Plucked at random from one of Black Flag’s innumerable gigs in the late ’70s, Henry Rollins went on to became frontman of his favourite band. Touring relentlessly, his memoirs ‘Get In The Van’ were released after the band’s acrimonious split. Drawn to spoken word concerts during his time with Black Flag, Henry continues to write, act, sing and travel the world to politicise and educate himself at every available opportunity. His latest spoken word tour arrives in the UK this week.
Henry was in Bamako, Mali, when I caught up with him.
- Have you seen Bamako, the film? Are you a fan of Malian music?
No I have not seen the film. I am a great fan of Malian music, however.
- Africa is a massive continent, what’s your overall interest over there?
I have been to a few of the countries in my nine visits to Africa. I call Africa “The Big Book”. I think a trip to Africa of no less than ten days should be mandatory for at least every American. People seem more alive there, to me at least. I think it might be because their future is not all that stable. It’s not like people save for their old age.
- Have you ever considered working with development organisations (not pressure groups like Amnesty) to help positively promote work there?
I have done a little and would like to do more. I have some things in the works that hopefully will be realized this year.
- Clearly, your interest seems to lie in travel these days: what makes a memorable experience for Henry Rollins?
Having moments in these places where I think I have made some kind of connection to the people or the culture, even if it’s only in my head. Some of the most educational moments of my life happen far from America.
- It’s getting more and more difficult to travel to America – have you encountered many difficulties overseas? Does the power of an American passport outweigh any negative connotations?
I know it’s getting harder to get into America and some of the stories I have heard about the aggressive, rude and sometimes humiliating experiences some have gone through make me cringe. I had a Canadian girlfriend who used to come to LA to visit and sometimes she would get hassled, yelled at. For some reason, the places I go to seem to like Americans, which I imagine has required more than patience in the last several years when you see how some of America’s policies have manifested themselves. I always try to make a good impression.
- You experienced racism at a young age, has this impacted on your passion for travel at all?
Not really. It was my mother taking me to places like Jamaica, Turkey, England and other places that turned me onto travel. I have been traveling internationally since I was ten, which is nothing but it grabbed me immediately.
- For those that may not know – what’s a USO tour and why is it important to you?
The USO is the United Services Organization. I like that they provide entertainment to the troops and seem to be a non-partisan, although they don’t call me anymore, I suspect they are over me.
- How do the soldiers react to you? Are they familiar with your work?
Soldiers seem to be grateful that anyone goes all the way out to a place like Iraq to see them. They don’t seem to care how you vote, in that you showed up and that in itself is the proof they need to think you’re alright. Many of the soldiers I met are familiar with my work. I have seen a lot of my books and DVDs in some strange places.
- It strikes me as ironic – considering you went to a military school, but didn’t go into the military – you’ve still ended up working with the military (albeit on your own terms). Do you feel a kinship with people in the military?
No. But I understand very well discipline, focus, duty and all of that. I was dipped in it in my youth. I admire these motivated people but I can’t get behind any war.
- Bill Hicks claimed that anyone dumb enough to want to join the military should be allowed in – how does that sit with your experiences?
I am a great admirer of Mr. Hicks but I think he was perhaps being a little tough there. I think I can understand his anger at that particular machine and I agree but I think if you met some of the soldiers I have met, you might not come to his conclusion. Seeing what I have seen, I couldn’t.
- Both you and Bill share a love of Jimi Hendrix: what’s your favourite of Hendrix’s performances?
Voodoo Chile from the Woodstock concert. A true show of strength. It’s intense when you consider his age and his depth of playing. His peers who survived are nowhere near as deep as he was as a twenty-something.
- Music obviously channels part of your spoken word performance, and drove a great deal of what you once did, but has age help develop appreciations of other art forms?
Sure. More laps around the track, a desire to take in different things have made me see that there’s a lot out there to be in awe of artistically.
- Have you any favoured writers? What is it about them and their work that appeals most?
Henry Miller, F Scot Fitzgerald, Camus, Hamsun, Algren, Selby, Fante, Kapuscinski, Kharms, Thomas Wolfe, Naomi Klein, Ellroy, Leautremont, Jarry, Breton, Gogol, Celine, Houelbec: they all have their own appeal. I like writers who are clear and can make me learn or draw me in, make me care about the story or the characters. In the case of someone like Celine or Kharms, it’s writing that I have never seen the likes of before. Rimbaud’s imagery, Baudlaire’s romantic nihilism, the revelatory genius of Proust, all these writers have a thing. I can never understand how they do it.
- Not that you would ever have to, but hypothetically, could you ever choose between great literature and great music?
Sure. I would go with the literature. I would rather have both though.
- I’d have thought that a person with literary leanings would be interested in Twitter, but this would seem to not be the case for you – any particular reason?
I don’t have a lot of time to fuck around.
- What can we expect from your latest spoken word tour? Will you be updating your fans with news of the West Memphis 3 trial?
I will be talking about where I have been certainly. Nothing about the WM3 that people can’t find out on their own by going to wm3.org.
- How does the balance of political and satirical sit with you? Are you a fan of Private Eye, The Onion etc?
I am not smart enough for satire really. I check out the Onion a few times a year. It comes to my office. The headlines always make me laugh but I don’t spend much time reading it, great as it is.
- Could you ever see yourself as an elected politician?
Oh, hell no.
- How do you feel about being elected and elevated to cult status?
I’m just working. I don’t know if there’s any elevation going on. Honestly, I don’t pay attention to what swirls around me. I get asked why I said this or that on Facebook, I am not on Facebook, don’t know how it works. I would rather just stay busy.
- Do you think it contributes to an explanation of your appearance on The Flaming Lips’ interpretation of ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, or do you think your work in film is beginning to have greater influence on younger generations?
I have no idea as to why the band asked me to be on that project. I highly doubt my appearances in film have influenced anyone in any way except to hit eject or to mark it down lower to move the overstock.
- Turning briefly to film, I noticed you brought up Bobby Sands in your recent interview with Tom Morello – did you see Steve McQueen’s ‘Hunger’? What did you think?
Hunger, as in the Knut Hamsun book? I have not seen the film.
- Do you see any relevance in Rage Against The Machine taking the Christmas UK number 1 over Simon Cowell’s X-Factor version of a Miley Cyrus song?
Nope.
- With the exception of Bad Boys II, Jackass and maybe a couple of other moments, art and politics seem inexorably tied throughout your career; for you in this fresh decade and seemingly brighter America, what next?
Hopefully, a good ten years of trouble making.
Visit Henry’s site for his frequent dispatches from the road.
Henry plays the following dates this month:
January 12 Ireland, Dublin, Vicar Street
January 13 UK, Glasgow, Academy
January 14 UK, Leicester, De Montfort Hall
January 15 UK, London, Royal Festival hall
January 16 UK, Manchester, Lowry
January 17 UK, Leamington, Assembly
January 18 UK, Norwich, UEA
January 19 UK, Bournemouth, Operahouse
January 20 UK, Liverpool, Academy
January 21 UK, Newcastle, Academy
January 22 UK, Leeds, Academy
January 23 UK, Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall