Rollins interview

BDx13 - 4-16-2007 at 05:41 PM

http://nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=27428672

Punk rock legend Henry Rollins begins the second season of his energetic IFC show tonight with a mixture of rage and savage excitement. "Republicans did get their asses handed to them," he announces in his opening "Teeing Off" segment, referencing a prediction he made last year. He closes on a sober note. "Unless we push with the utmost urgency for progress, there will only be more of the same," he says. "That is not only unacceptable-- it is unsustainable."

Rollins' program, which airs Fridays at 11 p.m., feels sort of like watching a head-on collision between "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and Michael Moore's "TV Nation." It delivers constantly entertaining helpings of his own radical worldview, magnificent musical guests, segments prepared by comedian Janeane Garofalo, and relaxed interviews with guests of Rollins' choosing (Marilyn Manson tonight, Ben Stiller next week). Tonight's premiere kicks off with a special, "Henry Rollins Uncut From Israel," at 9:30 p.m. I spoke with Rollins about the show, Bono, and the president's iPod.

Why do you inject your own perspective into the show?

Well, being a generic talk show host would have very little interest for me. I?ve got jobs. I?m a busy guy. This is just heaped on top. I was busy before the TV show.

Right. I heard something about that.

Yeah, well, I?m busy for a living. So just a talk show?who needs it? But saying that, how would one make it different? It?s a fairly trite format, and it?s a good one, but what can you do? I can?t really do much. The only thing I can do to make it hold water for half an hour a week is to make the situations interesting, or at least the topics interesting for the guests. We?re in an uncensored environment?but it?s not like I?m encouraging people to use naughty words that the FCC would disapprove of?I?m just trying to make the topics interesting. So we?ll get a famous person who?s known for his wonderful acting, or whatever. And that?s great. With Don Cheadle, an example that I like to use, we didn?t really get into his massive body of work as much as we got into the fact that he went to Rwanda and [visited] relocation camps. He became very politically awakened in Africa, seeing some really hardcore stuff. So we talked about Aparteid and all of that. He was really happy to talk about that, because I think it?s not really suited for the Leno kind of thing. That?s perhaps where the show is really different.

What?s your interview technique?

I?m not some amazing interviewer. There are things that I want to know. I?ve read all the other stuff. I want to hear the B-side?the outtakes. So I?m going for that, and hopefully the guest understands that he or she is on my want list. This isn?t part of the grind. This isn?t part of the hustle. This is someone I?m wildly interested in and want to know more about. I tell them that. They?re like, ?Cool!? and it turns into this enthusiastic, amazing interview.

How do you choose the bands that perform at the end of each episode?

I pick the bands, so hopefully they?re having a good time. The Mars Volta [whose performance airs April 20] their performance is great, but it?s fifteen minutes long. So [frontman] Omar [Rodriguez-Lopez] asks, ?How are you going to edit this?? I said, ?We?re not going to edit you. We?ll just air it. I don?t tell you how to play it.? Last year, with Jurassic 5, they said, ?This song we want to do has bad words in it.? I said, ?Man, we?re not in the business of telling you how to edit your thing.? So the bands are quite surprised, and very happy.

Did you always intend to give the show its political angle?

No, but in the ?Teeing Off? section that I have in the beginning of the show, it usually is a political topic, because there?s not a whole lot else that really gets me going right now. I don?t root for sports teams, so if the Louisville-whatever-they-are don?t win, I?m not having a nervous breakdown. I don?t even know if Louisville has a team. This is what gets me going: This administration, the stuff that we?re in right now, and our debt to China, that?s what gets the heart rate up for me right now. So that?s what you get. Everyone has an option. You watch television with a remote in your hand. You can just hit the arrow and go that next channel. Some people who find my problems with George W. Bush objectionable, I?ll warn them that there are some people here who aren?t afraid to fight. I?m one of them.

Bush, by the way, has the Beatles and the Beach Boys on his iPod. Would you stage a protest if any of your music winds up on there?

I?m sure the music is chosen for him. It?s for votes. I?m sure he?s not all that interested in music. But if I end up on his iPod, I hope I get 99 cents out of it.

What?s your feeling about people with varying political views coming together to play music?

A lot of people who would probably throw rocks at each other buy Ramones albums. I understand that.

But that doesn?t mean that music can?t be political.

Well, no. The Clash, the Sex Pistols, and a lot of other people proved that music can be a vehicle. Sometime, though, it?s just cool to rock out and listen to Van Halen. I like that, too.

What do you think about other musicians who have recently entered the political arena?

I don?t think it?s them entering the political arena so much as it?s the political arena entering other people?s lives. This administration is so crass, and so pervasive?for an administration that upholds the values of transparent government, it seems to be anything but. I think a lot of these musicians aren?t seeing a way to make checks. I think they?re sincerely moved, horrified and angered by what they?re seeing. And they?re Americans?they have as much right to weigh in as Sean Hannity. The only difference is that a lot of musicians are better informed and well-read than Mr. Hannity.

