Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins' press notes call him a renaissance man -- and why not? He's a bandleader and champion screamer who fronted one of the greatest Los Angeles punk bands of all time, Black Flag, and later the Rollins Band. He's an actor, most recently seen in Bad Boys II, and...

By Henry Cabot Beck

January 8, 2004

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Henry Rollins' press notes call him a renaissance man -- and why not? He's a bandleader and champion screamer who fronted one of the greatest Los Angeles punk bands of all time, Black Flag, and later the Rollins Band. He's an actor, most recently seen in Bad Boys II, and the former scary host of the short-lived Night Visions anthology horror series -- a meatier and more menacing Rod Serling, without the cigarettes and smug delivery. Rollins is a self-published poet and essayist, and a standup comic of sorts. In fact, he's also been referred to as Spalding Gray on steroids. Maybe he's the lashing, smashing Artie Shaw of our generation.

In any case, he's kicking off his newest spoken-word tour next week in Tempe. Called "Shock and Awe My Ass," and on the heels of a troop visiting and performance tour of the Middle East, he's likely to have a lot to say about politics and war.

And if he tires of that, ask him about his new CD collaboration with William Shatner and guitarist Adrian Belew, or his upcoming reunion work with some ex-Black Flaggers, or his love for F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Hardy, American history and Celine. Rollins has a lot to say, and he's not shy.

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