Guided by Voices Fisticuffs on Final Tour.

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Road trip with five friends. Somethin' like 600 miles from Toronto, Ontario, to Cleveland, Ohio, to see Guided by Voices on the farewell tour.
More to do with nostalgia (they were our favourite band during university) but still dug the show. My one buddy did not.
After we managed to bluff our way "backstage" after the show to drink free beer, one buddy voices his criticism to Pollard, saying he's seen better GBV shows.
One buddy is escorted out by the GBV muscle (Jim Pollard, Mitch Mitchell and an assortment of Dayton-ites) as is another buddy after trying to intervene. After the two of them leave the venue, Jim, Mitch and a few others decide to give them an old-fashioned Ohio beatdown. My friend said they were pussies. He didn't even have a bruise. My other friend, the guy who got caught up in the fracas, called Jim a "fat fuck" after some punches are thrown. He also described the debacle as a joke, being "roughed up" by the hangers on of some washed-up indie rock band.
Buddy One is now selling his entire GBV collection on e-Bay in protest. He feels blameless, but I said criticizing a band's performance in the band room while drinking the rider is like walking into someone's living room and taking a piss on the carpet. Just seems like a whole bunch of over-reaction on both sides.

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Monday, 25 October 2004 21:46 (twenty-one years ago)

They beat up the guy that didn't like the show?

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Monday, 25 October 2004 21:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Kind of. They hit him but didn't really hurt him. The other guy (the one who tried to diffuse the situation) got pushed down on the pavement and has a scratch on his elbow.

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Monday, 25 October 2004 21:59 (twenty-one years ago)

sounds to me like he deserved the "beating".

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 25 October 2004 22:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude he was drinking their beer and told them they sounded crap. I woulda thrown his ass out head first as well.

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Monday, 25 October 2004 22:01 (twenty-one years ago)

^^ what those two said

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Monday, 25 October 2004 22:02 (twenty-one years ago)

If I were Bob Pollard, I would have hired the guy to filter half-assed, bullshit songs off my records before I released them.

― King Korn Karn, Monday, 25 October 2004 22:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree that he deserved to get thrown out, but I don't think he and our (innocent) friend deserved to be attacked by four guys.
(x-post)

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Monday, 25 October 2004 22:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, Pollard made a joke at his show. He said (and I'm paraphrasing) that with GBV you get the good song, and then you get the shit song, and so on.

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Monday, 25 October 2004 22:18 (twenty-one years ago)

but you guys shouldn't have even been backstage. Much less drinking the band's beer. And much less talking shit about them. If the bouncers had found you they probably would've beat you down themselves.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 25 October 2004 22:26 (twenty-one years ago)

what the fuck, GBV are now totally like the fall!

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 25 October 2004 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Shakey, I used "bluff" as a kind of shorthand. We were invited back by the band after they found out about the 600-mile drive. We were offered the beer, and only one of us, the guy who got ejected, talked shit about them. The rest of us enjoyed the show.

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Monday, 25 October 2004 22:47 (twenty-one years ago)

ah well see, that's a little different.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 25 October 2004 22:52 (twenty-one years ago)

i wish your friend got hurt more

― cutty (mcutt), Monday, 25 October 2004 22:53 (twenty-one years ago)

then you're an asshole.

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Monday, 25 October 2004 23:04 (twenty-one years ago)

hmmm.

do threads about violent acts invoke aggression in ILXORS?

― Thea (Thea), Monday, 25 October 2004 23:07 (twenty-one years ago)

provoke? damn.

― Thea (Thea), Monday, 25 October 2004 23:08 (twenty-one years ago)

"Actually, Pollard made a joke at his show. He said (and I'm paraphrasing) that with GBV you get the good song, and then you get the shit song, and so on.
-- Bruce S. Urquhart (burquhar...), October 25th, 2004."

I've only been hearing every second song then.

