Guided by Voices have just announced reunion dates featuring their classic lineup, and you’re planning to get tickets. But don’t know how to act at the show? Don’t fret, dear reader, for I have just the tutorial for you:
How to Behave at a Guided by Voices show
1. Arrive early, if possible. In some stadiums or civic centers, you may have a half-mile hike to arrive at your seat, and threading your way through a line of people can cause a lot of stress and could thus make you enjoy the GBV show less.
2. Listen to ushers, security people, and others whose job it is to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of the rest of the people who are attending, despite how lame they are.
3. Obey the rules for the venue where you are attending, including drinking and recreational drug use. These may be a very real part of the rock scene, especially since Pollard is quite the beer dude, but you should be concerned enough to behave responsibly.
4. Be polite to people around you. Again, this may not be the ordinary attitude for concert goers, but it will tend to make it easier to enjoy the show. Here are some things to note:
• Do not push and shove to get to a merchandise table, food and beverage vendor, or restroom. Rock music fans are like any group, they can be laid back and mellow, or volatile and edgy. Ever been to a Strokes concert? Sheeeit.
• Do not throw things, insult people, or complain to people sitting near you. If GBV ends up sucking, walk out, or if there is another group coming up, chill out and wait for them.
• Don’t block the view for other concert goers. If the crowd gets up and start screaming or waving their arms, join them, but don’t try to do a one-person show in the stands for your own entertainment. I can’t stand those fucks.
5. Keep your hands, elbows, and generally all of your body parts to yourself. And yes, that means your penis and/or vagina too. You may be stoked and overjoyed with the show, but you should still allow others to enjoy it in their own way.
6. Go with the flow. Some GBV shows, usually the best ones, do get a little out of control, and if you are into it, it is fine to get involved with the crowd.
7. Don’t be disrespectful about other bands there that you may not like, especially when conversing with your friends. People can get very touchy on the subject of bands they like, even if they got a low rating on Pitchfork.
8. Dress appropriately. Generally the best clothing to wear is that of similar bands to the headline act but as long as it’s in the style of the music it’s okay (e.g. a Bee Thousand shirt is always a good idea).
9. Always make an effort to get there in time for the support band, as they can often put on a better show than the headline act and you never know where they are going to go in the future. Times New Viking are fucking awesome live, too.
10. Enjoy yourself. Your main aim in the gig is to have fun. This depends on what your idea of fun is; if you want to be a barrier boy, then you need to get onto that front barrier right at the start and never let go no matter how squashed and deafened you get. If you want to sit and not be squashed, then go upstairs. If you want to be a demon of the pit, then you need to rip your shirt off and start acting like a gorilla in heat.
Follow these tutorial and you’ll have a great time at one of these upcoming GBV shows:
09.30.10 - Austin, TX - East Side Drive %
10.03.10 - Las Vegas, NV - Matador 21
10.04.10 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern %
10.05.10 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield %
10.07.10 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom %
10.09.10 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo %
10.12.10 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue %
10.13.10 - Chicago, IL - The Vic %
10.15.10 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
10.16.10 - Columbus, OH - Outlands Live
10.21.10 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10.22.10 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
10.23.10 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theater
11.05.10 - Boston, MA - Paradise #
11.06.10 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero #
11.07.10 - New York, NY - Terminal 5 #
% Times New Viking
# Blitzen Trapper
• Guided by Voices: http://www.gbv.com
