Talk is cheap... We saw Henry Rollins on his current spoken word tour last night. I hate seeing bands at the Hammersmith Apollo but it was a great venue for ranting about politics, hitting fans upside the head with bottles and the despair of masturbating in hotel rooms at the age of (almost) 44. Henry is older, wiser and funnier than ever. But as with every time I see him he manages to crush something inside you too. Last night it was talking about the death of the mother of one of his friends (although he managed to get a gag about Pussy Whip for the lactose intolerant in there as well) and the last time he saw Johnny Ramone just a few days before he died. He's been doing USO gigs in Afghanistan and Iraq and making movies with Steve Coogan and albums with William Shatner (his impression of Shatner in the studio is spot on and hilarious). Of course, to many punk fans he's the ultimate sell-out for daring to be successful and because he continues to try his hand at anything, but he's one of the few people I know who is still an unapologetic blowhard that can back up the attitude with both words and action. I'd rather see Henry make more bad TV and then wax lyrical about it on stage than watch some shambling drug addict trying to remember the words to a song he last sung in 1982. I spoke to Henry back in June last year after he released the 30 Seconds Over DC and Trouble Funk CDs on his new label, but the thing has been sat on my hard drive since Dog Tower was put on indefinite hiatus so I figure it's better seeing the light of day here rather than leaving it to rot next to the porn directory: Mike: You never seem to stop. Do you get back to Washington DC often? Does it still feel like home? Henry Rollins: I always do shows in DC and when I can, I arrange a day off so I can walk around. Now and then, usually in the later part of the year, if I get a chance, I go there for a few days. At this point, I don't know what home is as I move around a lot but the familiarity of some parts of the place are great to be around. Mike: You decided to set up the label District Line rather than release these CDs directly on your label 2-13-61. Any particular reason for that? Henry: Sure. I just wanted to do a cool, small label that was very targeted in its scope and do a good thing for the town I come from, the bands represented, and also, most importantly to fill in some gaps in music history. Mike: Ian MacKaye suggested the label name. Was that the extent of his involvement ? Henry: That's about the extent. He does offer encouragement that's well used. Mike: Skip Groff says in the new liner notes on :30 Over DC that "many of the bands were one shots, some went on to other bands, some went to jail and did not pass Go". Have you had any feedback from some of the individuals from the bands involved? Do you know what happened to any of them? Henry: The record is just getting out there so I have not heard back from anyone in any of the bands besides Howard Wuelfing of the Nurses who keeps in touch now and then. I just sent him a copy yesterday. Mike: The CDs are available through your website but are they being distributed anywhere else? Henry: Sure. We're in stores and all that. I really like the internet sales thing as we can stay close with our audience and give them great prices and service because we're in control. Mike: Can we expect regular releases from District Line or is it more a case of waiting for something special to come along? You mention that you hope to release two more projects soon. What will they be? Henry: The label is more a service. We will wait for cool things to come along and we will pursue cool stuff as we come up with ideas. I have two projects waiting for greenlight from the artists involved. As soon as I get a yes or a no from them, I will start preparing these for release and look forward for the next ones. Mike: You make sure that a percentage of the money that the CD brings in goes to worthy causes. Any idea how much money you have raised for these causes so far through 2-13-61? Henry: We do this with a lot of the CDs on 213. We will be doing it with District Line but I have not picked out where to send the funds as yet. When I find ones I want to contribute to and check them out and make sure everything is on the level, I will release the money. It won't be much I don't think. For the sake of the bands and the causes, I hope I am wrong about that. On other releases on the label we have sent large amounts of money to the Southern Poverty Law Center and The Hollygrove Children's Services Center in Los Angeles. Mike: You say that the "primary interest is the only thing that counts: the music". Are you in any way worried about file sharing or are you just happy that people have access to the music? Henry: Not a lot I can do about file sharing. I just hope that people will want to help the label and want their own copy of the record and to contribute something back. Past that, it's up to the individual and I'm sure not going to be out there policing the internet. Mike: I've been listening to the CDs for over a week now and am constantly smiling at music that I wouldn't have found without you re-releasing them. Does it annoy you that so much good music is 'lost' and was that the driving force behind District Line? Henry: Like I said before, the label is about filling in the gaps in music history. The fact that we supplied you with music you are digging that you might never have been exposed to otherwise... I have to say, mission accomplished. Mike: What about new music coming out of Washington DC? Anything you've been following? Henry: I think El Guapo and Q and Not U are extraordinary. I am an Evens fan as well. Mike: You mentioned the first broadcast of your radio show. Is that on Indie 103.1 or somewhere else? Henry: Indie 103.1. The show is called Harmony in My Head and it's on Mondays 7-9 pm west coast time. Mike: I recently saw Richard Kern's THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY BRAIN which you appeared in back in 1984. What kind of an experience was that and do you still have an interest in underground cinema? Henry: That was mid-August 1984. It was fun and took only a couple of hours. I definitely have time for underground anything. Mike: USO shows in Kuwait and Iraq. Is there anything you can tell us about that? Henry: Just got back and it was an eye opener. One of the bases I was on got shelled while I was there but it was no big deal as it apparently happens all that time at that base. It occurred to me that US forces will be in Iraq for a very long time and it's going to be constant casualties until we leave. It was the hottest place I have ever been besides Tunisia. Since talking to Henry I found the :30 Under DC forum which is full of info on Skip Groff and the CD discussed above. Henry is also hosting his own Film Corner over on IFC. Mike is writing to The Butthole Surfers