― Sasha (sgh), Monday, 25 October 2004 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

THE NEXT PERSON TO POST ON THIS THREAD GETS THE F8CKIN SH8T BEAT OUTTA THEM

signed,

B & S

― Thea (Thea), Monday, 25 October 2004 23:50 (twenty-one years ago)

AUDITORIUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― "bob", Monday, 25 October 2004 23:51 (twenty-one years ago)

whoopsie, this was for the current Belle & Sebasatian thread, ha ha.

― Thea (Thea), Monday, 25 October 2004 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

It's really at the point where buddy One voices his criticism to Pollard that you have the stupidity. I mean, should (disgruntled) fans really have that right backstage?

"Dude - I believed in you once!"

― Piers (piers), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 00:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Not that I condone the old-fashioned Ohio-beatdown particularly.

― Piers (piers), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 00:03 (twenty-one years ago)

so that's what mitch mitchell is doing now? providing backstage protection for a guy who kicked him out of his band?

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 00:05 (twenty-one years ago)

lots of discussion of this, by the way, on postal blowfish. i'm quite surprised by how many people there are lining up *against* the band.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 00:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I talked to my buddy just to get more of the facts because he was pretty pissed off after the show (and we took different cars back to Canada).
I wouldn't call him a disgruntled fan exactly. He's been a huge GBV fan for years, long after I thought the band peaked. Considering we drove 600 miles and spent hundreds of dollars on hotel rooms, etc. would seem to support this. We were invited back because we had made the trip. (We got a shout-out during the set),
The problem came during a conversation (and this is the info I just found out). He told Pollard that he thought he and the band were amazing but was a little underwhelmed by the night's show. He thought there was too much of Pollard's solo.side-project material included and not enough prime GBV.
The woman Bob was with started calling him an asshole and then Bob told my buddy it would be a good idea if he left. When he (and our other friend) were "escorted out," he wasn't combative.
Then Jim Pollard, Mitchell and, according to my friend, Nate Farley and one or two others came out, jumped then without warning and gave them a few shots.
After that, my buddy and Farley had a chat. These guys were under the impression my friend was telling everyone GBV sucked. My buddy corrected him, telling Farley he had said the performance wasn't as enjoyable as previous GBV shows he had attended. There was some discussion about this. Then things became heated again, and considering it was five or two, my friends skedaddled.
Now, like I said earlier, I wouldn't have gone into some band's room and criticized the show. But the stuff on the street was out of line.

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 00:24 (twenty-one years ago)

"five to two"

― Bruce S. Urquhart (BanjoMania), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 00:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I'm with you about the macho-heroics on the street being dumb Bruce. The initial conversation? Still a little misguided. But then you'd think Bob would be well used to punters wanting/needing prime-era tunes and, for him, that kind of comment wouldn't be a big deal. Why am I spending so much time on this thread? Human drama 'spose!

― Piers (piers), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 00:37 (twenty-one years ago)

More 'fans' should get beat down, I think. I hope this starts a groovy trend. "What?? You don't like Lifted, Or The Song is in The Soil? Get him, Cursive!!"

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 04:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Excellent!

― Piers (piers), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 04:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I might have to start liking Bright Eyes if I hear about his band beating down snotty emo boys who had "seen better Bright Eyes shows".

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 05:07 (twenty-one years ago)

From what I've seen of these bright eyes emo-boys, their only method of combat would probably be winning you over with their doe-eyes and angelic voices... until you're rendered unconcious.

― scout (scout), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 07:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Angelic voices? That guy sings like Robert Smith with his nuts in a vice!

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 07:34 (twenty-one years ago)

well, they'll do that pretty boy thing until you're suck on the floor, you know. those guys aren't messing around.

― scout (scout), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 09:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Since I don't make a habit of sucking on floors, I think I could take them...

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 09:42 (twenty-one years ago)

HAHA that is super weird, because I really didn't type that word, and ILX just made my computer shut down for no reason!!! it's the emo curse!!!

― scout (scout), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 09:57 (twenty-one years ago)

YOU DOWNLOADED A GHOST!

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 10:41 (twenty-one years ago)

holy shit. where's freddie prince JR and that buffy dog-face girl?!

