Henry Rollins- by Simon Rafet & Tony Kapel
I had the incredible honor to interview Henry Rollins, frontman of legendary bands S.O.A., Black Flag, and Rollins Band. To give a little background Henry Rollins has become a larger than life figure for those of us in the world of “alternative” music and writing. Like many others Henry has become a constant source of inspiration and has influenced my life like many others, be it by his plethora of books and spoken word shows or his music. Below is short piece written by Tony Kalpel and following that is my interview with the man himself.
“The faster you walk the less time you have to jitter” true stories become comedic remedies for the punk rock madman. Usually sweaty and shirtless, He staged himself solo – all black – and a single spotlight. I was skating to this man in sixth grade but didn’t know it till I was in high school. I was 18 or so skating with a friend home from a day of no good. We stopped at a gas station. Ryan puts away his drink and pulls out a VHS tape titled “ROLLINS” in bold red magic marker. I had seen The Rollins Band a few months before but wasn’t prepared for his intimate delivery. Punk Rock legend, scribe, actor, and so on. There’s plenty to say but not needed. He’s Henry Rollins HE will be performing at Amaturo Theater at Broward Center, Ft Lauderdale, FL Thu, Oct 6, 2016, 08:00 PM
1) What is your opinion on a large number of mass shootings, besides the obvious fact that it's terrible? but what do you believe is the root of the problem? Do you think the current political environment is the reflection of what is going on now? Do things like this seem to reminisce of the social political environment you lived through as a young boy in D.C. in the late 60s and early 70s? then again in the 90s during the LA riots.
Henry: I think that many Americans have concluded that they cannot get along, will not get along and don’t want to get along with others. The USA has had myriad chances to establish equality since 1865. Even with the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 and the Fourteenth in 1868, they chose Jim Crow laws over fairness and decency. What USA is suffering is not primarily due to the proliferation and easy access to guns. What you are seeing now is the fruits of a multi-decade, multi-level effort to bring the country to the exact point to where it is now. It’s what Hoover wanted, what Reagan wanted. You dumb down the electorate, grease up the pathways to incarceration, limit access to progress and blame the criminals for their behavior. The War on Drugs is of course, fake. Brilliantly pulled off, though. Medium wide shot, it’s a war on people of color, wide wide shot, it’s a war on the poor. Incarceration is big business. The poor can make you rich. As soon as that guy’s ass hits the bed in the cell, you’re making money. War is a proven money maker. USA loves murder, both domestic and abroad. The only thing that gets in the way of these multi-billion dollar pursuits is education and peace. That’s why a guy like Trump gets mileage by coming out against both. A black person sees their country as a killing field and says, “Black lives matter,” in order to just get a moment to breathe and get his or her bearings. It is a plea for decency, a time out on what seems to be open season on millions of people, supposedly given all the protections of the Constitution. A white person, not all, of course, who often lives in a very, very different America replies with, “All lives matter.” They obviously don’t. It is a perfectly constructed disconnect. These shootings are just part of it. More to come, absolutely.
2) You have said before that going out to and seeing the world. meet the people, eat the local food, and listen to some good music. How do you get that message to people like Donald Trump and his supporters who only seem to want to live in fear and never evolve past the fear of rain and fire?
Henry: You can’t. You can perhaps get to their kids. Trump supporters see their country slipping away. That’s how you can sell them on a tagline as insipid as “Make America great again.” Ask them when America was great as an example as to what time period we need to hurl ourselves backwards to. The 8 years of Reagan? 11 tax raises, Iran-Contra? That was great? If not then, when? They might say, “Before there were faggots” or “before the (insert slur) were filling our streets with drugs and guns.” You’re going to have a discussion with someone like this? You go right ahead. Not me.
3) You have said Anger has been one of your greatest motivators. Does that still stand, is it the same anger it's always been or is it something new?
Henry: My anger feeds my curiosity and gets me up and down the road. I am not looking to hurt anyone, I am looking to get answers, go places, ask questions and cut through the layers of apathy and ignorance. Anger helps.
4) The video "Letter To A Young American" has been a massive influence since I saw it my freshman year of high school. Do you have any other words of wisdom for us young people getting ready to go out and face the world?
Henry: I would say that if there is anything you don’t like in the country you live in, you have to decide that you will be part of the generation that changes it. The reason that anything ever gets better is enough people put their foot down and cause change. I think there is a very good chance that in America, things could change very noticeably in the next quarter century. I don’t think young people who will be voting soon will be okay with the levels of homophobia and misogyny in America currently. I hope I am not naïve but I would like to think that someone like Donald Trump would not get out of the gate a few election cycles from now. The point I am making is that extraordinary change comes from ordinary people who rise to the occasion and by doing so, become extraordinary. This will be the most decisive century in human history. As far as resources, sustainability, environment, this is the century where humans pass or fail.
5) You have become a sort of gateway for people like my friends and me for thing like music, literature, and most importantly new ideas. Does that bring a feeling of satisfaction to know that you have opened the minds of thousands of people all over the world with music, books, and spoken word?
Henry: I am glad I have been able in some cases to be useful. That’s a good thing. I don’t think I am anything special. If I am to believe the letters I get, I have been an asset to some people. If there is one good thing I have done, it would be that. I hate the idea of someone feeling bad without a resource, especially young people. To be able to neutralize pain, trepidation, despair in others, if you can, you must.
6) You were recently in Jeff Grosso Love Letters to Skateboarding, talking about the picture you took for the Indy promo. Was skateboarding a large part of your life at that point in time? Considering punk music and skateboarding are almost one of in the same to this day.
Henry: When I was young, I spent a lot of time skating. I wasn’t any good but had a good time. It was more a way to hang out with my peers than anything else.
7) With the passing of David Bowie, Lemmy, and Prince, I was wondering if you have any good stories of these great artists. You have spoken before of your interactions with both Lemmy and Bowie. You must have more great stories with them.
Henry: I met Bowie once and it was very cool. I had a lot more interactions with Lemmy from the 1980’s until a few months before he passed away. Lemmy was always great to me. The last time I saw him was last September. He wasn’t looking great and was very quiet. It was like the volume was being pulled down and the story was coming to an end. You know when you walk away from an experience and there is a silence that fills you. You almost get dizzy. That’s the feeling I had when I walked off his bus. I am sorry he is gone of course but he had a really good time in life. He lived it exactly the way he wanted and there is something to be said for that. The courage that is required to do that is a lesson. Might not be the way you want to go and that’s fine but the fact that he was his own person, that’s huge.
***originally released on snaggletooth