Henry Rollins has really done it all. Stern says he is the king of all media, but Rollins really deserves the title. Henry has worked on Music, Radio, Books, Video Games, and Movies. Now he returns to the IFC Channel with The Henry Rollins Show. The new show features interviews, live musical guests and musings from Rollins himself. We talked to Henry recently about his independent domination of all things media related, specifically his upcoming tour (with X), his voiceover work and his excellent radio show, on L.A.’s Indie 103.1.
Henry Rollins has come a long way since his days managing an Ice Cream shop in DC. He joined the band Black Flag in the early 80’s and when they broke up he went on to form The Rollins band. In between the musical gigs, Henry kept busy with roles in films like Heat, Bad Boys II and the second (and probably last) Project Greenlight film, Feast. In the D.I.Y. spirit, Henry also founded 2:13:61 Publications. The company has published books by Nick Cave and Exene Cervenka (of X) as well as his own books.
The night before the interview I checked out his radio show, Harmony in my Head. It had been a while since I last listened to the show but as usual it was a good listen. Rollins played a mix of music from Metal (Wicked Witch) to some good old D.C. Go-Go (from E.U.). Who else could play Iggy Pop and Curtis Mayfield in the same hour on the same show? I also found out that in addition to the all of the interviews he would be doing the next morning, he also had a show with The Rollins band that night too. The man is obviously a machine.
Henry recently returned to the Independent Film Channel (IFC) for his second show, the first was the series Henry’s Film Corner. The new show is a noticeable departure from the first show as it allows Henry to explore a broader range of topics.
CraveOnline: What prompted the switch in formats on the new IFC show?
Henry Rollins: IFC came to me actually and said we want to do the show weekly instead of monthly. We like you and we want more shows and we also think that we want to take advantage of the fact that you’re interested in a lot more than films... Would you like to broaden the scope?
It wasn’t me going to them. I didn’t even know if we (would) get a second season. It was all them. For me at least, it was a hell of a complement that they trusted me. I’m not used to other people’s money coming back for a second helping.
CraveOnline: Ha, ha.
Seriously I was laughing.
Henry Rollins: This is the first time anything I ever did got another go around.
CraveOnline: It’s a good show; I like the little Soapbox part.
Henry Rollins: The People like that. I would like to lose that part of the show. I’d rather take that time and have the interviews run longer. You should have heard all the stuff you didn’t hear. What Chuck D said, what (Werner) Hertzog said, what (Oliver) Stone said. A few more minutes of those guys…
The Soapbox section of the show has different people talking about their views on one specific topic. On the first episode the topic was Pornography and there were some interesting views presented. On a later episode the topic was Online Dating, which had me reconsider my view of the section.
CraveOnline: Is IFC going to release the show on DVD?
Henry Rollins: I think they want to. I want them to. I think that is more about legalities, layers, permissions, etc cetera.
CraveOnline: Are you going to be doing any USO (United Service Organizations) shows in the near future?
Henry Rollins: I do the USO thing when they call me. Sometimes they go, ok yeah we want to send you on a trip and you don’t even ask where. You just say, ok. It’s more like you said yes and you go where they need you because it’s not about you, it’s about the troops. The last thing I did was a hospital trip.
CraveOnline: That was at Walter Reed (Army Medical Center) right?
Henry Rollins: Right.
CraveOnline: Do you have any idea when the movie Feast is going to come out?
Henry Rollins: I have no idea. Don’t know and in a way, don’t care in that, not my movie. I did it and that like a year and a half ago. For me movies it’s not my thing. I show up, I do the best I can. I go on to the next thing. I don’t go to the premier; I don’t go the wrap party. I do the best when I’m there. I take the work seriously. For me its work and I believe one should be gainfully employed, like all the time and that’s what I do.
CraveOnline: Yeah.
Henry Rollins: John (Feast’s director, John Gulager) he’s a cameraman on the show. I see John all the time, wonderful guy. John’s on it, I’m sure he wants to see his movie come out so he can get on, hopefully to the next one.
CraveOnline: In terms of media, is there anything you would still like to do?
Henry Rollins: I’d like to write better. I’d like to have more time to write. It’s really in my opinion, what my writing always needs. It just needs that second draft, vigorous second draft.
CraveOnline: Do you think it changes the tone of the book, when you re-write it?
Henry Rollins: I think it refines it. For me it’s always been about the rewrite.
CraveOnline: Since we’re talking about your writing, let me ask you about Solipsist?
Henry Rollins: I wrote that book for about four years. That was the first time I really sat down and said ok I have the discipline now and I have what I think is an interesting chunk of writing. Now I need to make it scream as hard as it should do. It’s been my model for how I operate.
CraveOnline: It was an interesting read.
Henry Rollins: Oh, thanks.
