Joe Rogan Experience #1155 — Henry Rollins Transcript

Transcript

0:00 Here we go. Four, three, two... It was called basically Henry and. ton of tour dates. I think he's on now. But he said, I want to talk to Henry to thank him for And then we quickly got on the topic of music. What is it with you Michigan guys and guitar tone? because this is like you know i that would have been heaven for me to see those bands like back

2:56 and roll gets. I mean, it was Right. playing riffs for me. We had a little headphone amp and he was sitting across from me on a stool He's hilarious. He has a steel trap memory having some control of yourself. And so I don't completely understand the guy. And so I watch what I say because in my mind, I answer. don't think twice about it. I think you're a ridiculous person. I think you're a standing walking talking billboard for cowardice

7:57 is if you say something, nugent he should be this he should be a drug user or something right he should be on tour all the I talk to him all the time. Yeah. That's the First Amendment. I don't want to roll that ball either. Yeah. The 11th? And I said, Keep Talking, Pal. he has to drop you because he's now like drop, well, drop your collar, not your body,

11:48 So keep talking, pal, It was an art space there called the Lhasa Club. with him because we were beach guys. We lived in the sticks and the gigs were in Hollywood. So we'll We were starving, as any band was. to the liquor store to get some orange juice. So our guitar player comes back a little shaken. I'm serving a monster where the talking shows like, yeah, this is me. And after the show,

15:05 this guy. Okay. And that was 83 turning into 84. By 85, I had gone to Europe for some poetry licensed Nick Cave's books from his publishers in Europe. We licensed a few different titles. press runs, let the licenses run out. Everyone got to keep their masters. And then we just It's just a lot of setup cost. So that book came out and continues to do very well.

18:27 And we have less returns. So you just sell them on your own. And apparently they sell very well. Get in the Van, my tour journals from Black Flag. And those travel books I like quite a bit. I just don't have that. My old best friend from since I was 12 ian mckay of the band i look at the table full of people and go fuck that I'm not going It's going to get in the way.

22:56 this is my big, I did a song with William Shatner, Bill Shatner, on his album. I'm turning back. Henry! And he saw me. And I'm like, hey, Bill hey And I walked in and met all his really cool friends and he Right. his assistant will contact me. Hey, Bill really wants to see you. How about next? Are you free I have no idea what a halfback does. on my radio show, Frank Zappa. And one time someone in the family wrote me and said, hey,

26:21 Two hours before, I'm genuinely nervous to go be in a room full of extraordinarily nice I'm like, wow. you must be respectful even if it makes you nauseous with social anxiety because i just being around all these people because uh a lot of people on the outside they see someone like you it doesn't matter. And if you don't, love that audience so they showed up like are you kidding can't i'm a dog with a wagging tail i want

30:07 It's a way to be in the room with people, just be the center of attention. And you're standing, you're in a room full of tons of really good food. And they're all like, ah, it is their lives. I go, no, man, that is Ike Turner. And I brought my friend over and we shook his hand and kind of stood with him for a minute and went, okay, so it's probably not going to get any better for us.

32:21 Super fuel for me. Like tour is what you think I can't do 47 shows in 48 days. And that's so much of what fuels me. work seven days a week on this thing watch me stay up until the next day working on this thing. And a lot of what fuels me, that's what gets me into auditions. The only guy not dipped in cologne. How often are you auditioning for? It starts in October.

35:19 You walk in. Stand on this piece of tape. Most of the time. They get told no a lot. Rejection sucks. It sucks. And they're already attention in the first place. They get told no a lot. They get told no a lot. It's a weird way to make your living. And so I was doing the writing. into this documentary. And then I'm finishing this radio show. And then I'm going off to do

38:32 It doesn't seem that rough. You might do the same size venues that we do, but you're splitting the money with all these fucking people. Yeah. And I think that's interesting that it was almost like a desperation to not have to work a job as a waiter that kept you just hustling and figuring out other ways. I just knew that the straight world, because I'd been in it.

