I have to admit that it wasn’t until I saw Guided By Voices live that I really came to appreciate them. I already had albums like ‘Bee Thousand’ and ‘Alien Lanes’, and certainly enjoyed them, but their ‘lo-fi’ approach made me a little uncertain of how they would actually come across as a live band. My doubts were quickly cleared-up when I got to see them in 1995, first at Reading Festival and then in Brighton. The Reading set was relatively short, maybe only 40 minutes, but they packed it with so much energy and intrigue. Beginning with ‘A Salty Salute’, ‘Game of Pricks’ and ‘My Valuable Hunting Knife’, they sounded superb and the songs were so much more powerful than on the records. A week or so later in Brighton, they played a full set and it was even better. They played with just the right mix of knowing what they were doing but also clearly having a good time and not worrying about the technical details (‘Close enough for rock’n’roll’, as a wise man once commented…) There were so many comparisons to be made, although none too obvious or direct, but I remember thinking of The Replacements, early Wire, The Saints, maybe even Creedence… What was clear was that they had a real talent for creating catchy, original songs and just the right attitude to deliver them.
After interviewing the band a couple of times, I was able to arrange to release a 7” featuring two songs recorded at that Brighton gig. It’s possibly my favourite out of all the ‘Fear & Loathing’ singles…
The so-called ‘classic’ line-up (Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Kevin Fennell, Greg Demos) came to an end but in their place, Bob brought-in Doug Gillard and Nate Farley who provided the core of the new line-up, one that I certainly thought were just as ‘classic’ (if not better) as their predecessors. Over the next decade I got to see the band every time they played in London and, as it became clear that no two shows were ever the same, made a point of trying to see them in other towns as well. (Here’s a little-known fact ; when I saw GBV play Liverpool in 1999, they hung-out and shared their beer-rider with the then-unknown opening band – Coldplay !) But things came to an end in 2004, when Robert Pollard announced that the band were splitting and would be playing a farewell tour, but only in the States. Fortunately, I’d been saving-up for a holiday and was able to book it to coincide with gigs in Portland and Seattle. It was sad to think that I’d probably never see the band again, but at that point Bob was already working on his first post-GBV ‘solo’ releases and planning to continue touring, so I didn’t think there’s be long to wait before seeing him again.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t to happen. None of Bobs’ ensuing projects ever came to the UK or Europe, but in 2010 it was announced that the ‘classic’ GBV line-up would be reforming to play live once again. They would also release several new albums over the next four years and at one-point they were even scheduled to play at an ‘All Tomorrows Parties’ event in London, although this was mysteriously cancelled (as would happen with several subsequent ATP events…) In 2014, the ‘classic’ line-up came to and end for a second time, but Pollard continued to record under the GBV banner and put together a new line-up. Initially featuring drummer Kevin March from the 2001-2004 band , they would also include Doug Gillard by 2016, meaning that the band now included three members of my own favourite line-up…
New albums followed and with the return of Gillard the band certainly sounded revitalised, combining Bob’s song-writing talent with musicians who really knew how to bring out the best from the songs. However, it would not be until 2019 that UK fans finally heard the news they’d been waiting for, when two London dates were announced. They promptly sold-out quicker than you could fetch a cold beer from the cooler !
It was obviously time for me to catch-up. I approached the UK Press agent to see if they could set-up an interview for me, but they’d been told that Bob wouldn’t be doing any interviews prior to the visit to London. Fortunately, I still had some contacts for the band over in the States and through these (thanks Rich and Amy !) I was able to get a message to Mr Pollard. Although being cautioned again that Bob doesn’t do many interviews these days, I got a reply back a few days later saying that Bob would be happy to do an interview with me by email, as he though I was ‘a good dude’ ! (I think I’ll have that engraved on my tombstone…) And so I was able to get something of an exclusive, for which I’m rather chuffed. Now, as previously mentioned, this was done by email so it’s not the most extensive interview you’ll ever see, but I hope I was able to put a good selection of questions together and, of course, many thanks to Bob for his replies
New albums followed and with the return of Gillard the band certainly sounded revitalised, combining Bob’s song-writing talent with musicians who really knew how to bring out the best from the songs. However, it would not be until 2019 that UK fans finally heard the news they’d been waiting for, when two London dates were announced. They promptly sold-out quicker than you could fetch a cold beer from the cooler !
