Henry Rollins, in Vicar St as part of his ’25 Years of Bullshit’ spoken word tour, walks on stage just after the Ramones finish singing about Sheena. When we think of America, he would love us to think of The Ramones and of Coltrane. Instead, he takes us through a list of the many embarrassments blighting the outside world’s view of modern day America: the ‘Trojan Horse of Hate’ that is Bush’s presidency, and all that has helped him achieve his position – ignorance nourished by an Oprah-fuelled media; warped Christian conservatism that drives people like the Phelps to picket funerals of American soldiers in homophobic rants.
But Henry sees hope in the people who challenge ignorance and complacency – like the acts of countless Americans who protest against the war in Iraq, like the Hells’ Angels who mount counter-demonstrations against the Phelps, like the people who welcomed those who lost everything after Hurricane Katrina. Rollins articulately challenges us all to dive into new experiences that will shock, but educate, and might just lead to a less docile society. He carries the tag of being an angry man, but this stems from nerves… and that Liar video.
Henry Rollins describes himself as a bullshit artist (“less pressure than saying you’re a comedian”), and his warmth and humour are evident throughout the many colourful stories he narrates. When Henry finally leaves the stage, we hear The Ramones again, and are left with the thematic curtain-fall on how things should be.