Rollins Takes Smorgasbord Approach to Arts : Founder of Punk Pioneer Black Flag Brings His Eclectic Act to Cal State

Since the 1986 breakup of Black Flag, founding member Henry Rollins has taken the smorgasbord approach to life: publishing books, telling stories, releasing spoken-word recordings and tending to his music.

“I’m always eating, but I’m switching plates,” Rollins said this week from his home in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. Rollins, who was lead singer for Black Flag, the L.A. punk pioneers, will perform tonight at Cal State Fullerton’s University Center Pub.

Rollins’ spoken performances started as more-or-less formal readings when he first appeared in 1983 at the Lhasa Club in Los Angeles. His stage act has since become more improvisational, relying less on his writings and more on spinning tales from real life.

“I’ve just been telling stories,” said Rollins, 28, whose act has been described as “part pantomime, part stand-up comedy, part guerrilla theater.”

He also continues to write daily in his journal. His eighth self-published book is at the printer.

“For me, writing can’t capture what I do with the speaking,” he said. “When I speak, I just kind of go off.”

Although he has been telling his stories for several years now, it can still be frightening to face an audience alone. “I just finished 10 weeks of this (international) tour, and it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Rollins said. “You can’t hide behind the music.”

He likened the experience to “unpeeling yourself like a navel orange: You feel kind of raw afterward.”

Rollins started writing in high school, as a way of expressing the alienation he felt as a teen, which he described as a “horrible” part of his life: “I used to just write to get it out of me, and that’s what I still do.”

Later, when he was invited to sing for Black Flag, he found an outlet in music.

He continues to pursue his music and is negotiating a recording contract for the Henry Rollins Band. The group has a studio album in the can and plans to embark in August for a 7-month world tour.

In music, as in his writings and spoken performances, Rollins said, he strives for an honest connection with his audience, preferring to dispense with show-biz conventions. Rollins seems to have struck a chord: He said he gets almost 100 letters a week, many from young people who write to say they relate to Rollins’ stories and songs, which often deal with the trials of growing up.

“That gets me all feeling good,” Rollins said. “People are really hungry for direct communication.”

Henry Rollins will appear tonight at 8 in Cal State Fullerton’s University Center Pub, 800 N. State College Blvd. in Fullerton. Advance tickets are $6 for students and $7 general; $8 at the door. Information: (714) 773-3501.