A modern renaissance man, Henry Rollins has been in the public eye for nearly a quarter century as a result of his many talents. Having made a name for himself as the singer of seminal punk band Black Flag in the mid-80s, Rollins has since released handfuls of books and traveled the world with his band (The Rollins Band) and his spoken word material. He has been in films, featured in countless punk and music documentaries, and from 2005 to 2007, he conceived and hosted the Henry Rollins Show on IFC, which featured guests that went otherwise unnoticed in the sphere of popular media.

Rollins is also known for his outspoken and unrelenting criticism of the Bush Administration, his USO tours, and his political and social activism. A humanist, Rollins openly advocates for gay rights and encourages re-examination of the American justice system (particularly through his advocacy work for the West Memphis 3). Here, he touches on all of these topics, as well as prospects for retirement, his reading habits and preferences, and how some elements of punk rock are now perceived as high art.

TRACE: It appears that between music, activism, tours, and television, you’re one of the hardest working men in show-business/entertainment. How do you balance this? Does retirement ever enter your mind? What would Henry Rollins do while retired?

Henry Rollins: I don’t have any balance really. The life is the work and vice versa. It’s all I’ve got basically, it gets all of me. All of this stuff is kind of fun I guess so it’s all built in. There’s nothing I do specifically. I keep myself on a pretty tight leash with things, I try and work steadily and frequently and take enough time for restorative sleep and health but pretty much I work. I have no family or dependents so that allows me to go long without checking in with someone or whatever.

I don’t really understand the concept of retirement. I guess if you had a job you didn’t like, you would want to get away from it and do something else but I like my “job” if that’s what all this stuff is.

T: As for your show, how did you select guests? Based on the folks you had on–Tim Roth, Gore Vidal, Marilyn Manson, John Waters–it appears that you were trying to fill a gap that otherwise does not get filled on television. I don’t see Dinosaur Jr. Ani Difranco, The New York Dolls, and Mike Patton anywhere else on television. Was that how you selected talent?

HR: I basically choose what I want to see, hear, talk to, etc. so I could authentically be interested in the interview and the music. There were one or two bands that I was not over the moon about but either IFC wanted them very much or I had enough respect for them to green light their appearance. I definitely am excited to meet these people, sure. Hang out with Werner Herzog, are you kidding?! The show is no more but it was good while it lasted. What you saw is what we tried to achieve.

T: What are you reading? Any suggestions? As someone who is so active and vocal, where do you typically look for your information?

HR: At the moment I am reading Frontline Pakistan by Zahid Hussain. I am trying to get an understanding of Pakistan’s ISI, Musharraf and their ties to extremist fundamentalist entities and how America and Pakistan have been dealing with each other since the Soviet-Afghan War to now. It’s not the most well written book but it’s the only one I have been able to find on the topic so far. I don’t read much fiction any more and sometimes I miss it. The last book I read was Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine, which is one of the finest books I have ever read. I learned a lot from that one. It’s hard for me to recommend a book to someone.

T: Any suggestions?

HR: I don’t know what someone would like to read. I can tell you what I like and that’s about it. As far as information, I like to get it firsthand. Past that, there’s a lot of interesting and well written articles in magazines and online. I don’t get much from 24 hour news outlets at this point.

T: As one of its most vocal critics, do you see a light at the end of the tunnel that was the Bush Administration? How does all of this look comparatively to having been a teenager/twenty-something in the “Reagan 80s.” Out of the Reagan years came a lot of great backlash music and art. What do you see happening artistically in response to the Bush years?

HR: I don’t really care what happens artistically because of Bush. No song will bring back the lives and limbs of all these people. I don’t see any light, just a long stretch of work ahead that will be met with great resistance by that which is already in place. What Regan’s administration put into motion, the current administration has put into law, practice and policy. They won’t pay for it but a lot of other people will. I do see that there is great potential and possibility for change and things becoming better, absolutely.

T: I was recently at a holiday party held in a hip, relatively high-end, giant condo in New York and I went into the coat-room where I saw one print by Yoshitomo Nara and another by [Black Flag founder Greg Ginn’s brother/punk-era artist] Raymond Pettibon. Similarly to your caliber of press exposure, Pettibon was featured in the New York Times Magazine not long ago. In your Black Flag days–and throughout your entire career afterward–did you ever look at what you guys were doing and think that any of it would be considered high art? That Pettibon would be hanging in a three story condo? Were you able to imagine that your scene would be discussed outside of your own writing, fold-and-staple zines, and other small circulation publications?

HR: I always knew Ray was very very talented but had no idea that world would get it to the degree that it has. Good for the world. I think Greg Ginn and his music made quite a bit of impact in the independent music world but that’s all his. So, to me, there’s no “you guys” happening there. I don’t think anything I have ever done would fall under the heading of art, high, low or otherwise. It has been very enjoyable for me to see how Ray has garnered all that well deserved praise. He’s one of the greats.

T: What do you find most frustrating about these sorts of interviews? About answering to the demands of the press?

HR: I think for the most part, mainstream press sees a thing like a music scene in stop/start, convulsive bursts, without having the time, interest or capacity to contextualize what they’re seeing. This leads to them perhaps concentrating on what is the side story or sensational parts where a fight at a show turns into “the band’s violent message sent the audience into a frenzy of flailing arms and legs.” This is frustrating because this is where we live, as it were. I also think this happens a lot less than it used to. What is most frustrating is enduring an interview with someone who is under-prepared. It means they do not value my time and I have no real recourse.

T: The West Memphis 3 (three men tried and convicted for the murders of three children in West Memphis, Arkansas that many believe are caught in a miscarriage of justice) is back in the news concerning DNA evidence that is mounting up against their guilty conviction. They were featured in the present issue of People Magazine, of all places. Artists as diverse as you, Eddie Vedder, Steve Earl, Marilyn Manson, Metallica, and Margaret Cho have come together to voice and/or work to support the reexamination of the case. What are your feelings now that the media is paying closer attention to the case?

HR: I think it hopefully leads to more people seeing what their American Justice is doing for them on a Saturday night. As far as the celebrity cred, it matters little to me as we are people who raised a fucking load of money for that case and that’s what it needed. Some of the people you mentioned have put in a six figure sum. For the most part, celeb types are just people amplified and shouldn’t be taken any more seriously than anyone else. It’s also a waste of time to get too worked up over anything but the issue itself.

T: You’ve long written about traveling/your travels and most recently, you’ve gotten attention for the work you’ve been doing with troop visits, which has put you in the Middle East. You’re probably one of the best-traveled, most well-documented celebrity travelers. Are you familiar with Anthony Bourdain? Have you ever considered having a travel show?

HR: I know that Bourdain’s show is very well received but I have never seen it. I am told that his books are great. Afghanistan is an interesting place to me. I would like to spend more time there. I spent time in Iran last year and that was really amazing. In Syria, Pakistan and Lebanon, where I was last year, all of these places had a level of civility that was really astonishing. Some European countries don’t interest me much besides having a stage to play on like Austria, where there’s not a great deal I want to learn about at this point. A travel show ala Michael Palin would be swell.

Photo Credit: Maura Lanahan