Guided By Voices takes tour to promote album

By Nate Cross
Staff Writer

Guided By Voices will be "kicking it" all over the United States this summer in support of its new album, "Isolation Drills."

Lead singer Bob Pollard is known for his stage presence in which he consumes lots of beer and does high leg kicks, which he has done since the band's first show, while he sings.

At 8:30 p.m. on May 9, Guided By Voices Bob Pollard will be doing some high kicks when the group performs at Birdy's Bar & Grill in Indianapolis.

"I emulate a lot of moves that I've seen in rock, and I steal from everyone that I've seen that I like," said Pollard. "I do the Adam Ant-jump where I kick my legs to the side and hit my hand on my foot. I do the Ian Anderson-stance [of Jethro Tull] where I put my foot up on my knee and stand there with my arms up. I do the Paul Stanley-side-kick [of KISS] kind of thing."

Pollard says he thinks the high kick is his because he has never seen anybody else do it.

"He reminds me of ‘80s hair bands with those crazy leg kicks," said Jake Puetz, a junior in the School of Liberal Arts.

Although Pollard is one of the founding members of Guided By Voices, he is the only original member still with the band. The band has had more than 40 members who have recorded or toured with it. The change of band members hasn't been hard for Pollard though.

"Whatever I have to do to keep Guided By Voices going, I'll do," said Pollard. "I'm always seeking the perfect band and I think I've found it right now. (Having new band members) doesn't make it difficult to tour. Whenever we are getting ready to tour we practice a couple of times and then go out."

Guided By Voices' newest album, "Isolation Drills," has received positive reviews and the most recent tour will feature some of the material from the album. Some of the most personal tracks are when Pollard confronts drinking, something he has become famous for doing onstage. In the song "How's My Drinking," Pollard sings, "I don't care about being sober" and on "The Brides Have Hit the Glass" he sings, "That's it all I can give / To try to find my way back / Just to hit glass."

Alcohol plays a big part in every Guided By Voices show. Pollard’s personal favorite is Budweiser but he says he’s been drinking Miller Lite lately to stay slimmer. Pollard says that at every venue the band play it has a post-concert ritual.

"After every show we are supposed to get two pizzas," said Pollard. "We like to eat pizza. But the after party mainly centers around the fact that we are supposed to get five cases of beer and a bottle of Jack Daniels."

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