Putting some intensity into it: An interview with Henry Rollins

Some of you may know America's premier standup storyteller as the lead singer of ‘80s hardcore band Black Flag. Or as the front man in the Rollins Band in the 1990s. You may have read his literature, books like Art to Choke Hearts, Pissing in the Gene Pool and Black Coffee Blues. But most of you now know him as an energetic, engaging raconteur, for whom it is not unusual to speak on stage for two or three hours nonstop.

Henry is currently traveling, something he does frequently between speaking tours. According to his regular column in LA Weekly, he is in the Far East. Carousel spoke with him via email:

TRIPLE CITIES CAROUSEL: You have got to be the best-traveled celebrity in recent memory. At every one of the live spoken-word performances I've seen you do recently, you're talking about your latest trip, often to places most American tourists would never even consider visiting. How do you choose your destinations?

HENRY ROLLINS: As to choosing a destination, often, it’s historically motivated. I want to see a place where something happened, or is happening. For instance, I was in Sudan when people in the southern part of the country were preparing to become South Sudan. It was amazing time to be there - the optimism and excitement. I also travel to places to better understand climate change, ecosystems, poverty, pollution, human rights. Basically, I’m trying to get a better understanding of things by going to the source.

TCC: Your latest tour is not only you speaking, but exhibiting photos you've taken in your travels. I think that's fantastic! What inspired you to include images in your presentations this time around?

HR: I spend a lot of time out in the world with a camera, and a few years ago, I was asked to show some photos at National Geographic’s theater in Washington, DC. I thought it worked out well. I was asked to do another one of these shows in Los Angeles months later and that went well, so I thought I would try it as a ticketed event. I did a couple of them in Australia last year and they went really well and so, we booked a month of shows in America and we’ll see how it goes.

TCC: How did your time with Black Flag influence your love of travel?

HR: Being on the road as much as I was with Black Flag, from having never toured before, to living on the road up to nine to ten months a year was quite an adjustment. It wasn’t easy but I soon concluded that there was so much happening out in the world, compared to being “at home” that I found myself missing the road when I was off it. I went beyond being used to it, to it being a way of life, of processing information, of evaluating things. The road felt real, being off it felt like a held breath, an act of maintaining. To this day, I try and stay out in the world as much as possible. Last week, I was walking the streets of Taipei - it was great.

TCC: North Korea's been in the news lately. You are one of very few Americans who've actually gotten to personally visit that country. How did you manage that?

HR: The truth is that I have a well-connected travel agent. That’s it, really. She would get a few visas a year for North Korea, and I asked to be on the list. I lucked out and was able to go, via Beijing. I don’t know how many Americans get there. I’m willing to bet it’s a lot harder now.

TCC: You say that you travel, but you don't take vacations. I watched you give a rather scathing definition of the word “vacation” at a gig in Ithaca, NY a while back. What, to you, is the main difference?

HR: I’m not trying to be mean to those who go on vacations. I’m glad people get a chance to get out and see things. The point I was trying to make is that a lot of people have lives that they have to vacate from now and then. It’s that punishment/reward thing that’s such a big deal in the West. The idea of a vacation is, in ways, connected to retirement. You’re going to beat yourself up so one day, you get a gold watch and can catch your breath and then die. The vacation is the temporary escape from the cubicle. You will be going back to it eventually. I would rather go on adventures. How about this, instead of a vacation, go on an evacuation. Put some intensity into it. To me - and it might just be me parsing words - but a vacation feels like part of an overall submission to a life that’s living you, rather than you living it. A lot of what I do is motivated by life’s shortness.

TCC: You have a book of photos from your recent travels, Occupants. How did that project come about?

HR: I had never done a photo book before, so I thought I would do one. The next one’s finished. I have to do some writing and some processing but it’s pretty much done.

TCC: You've once described yourself as a “vinyl cat lady.” Now, I've heard you spin CDs that you've collected, on your KCRW radio program, but your medium of choice appears to be vinyl. You've even got a turntable on your touring bus! Why mainly vinyl, rather than say, CDs or digital sound files?

HR: A lot of the year, like when I’m on tour, my playback is, for the most part, digital. It’s great for portability but doesn’t sound as good as vinyl, not even close. To me, digital, while very handy, has cheapened the currency of music. To a lot of people, it’s just something you download onto your phone, or stream it through a service. It often costs little or nothing, which is okay, I guess, but I think it devalues music. With a sound file, you don’t get the story of the band; you can’t hear the humanity. As they say, I’m into vinyl for the expense and inconvenience.

TCC: Your mother raised you right when she steered you away from TV. I understand you don't even own one now (neither do I). I think a lot of our readers could benefit from this approach to life.

HR: I just got done living in hotels for the last two weeks and didn’t turn on the television once. I will watch news online sometimes but I find television often depressing and how hours fly by when you watch - it’s almost insidious. I like making a television show and I’m not against watching something but it’s just not something I want where I live.

TCC: You once remarked, “Failure is good. Failure leads to success.” Would you please clarify that for our readers?

HR: Failure is how you get the lay of the land. You gave something a shot with the best of intentions; the parts that didn’t work are as useful as the parts that did. If you interview any “successful” person and ask them how they got where they are, I bet more often than not they will tell you about the times that weren’t all that good. What I’m saying is, failure doesn’t have to be bad, if you learn from it and pick up speed the next time around. Failing doesn’t make you a failure. You went for it, okay, you blew out, well, now you know more than you did before you went for it. Your next attempt will be far more informed. If you’re trying to do almost anything extraordinary, you will make mistakes, embarrass yourself, etc. I think all that stuff strengthens you.

TCC: You've been a “yes man” for much of your adult life, beginning with your joining Black Flag. When an opportunity for say, a movie role comes up, you're on it. You're the embodiment of carpe diem!

HR: Life is short and you get old really fast. By rejecting a lot of normalized ideas of how to go about things, I’ve had an interesting time. I’m nobody from nowhere. I don’t have a great deal to lose, so, I live as eventfully as I can. David Lee Roth called it “sailing the seas of consequence.”

TCC: One last thing. You've been into body building ever since you were in high school. According to your website, you've recently been on a juice fast. Why did you do it, and how did it turn out?

HR: I’ve been working out, going to the gym since I was young, yes. It’s just part of my life. Mostly, it keeps stress at a manageable level. I did a few of those juice fasts. I didn’t notice anything besides how strange it is not to eat for days at a time. Does interesting things to the mind. I don’t know if it’s healthy, so I couldn’t recommend it.

Henry Rollins will be performing at three locations in New York State this January: the 20th at The Egg Center for the Performing Arts in Albany; the 21st at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, and the 23rd at the State Theater in Ithaca. Tickets can be purchased at henryrollins.com, or through each venue.