It was obviously time for me to catch-up. I approached the UK Press agent to see if they could set-up an interview for me, but they’d been told that Bob wouldn’t be doing any interviews prior to the visit to London. Fortunately, I still had some contacts for the band over in the States and through these (thanks Rich and Amy !) I was able to get a message to Mr Pollard. Although being cautioned again that Bob doesn’t do many interviews these days, I got a reply back a few days later saying that Bob would be happy to do an interview with me by email, as he though I was ‘a good dude’ ! (I think I’ll have that engraved on my tombstone…) And so I was able to get something of an exclusive, for which I’m rather chuffed. Now, as previously mentioned, this was done by email so it’s not the most extensive interview you’ll ever see, but I hope I was able to put a good selection of questions together and, of course, many thanks to Bob for his replies
It’s been 16 years since Guided By Voices last played in the UK – are you looking forward to it ?
‘Greatly. I miss it, but I just don’t travel as much as I used to.’
Are you aware of the interest that’s built-up around Guided By Voices in those intervening years ? There seems to be a lot of fans here now that didn’t have a chance to see GBV the first time around…
‘Well, if you stick around long enough, people start to recognize the name and I also think there’s a new generation whose parents turned them on to Guided By Voices. I see kids in the audience who know all the words, not just to the old stuff but for the new songs as well. That’s what really makes it worthwhile and fun.’
How come it’s been so long since your last UK visit ? At one point, the ‘classic line-up’ was announced to play in London, but that fell through for some reason…
‘The reunion of the so called “classic line-up" was a bit of a disaster. It was fun and interesting initially, but it got stale fairly quickly. After a while, we seemed to be going through the motions and then the same cycle of events occurred that caused the break-up of that band the first time around. But things have really picked up again with the new line-up since then and a lot of people seem to be excited, so we decided it would be a good time to visit some places we haven’t been to in a while.’
As you haven’t played here for so long and there will undoubtedly be a lot of fans who have never seen Guided By Voices before, do you think you’ll add more of the old classics to the set-list or trust that the newer fans are just as interested in the recent records ?
‘We’ll play about a 50/50 split of new and old songs. I realize people like the old records but they’re going to get a heavy dose of material from the new ones, too. We will be supporting two new albums; “Zeppelin Over China” and “Warp and Woof” so it’s mostly brand new stuff or songs from ‘93-2001 and not so much mid-period or “classic line-up" material.’
Your set-lists tend to be pretty lengthy but still vary from night-to-night. When you go out on tour, how many songs do the band have available to be played? Also, with so many different songs (and the regular beers !) have you ever had any problems remembering any lyrics ?
‘We’ve got about 60-65 songs we can play and, yeah, I forget the lyrics sometimes and just wing it. A lot of the kids in the front rows are well aware when that happens but I don’t think they mind…’
‘Greatly. I miss it, but I just don’t travel as much as I used to.’
Are you aware of the interest that’s built-up around Guided By Voices in those intervening years ? There seems to be a lot of fans here now that didn’t have a chance to see GBV the first time around…
‘Well, if you stick around long enough, people start to recognize the name and I also think there’s a new generation whose parents turned them on to Guided By Voices. I see kids in the audience who know all the words, not just to the old stuff but for the new songs as well. That’s what really makes it worthwhile and fun.’
How come it’s been so long since your last UK visit ? At one point, the ‘classic line-up’ was announced to play in London, but that fell through for some reason…
‘The reunion of the so called “classic line-up" was a bit of a disaster. It was fun and interesting initially, but it got stale fairly quickly. After a while, we seemed to be going through the motions and then the same cycle of events occurred that caused the break-up of that band the first time around. But things have really picked up again with the new line-up since then and a lot of people seem to be excited, so we decided it would be a good time to visit some places we haven’t been to in a while.’
As you haven’t played here for so long and there will undoubtedly be a lot of fans who have never seen Guided By Voices before, do you think you’ll add more of the old classics to the set-list or trust that the newer fans are just as interested in the recent records ?
‘We’ll play about a 50/50 split of new and old songs. I realize people like the old records but they’re going to get a heavy dose of material from the new ones, too. We will be supporting two new albums; “Zeppelin Over China” and “Warp and Woof” so it’s mostly brand new stuff or songs from ‘93-2001 and not so much mid-period or “classic line-up" material.’