― scout (scout), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 11:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I DOWNLOADED A GHOST

― From a Land of Grass Without Mirrors (AaronHz), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 11:02 (twenty-one years ago)

He deserved the verbal beat down. I have a very close friend who is on a successful TV show, and nearly every time we go out some dweeb has to come up and tell him what's being done wrong, how the writers could have improved it, etc. It's really obnoxious. Do you stop strangers in the street to tell them how to do their (or someone else he or she works with) job better?

I can't belive I'm quoting Jerry Garcia, but he said something really funny once: "I can't stand it backstage. Too many geeks."

― shookout (shookout), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 11:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Whatever the result, it's bad form to go backstage, drink the band's beer, then criticize the band's performance. Any sentient being knows this. Your buddy knew he would get a reaction, he was just surprised at the scope and intensity of it.

― Vince Daliessio, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 11:34 (twenty-one years ago)

so this isnt a slash fiction thread.
how does one get jumped and not get beat up?

― kephm, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 12:35 (twenty-one years ago)

im picturing Nate holding your friend in place while stroking his arm and BOB WITH THE AMAZING KUNG FU KICKS WHIRLING JUST INCHES FROM THE FELLOWS FACE.

― kephm, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 12:37 (twenty-one years ago)

"Why do people have to fight?" (mp3 link)

Listen to Herve Villaichaize, people.

― Dave Gutowski (largeheartedboy), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 12:42 (twenty-one years ago)

This is probably the best thing GBV have done in years

― Deadaismus? (Dada), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

awesome.

good for your friend, guided by voices has sucked for soooo long.

fuck them.

― ALLMUSIC.COM (ddb), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 14:16 (twenty-one years ago)

"And now we see eye to eye
That another man's trash is collectible
And every weakness is correctible
Be leaving here quite soon now
Be pushing off to the moon now

And my I have had quite a time
And the mosh pit is filled
With memorabilia yeah
And if you'd have stayed
They'd have killed ya
And taken you home anytime now
And I had a very nice time now

We are not so cold, are we?
They are not so bold, are they?
And I am getting old, aren't I?

And how did you like my clothes?
I wore them so that they wouldn't dump us..."

― Dfactor Pop, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 19:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the Amplified Heat/Oxbow beatdown beef better.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

i would never fuck with oxbow

― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 09:26 (twenty-one years ago)

"Buddy One is now selling his entire GBV collection on e-Bay in protest."

I'm sure GBV and co. will climb down immediately when they hear this.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 10:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Mike Watt had the best comeback ever for belligerent fans making suggestions about which songs to play...

"I don't show up in the bathroom stall where you work and tell you which dicks to suck."

or something like that.

― BrianB (BrianB), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah watt!!

― ALLMUSIC.COM (ddb), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 13:43 (twenty-one years ago)

four years pass...

I wonder if anyone had been drinking during this incident

― badg, Wednesday, 5 August 2009 12:08 (sixteen years ago)

Mike Watt didn't come up with that.

― ambience chaser (S-), Wednesday, 5 August 2009 12:18 (sixteen years ago)

fifteen years pass...

I just picked up a CD of "Half Smiles of the Decomposed" with a hype sticker that says:

THE FINAL ALBUM
The last chapter in the storied career of Robert Pollard's
merry men is another idiosyncratic rock masterpiece.

(they've released 23 albums since then)

― enochroot, Friday, 11 October 2024 20:52 (one year ago)

GBV go out of business more often than Oriental rug stores

― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Friday, 11 October 2024 21:02 (one year ago)

three months pass...

Mitch Mitchell made a total ass of himself here where I live on that "final tour". He was a fucking pig on stage and ruined what already wasn't a great show. I couldn't believe it, really, and never want to see or hear from, or of, him again.

― Matt Riedl (veal), Tuesday, 4 February 2025 18:50 (one year ago)

"Mitch Mitchell made a total ass of himself here where I live on that "final tour". He was a fucking pig on stage and ruined what already wasn't a great show."
How so?

― LightUserSyndrome, Thursday, 6 February 2025 23:29 (one year ago)

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