The Full Metal Jackie Interview With Henry Rollins!

Recently, the very opinionated 51-year-old Henry Rollins, who counts singer/songwriter, radio DJ, actor, author and spoken-word artist among his achievements, appeared on the "Full Metal Jackie" radio show! A few excerpts of the interview follow.

You are a man of many talents – actor, author, musician, activist, journalist, TV host. Is there anything that you don’t do?

Sleep or enjoy moments of solitude and tranquility. I’m not exactly ambitious as much as I have a very good realization of what I am and what I am capable of. I come from the minimum wage working world of the late 70’s, early 80’s and I have a high school diploma – so it’s not like you’re asking me to split an atom or get to the moon quickly.

I am a crass opportunist as much as anything else – in that when someone says, “Hey you want to be in my movie?” I’m like “Yeah, I can’t act so I’m definitely showing up.” I just do stuff and realizing guys like me – I would probably had a life of flipping burgers had I not been very lucky so I remain grateful and kind of running at it at the balls of my feet even 30 years in.

Henry Rollins today is more sophisticated than the 20 year old kid who joined Black Flag in 1981. How has maturity affected the way you’re inspired by heavy music?

Well I’ve always liked heavy music because it was as angry and as passionate as I was. That’s why a lot of us like metal music and heavy music because your heart beats heavy, you have big feelings and big emotions so you take things hard. You win and lose at love and life and you need some kind of soundtrack that hits as hard as you’re hitting life and life is hitting you, hence 80,000 people at the Wacken festival every year, hence the success of all these metal bands and why metal and heavy music is never, ever going to die.

It’s never going to be old, not to me at least and not to millions of other people because we live life in a very full contact way and so that aspect of my life hasn’t changed at all – things still hurt and you try your best and you fail, so you put on a High on Fire record and life gets better. I like music that’s not breaking walls down as well, you have to be eclectic and there’s lots of good music out there – Bob Dylan with an acoustic guitar also works.

I’ve become more mature in the years just because I’m 51, not 20 and I’ve had a lot of laughs from the trek, seen a lot of people die and been to a lot of countries and seen a lot of ups and downs . That kind of exposure to the world, it broadens you – especially all the loss in life, the defeat. If you’re smart enough to learn from it, good lessons and it has made me a more humble person.

Read the rest of the interview HERE!

Make sure you listen to Full Metal Jackie HERE!

Related links:
Henry Rollins' Official Site

HENRY ROLLINS To Appear On The "Full Metal Jackie" Radio Show This Week - Details Available!

The very opinionated 51-year-old Henry Rollins, who counts singer/songwriter, radio DJ, actor, author and spoken-word artist among his achievements, will be appearing on the "Full Metal Jackie" radio show this week! You do not want to miss what Rollins will have to say, so tune in.

Rollins was recently asked why he thinks that so many Americans are so strongly opposed to gay marriage? Here is what he had to say:

"I put out my point of view in a pretty cogent, sober manner," Rollins told Adelaide Now of his quest to gather life experience for his spoken-word gigs. "I go far and wide into the world and get information from crazy, distant places and bring it back to report to you, the audience member, with as much clarity and hopefully vivid storytelling interest as I possibly can. . . I go very far and wide and make sure the information comes from a lot of sweat and choleric burn so I can justify taking two hours of your life every 18 months. By the time you hear me say something from the stage I have busted my arse coming up with every possible angle of that thought."

Make sure you listen to Full Metal Jackie HERE!

Related links:
Henry Rollins' Official Site

Henry Rollins Comments on Obama's Defeat Over Romney: "I have never been so happy to see an American politician's career come to an end."

Henry Rollins has commented on President Barack Obama's defeat over Mitt Romney, to win the re-election that made Obama the 44th president of the United States:

"I have never been so happy to see an American politician's career come to an end. I didn't think anyone in that dismal world could offend me more than Bush and Cheney, but Romney and Ryan managed to do it. I never thought I would miss John McCain but Romney made me miss him every time I heard Romney speak."

Writing in his weekly column for the LA Weekly, Rollins added, "Republicans did the best they could to keep people from voting. From sending out mail with the wrong date to cast your ballot to actually attempting to intimidate people at the polls. It didn't work. The American people kicked your ass. That has to hurt a bit. To hurl all your bully bullshit with such force only to see people stand in line for hours to vote, undeterred. Your disrespect for the Constitution and law is incredible. Congratulations, you have no credibility and on top of that, you lost. After all that money you spent in an attempt to steal an election, you still got beat. The fact that you went through all this for the sake of Mitt Romney must make it all the more humiliating."

He continued, "Republicans, these are your people: gay-hating, vagina-fearing phonies with their strange idea of rape who double down on dumb at every given opportunity. Well, at least you've got Clint Eastwood, Meatloaf and some NASCAR-driving dipshits to keep you company. I know 1865 was hard to walk off but come on, y'all, stop embarrassing yourselves!

"Citizens United didn't work. Hey, Koch brothers, Karl Rove, Shellgame Adelson: DEMOCRACY TRUMPS MONEY SOMETIMES."

Here is our message to you: Never forget that the most powerful force in ANY nation is US THE PEOPLE! As Sick Of It All says it: "All roads lead the same direction, we all see eye to eye. Won't stand for a bad connection, we came to keep things tight. Prove this, prove that... proving is nothing! Let's all just be ourselves! Focused with the right aggression, turn to each other for help!"



Related links:
Henry Rollins
LA Weekly

HENRY ROLLINS Talks About On Why The Majority Of Americans Oppose Gay Marriage

Why are so many Americans so strongly opposed to gay marriage? The 51-year-old Rollins, who counts singer/songwriter, radio DJ, actor, author and spoken-word artist among his achievements, released his first travel book, "Occupants", is convinced that not so many people are actually opposed. Instead he sees it as a fundraising tool for small fringe groups. He shares his views with Big Think below.

"I put out my point of view in a pretty cogent, sober manner," Rollins told Adelaide Now of his quest to gather life experience for his spoken-word gigs. "I go far and wide into the world and get information from crazy, distant places and bring it back to report to you, the audience member, with as much clarity and hopefully vivid storytelling interest as I possibly can. . . I go very far and wide and make sure the information comes from a lot of sweat and choleric burn so I can justify taking two hours of your life every 18 months. By the time you hear me say something from the stage I have busted my arse coming up with every possible angle of that thought."



Related links:
Henry Rollins' Official Site