Your thoughts on Bono sitting down for lunch with the President?

I was hopeful that he got the money he needed to do what he needed to do in Africa. While I can?t really get behind Bono?s musical efforts, I do applaud his humanitarian efforts. In a Rolling Stone interview, he said that [Bush] did everything he promised to do. I?m OK with that. I respect that. Bush put his money where his mouth is on behalf of the people of Africa. Well, cool. Bono was in there trying to help people. That?s a pretty strong statement go in there and deal with George Bush all afternoon. Hell, I wouldn?t want to do it.

So would you like to have Bono on your show?

Bono? No. He doesn?t interest me all that much. He wants to go save the world, and I don?t want to get into his way. I?m a little guy squeaking in the wind. How could I get in his way?

Do you feel that music labels sometimes discourage their musicians from being public about their personal views?

Sure, but I have no evidence of that. I?ve never been in the position where I?ve had something that I needed to protect, like my big-ass career, nor was I ever in a genre of music that ever had many bands who weren?t all voting one way. It?s not in my interest to ever hold back.

Your first guest this season is Marilyn Manson, who made a surprisingly civil appearance on ?The O?Reilly Factor? a while back.

Yeah, and Marilyn said how let down he was about it. Marilyn is a very dry guy. He said, ?I thought [Bill O?Reilly] was going to bring more to the table. I was looking forward to it. All he did was make fun of my make-up.? That Manson can be not too taken with himself is one of his great appeals to me, apart from the fact that he?s a smart, funny guy and I like his music. I don?t think O?Reilly really understood what he was getting into. [laughs] It?s too bad that O?Reilly didn?t flex his big Ivy League education with Marilyn, who can take a fastball. Oh well. Opportunity missed. I don?t see them getting back together again.

I don?t think any of those Fox News guys want the real conversation. They always default to this: ?Why are you against the troops?? ?I?m not.? ?You?re against the troops. You want to set up a deadline. You must be against the troops. Admit that you hate America.? ?Excuse me?? ?Admit that you hate America!? That?s really cowardly to me. There is a real discussion to be had.

Do you write the ?Teeing Off? segments on your own?

Uh huh.

What?s that process like for you?

I write that stuff out several days beforehand and refine it. I read them out loud in my room and make sure they hold water. There will be different topics in and out. That?s the stuff that really gets me going?that?s these guys perpetrate a lie, get caught, and don?t have to answer for it. They keep getting caught. Look at Alberto Gonzales? lady, Monica Goodling, taking the Fifth. It?s not looking too good for Alberto Gonzales as far as having any credibility, unless you?ve got stock in Albert Gonzales. That's not the America that I signed up for.

MyOwnWay - 4-16-2007 at 05:51 PM

I love Rollins. I love his show. I love some Rollins Band music. I love Black Flag's Rollins years. I love his books. Love his say anything fuck it way of being on a nationaly syndicated format.

I love Rollins. Thanks for this Big D.

defstarsteve - 4-16-2007 at 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MyOwnWay
I love Rollins. I love his show. I love some Rollins Band music. I love Black Flag's Rollins years. I love his books. Love his say anything fuck it way of being on a nationaly syndicated format.

I love Rollins. Thanks for this Big D.

DaveMoral - 4-16-2007 at 06:56 PM

Never seen the show. Is IFC something I have to pay for? If so, that sucks.

clevohardcore - 4-16-2007 at 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DaveMoral
Never seen the show. Is IFC something I have to pay for? If so, that sucks.

^^^^^^ How do you get this?

Discipline - 4-16-2007 at 07:15 PM

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Originally posted by defstarsteve

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SHAKO KEN - 4-16-2007 at 10:57 PM

there are torrents for all of the shows from the first season. most likely you'll also be able to download the new episodes soon.
on the website they have season 1 on dvd for 20 bucks. check out the ringtones too, they're pretty hilarious.

defstarsteve - 4-16-2007 at 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by clevohardcore

Quote:

Originally posted by DaveMoral
Never seen the show. Is IFC something I have to pay for? If so, that sucks.

^^^^^^ How do you get this?

usually free on digital cable or exapnded cable service
http://ifc.com/series?aId=18032

looks like the first season is out on dvd for all you netflix people out there

newbreedbrian - 4-16-2007 at 11:33 PM

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Originally posted by Discipline

Quote:

Originally posted by defstarsteve

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CR83 - 4-17-2007 at 09:26 AM

Rollins takes hit hits. He was on Stern a few times and people would call in and rag on him. He took it like a pro and stood by his beleifs. I have a lot of respect for that. His book, "Get In The Van" is one of the best books ever.

Discipline - 4-17-2007 at 12:09 PM

I like to make fun of Rollins occasionally, because it's funny. In the end theough, I respect the guy, and I'm a big fan of just about everything he's done.