Your set-lists tend to be pretty lengthy but still vary from night-to-night. When you go out on tour, how many songs do the band have available to be played? Also, with so many different songs (and the regular beers !) have you ever had any problems remembering any lyrics ?
‘We’ve got about 60-65 songs we can play and, yeah, I forget the lyrics sometimes and just wing it. A lot of the kids in the front rows are well aware when that happens but I don’t think they mind…’
Mick Jagger apparently has to go on a rigorous training regime before the Rolling Stones go on tour. As someone who’s never shied away from a lively stage performance, do you have to prepare yourself before going onstage ?
‘I try to get in some sort of “shape”. I’ve got about a 30-minute routine and I call it “The Bob Pollard 30-Minute Stationary Workout”. It involves push-ups, stretching, running in place, high kicks and squats… The squats are for reaching down and grabbing a beer out of the cooler ! Also, I practice the songs in my head while I’m working out, the entire set list very quickly. But I haven’t been doing this routine very regularly lately, so I’d better get on it !’
Guided By Voices originally split in 2004 and didn’t re-emerge until 2010. Do you think, at the time, it was something that had to be done and, with hindsight, do you think the reformation was inevitable ?
‘Well, in 2004 I wanted to do the Peter Gabriel thing to see how I would go over as a solo artist. But then I remembered that basically, I write all the songs, came up with the name and do all of the artwork, so what’s the difference ? Well, the difference is that Guided By Voices became a brand name and so I think it’s more identifiable. Not necessarily to the hard-cores, but to music fans in general…’
Your output of work has remained at a very high-rate for many years, with various line-ups, side projects and solo-outings. I’ve often wondered, has there ever been a time when you’ve suffered from ‘writers-block’ ? Or have you ever taken a conscious break from music and song-writing ?
‘No, I’ve never had writer’s block ! As a matter of fact, I have to force myself to take breaks. If I pick up a guitar with a notebook full of titles or lyrics, it just comes to me. I think it’s because of the lexicon that I’ve developed from so many years of studying records and songs. Total absorption, I’m just plugged in… I got sucked in !’
‘I try to get in some sort of “shape”. I’ve got about a 30-minute routine and I call it “The Bob Pollard 30-Minute Stationary Workout”. It involves push-ups, stretching, running in place, high kicks and squats… The squats are for reaching down and grabbing a beer out of the cooler ! Also, I practice the songs in my head while I’m working out, the entire set list very quickly. But I haven’t been doing this routine very regularly lately, so I’d better get on it !’
Guided By Voices originally split in 2004 and didn’t re-emerge until 2010. Do you think, at the time, it was something that had to be done and, with hindsight, do you think the reformation was inevitable ?
‘Well, in 2004 I wanted to do the Peter Gabriel thing to see how I would go over as a solo artist. But then I remembered that basically, I write all the songs, came up with the name and do all of the artwork, so what’s the difference ? Well, the difference is that Guided By Voices became a brand name and so I think it’s more identifiable. Not necessarily to the hard-cores, but to music fans in general…’
Your output of work has remained at a very high-rate for many years, with various line-ups, side projects and solo-outings. I’ve often wondered, has there ever been a time when you’ve suffered from ‘writers-block’ ? Or have you ever taken a conscious break from music and song-writing ?
‘No, I’ve never had writer’s block ! As a matter of fact, I have to force myself to take breaks. If I pick up a guitar with a notebook full of titles or lyrics, it just comes to me. I think it’s because of the lexicon that I’ve developed from so many years of studying records and songs. Total absorption, I’m just plugged in… I got sucked in !’
Your collage Art is interesting in the way that it merges images in appealing, interesting ways rather than trying to make specific statements. In a lot of ways, it reflects the way you use lyrics for the way they sound, rather than what they’re specifically saying ?
‘Yeah, the way I make music and the way I form collages is exactly the same process. Isolating pieces of imagery and then, when I’ve got enough ideas, I start moving them around to create a complete picture… something that forms a more interesting field of sound or vision than the initial fragments or the images which they were taken from.’
In the past, your lyrical themes often included schools and aircraft. Do you think they’re still a part of what you write, or have other themes taken over ?
‘I don’t do a whole lot of the flight or school imagery anymore. I mean, that kind of thing pops up here and there, like a recurring dream or nightmare or something, but I don’t really think a whole lot about it. I’ve never tried to make any statements, it just seems to be whatever is going on around me at the time. Like, I’ve got a song called “Trumps And Trumpets”…’
As you write so much, do you have any further literary ambitions ? Short stores or a novel, perhaps?
