(Credit: Lori Shepler/Los Angeles Times)
This is Henry Rollins we’re talking about, after all. Even among today’s triple-threat talents, few have more hyphens on their resume than the hard-working indie icon. Last year, the singer-actor-writer-activist-spoken word artist added “talk show host” to the list, with IFC’s “Henry Rollins Show” bringing a semblance of anarchy to the premium cable-ready masses.
It’s a relatively mellow career move for Henry, but these are hardly his Vegas years. More than two decades of screaming out lyrics for Black Flag and the Rollins Band couldn’t contain his opinions, so a half-hour forum wasn’t likely to satisfy him. You can bathe in the overspill when his “Provoked” spoken word tour hits stages this fall with the usual candid combination of anecdotes and ire. It’s the live format where he thrives anyway, with an independent streak that’s undiminished—and maybe sharpened—by the format of plain speech.
Just before the kickoff of his tour, we squeezed in a few moments to chat with Henry about not-so-cheap talk, vacation recommendations, and (what else?) wooing conservative pundit Ann Coulter.
If anyone doubted your work ethic, all they'd have to do is take a look at your blog. In the past couple months, you've been to Scotland, Belgium and…Beirut? What was the occasion?
I went to Beirut, Lebanon as well as Damascus, Syria on that trip. I went to see if I could meet people in these places and take a look around. I had a really good time and met a lot of people who were very friendly to me.
Jello Biafra notwithstanding, you're one of the few people I can think of who can make a living by essentially just speaking their mind. If you can ignore the irony of addressing this in a web interview: Do you think people still have the need for the direct connection that spoken word offers?
I think there is a need for it as much or more than ever. In this age of sensory overload, a simple signal—one voice—is not a bad thing, I think.
Are there any other musicians out there you'd like to see go that route?
I wouldn’t mind hearing what Bob Dylan had to say about things. Serj [Tankian] from System [of a Down], Tom [Morello] from Rage [Against the Machine], they’re interesting and articulate. Past that, no one comes to mind, although I am sure there are many out there who can connect the dots.
You've done a lot to further the idea that punk, and rock in general, can be loud and articulate. Do you see that definition being upheld more or less lately?
Defining a person or a band so closely to a genre doesn’t really work for me. Too many people try to write the rulebook and there’s too many cops on those kind of scenes to me. I hated it back in the day and I hate it now. For myself, I am just doing my thing. I don’t know what to call myself. I think there are a lot of bands doing good music these days, but it would be too bad if they had to hold themselves to some kind of definition or set of rules. I think it kills the spirit of the whole thing.
I can't tell you how glad I was to see bands like Gogol Bordello get a spotlight on the “Henry Rollins Show.” Any bands you'd like have drop by for next season?
We have no bands planned for next season.
Another personal favorite: “Letters from Henry,” particularly the invitation to make Ann Coulter your concubine. Any calls back from Ann on that one?
I have not heard back from her as of yet. I keep the line open and I remain hopeful. It’s all I can do.
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