Henry Rollins Spoken Word
Saturday, February 1, 2003 @ U of T Convocation Hall, Toronto

At age 42, Henry Rollins is seemingly more driven and more productive than he’s even been in his life. He’s still writing and performing music regularly, he runs a book publishing company and record label, takes on small acting roles in movies, hosts a TV show and does spoken word tours, among other things. Now, to the uninitiated, the thought of Rollins doing spoken word may seem somewhat dull. How many old Black Flag tour stories can he possibly tell, right? But if you know Hank, you know he’s not the kind of guy who would cash in on past accomplishments, and he’s anything but a one trick pony. Rollins is much more multi-faceted and thoughtful than many people give him credit for, and his spoken word performances reveal him as the fascinating person he really is.

Rollins is known for his on-stage intensity and powerful vocal chords, both of which make him a dynamic live speaker. His energy and enthusiasm command attention and allow him to talk for 3 hours straight without a break, which is a feat that gets a lot of respect even in the stand up comedy circuit. Even more important is the fact that he can talk for 3 hours straight and have the audience wrapped around his finger for every single second of that time.

It’s pretty amazing the amount of ground that he covered in one evening. Most of his time on this night was spent sharing funny anecdotes from his life, told with a thick dose of cynicism and wit. He lives in Hollywood, which gives him a great vantage point of the absurdity of show business. Although he has to sometimes work within the world of show business, he will always be an outsider, and he is great at telling stories from the point of view of the average joe. Some of the topics he covered included his attendance of an extravagant New Year’s Eve Party hosted by The Osbournes, his dealings with Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay in auditioning for Armageddon and Bad Boys 2, meeting Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash, and his take on the Winona Ryder shoplifting scandal. He also seemed to adjust some of his material based on the fact that he was in Canada. There were some U.S. and Canada jokes that inspired perhaps the most laughter of all out of an already extremely receptive crowd.

So this begs the question, is Rollins a comedian, a political activist, a celebrity sharing his life story, or what? The answer is all of the above, and more. There’s no doubt that his spoken word performance is humourous, but it’s not really like watching stand up comedy. It’s much more honest and frank, and less structured and predictable than typical stand up comedy is. His speaking style is very natural and off the cuff, often rambling from one topic to the next, but his comedic timing and use of repetition make it seem very professional (although sometimes he does get a little carried away with loud, obnoxious sound effects). He does not have much of a political agenda or overtly political slant to his spoken word content. Sometimes he touches on broader issues like racism, or jokes about politicians, but it is a far cry from seeing Jello Biafra or Noam Chomsky speak. Hank’s humbleness is endearing; he does not lecture or preach, he merely shares ideas and stories. He just seems to really enjoy talking and getting a reaction out of people, and he is very good at doing exactly that.

I feel it is important to note that you don’t need to know Black Flag or the Rollins Band to appreciate his spoken word material. Sure there are punk rock references along the way and some jabs at commercial rock bands, but it’s nothing too obscure or specific. There’s nothing that anyone will feel left out on. In some sense you know that Rollins is talking to a crowd of people who are big fans of his, but I think he consciously tries to make it accessible to just about anyone. I, myself, am not a huge fan of his music, but I found the performance to be both captivating and hilarious.

When all was said and done, I think every attendee left Convocation Hall feeling enlightened and inspired by the man’s words. Rollins is definitely a gifted speaker and I really think everyone should check out one of his spoken word performances at least once in their lives. He is just very funny, honest, and interesting, and I urge you not to miss out next time he comes through your town. — Sean