2013 brought bad blood in a few punk bands, after Black Flag, it’s Guided By Voices’ turn, and it’s not pretty either. Last week, Kevin Fennell, the drummer of the band, put his drums on sale on eBay, advertising:
‘Own the drums alternative rock legend and cult favorite Guided By Voices’ Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under the Bushes Under the Stars, Mag Earwig, Let’s go Eat the Factory, Class Clown Spots a UFO, English Little League, and Bears For Lunch were recorded on. These drums have played three US and three European tours including the 2010 Reunion Tour. They have played Central Park Summer Stage and The Jon Stewart Show. On top of that…they are simply good looking.’
Apparently he didn’t sell the thing, but that’s true he was asking for a ridiculous $55,000.
Shortly after this, the news that Fennell wasn’t in the band anymore came through frontman Robert Pollard’s management:
‘The band Guided By Voices has nothing to do with the sale of Kevin Fennell’s drums. He is acting on his own and is no longer in the band’, meaning that the move wasn’t really Pollard’s taste. This seemed like a straightforward ‘you are fired’, however, there was a rebound in the story, and the Facebook page for the auction posted a heated correspondence between Pollard and Fennell. Unfortunately, this page has now disappeared, but according to Pitchfork Fennell was saying that he wasn’t fired but ‘resigned’ from the band whereas Pollard declares he ‘was already fired’. To justify the auction, Fennell claimed he needed money because of the band’s inactivity, Pollard responded he made a fool of himself by asking such a large amount, being totally pissed off he used Guided By Voices name for the auction:
‘Most people would like to know who the fuck you think you are and who you think Guided By Voices is that you can warrant that kind of asking price for your fucking drums.’
‘You don’t have to ask for my permission to sell your shit but you do my friend, have to ask permission to use the name Guided By Voices as I own it.’
And then it went even nastier, with Pollard’s signature style:
‘You’re an amateur, you play too fast (which is the sign of an amateur). I’ve asked you to slow down and get behind the music but I can tell that you don’t know what I’m even talking about.’ ‘Do not delude yourself, Kevin, that people gave a shit who was behind that drum kit’.
This feud reveals one more time what kind of guy Pollard is, direct, brutally honest and the not the type to be infatuated by some rock indie status, he is certainly the anti Kanye West. I saw GBV a couple of times and Pollard was singing in an expeditious manner and drinking/smoking on stage even faster. He didn’t seem to be the kind of guy to mess up with. Being in a band is hard work, and I bet GBV’s fans don’t give a shit about this story either.