HENRY ROLLINS Keeps Himself Off Balance With Spoken-Word Tour, Upcoming Movie Appearances

Punk rock icon HENRY ROLLINS, who is returning to his spoken word performance schedule with a tour opening Jan. 7 in San Juan Capistrano, California, says he'll take a hiatus from his spoken word tour in the summer, at which time he hopes to take his band back on the road. He will then return for the final leg of his spoken word tour in the fall and early winter. In addition, the former BLACK FLAG singer just finished filming a role in the anticipated blockbuster "Bad Boys 2", which is due out next summer.

"I view all of this stuff like Man Ray the artist views things — 'I am, therefore I art out,'" Rollins explained to Billboard. "I am open to whatever offer comes in. Some acting? Yes, I'll try that. Voiceovers? Sure. Talking tour? Great. Band stuff? Great. Talk show, TV? Can do, am interested. It's not really like an investment thing as much as I think it is the job of an artist, especially these days with all of the media that are in existence. I think there is really something to be said about keeping yourself artistically a little off balance."

Also on Rollins' calendar is the spring release of his DVD/CD package "I Am Spazticus", which features excerpts from nine spoken word shows filmed at Los Angeles' Luna Park in 1999. He's also releasing two double-disc spoken word albums — "Talk Is Cheap I & II". The releases, which were recorded in Sydney in 2001, are only available at shows on his current tour but eventually will go on sale through his official web site. Rollins is only charging $10 per double-disc release.

"In a way, I think, it is good that major labels have all charged this much money for their wares [because] it's going to cave in and there will be one record company putting out CDs [without] names," Rollins offered. "It will just say, 'FM Music' and it will sound like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Jennifer Lopez put in a Cuisinart with the KORN guitar player, who will be out of a job, as the house guitar player, a la Motown, just to go 'Ugh, ugh, ugh' all over dance beats."

"And the whole thing will be produced by the same guy," he continued. "And there will be no jobs for the industry because the industry, through greed and only seeing the fiscal quarter rather than seeing the world of music, caved in under the weight of its own ambition and desire to be on top of the mountain. And thankfully, all of the independent labels will go 'weee' and music will once again flourish. So, I'm in a really good mood about what is going on out there because the state of music is great if you look in the right place."