Bang!

by Henry Rollins

Includes:
Knife Street
American Hardcore
Blues Jam in the 213 Area Code
After Burn
1000 Ways to Die

Genres: Poetry, Music, Collections, Literature, Punk

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Henry Rollins (born Henry Lawrence Garfield; often referred to simply as Rollins) is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, author, actor and publisher.

After joining the short-lived Washington, D.C. band State of Alert in 1980, Rollins fronted the Californian hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1981 until 1986. Following the band's breakup, Rollins soon established the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, as well as forming the Rollins Band, which toured with a number of lineups until 2003 and during 2006.

Since Black Flag, Rollins has embarked on projects covering a variety of media. He has hosted numerous radio shows, such as The Henry Rollins Show and Harmony In My Head, and television shows, such as MTV's 120 Minutes and Jackass, along with roles in several films. Rollins has also campaigned for human rights in the United States, promoting gay rights in particular, and tours overseas with the United Service Organizations to entertain American troops.

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

bleak

[Shawn Fairweather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the first Rollins book that I read many years ago and I was happy to revisit it recently. Raw as raw can be and in Rollins terms...thats raw. Im not sure a lot of people will understand this nor should they really as in each of these writings were snapshots in time in one persons mind. Im sure we've all had these visions or something to the like at one time or another and just never captured them in their essence as done hear. I tend to think the key is not to take it word for word but more importantly the rationale or the intent behind the vulgarity or twistedness of the though process. He's turned off a lot of people over the years and retained many as well, for me, my appreciation for Hank is deeply personal as I had to endure many struggles and disassociation from society at times in my life and his writings were there for me. Not as an inspiration but moreso as a validation that I wasn't alone which helped me to overcome.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my favorite Rollins book, but one night, my friend
started reading the four line pieces in rapid succession and they
seemed to find a really good rhythm. Ever since then, I've wondered
if that was the way he meant for it to be read or if it was
just a weird anomaly.

[Josef Miyasato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've since moved on from Rollins, but there was a long time in my life where I too felt disassociated from society, alone, angry, etc. And finding Rollins in all of those out of the way booksellers was like finding a boxing gym for my mind and soul. Here was a towering figure who also choked, bled, and died. But he was writing it down. That's what I was doing. I was writing in a vacuum. Rollins broke it open for me. Writing was authentic. Writing was punk. Writing was soulful. Writing was a battle with violence. And I'm so glad that the pen is truly mightier than the sword. Like I said, I've moved on from his work. But this man and his writing will always be a part of my collective spirit animal.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry Rollins is nothing if not prolific and some of this books are better than others, but Bang! might be my least favorite of his books.

When Bang! was released in 1990 he’d published more than a dozen books. Some of the early books were zines and Bang! brings two of these together—Knife Street and 1000 Ways to Die, both published in 1989—along with some shorter pieces, including “Afterburn” and some Black Sabbath-inspired pieces.

Knife Street feels like it was written for the stage. He isn’t telling stories about his life per se but ranting about the dark side of the metaphorical street. You can really feel Hubert Selby Jr’s influence here with its running commentary on junkies and criminals. You won’t find the kind of laconic observations that make Get in the Van so entertaining. Rather, Rollins ramps up the energy to “I’m going to hell and you’re coming with me” mode, which he does so well:

The night rapes and confuses
We got the technology
No one gets out without getting a taste
Look at the survival rate
So far they are perfect

1000 Ways to Day is a very unusual book. It’s a long list of aphoristic outbursts that look like very short poems but aren’t. Although there are a thousand of them it’s not a catalog of literal ways to die either. They’re more like angry koans. Not only is the form repetitive but so is the content. Rollins returns to certain subjects over and over again: anger, heroin, isolation, loneliness, napalm, and rape. Man, there’s a lot of rape.

Here's five (#611-615):

Child
Abuse
From Hell

That bird
That sings
At 3:00 am
Sings to me

He approaches
The electric chair
The priest
Coughs

Don’t worry pal
We are
Right behind
You

She is amazing
No one
Can make me feel
Worse

Grim isn’t it? In 2010 1000 Ways to Die was made available as an e-book and Rollins had this to say about it:

“Many years ago, I embarked on a project to write one thousand extremely short stories. The idea was if one was to watch a train pass by at great speed, one would see a lot of people and possible stories. I filled up quite a few steno pads with these very short glimpses.”

As art I don’t think these glimpses are all that compelling, but as an intellectual exercise it’s interesting to see all the themes of Rollins’s early work mapped out in one place.

[x.urlittleflea.o · Rating 4 out of 5]

So ya I like Henry rollins writing it’s not surprising. He writes about the harsh grittiness of life. That’s what what I love to read about. Do I think he’s a misogynist; yes duh. will I pick up more from him since I think this is just the start for me with him; absolutely.

[Edward Zeauskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rollins is kind of like a punky Sotos, just a tad less taboo. If you are looking for something out side of your comfort zone or are a fan of gritty poetry, this is an addictive read.

[Parker Bracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my old classmates would have loved this

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

totally hardcore really beautifully vulgar poetry

[Dana Jerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

"1000 ways to die" is a great group of concepts/poems that boil down the mania to its hardest edges. Feel like getting your blood up about something? Read this.