for the Gimme Gimmes. The Gimmes have broken down the barrier between the golden moldies and punk; finally a band that can be enjoyed kids and parents alike!