Chris Shiflett

The Exclaim! Questionnaire

BY None NonePublished Feb 22, 2018

Chris Shiflett is the guitarist for Me First and the Gimme Gimme's. They'll be playing this summer's Warped Tour (the drunken boobs in the fez hats).

Current fixations:

Boxing. I am obsessed with boxing.

Mind-altering work of art:

I just borrowed an old bootleg of a Robert Gordon show with Danny Gatton on guitar and it's the most ripping guitar playing I've ever heard.

Most memorable or inspirational gig and why?

If you know anything about the Gimme's then you'll know that due to intoxication we rarely remember anything, much less our shows.

What has been your career high and low?

Things just keep getting better so I'd like to think the high hasn't happened yet. Even the lows have been pretty fun.

What should everyone shut up about?

"Extreme" anything. I'm sooo fucking tired of "extreme" culture.

I would drop everything to play a benefit for:

Joey's leg extension surgery fund. We gotta get that little guy fixed up.

What trait do you like and dislike most about yourself?

I'm too much of a pushover. I gotta learn how to stand up for myself and quit avoiding confrontation. If I had to pick a good trait about myself I guess it's the fact that I'm always on time.

What would make you kick someone out of your band and/or bed, and have you?

I think I kicked someone out of bed one time because I was trying to sleep and she wouldn't stop talking. It was a bad scene that eventually involved hotel security and lots of shouting. We kicked someone out of my old band for being manipulative. It was actually after a Canadian tour.

When I think of Canada I think:

Do you really want me to answer this question?

What is your vital daily ritual?

Coffee!!! First thing and then all through the morning!

How do you spoil yourself?

The occasional trip to the spa for massage and steam.

What was your most memorable day job?

I've had so many it's hard to pick one. After I dropped out of high school, my mother made me get a job at the probation department (she's a probation officer) so I used to get to read all my friend's files. At least it was interesting.

If I wasn't playing music I would be:

A haberdasher.

What is your greatest fear?

Losing a limb would suck.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

My superpower would be to play guitar as fast as Yngwie Malmsteen and have lightning bolts shoot out from the head stock of my guitar to kill bad people.

What makes you want to take it off and get it on?

Slow jams baby. It's all about the slow jams.

Music and sex: Is there a difference? Why?

Have you ever had sex?

Strangest brush with celebrity:

I partied down with Weird Al Yankovic last summer at a show in Milwaukee. He was super cool.

Who would be your ideal dinner guest, living or dead, and what would you serve them?

I would love to have my dad over for dinner but that would be difficult because we had him cremated. I'd probably let him cook.

What does your mom wish you were doing instead?

I think she's pretty happy with how things turned out.
 

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