Vocalist. Songwriter. Poet. Author. Actor. Talk-show host?
America’s most-literate angry young man is now the host of his own self-titled weekly talk-show on the Independent Film Channel, but before Henry Rollins started making small talk with the likes of Bill Maher, Eddie Izzard, and Paul Thomas Anderson, he was better known for the other occupations stated above. The story of the Washington D.C. native jumping onstage during a Black Flag concert to sing only to become the band’s fourth lead singer is well-known among hard-core punks, and anyone following alternative music in the early 90’s can’t forget the impact his eclectic group Rollins Band had during that period.The host of The Henry Rollins Show, which is broadcast every Saturday at 10pm ET on IFC, has put out several articulate spoken-word albums and poetry and is the founder of the publishing company 2.13.61, which specializes in not only putting out his own work, but also that of Nick Cave and Vietnam vet Bill Shields. There are also his numerous film appearances in Johnny Mnemonic, Heat, and Lost Highway. With someone with so much on his plate, it’s amazing Glide was able to steal a few moments away from the intimidating muscle-bound singer and discuss his latest project, his role in the alternative music scene, and why he likes Aimee Mann.
Explain the genesis of your show on IFC.
A few years ago, some producer-types came to me and they were the ones who initially put on the show. They said, “We have this film show idea and we’d like you as the host because you’ve done film, you’ve spoken on film, and you have a big mouth.” I said, “OK.” So I took the meeting and we decided to make a small version of it so we could show people what we were talking about and we pitched it all over Hollywood to mediocre, tepid interest. Then we sent it to IFC. They said, “Oh, we like this! Here’s some money. Make a half an hour version demo.” So we did that and they said, “Can you do a season of that?” This all happened over a 20 month period. That’s what happened.
That was year one. Now we’re in the second season and the show has gone from a monthly show to a weekly show. It’s gone from a film review show with me shooting my mouth off to a kind-of-anything-I-want-to-talk-about show or me-getting-whatever-guest-I-want-to-get-on type of show with me shooting my mouth off.
So how much of your input really does go into the show?
It is a collaborative effort, but it’s not all of my money, so you have to put up with other people’s ideas and listen to everybody and I’m getting used to it, but it hasn’t been easy. I do a lot of the writing and the guests are the ones I want and the bands are the ones I want and I talk about the movies I want so it’s doing pretty good, but there are disagreements that occur.
What’s the biggest disagreement that you have encountered so far?
There are ideas we have for guests where I’m like, “Why would you want to go there? How can you work with me everyday and think that’s a good idea?” You know, stuff like that. Then the idea gets shut down.
So Aimee Mann was your idea?
Yeah. She’s a friend of mine and if you don’t like her I don’t give a fuck about what you think.
Do you see the TV show as the best way to get your opinions out there at this time?
For me, it’s just good work if I can get it.
Do you think you’ll ever use music as an outlet again? I hear you’re working on another Rollins Band album.
Yeah…I haven’t written anything new. We haven’t written anything new. We’re just trying to get the machine going again.
As someone who helped spur the alternative music movement, what kind of role do you think you’ve played in it since the early 90’s?
I’ve been in bands since the late 70’s…I’m a guy in one of many, many, many, many, many bands that could be called independent. Black Flag, which wasn’t my band, it was Greg Ginn’s band and a lot of people have heard that music, that’s for sure, didn’t really have much to do with me. I was the last singer out of four in that band. They were already well-established by the time I came in. I don’t know how much of a role I’ve had anymore or any less than many other struggling musicians.
It’s hard for me to elevate myself over anybody having seen so many great bands and being around so many great musicians.
How do you view alternative music today as someone who’s been through it since the 70’s?
I think there is all kinds of great alternative music happening out there all the time, that which can be called alternative. I call it music, I guess. That scene is alive and well.
Do you pay attention more to labels than to bands?
I pay attention to labels to get to groups. If anyone hands me a CD and tells me that it’s good, I’ll check it out, but I look to labels often…If [a label] sees fit to put it out, I want to check it out…I take all kinds of ways to get to music, but I pay very close attention to labels and who they just signed and releases they have slated.
Is there anytime a label has let you down?
Good question. The Blue Note label must need money or something or they know there are people out there like me. They’ve been putting out “Blue Note Sessions” with people you like such as Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, or Hank Mobley and put stuff on there that didn’t come out the first time…I buy this stuff because I want to hear these people play and you immediately hear why these session were shelved, so that kind of sucks.
SST was a label that really let me down, and I was on that label. That was Greg Ginn’s label. At first, it was Black Flag, The Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Husker Du, you know, really interesting bands. At one point, all of a sudden, here comes all these mediocre not-very-special music. They did find Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr., which was great…I don’t know what came over Greg. I didn’t know the guy all that well, but the label wasn’t special anymore for some reason. He seemed to be signing bands to have the advantage of a large catalog as opposed to a good catalog. I don’t know what year he decided to make that shift, but I noticed it. Maybe I just have bad taste in music.
So how do you react when somebody, for example, like Aimee Mann gets dropped from a big label and has to start a new label from scratch?
She’s probably better off with her own label. She and I used to be label mates, so I’ve known Aimee for many, many years and we both probably hate a lot of the same people. I think a lot of artists are better off doing it on their own.
Do you ever want to sink your teeth into a meatier role than the ones they give you?
Yes, but I don’t have the talent for it. I get small parts. For me it’s employment. I’m essentially unemployed if I don’t have a lot of office work to do, so if it’s between a few weeks of work in a movie where I have to play a cop and get thrown out a window and die, I’ll take it. I don’t care if the movie’s good or not. For me it is work and I’m not going to starve in America for being lazy. I don’t have the chops or the talent to take on anything bigger than I have. I’ve never taken an acting lesson. I’m not an actor, I’m a survivalist. I don’t know how to drive a pallet driver and I’m afraid of heavy machinery. Music has never paid the rent really.
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But if I see a movie with you in it, you’re usually the person I remember.
Usually it’s the people who sing off-key that stand out from the choir.
For someone as intelligent and multi-talented as you are, do you often wonder if you’re too smart for your own good?
I’m not that smart. I’ve met a lot of really intelligent people and I can’t even stand next to them, so I’m not too worried about that. I’m probably too shallow, too mean-spirited, and too self-involved for my own good. That’s probably what will get me in the end: my ever-present rage and bitterness, petty jealousies, and just outer wretchedness. All that is going to get me good. If you put me in the line at the DMV, I’m going to stand out. People who can really think, I’m going to get my ass handed to me.
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