Henry Rollins

By Anthony DeAngelis
Correspondent

If you’re looking for a fresh take on topics ranging from politics to literature and music, then make your way to The Music Hall in Portsmouth this Sunday when spoken-word artist Henry Rollins takes the stage in what promises to be a thought-provoking performance.

The show, presented by MassConcerts, marks Rollins’ fourth stop on a four-month tour.

“I’m excited,” Rollins said. “I am really looking forward to this show.”
Rollins embarked on the tour after working on a series of documentaries for the Independent Film Channel and traveling everywhere from Iran to Cambodia over the last year.

“From these journeys I gather material,” Rollins said. “Out there, you learn what globalization looks like and that provides a different perspective. I’m not bragging, but I bet your mom didn’t get up for that.”

With more than 20 spoken-word albums to his credit, Rollins never has been short on subject matter. Whether dealing with thoughts on pop-culture or highly personal matters, Rollins doesn’t hold back and is not afraid to say what is on his mind. That’s especially true of topics he feels need to be addressed.

“If I think something should be called out, I will say it,” he said. “I’m just saying what I feel. It’s being honest and being yourself.”

Rollins has been performing spoken word shows for more than 25 years, but they were not his primary focus until about1995. Prior to that, he was heavily invested in the music industry as lead vocalist in Black Flag and the Rollins Band.
Then he needed a change.

“I didn’t think I was breaking any new ground,” Rollins said. “I didn’t see what was being accomplished.”

His newer performances earned him a Grammy for Best Spoken-Word Album, with the recording of his book “Get in the Van,” featuring journal entries he kept while he was the lead singer of Black Flag.

Aside from spoken-word shows, Rollins hosts the weekly radio show, “Harmony in My Head,” and is running 2-13-61, a publishing company he created to release books, CDs and DVDs. He’s also an occasional blogger for Vanity Fair.

In movies and TV, his appearances include 2003’s “Bad Boys II “and 1995’s “Heat” heat on the big screen, and “The Henry Rollins Show” on IFC. In the fall he plans to continue his television career, appearing in six episodes of FX’s “Sons of Anarchy.”

His true passion, though, is spoken-word, a medium through which he aims to give fans entertainment they can leave feeling good about.

“This is an analog show with a pulse,” he said. “It sounds like some kind of ‘Kumbaya,’ but I work very hard to come from a unique angle. I think everything should be thrown out there. I think everything needs to be expressed. And I like to think that I am part of that discussion.”

If You Go:
What: Henry Rollins in a spoken-word show.
When: Sunday, May 17.
Where: The Music Hall of Portsmouth, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, N.H.
How: Tickets for the show are $25, reserved seating, available through The Music Hall box office at 603-436-2400 or online at www.themusichall.org.