Monday, November 16, 2009

When Bad Lit becomes Art


of all the memories i have from tours, one of my all time favorites was driving across the wastelands of the Midwest while listening to an audio tape copy of GET IN THE VAN by Henry Rollins. it’s a collection of journal writings from Henry’s time in Black Flag. it’s half band-biography and half rambling self loathing retarded poetry/thoughts on life (dumb thoughts), and whining. there's some serious livejournal level cryassery going on. basically Hank hates everyone and Greg Ginn is mean. there are some really funny moments and even some Black Flag stories that really can inspire a young band out on their first ever tour. but mostly the best parts of the book are Rollins’ weird poems or thoughts or whatthefuckever.

sample: "I touch her hair. Her shoulders clench together and she stares at the ground. She looks like a stone bird. I am an iceberg. Everyday I float farther and farther out to sea. But that can’t be. An iceberg feels no pain. An iceberg doesn’t feel cold. I feel cold. I feel distant. There is no one. There is nothing. That’s where I am. She won’t look me in the eye anymore since I asked if I could kiss her. Even wanting turns her cold."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! oh to be a kid again. the book is full of nuggets like that. we all laughed our asses off for hours. also the audio book version is read by Rollins himself...which takes the awesomeness up about 20 notches. i don't even know why they bothered with a print version of this fucking thing. having Henry read is own journals is far more entertaining than anything the Rollins Band ever recorded.

anyways, if you ever find this…do yourself a favor and get it. it will make your mind implode. EPIC. fucking EPIC.

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