Henry Rollins
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He has only been in Sydney a day and is already quoting lines from the Australian Constitution.
A constitutional analysis acts as an opening to Henry Rollins’ monologue at the Enmore Theatre tonight. Why? Simply because he has a worldly interest into how countries (other than the ‘motherland’) govern.
In a theatre full of curious Sydneysiders you’d be hard pressed to find a handful of people whom have even seen the constitution, let alone memorised it. And yet here you have a man who is so passionate about life and the world at large that he is able to tell us a thing or two about our own country.
Impressive eh?
Henry Rollins proclaims “I don’t take myself seriously, but I take words seriously”. A collaboration of intellect and wit makes this bulk of a man so bloody interesting. And this is why Rollins has been commanding an audience for his Spoken Word tours since the mid 1980s.
He was once told he was ‘a very opinionated person’. To which he replied “Well, that’s your opinion”. It must be said though, to be a captivating audience you must first have an open mind to be engrossed with Rollins analysis. Otherwise his banter will surely shit you to tears.
Fortunately tonight, the crowd knew what they were in for before they purchased their tickets. Well, at least all but one simpleton in the audience who decided that heckling was to be his meal for this evening. His wry vocal chords wasted on a room tuned out to all but the deep set voiced antics and comedic prowess of Henry.
Politics is high on the agenda for Rollins as he does his best to relate the irony and misuse of governing in the U.S. Some comments may have gone slightly over our heads. But as Australians we enjoy a little anti-American banter, not to mention a tad of Sarah Palin mockery (five kids indeed?). But he still insists that “Americans are friendly people. The Ramones come from there”. Yeah they do Henry, and so does Black Flag!
As he covers topic of racism, homophobia, and intense wealth and poverty, Rollins uses case studies to portray his anger upon segregations of societal behaviour, and indeed his awe upon individual conquests and acts of bravery.
From stories about the lesbian student who was barred from her own prom to anecdotes about witnessing the filthy indulgence of rich Saudi royalty, Rollins will tell you a thing or two, and who are you to second guess him? He is certainly a pride of a man who would never shit you, nor open his mouth before he had ALL the facts to discuss. At least, that’s what he’d have you believe.
Although the cultural commentaries were appreciated, the crowd were predominately here to partake in Rollins’ life stories. And of the ones he ventured to tell, you could not help but feel that a few of the juicier bits were left in the fridge. The crowd does their best to play Robin to his Batman on each adventure to feel like a part of the action, but at times the spoken word felt a little at arm’s length.
With that said though, they were still ripper yarns; particularly his symposium of the mental degradation of lead singer HR from Bad Brains and his onstage inconsistencies. And especially Rollins examination of his insecurity regarding his heterosexual manhood after judging lady-mans for Rupaul.
After all, he is only human. However, Rollins is a hell of a human who has indeed become an unassuming role model. Tonight’s performance would leave a wad of people with broader minds and a sense of cultural responsibility, not to mention rather drained of energy.
Hanging off Rollins every word for almost three hours can certainly take its toll, but it will give you a good night’s sleep. One wonders though if he ever does.
