Henry Rollins - Talk is Cheap Volume 2

Having just completed another of his frequent visits to our country, now does seem an ideal time to release a new recording of Henry Rollins’ spoken word show, even if this particular show is a little old. Talk is Cheap Volume 2 (as the name suggests), is the second in a series of double CDs released at a reduced price, with part of the proceeds donated to the Hollygrove home for abused and neglected children in Los Angeles, and was recorded live at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on April 24, 2001.

If you’ve ever seen Rollins in a spoken word show, you know what to expect. If you haven’t, you’ll soon discover that public speaking is certainly one of his fortes. Rollins delivers his monologue at such rapid fire that you suspect he must have much of it planned already, even as he claims to have been inspired by TV he was watching before starting the show. It is a mix of jokes and humorous anecdotes from Rollins own life and observation of the world, but always delivered with an underlying political message of free thought, tolerance and a refusal to be pushed around by close-minded politicians.

Despite the performance being almost five years old, much of what Rollins says is still relevant. Often when visiting musicians start preaching their politics from stage to Australian audiences it can be a little patronising, but at least Henry has done his homework. His opening tirade against Pauline Hanson (who at the time was trying to use the media to reshape herself in a friendly image) is spot on. Other prime targets include reality TV and a brief swipe at John Howard’s inability to say “sorry”.

At the time Rollins had just turned 40, and his increasing age becomes the main focus of the night. An extended story of his initiation to the world of Kiss (after the other band members of The Rollins Band dragged him along to the Kiss farewell tour), provides a lot of laughs as Rollins pokes fun at the pomposity of Kiss and the redneck fans, but ultimately concludes with a lot of respect and inspiration drawn from a band who at 50, still put on a show which rocked out and impressed Rollins more than any of the other bans he played with on the subsequent Rollins Band tour.

The night concludes with a more serious reflection on the responsibilities of growing old and continuing to kick up a fuss at injustice, his decision not to have children, and the lasting impressions of the poverty seen during his visit to India.

It’s difficult to review a spoken word disc without giving away the best parts or jokes of any of the stories, but if you’re a fan of Rollins, all you need to know is this disc is as good as any of his other spoken words, and if you’ve never heard them before, as a discounted double disc, this may be the place to start.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)