‘No. I’ll stick to short blasts of broken-up streams of consciousness. I don’t I have the attention span and patience to come up with anything cohesive or interesting that’s more than a few hundred words !’
You seem to do a lot less interviews these days. Are you trying to build up more of a mystique, Syd Barrett-style (haha !) or do you prefer to concentrate on your music and let it speak for itself ?
‘I’d like to have a little bit of mystique by being less visible or accessible, but I think it’s more of a matter of letting the music and art speak for itself. I really just don’t have a lot more to elaborate on concerning the process or end result.’
Guided By Voices has always been closely associated with vinyl releases. How do you feel about the rise of downloads and non-physical formats in recent years ? Has it affected your musical output in any ways ?
‘I don’t concern myself with technology and availability when it comes to making music. The most important thing is that people hear the music. I prefer the LP format myself, but I don’t think it sounds as good as it used to. Some technology seems to have been lost...’
‘Yeah, the way I make music and the way I form collages is exactly the same process. Isolating pieces of imagery and then, when I’ve got enough ideas, I start moving them around to create a complete picture… something that forms a more interesting field of sound or vision than the initial fragments or the images which they were taken from.’
In the past, your lyrical themes often included schools and aircraft. Do you think they’re still a part of what you write, or have other themes taken over ?
‘I don’t do a whole lot of the flight or school imagery anymore. I mean, that kind of thing pops up here and there, like a recurring dream or nightmare or something, but I don’t really think a whole lot about it. I’ve never tried to make any statements, it just seems to be whatever is going on around me at the time. Like, I’ve got a song called “Trumps And Trumpets”…’
As you write so much, do you have any further literary ambitions ? Short stores or a novel, perhaps?
‘No. I’ll stick to short blasts of broken-up streams of consciousness. I don’t I have the attention span and patience to come up with anything cohesive or interesting that’s more than a few hundred words !’
You seem to do a lot less interviews these days. Are you trying to build up more of a mystique, Syd Barrett-style (haha !) or do you prefer to concentrate on your music and let it speak for itself ?
‘I’d like to have a little bit of mystique by being less visible or accessible, but I think it’s more of a matter of letting the music and art speak for itself. I really just don’t have a lot more to elaborate on concerning the process or end result.’
Guided By Voices has always been closely associated with vinyl releases. How do you feel about the rise of downloads and non-physical formats in recent years ? Has it affected your musical output in any ways ?
‘I don’t concern myself with technology and availability when it comes to making music. The most important thing is that people hear the music. I prefer the LP format myself, but I don’t think it sounds as good as it used to. Some technology seems to have been lost...’
The ‘ESP Ohio’ album in 2016 saw you working with Doug Gillard again for the first time in over a decade. He subsequently rejoined the current Guided By Voices, which also includes Kevin March… any chance that Nate Farley might return at some point ?
‘I love Nate and I still see him occasionally. He comes to shows sometimes and, unlike some ex-members of Guided By Voices, he’s always been supportive. So I don’t wanna close the door, but we're very close knit right now. We even have a 6th man, Travis Harrison, who’s been playing with us…’
I’ve really been enjoying ‘Zeppelin Over China’, but the one song that particularly intrigues me is ‘Lurk of the Worm’. The title and some of the lyrics seem to suggest HP Lovecraft, or am I just imagining that ? Also, there’s a really cool riff that comes in briefly, towards the end of the song… was that something that you had intended for another song at any point ?
‘Yeah, it’s out there and very sci-fi. I’ve actually got a collage with the same title and I’ve been doing that a lot lately. The riff at the end was always intended for “Lurk of the Worm”, but I do very often mix and match.’
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that Guided By Voice’s audience is pretty indefinable. People that I think will really love the band just don’t get it, while others who would seemingly have very different tastes, love it ! Do you think that’s why the popularity of the band has been so enduring?
‘Yeah, it’s not for everybody but it appeals to a select few almost everywhere in the world. And that select few may change, grow or diminish at different points in time… There are so many influences that go into my songs that they’re difficult to identify, so it makes them appealing to different people and creates a sort of originality.’
