An Evening with Henry Rollins @ O2 Academy, 13 Jan

4/5 stars
Event review by Jason Morton.
Published 15 January 2010

“I’m a maniac. And the older I get, the more pissed off I am,” growls Henry Rollins. With his fevered tones, and his bulky frame poised like he’s still fronting Black Flag, it’s easy enough to believe him. But, paying closer attention, you realise Hank’s a liar – much like the Rollins Band single indicates. The man’s passionate for sure, but it’s the delight he takes in personal interactions that makes him so engaging to the audience.

His performance – centred mainly around his travels – he gives life through anecdotes, ranging from jamming with teenagers to Sri Lankan death metal and trading music in Tehran (quote of the night: “I will bring down the Ayatollah with Al Green”) to racing up the streets of Riyadh with a multimillionaire stranger.

In all of these stories, Rollins – a born troubadour whose rambling style never wears on patience – shows love for his fellow man, which he in turn imparts to his audience. While his one-man show could easily benefit from a few bells and whistles – the number of times he references photographs he’d taken begged for some visual reinforcement – Hank, despite his age, still commands the stage as well as if he were screaming Six Pack to a sweaty crowd. [Jason Morton]

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  • Hello from Canada! We are looking for stories from the fans, aka the 'fanatics', of Henry Rollins. If there's anything you can do to bring this project, a collaboration by his fanatics, to the attention of your readers & subscribers, that would go a long way in getting the word out. Project details are as below. Thanks for considering how you might help!

    PRESS RELEASE – JAN 15/10

    Project of Love From the Fans of Henry Rollins

    Thanks to Hank
    WANTED: Personal stories from the fans, a.k.a, ‘fanatics’, of Henry Rollins. If Henry Rollins has moved you, inspired you to reach higher, helped you in some way, or just makes your life better by way of knowing he is out there, living art and inspiration, and you are willing to share your story in a future publication of Fanatic Stories of Thanks to Hank, please send your story!
    The target goal is to complete the project by February of 2011, Henry’s 50th birthday. All potential proceeds will go to the charity of Henry’s choice.
    Fanatic and novice writer, Angela Bennett, commented on the project, “Henry has made such a profound contribution to the lives of many thousands, perhaps even millions of people around the world. He is an inspiration to so many people regardless of age, race, or socioeconomic class. This is an opportunity for fanatics to share their stories with, and thank Henry. During the first week of this project, some really moving stories have come in from across North America, from 16 year olds to 50 year olds, in response to an early post on the internet. It’s one thing to be a fan of a band, or an actor, but often it’s about more than that when it comes to Henry. Henry moves people, he is a catalyst in people’s lives. There’s a quote from The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property, by Lewis Hyde, that captures Henry well, “…the gift we long for, the gift that, when it comes, speaks commandingly to the soul and irresistibly moves us."
    People can contact Angela Bennett with questions, stories, or artwork, at bennettangela@rogers.com, or on Facebook (the Angela Bennett with the pic of Henry), or at http://open.salon.com/blog/angelalala. Angela does not work for, or represent Henry Rollins, other than being one of many grateful fanatics in the global neighbourhood.

    Posted by Anonymous | Saturday January 2010 @ 04:13

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