Punk's premier cover artists,
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a conglomerate of some of the most recognizable faces in new-school
punk. Drawn together by a mutual love of '60s and '70s music,
the Gimme Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. Their repertoire include songs from such acts as
Neil Diamond,
Billy Joel, and
John Denver.
With an ever-changing cast of characters, singer Spike Slawson (of
the Swingin' Utters) originally formed
the Gimme Gimmes in 1995, drawing on the talents of
NOFX bassist Fat Mike,
Lagwagon singer/guitarist
Joey Cape,
No Use for a Name guitarist Chris Shiflett (aka Jackson), and
Lagwagon drummer Dave Raun. Never originally aiming to put out a record, the band made appearances on
punk compilation albums through much of the year. In 1997, however, they began releasing singles named after the singer they had covered. They produced Billy, Diamond, Bob, Denver, and Barry in this manner.
Finally, the group produced its first full-length effort,
Have a Ball, in late 1997. Two years later,
Are a Drag arrived. This particular album was a hit at college radio thanks to the band's quirky renditions of popular
show tunes. In 1999,
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes reworked
bubblegum classics from the 1960s and 1970s for
Blow in the Wind. Once more, the band was a hit on college radio, and pop kids started catching on to
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes' infectious pop sound. The
R&B-tailored album
Take a Break was released in July 2003, just in time for the band's fifth appearance on the annual Vans Warped Tour. In 2004, the band tackled a set of classic
rock hits,
easy listening numbers, and even "Hava Nagila" on the "live" album Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah, which included enhanced video footage of the gig in question. Continuing with the notion that no genre was safe from a
Gimme Gimme makeover, Love Their Country appeared two years later, covering everyone from
the Dixie Chicks to
Johnny Cash to
the Eagles. After the digital release of the holiday sampler Hanuk-Comp in 2007, the band followed up with
Have Another Ball!, which debuted in July 2008. ~ David Cornelius, All Music Guide
