The Henry Rollins Interview

Henry Rollins is often and easily described as punk's renaissance man: hardcore singer and activist turned publisher and writer; from there it was to spoken-word tours, more writing, a new band, movie and TV roles, radio DJ, a TV show featuring interviews and music clips, now he's hosting a travel show and for most of the last decade he has been one of the go-to guys to pop up as a talking head for a music documentary. He might be rivalling Bono there.

So there's the Henry Rollins of Black Flag and the Henry Rollins of the Rollins Band. Then there's the Henry Rollins of all the books and spoken-word shows and somewhere along the way - around 2000 - the angry political rants gave way (slightly) as a form of comedic timing entered the act.

Rollins the stand-up comic/raconteur stands with the microphone lead coiled around his wrist; as if he is part of the series, the amplification only takes effect when that cord is wrapped up in his fist. And he's off. Three hours later, blood coming back to the tops of your legs, the small of your back and in particular that space between, you have been whitewashed with words.

I've taken the Rollins challenge twice now - and I've loved it. I'll be there for a third talking to this week. He's become a regular visitor - popping in every two years to our town.

"It started off with just Auckland," he explains down a phone line, "but there are more opportunities for me now - I've done Wellington twice and I'll be back there. And we've got some new shows this time, new cities for me. I'll be going to Hamilton. And that is a first. I'll also be going to Christchurch."

The man who talks a mile-a-minute when he's on stage can easily summarise when he needs to - he has no trouble editing himself in an interview.

"I like doing shows."

That's his answer for the increase in New Zealand tour dates over the past decade. There's no chuckle afterwards. This doesn't lead anywhere. He's happy enough with that statement.

A pause - and I leave the space because I have to guess that Rollins doesn't deal in silence when the opportunity to speak is provided - and then we're off again: "I have an inhale year and an exhale year. I go out and seek and gather and find things and then it all pours out. And New Zealand is well established now for me as part of the exhale year - so I'm coming to tell you about everything I've done in the time off since I was last there."

There's a chuckle this time and Rollins adds, "I'm very boring. I'm very aware of that. But I like to work. So you guys have got me and you're stuck with me. If you want to come to the show I'll work hard for you - if you don't that's fine. But I'm going to get on that stage and talk. I'm going to tell you some things about myself and about the world I've seen and I'm going to do my best to make it interesting - but me, as a person, I'm very boring. I'm mellower now, I'm over 50. But I don't think I'm too mellow. I'm still angry at a lot of things."

He's just not as angry at himself anymore.

"There's no way that I've got it all sussed, no way at all. But I have a good life. I enjoy what I do. I am married to work. And that's not a cute line, that's not an excuse - that is how I am. I am married to this work. And that is why I do what I do. Every now and then I'll do something that will crossover" - he labours the emphasis on the word, drawls it out as he draws it out - "a while ago it was Jackass, I appeared in those films, so people that probably didn't know all that much about me were suddenly aware of me because of that. Most recently it's been Sons of Anarchy - I had a recurring role in that so a lot of people seemed to take great pleasure in pointing that out to me. That's fine, you know, that's someone's point of connection. I do not expect people to connect all the dots. There's no rule that you have to like Henry Rollins the musician or the actor. If you like the shows I do that's great, it doesn't mean you'll like all of my books or other things. But I'm grateful that some of the acting work I do wins me a few new fans from time to time. But if they only like that then that's also fine. Sure."

Rollins says New Zealand fans are especially passionate. "The last time I was in Wellington I spent a long time talking to people after the show. They wanted more. I know some people probably wouldn't believe that" - here he's starting to work the comedic timing into his interview plan; Henry tries quite hard for self-effacing quips. Sometimes they're more successful than other times, the intention always seems pure, there is at least awareness.

"I am gonna do my best, there will be nights where I don't feel like it so much, where I just have to go back to the hotel room and crash - but I will do my best. I feed off this energy. And if you have given me your time then I will give you mine. That's the deal we're in - me and the audience. If you want more time after and I can give it to you, I will try. Some people want a T-shirt signed or a DVD or they just want to say they enjoyed the show, I will try to be there for that. I try to give people what they want."

Rollins agrees that his show has changed over the years - the intensity, the energy, it's still there but it's less of a confrontation.

"I want people to think, absolutely. And I am not suggesting that what I have to say about America's politics or where I have been in the world is the correct answer but I do think that it is, at the least, informed. I want to entertain but I want to provoke thought. I'm one hundred per cent about delivering - I'm aiming to give the audience a good time. But it is a new show every time I tell it. No two shows are the same. Sure, there are stories that are repeated but it is a bit like a band playing songs, they'll be done differently on the night according to the energy. That's what I always like when I see bands."

Talking for two or three hours requires intense concentration, skill, preparation. Rollins says that his delivery is inspired by jazz - "I do think that it's like a solo in jazz. I mean Coltrane would play for like 45 minutes and you can't do that without some structure. So he has the structure and he knows in a sense what he is going to play and there are familiar themes he returns to; he knows the places in the piece that will create further platforms for him to dive off. In that sense - and in that sense only - I am going to compare myself." He pauses to laugh. "But seriously, it is like that. It is a case of improvisation within a structure, of taking the moment and just riffing, going off and trusting the instinct. But it only happens with a lot of preparation behind you, material that you know, that you can call on."

Rollins is still angry about his government - he trots out a line I heard the first time I saw him perform, about America being a country "that needs gas and food and we don't care who we have to give democracy to in order to get those things". He says America is "a bunch of blues singers; good people on a bad day". (Another line from another show.)

He believes "the punk-rock ethos" informs his work. Still. "Everything I do, writing, touring, travelling, it all comes from the punk and hardcore attitude, from that expression - from being open to try things but relying on yourself, taking what you have into the battle and making of it what you will, hoping you can figure it out as you go. Make some sense of it."

Rollins will be making sense of it - talking at great lengths to understand himself as much as to serve up entertainment to his fans - tonight in Hamilton, tomorrow in Christchurch, on Friday in Wellington and on Saturday in Auckland. For a full list of the dates and venues click here.

And to be in to win a double-pass to the Henry Rollins show of your choice - that is to say the area closest to where you live - leave a comment below telling me why you should win.

I want to know your favourite book or album by Henry Rollins. I want to know if you prefer Henry Rollins the author and spoken-word performer or Henry Rollins the musician. I want to know why you want to see Rollins live. Also your comment needs to include the city where you want to see Henry: Hamilton (tonight), Christchurch (Thursday), Wellington (Friday) or Auckland (Saturday).

So are you a Henry Rollins fan? Or have you never been able to tolerate his attitude and performance style? Do you think he speaks truths and sense or are you not on board with his energy and ethos? And to be in to win a double-pass to a show, please share your tale of fandom; your interest in Henry Rollins.  

Postscript: I have no interest in Rollins' music - particularly his Rollins Band material. Ghastly stuff, but his spoken-word shows are always interesting and some of his books have contained provocative, interesting writing. He has some wonderful stories (both spoken and in print) about music, his fandom, his continual fascination. Lovely stories about Isaac Hayes and David Porter, about Jerry Lee Lewis and Van Halen; I really believe he's a gifted storyteller and remarkable in his quest, his energy, his commitment. I admire his work ethic.

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