40:28 I will be punching the wall. I'm like, man, I don't think at this point I could hack it. Yeah. You enjoy that work. And it's, it's way over 60 hours a week. I mean, it's, I do two And all last night I did a lot of pull-ups. enjoyment of music you just space it in between the songs. Yeah, last night was pulling. advil time i'm like ow i'm too old for this but um i i work on something every day on tour i don't

42:56 And I can sustain. Happy with the tasks. not booze it's not a pill it's the treadmill yeah or it's the other damn Me as well. but listening to music that is like a kind of my drug. And you're floating. I'm always looking at new records, It's like the last 15 minutes, I'd rather be somewhere else. Yeah. You really like to mix it up. because for that 90 minutes,

46:41 I see her there all the time. Almost like while I'm in it, let's lose the lactic acid out of your muscle tissue. Oh, yeah. Yeah, you know, here's what I've observed. to, I'm not trying to put anyone in the pejorative, but a yoga person where not only are they limber, they're just really okay. They have that. You're you're doing wrong or slacking lot of people who who are hectic for

49:40 Hoyce Gracie is the most famous and he was always doing yoga and stretching and that was a giant part of his workout. But a lot of that physicality was enhanced by his dedication to yoga. his stomach way way way up deep That's a muscle group you never try and articulate, make it do anything. You're like, oh, yeah, stretch this out. Instead of just lifting something,

52:48 And I've done a few workouts like, okay, I'm going to kill you. how good you feel and you can't wait to go back and you won't blow your joints I got in the robe and I went into that room for two minutes and 45 seconds. In the parking lot, I just wanted to turn around and get another shot. And it's not long. Like, you're out of there before you know it. Ten said, come see us again sometime. But it was incredible. And it's not long.

55:10 do try it all pretty much universally regarded as being beneficial. It's unbelievable. do much on as far as stimulants like a coffee and aspirin i guess uh so i'm not even sure what the Three minutes. Whenever I can. it's what it is, is your body reacting to extremes, right? Whether it's extreme cold Someone I know that she says it's all about inflammation.

57:36 And once your body gets used to it, too, that's what's really interesting. I don't, it doesn't, I recognize what that is. You don't need that. that I've had like two meals in the last two and a half meals like in the last And so a few years ago, I got into like one meal a day. So dinner became my meal. All, you know, whatever. that afternoon drowsiness I just stay with it and I just feel way more buoyant and present. Type faster, just concentrate more. And when I'm on tour, it's

1:01:15 to digest. I think we're always in the state of feeding and your body just never has really a They're always processing nutrition. It's like the whole family works all over the city and they're going to eat, I think, at some point. And I think food is like that in a lot of parts of the world, No. and russia wherever i've had some bad meals and so when the food looks dodgy like in the interior

1:03:52 Also in parts of the world where water's dodgy, you find a store, you buy the box of water, you could literally get rainwater from outside in a puddle. And I know a lot of people do that. city before I go into the countryside where I go, okay, it's going to be five days before Yeah, but it won't kill you. I get it. Oh, and you see the locals drinking, like, clearing the larvae out of the way.

1:06:19 know these people they like you see little children with horrible distended bellies because And through the Cash App, we've already raised thousands of dollars to build several wells in the Congo. But to them, it's everything. before we were there to visit the well and meet the kids in Masaka. It's I think north of Kampala. Your learning stops at young adulthood.

1:08:39 Like I want to be clean. But traveling with that NGO was, you know, like going to class. Like they have to go like, okay, have to go get the water today. infants. by a crocodile Yeah, people get assaulted in dry season by monkeys. thinking twice and that you know it's made me as an older guy i'm pushing 60 it's made me And it's that kind of travel.

1:11:50 guy and he's 70 when you meet him when he's 75 is going to be the same guy, if not worse. But no, And then you meet people who are 22 and they're so burned out. This is all you, pal. So get up and don't do it. punish myself. And so How many times have I sworn in this room with you right now on that today? But he's had such a good way with words. It was fascinating.

