Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies - Live Review

Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies / O2 Academy Oxford / 1st June

It’s easy to forget how lucky we can be in the UK when it comes to live music and bands touring our fair isle. In America, fans would have no qualms about getting in the car and driving three hours or more to go and watch a band play in the nearest big city, and in the UK we’ve perhaps become a little complacent and can be guilty of turning our noses up if our favourite bands aren’t playing our nearest city. One band that we were more than happy to drive a 200 mile (4hr) round trip to see was San Francisco’s finest cover band Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies! 

Due to the drive, we walked into Oxford’s O2 Academy to see the tail end of 4ft Fingers set. The 90’s punk veteran’s looked very comfortable in-front of what was an already packed venue and it was clear that the crowd we very happy to see the band back doing some live shows. 

We’ve seen the Gimmie’s numerous times, at numerous venues across the UK and when it was announced that they were playing only two shows in the UK, it wasn’t even a question that a road trip was going to be in order. Watching Spike and co is just pure unadulterated joy, seeing Mohawks bobbing up and down to a Billy Joel cover, or a circle pit opening up for a Neil Diamond track, it can only happen in once place, which is under the influence of San Francisco’s favourite cover band “available for Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and Jubilees.” When you see the Gimmie’s you know what’s coming and although the line-up might change (this time around including members of The Ramones, Strung Out and Rocket from the Crypt) you are guaranteed to have a good time and hear the immortal words “this one’s a cover.”

We at Hush could love MF&TGG’s any more. If you’ve not yet indulged, treat yourself to the best cover band you ever heard now! 

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