Similarly, I’ve always thought the band has had a very ‘punk rock’ approach to what they do. In a lot of ways, GBV have always been a band made up of people who, in regular terms, shouldn’t be in a band, let alone onstage…true underdogs ! I mean, a school teacher from Ohio ??? (Don’t get me wrong, I respect you for this !)
‘Yeah, punk rockers seem to like us because we don’t fuck around. We get on with it, constantly. One take and on to the next one ! A new album every 3 or 4 months… it drives perfectionists crazy, but I don’t care. We’re not necessarily punk, we’re everything, but we do have a punk rock attitude and yes, we come from humble beginnings. Very blue collar.’
Finally… a friend of mine was once asked who he preferred, the Beatles or the Stones ? He thought about it and replied, ‘The Who !’ What’s you opinion ???
‘I would say Wire, but I also love The Beatles and The Stones too much ! AND The Who !’
‘I love Nate and I still see him occasionally. He comes to shows sometimes and, unlike some ex-members of Guided By Voices, he’s always been supportive. So I don’t wanna close the door, but we're very close knit right now. We even have a 6th man, Travis Harrison, who’s been playing with us…’
I’ve really been enjoying ‘Zeppelin Over China’, but the one song that particularly intrigues me is ‘Lurk of the Worm’. The title and some of the lyrics seem to suggest HP Lovecraft, or am I just imagining that ? Also, there’s a really cool riff that comes in briefly, towards the end of the song… was that something that you had intended for another song at any point ?
‘Yeah, it’s out there and very sci-fi. I’ve actually got a collage with the same title and I’ve been doing that a lot lately. The riff at the end was always intended for “Lurk of the Worm”, but I do very often mix and match.’
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that Guided By Voice’s audience is pretty indefinable. People that I think will really love the band just don’t get it, while others who would seemingly have very different tastes, love it ! Do you think that’s why the popularity of the band has been so enduring?
‘Yeah, it’s not for everybody but it appeals to a select few almost everywhere in the world. And that select few may change, grow or diminish at different points in time… There are so many influences that go into my songs that they’re difficult to identify, so it makes them appealing to different people and creates a sort of originality.’
Similarly, I’ve always thought the band has had a very ‘punk rock’ approach to what they do. In a lot of ways, GBV have always been a band made up of people who, in regular terms, shouldn’t be in a band, let alone onstage…true underdogs ! I mean, a school teacher from Ohio ??? (Don’t get me wrong, I respect you for this !)
‘Yeah, punk rockers seem to like us because we don’t fuck around. We get on with it, constantly. One take and on to the next one ! A new album every 3 or 4 months… it drives perfectionists crazy, but I don’t care. We’re not necessarily punk, we’re everything, but we do have a punk rock attitude and yes, we come from humble beginnings. Very blue collar.’
Finally… a friend of mine was once asked who he preferred, the Beatles or the Stones ? He thought about it and replied, ‘The Who !’ What’s you opinion ???
‘I would say Wire, but I also love The Beatles and The Stones too much ! AND The Who !’
Well, that’s it, but I hope it’s served as a timely introduction / reminder of what a damn-fine band Guided By Voices truly are. If you’ve never actually heard them, I suggest the excellent compilation ‘Human Amusements at Hourly Rates’, which serves-up 33 songs from the 1987-2003 period and includes many of their very best.
If you are an ongoing fan, the recent albums ‘Space Gun’, ‘Zeppelin Over China’ and ‘Warp and Woof’ are proof that the band are back on top-form, so be sure to check them out. If you’ve already got tickets for the upcoming shows in London, I’m sure you’re going to enjoy them but if you haven’t, do yourself a big favour and find a way in. (I am unable to confirm or deny rumours that obsessive-but-ticketless fans are currently constructing a tunnel from Shoreditch High Street to the venue in some sort of reverse-Great Escape manoeuvre, but it might be worth a try…)
For plenty of further information, check out the official website ;
If you are an ongoing fan, the recent albums ‘Space Gun’, ‘Zeppelin Over China’ and ‘Warp and Woof’ are proof that the band are back on top-form, so be sure to check them out. If you’ve already got tickets for the upcoming shows in London, I’m sure you’re going to enjoy them but if you haven’t, do yourself a big favour and find a way in. (I am unable to confirm or deny rumours that obsessive-but-ticketless fans are currently constructing a tunnel from Shoreditch High Street to the venue in some sort of reverse-Great Escape manoeuvre, but it might be worth a try…)
For plenty of further information, check out the official website ;