At this point I decided to change directions and ask Henry about some of the more varied work he has done. I was surprised to learn that he had done voice over work for some animated films and TV shows as well as some video games. Specifically, I did not know that he had worked on Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Rollins has also done voice over work on several video games including Def Jam: Fight for NY (as himself) and Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter, as the title character.
CraveOnline: Is doing animated work or video games significantly different or odd?
Henry Rollins: It’s odd. But you know, in this town…
That response elicited more laughing from me because, L.A. really is a little bit different than the rest of the country.
Henry Rollins: I am so used to showing up. It’s like being a porn star or one of those women that comes to dance at your party. Which I’ve never seen, but I’ve met a few girls who do that. That’s this town, you show up for the voice over and you casually meet some stand up comic types who do a lot of that cartoon of voice over work. Every one gives it a read through and a bunch of seasoned whores get together and you do the work. You don’t keep numbers and you don’t make friends and you just get back in your car and go back on the 101 (freeway). That is your afternoon in Burbank, having been on Teen Titians. The work is fun I guess. I do a lot of that in this town. That’s this town, where you just show up for that work, day work, session work. I do voice over stuff all the time. I’m the voice of Goodyear tires.
CraveOnline: Shut up.
Henry Rollins: Every major game, that’ll be me. Get there on the wings of Goodyear, that’s me.
CraveOnline: Where do you see the DIY (Do it Yourself) ethic in music going?
Henry Rollins: It’s still how I operate. I see that coming back. I think there was a time where small bands were kinda playing like they were Peter Frampton, where they were like; I have to call my A&R guy. No you don’t, you have to go to band practice motherfucker. You have to learn to play. I have to talk to my stylist. No you should probably take some guitar lessons. When you heard indy guys going like; Oh I gotta talk to my press lady. You do? No you don’t, you kind of lost the plot chief.
I think self reliance and self responsibility and self accountability will help you as a parent, a teacher, as a citizen as a friend. When artists kind of lose that ability to get it done, you lose out on stuff. The art will suffer. You become somewhat removed from what it is that got you there. Not saying you have to be broke all the time and live out of cans and on a sleeping bag under an overpass, although it would help. I think musicians have to start taking their music back like Americans have to get their country back from Bush. So the artists have to get their art back and a lot of them are, a lot have never let it go. People like Ian McKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi), Discord Records. Mike Patton from Faith no More, these are people that have never lost their music.
IFC recently aired Henry’s spoken word show, Henry Rollins: Uncut from NYC. The show was taped at the Town Hall in New York as part of his 25 Years of Bullshit tour. The NYC show gives you the full Rollins experience, but in the comfort of your home. One of the more interesting and hilarious sections of the show is where Henry describes his train ride on the Trans-Siberian Express.
CraveOnline: Are you planning any more international train rides?
Henry Rollins: Well yeah. I’m planning in December on doing the Trans-Mongolian Express. There’s three of them, the Trans-Manchurian, Mongolian and Siberian. I plan on doing all three, one a year. I was gonna go in February of this year but shooting schedule got in the way and I am determined to do it in cold weather.
This question leads to a list of countries that Henry will visit when he has time. Henry also expressed his desire to try to schedule two of the (one week long) train rides within a two month period. Insane.
CraveOnline: Are any of the dates for the tour with X booked yet?
Henry Rollins: I only have one, the one in late July that was booked the one in Costa Mesa. But it is happening. I’m a massive X fan. Love that band. They’re killer live and it’s gonna give us a run for our money.
CraveOnline: I don’t know about anywhere else, but people in L.A. really love X.
Henry Rollins: Yeah. I’ve rarely seen them play outside of LA. I’ve saw them play in New York, the place was packed and everyone loved them. It would be interesting doing the Midwest and South with X, where we do fine and we tour all the time.
CraveOnline: I would think they would really like their sound, especially in the South.
Henry Rollins: I hope so. I have all their records. I’m a big supporter of the band ever since I first heard them. I think it will be a fun tour. They’re very nice people.
CraveOnline: Any more work with the West Memphis Three?
Henry Rollins: Yeah, I’m hosting a benefit me and Jello Biafra (Alternative Tentacles owner and ex Dead Kennedys singer) and a few other people are doing a thing. Damien Echols (one of three boys charged with a murder in the early 1990’s), he wrote me from Death Row and asked would you help me out and host this art gallery benefit. I wrote him and said yes I will.
CraveOnline: Well I’ll let you get back to the rest of your interviews. Thanks you for your time.
Henry Rollins: Alright man. I’ll see you down the road.
On that note (and because we were out of time) I concluded the interview. It was great talking to a musical Icon and model of the still thriving independent spirit in music. Check out the links below to lear more about Henry's current projects.
IFC show site - Henry's Radio show - 2:13:61 Publishing
