Spike "Spike" Slawson
Spike, known by close friends as "Spike", exudes the very esssence of talent
from every pore. Despite being born without lips, he managed to turn a possible
liability into one goldmine of an asset. Spike began performing at an early
age, crooning "Send In The Clowns" between acts for Circus Vargas. He eventually
earned enough money for a lip graft and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now as the "ringmaster" of Me First amd the Gimme Gimmes, Spike is always
the main attraction when he takes center stage. After all, "Vargas" is only
two letters away from "Vegas"... and Vegas means showmanship. Spike has showmanship
in his blood tenfold! Comparisons to Elvis, Sinatra, and Manilow have been
made, but make no mistake, Spike is in a class by himself. The soothing sounds
of his golden voice flow from his bleached-blonde Adonis like cool water bubbling
from a mountain spring.
Joey Cape
Being the grandson of Billy Barty, entertainment is second nature to him.
With the heritage of such a predominantly short family, his parents thought
he resembled a baby kangaroo at birth, hence he was given the moniker Joey.
But the apple certainly did not fall far from the tree in this showbiz family
...for such a little guy, he certainly does not come up "short" on talent.
Cleverly crafted guitar work is Joey's speciality and he serves up a heaping
helpful on every track. In casual conversation, Joey is reserved, modest,
and amicable, yet on stage, he transforms into a one man, musical monsoon.
His penchant for outlandish stage makeup, billowy, renaissance-themed costumes
and his uncanny ability to simulateously play guitar and knee cymbols makes
him a "pop" music enigma.
Dave....Just Dave
The drummer is ordinarily the person who serves as a whipping boy for any
given band. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is no exception. Dave is the standout
talent of the Gimme Gimmes, having trained intensively for 8 years with Bun
E. Carlos. He holds several honers and awards from drumming contests, including
consecutive trophies from the highly esteemed national drum competition, The
Great Beat Off. And yet despite being the most talented, least egotistical,
and friendliest member of the outfit, he is still the least respected. Dave
is so underappreciated that none of the other Gimme Gimmes have ever bothered
to find out what his last name is. In fact, Dave is so often excluded from
association with the Gimme Gimmes that recently the press, mistaking Dave
for a wayward roadie, jokingly dubbed him "The Fifth Gimme Gimme" not realizing
that the band was not a four piece but a five piece and that Dave actually
was The Fifth Gimme Gimme! This lends credence to the age old joke: Q- "What
do you call someone who always hangs out with the band?" A- "The drummer".
Fat Mike
He plays bass
Jake "Chris" Jackson
As the Gimme Gimme responsible for searing lead guitar work, he is not only
talented, but cute, and best of all, single! Jackson, as he likes the ladies
to call him, is the Casanova of punk rock. In fact, he's such a swinger that
a special wing of the San Francisco Free Clinic was named after him. It's
no suprise that this former model for "Playgirl" and "Honcho" is the player
that the women scream for (and I do mean "player"). However, it's obvious
by listening to this album that Jackson's talent can be measured by more than
just mere inches. His fretboard wizardry conjures the mastery of classic guitar
gods with a style that emphasizes subtle power and flawless techniques. He
was born to perform on the stage-- literally! His mother gave birth to Jackson
on stage while working as a go-go dancer for The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.
Is it any wonder that he plays in front of adoring fans, Jackson finds his
popularity is, if you will, spreading?