1:15:04 Fine. And it forces me to evolve my point of view where those words are fun and hyperbolic, but they just don't serve me. it doesn't mean anything anymore so when you do and i'm like fuck you it doesn't mean anything They're pundits for a living. Do you do that? You don't want to be outside at noon. Holy album, which is just, it's component parts, but it was mixed together in a way where it's

1:19:18 And so I'll mull these things over because I have a lot of time. I will park in a parking the treadmill in my mind you know like i'll just like kind of mumble to myself where people will all my woodshedding alone. of your older stuff and it's essentially a form of stand-up, you know? Yep. Well, like on my Showtime special tomorrow night at 10. Because when I'm telling the story about the part of wherever, like Bangladesh I was in, that wasn't funny.

1:22:20 Well, the thing is also that you don't have a restricted sort of form in which you have to perform in. It can be funny or it can be not. Stand-up is funny. You never go to like we've moved your show the PA screwed into the wall. And I did my talking show and my audience, they're all sitting at these And I went in there and I just kind of did what I've been doing for like the last nine months on the road.

1:25:26 comedy crowd no because I torture Usually an hour and ten I bring an opening act. Just because two buddies. night and are you ever on your own with nobody? Never. Okay, so there's always an opener. You go to a movie and it's two and a half hours. Yeah. you know but i've done i've done a lot of especially this last year i did a lot of two An Australian opener?

1:28:29 a really nice guy. He's real smart. whatever it is. And it's happened a few times with when I would do music. tremendously lopsided it was me and tig notaro who's amazing i don't know her very well, but I've seen her on stage. And she was on my own on tour and I'm the only can find and i pay them well to go on in front of me i don't i don't want it to be a bad show by

1:30:49 There's like four of them. And they just look like they've been sucked dry by a vampire. But the presidency killed that guy. See what I'm saying? insisted on getting the bad phone call. And you see what it does to a human being. And I noticed it with Bush and Obama, get on a plan because they can really rock you. They can help you lose 40 pounds by spring of next year. And you can really feel better.

1:33:45 They're already in their jogging outfits Apparently he drinks like 12 Diet Cokes a day. I mean, they're always eating vegetables and, you know, some healthy meat. And because of that, she rarely gets sick. looked like. They were thin. They were different. They had a different diet, but now we just eat too many carbohydrates and But nothing like in the West where their teeth are just getting assaulted by our own diet.

1:36:50 No one's ever done it the way we're doing it. Hey, Mike, listen, I don't want to be that guy, My friend, Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer, they did this thing last year, well, two years ago, But then after it was over, Tom was like, dude, let me tell you something. busting balls, like, no, no, no, you should bring it up because that bad feeling is a gift.

1:39:04 I think you should use discretion. All these people that say don't fat shame, fuck, that's how I got skinny. Well, the little kids is the worst because, like, their parents will get them hooked on those sugary sodas. It goes down so fast. Saturday night, my big drink. And, like, you just want the next one when you're done. Well, you're always working out as well.

1:41:13 I don't know. I don't even need to feel good. And tonight I'm going to have a glass of carrot juice with a splash of beet juice and probably a cup of—half a cup of coffee. If I'm feeling like I can't sleep, I'm distracted from hunger, I've got some peanuts in my room. Like it is no joke. And there's a lot of marks I got to hit. I'm going to be on a TV show soon. I can't not know the lines. I can't be tired. I can't look like I haven't slept. I gotta be a game. Do you take any vitamins or supplements or anything like

1:44:50 But no, I can't. And the cleaner I eat, the better I feel. I've just, maybe I'm just, I'm not aware enough And then there's nothing to be worried about because you can't wait to show the guy what you got. It's interesting that you've chosen to do this in a non-pharmaceutical way. Yeah. I think the brain is real fragile and I'm not one of those types who say all medication is

1:47:24 And when I eat the lean fish salad, you know, the salmon and the spinach, I do feel better. Yeah. I'm just hoping for a lot of work. You just hit me. Yes, but I'm not aggressive. Watch me just jump up and down and just break it all. Yeah. paint your house i'm not i'm not flattening your tire i'm just working and when someone goes oh i It's my true north.

