Henry Rollins’ Fans Take Him at His Words

Henry Rollins is one intense dude. The muscular singer with the drill-sergeant voice projects the striking image of an uncompromisingly masculine, no-nonsense renegade. He has maintained that persona for more than 15 years, from his early- to mid-’80s days with the hard-core punk band Black Flag to his current gig as leader of his shrapnel-spewing outfit, the Rollins Band.

But it was a different Rollins--a very relaxed, congenial one--who held the stage at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Pavilion on Saturday. The 35-year-old veteran of the ‘80s punk-rock wars, the man with the words “Search and Destroy” tattooed on his back, was appearing not for sonic combat but for a spoken-word performance.

Not surprisingly, Rollins’ spoken-word recordings and books are known largely for their unsettling grit and tension. But instead of hard-boiled street poetry, what mainly transpired was 2 1/2 hours of Rollins as a sometimes sensitive, often witty raconteur. (He does another spoken-word show Friday at the Galaxy Theatre.)

Silence blanketed the packed auditorium during much of a lengthy and touching story about his meeting with a 17-year-old Australian fan with leukemia. Rollins peppered his recollections with funny and very human details about visiting the boy in the hospital.

But how much of his show reflected the real Rollins and how much was an attempt at image manipulation?

A cynic could point out that Rollins has become increasingly involved in acting in recent years, with roles in “Heat,” “Johnny Mnemonic” and in David Lynch’s forthcoming “Lost Highway.” But if he was anything other than sincere Saturday, he’s a better actor than most people realize.

For the most part, Rollins gained trust and empathy by readily acknowledging his foibles. It probably helped that he didn’t always downplay his tendency toward macho bluster.

His hot-tempered ways came out in diatribes against conniving New York cabdrivers and encounters with dimwitted people at airport terminals.

He also seemed to revel in stories that underscored his preference for austere and disciplined living. He told about renting a cold, cockroach-infested “hovel” in Manhattan recently, an obvious boast that he’s no wimpy, pampered rock star despite his ability to live more comfortably.

Yet Rollins also tried to redefine the definition of manly behavior. While proclaiming himself unequivocally a heterosexual, he recounted a few innocent encounters he’s had with cross-dressing men.

His story about teaming up with transvestite RuPaul to record a version of Lipps Inc.’s 1980 hit “Funkytown” had a significant part of the audience in stitches. The gruff-voiced artist’s game imitation of the sassy, effeminate cross-dresser was a killer.

Rollins’ show is unquestionably designed for adults. He spoke frankly, if humorously, about sex, dispensing one particular four-letter swear word liberally. Rollins wasn’t aiming to titillate, but to demystify sex by speaking about it in refreshingly logical and uncluttered terms.

The most memorable segment was Rollins recounting his repeated attempts to upstage his hero, punk godfather Iggy Pop. The singer set up his story by explaining that he had twice been outperformed by the indefatigable Pop at concerts in which both had played.

By the time the third faceoff occurred at a large festival show in Finland, Rollins was hellbent on outshining Pop. Rollins prepared mightily for the gig and delivered, by his own reckoning, an inspired, physically and emotionally draining show.

But Pop, at the time nearly 50, followed Rollins’ set with a jaw-dropping performance that was impossible to surpass. After scaling a large bank of speakers on stage and diving into the whirling crowd, a shirtless Pop stood at show’s end bloodied but far from unbowed. With him on stage were countless fans he had managed to pull up from the audience, despite protests from frantic bouncers. Rollins had been licked again.

“How cool would it be to have Iggy Pop as your father?” Rollins asked the mostly college-age audience. “Very cool,” he answered, grinning ear-to-ear.

* Henry Rollins appears Friday at the Galaxy Concert Theatre, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana. 8 p.m. $16-$18. (714) 957-0600.