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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Me First and the Gimme Gimmes| image = Me First and the Gimme Gimmes at Newcastle Academy.jpg| caption =| image_size = 250| landscape = yes| background = group_or_band| origin = California , United States | genre = Punk rock , pop punk cite web|url= http://www.spin.com/features/heythisisawesome/2006/10/061005_mefirst/ |title=Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Cover 'Desperado' & #124; Spin Magazine Online |publisher=Spin.com |date=2006-10-05 |accessdate=2011-10-25cite web|url= http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/articles/37h08.html |title=INTERVIEW: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes: Punk Rock's Ultimate Cover Band |publisher=In Music We Trust |date= |accessdate=2011-10-25| years_active = 1995–present| label = Fat Wreck Chords | associated_acts = Lagwagon , NOFX , Foo Fighters , Swingin' Utters , No Use for a Name | website = URL| http://www.gimmegimmes.com/| current_members = Spike Slawson Joey Cape Chris Shiflett Fat Mike Dave Raun | past_members = Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (often shortened to just "Me First" or "The Gimme Gimmes") is a punk rock supergroup (music)|supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione. The Gimmes have a habit of wearing quirky matching costumes during their live shows.
History
The band originally did not plan on releasing albums; rather, in their first year their work only appeared on compilation albums. This changed in 1995, when the band began releasing singles named after the singer they had covered. They produced Billy Joel|Billy , Neil Diamond|Diamond , Paul Simon|Paul , John Denver|Denver , Barry Manilow|Barry , Del Shannon|Shannon , Cat Stevens|Stevens , and Elton John|Elton in this manner. Their first full-length album, Have a Ball , was released July 29, 1997.
Each album by the band has a different theme: Have a Ball focuses on classic 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s songs by singer/songwriters like Elton John, Neil Diamond, and John Denver; Are a Drag consists entirely of show tunes , Blow in the Wind consists of 60s classics, Take a Break consists entirely of contemporary R& B songs by artists such as Boyz 2 Men , Lionel Richie , and Vanessa L. Williams ; their fifth album, '' Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah , was recorded live at an actual bar mitzvah and consists of pop music from the 1960s through the 1980s by artists such as REO Speedwagon , Styx (band)|Styx and The Beatles , as well as traditional songs like " Hava Nagila "; and Love Their Country '''s theme is country and western songs such as The Eagles and Garth Brooks . Their latest record, Have Another Ball! has the same theme as their debut which is 60's-80's music.
They entered the studio on April 3, 2006 to work on their sixth album, Love Their Country , which was released on October 17, 2006.cite web|url= http://www.punknews.org/article/18612 |title=Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Bad Astronaut record titles and release dates |publisher=Punknews.org |date= |accessdate=2011-10-25 The theme of this album is country music|country and western , and includes covers of tracks by Dixie Chicks , Garth Brooks , Hank Williams, Sr. and Johnny Cash .cite web|url= http://fatwreck.com/news? page=3 |title=News: Fat Wreck Chords |publisher=Fatwreck.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-25 Prior to the release of the album, Fat Wreck Chords released a digital label sampler, iFloyd which included " Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend|(Ghost) Riders in the Sky " by the band. http://www.fatwreck.com/ifloyd Fat Wreck Chords Sampler 2006dead link|date=October 2011
In late 2006, Fat Wreck Chords released another digital label sampler Christmas Bonus, containing a previously-unreleased cover of Steve Goodman 's " City of New Orleans (song)|City of New Orleans ". http://www.fatwreck.com/xmasbonus Fat Wreck Chords :: Christmas Bonusdead link|date=October 2011 In August 2006 Me First and the Gimme Gimmes were scheduled to play three dates at PNC Park after Pittsburgh Pirates|Pirates games, but after they got booed on the first night, the next two nights were cancelled. They were to play along with fireworks during the post-game "Skyblast" shows.