1:50:53 i mean and that's all i need like you say i can't like then i'll just sit up all night oh yeah absolutely like yeah I'm just— Push them back. And I make money. But past that, I just book book it put me in there like uh here's five shows can i have five more so i don't really count i i want to do well i want to pay my bills and i don't want to lose Yeah, super boring, but damn does it keep starting up.

1:53:14 I was the voice of Infinity Car for about five years. They're great. Screw you. They paid you. the next morning and i drove my new car to the set and i kind of shit compared to the infinity 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. You can afford a really nice car. Joe's and auditions and to the Joe Rogan podcast no I live a really utilitarian life like in LA itinerary up, got in the car to go to the airport. This nice lady takes me to the airport. She goes,

1:56:51 Not drawing any attention to yourself. It really does. bands and people. I dig presidents and other people in other countries. I go to see bands You just don't want to come over for dinner. Thank you. And we sit on the bus and hours go by and there's no sound. I'm not good friend material, but I will help your ass out of a jam. I don't know, but that doesn't bug me at all.

2:00:16 how did you meet Joey or leave it yeah but there's no ambiguity and I really like being around that because you can be yourself because he has shown up being himself. Unlimited. Come and meet the family. And you're obsessed. It's like we were talking about, Like they all kind of feel, big rock stars, uh, that no one's going to show up. Ozzy. And I said, are you kidding?

2:04:01 I went, wait a minute. Dumb question. The George Carlin? Memorized him by eighth grade, of course. whatever. I'm like, Oh man, Wow. is it going to be okay in there i'm like the first amendment was not being used And then they went through the crowd, ID, ID, ID. is like he said give me your best five minutes and he would critique us wow i said is he trying

2:06:47 Here's how you redo it. Lenny Bruce to me is a real, the freezing, And here's what I've found with all of your big actors and big, the ones I've worked with. Right, right. And somewhere along the line, it seems like some people get into this mindset that they deserve it. He would do a fresh HBO hour every year, every year. huddle it was really cool because we were just like in each other's face going on right it's

2:09:32 And it was like, They don't stand in front of a mirror with the treasures of the world are unaccepted. politician so he's a double bastard um i was in the vault of the lincoln museum in springfield a I said, he's a politician and a lawyer. museum they have one in the vault and literally he wore out the hide wow um but i use lincoln It is fascinating. We think this is an experiment,

2:13:35 these checks and balances are put in place in the first place yeah because guys like him yeah because we a president comes from we the people it can be you or me potentially and i think like no i'm gonna watch fox and friends you tell me what i need to know and you know it's not for You said like, okay, what that guy did, that's gangsta. Slovenia. That's just a rough patch of real estate. She's smart and she's tough and she got out.

2:16:40 He's like, ha ha. like he was liquefied in the shower something about the water um because he I'm a young boy on the weekend visit with my father. to my father's right. We're pulling up to mom's apartment. Henry, dad, are you a communist? between a communist and an economist no sir so sir. So I left the college until I was like 33. until two years ago. It was totally

2:20:38 Yeah, Bullwinkle. You're like, oh, this is Cold War humor. There's bodies buried because of him. minutes. You can't be friends with this guy. My theory is there's some kind of finances He's a strong leader. Yeah, for life. Yes. I've been to North Korea. Well, he's got a pulse now with a new heart. And so he'll never go to jail. like maybe next year and they go like

2:24:46 I want to be proven wrong, but I don't have all the facts. point as my dad used to say you want to score hidden where they ain't the She's like, hey. You're like, oh, yeah, that's a setup. Or there's just a big fistful of hundreds. of the guy, but he's a good speaker. And he did some speeches in the UK a few years ago, And so like when, when Trump became elected, it was, I was on tour. I was doing a bunch of nights

2:28:46 get it on. It's like in your line of work when the guy goes, here we go. That's how I saw it. Like, okay, let's get the money to the ACLU. Let's get some money to Planned Parenthood. You see these high school juniors in front of a CNN camera going, hi, I'm 17 years old. This They're all going to vote. She's going to go to Colombia and meet other people and get a more global sense of the world, a sense of water, food, energy, where it comes from,

2:31:34 henry motherfucking rollins keep talking keep talking pal keep talking pal thank you sir thank