Review: Lana Harris
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Henry Rollins, ex front man of punk rock bands Black Flag and Rollins Band, is a charismatic man. He has the presence and easy manner that comes from half a lifetime on stage but this is tempered by the time spent on his more austere pursuits of observation, self imposed isolation and a hell of a lot of reading. Tonight he’s solo on stage, sharing the contents of his mind in the Brisbane Powerhouse for the first of three Brisbane shows – two added to the bill due to popular demand, despite the fact that Rollins has travelled to Australia no less than 27 times in the last 20 years. |
Rollins works, moves, looks like a boxer. Short staccato sentences are tapped out relentlessly, full stops after every syllable working the ear drums of the audience. This is utilitarian prose: make the audience think, laugh, empathise; uplift and unsettle them. Do not waste a single letter. The rags mimic the approach– close cropped hair, plain black fitted t-shirt (that reveals he’s still in great shape), drill pants and sneakers – a perfectly functional outfit. There are no breaks – not for Rollins, not for us. One hundred and sixty five minutes of verbal onslaught.
Continue reading Henry Rollins Frequent Flyer Tour – Brisbane Powerhouse, 20th April 2010 : Live Review