On December 5, 2007, Fat Wreck Chords released a flash MP3 holiday bonus sampler called Hanuk-Comp containing "The Boxer" which was originally released on the "Garf" single (released in 1997).cite web|url= http://s3.fatwreck.com/dreidel/player.html |title=Fat Wreck Chords :: From The Dreidel To The Grave |publisher=S3.fatwreck.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-25 There is also a downloadable podcast that features commentary from Fat Mike and Floyd during breaks between songs in which the next album is revealed.cite web|url= http://www.fatwreck.com/community |title=Community: Fat Wreck Chords |publisher=Fatwreck.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-25 It is named Have Another Ball! and contains all the B-sides from Have a Ball . The album was released on July 8, 2008. Fat Wreck Records released "Go Down Under" on February 1, 2011. The EP features 5 songs from musicians that originated in Australia.cite web|url= http://www.fatwreck.com/record/detail/765 |title=Me First and the Gimme Gimmes :: Go Down Under – Records: Fat Wreck Chords |publisher=Fatwreck.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-25 Their last album was released on September 13, 2011, in which they covered only Japanese music, aptly titled "Sing in Japanese", to coordinate with their upcoming tour in Japan.cite web|url= http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/me_first_and_the_gimme_gimmes_release_a_japanese_covers_ep/ |title=Me First And The Gimme Gimmes release a Japanese covers EP |publisher=Altpress.com |date=2011-05-17 |accessdate=2011-10-25cite web|url= http://www.fatwreck.com/record/detail/776 |title=Me First and the Gimme Gimmes :: Sing In Japanese - Records: Fat Wreck Chords |publisher=Fatwreck.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-25
Members
Spike Slawson (of Swingin' Utters and Re-Volts ) – vocals
Brian Baker (musician)|Brian Baker (of Minor Threat and Bad Religion ) filled in for Shiftlett in 2006.
Chris Shiflett's brother, Scott Shiflett (of Face to Face (punk band)|Face to Face and Viva Death ) has been filling in for him on the band's most recent tours.
NOFX guitarist Eric Melvin filled in for Fat Mike on bass during the 2007 Europe an tour and 2008 Australia n tour.
Adam Stern from Youth Brigade and Royal Crown Revue filled in for Fat Mike on bass; Mark Mortenson from Screw 32 filled in for Dave Raun on drums; Grant McIntire also from Screw 32 filled in for Joey Cape on Guitar; and Barry d'live Ward from Rich Kids on LSD and Crosstops filled in for Chris Shiflett on guitar during the 1996 Tour.
Warren Fitzgerald of The Vandals & Lindsay McDougall of Frenzal Rhomb filled in on guitars during the bands participation in the 2003 Livid Festival in Australia .
Costumes
The Gimmes have a habit of wearing quirky matching costumes during their live shows. Some of the themes match the albums, such as when they dress in cowboy outfits to accompany the album Love Their Country or in drag as various characters from musicals in Are a Drag . They have also worn pajamas, red suits, cheerleader outfits, shiny suits and fezzes, and, during one show in Camden, NJ on the Warped Tour , dressed as the band AFI (band)|AFI (who in turn dressed as The Gimmes). Easily the most common and popular costume set are their matching Hawaiian shirt s of varying styles and colors over the years.
http://www.fatwreck.com Fat Wreck Chords label official web site
http://www.thepunksite.com/interviews.php? page=mefirstandthegimmegimmes Interview with Spike
cite web
| url = http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll? p=amg& sql=B404tk6axqkrf | title = Allmusic entry for Me First and the Gimme Gimmes | year = 2007 | work = Allmusic | archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20071012150732/ http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll? p=amg& sql=B404tk6axqkrf | archivedate = October 12, 2007 | accessdate = April 8, 2011
http://www.soundscenerevolution.com/index.php? id=49/ Audio interview with Fat Mike and Joey Cape
http://www.truepunk.com/interviews/Spike_Slawson/ Interview with Spike Slawson
http://www.style43.com/news/2009/07/04/me-first-the-gimme-gimmes-live-review/ Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Live Review
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes DEFAULTSORT:Me First And The Gimme Gimmes Category:Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Category:Fat Wreck Chords artists Category:American punk rock groups Category:Supergroups (music) Category:Musical groups established in 1995 Category:Cowpunk Category:American pop punk musical groups
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