Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – Go Down Under (EP Review)
Monday, 31 January 2011
Written by Rob Sleigh
Following their previous adventures having a ball, blowing in the wind and ruining Jonny’s Bar Mitzvah, Hawaiian shirt-wearing, punk rock covers band and supergroup Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are back with their latest EP ‘Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Go Down Under’. This time around, having already covered the ‘70s, the ‘60s and Broadway as well as both R&B and country music, the five-piece have chosen to take on and pull apart some hits from the wonderful world of Oz.
Once again, the Gimme Gimmes have managed to take a few familiar songs, add some equally familiar riffs and mix them together with their own blend of cheesy rock fun to come up with an altogether hilarious and punked-up delight. Among their victims on this occasion are Antipodean hit-makers Olivia Newton John and INXS. As usual, the five Gimme Gimmes have stepped away from the slightly more serious roles in their main bands - including NOFX, Lagwagon and Foo Fighters – to transform a handful of mediocre songs using their own droll style.
The only aspect of this EP that makes it slightly less appealing than their previous releases is that it lacks any real “classics”. Compared with the likes of ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Go Down Under’ seems to be missing tracks that are likely to keep you amused through the simple act of recognising a song that has been completed refashioned for the sake of comedy and rock. Among the tracks, however, that will be more familiar are ‘Friday On My Mind’ by The Easybeats and ‘All Out of Love’ by Air Supply, both of which have been lovingly reinvented to the point of sheer comical disbelief. The latter will no doubt be a welcome relief to anyone unlucky enough to have heard the versions previously done by Irish boy-bands OTT and Westlife.
The music, on the other hand, is the usual Gimme Gimmes’ brand of punk rock charm, highlighted by Spike Slawson’s customary karaoke-style vocals. With the additional input of some freshly updated riffage and Foos guitarist Chris Shiflett’s shamelessly over-impressive soloing, this is another hugely entertaining CD from Me First and the Gimme Gimmes that is sure to make you want to rock out in between chortles.
Stereoboard Rating: 7/10
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The only aspect of this EP that makes it slightly less appealing than their previous releases is that it lacks any real “classics”. Compared with the likes of ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Go Down Under’ seems to be missing tracks that are likely to keep you amused through the simple act of recognising a song that has been completed refashioned for the sake of comedy and rock. Among the tracks, however, that will be more familiar are ‘Friday On My Mind’ by The Easybeats and ‘All Out of Love’ by Air Supply, both of which have been lovingly reinvented to the point of sheer comical disbelief. The latter will no doubt be a welcome relief to anyone unlucky enough to have heard the versions previously done by Irish boy-bands OTT and Westlife. 
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