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Rollins Band is a rock music group led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.
History
From August 1981, Rollins had sung with California-based punk legends Black Flag. When the group disbanded in August 1986, Rollins quickly formed a new ensemble featuring (Chris Haskett on guitar, Bernie Wandell on bass, and Mick Green on drums). Together, they released two records: Hot Animal Machine (credited as a Rollins solo record) and Drive-By Shootings (credited to "Henrieta Collins and the Wifebeating Childhaters"). The music was similar to Black Flag's, though it flirted more with heavy metal and jazz.
Soon after, Rollins formed Rollins Band with Haskett, bassist Andrew Weiss, and drummer Sim Cain (Weiss and Cain had previously played with Gone, an instrumental rock group led by guitarist and Black Flag founder Greg Ginn). Live sound engineer Theo Van Rock was usually credited as a band member as well.
They recorded and toured, quickly gaining popularity — in part by building on Black Flag's fan base — and released four albums by 1990.
Recognizing Rollins' importance in helping establish alternative rock, Perry Farrell invited the Rollins Band to appear on the first Lollapalooza tour in 1991. In 1992 they released The End of Silence. The singles "Low Self Opinion" and "Tearing" were featured on MTV, gaining the band even more exposure. Their music had begun to move away from its original sound, with the band exploring territory not too far removed from jazz fusion; Rollins is an avid fan of Miles Davis's electric era. (Rollins Band later recorded with flamethrowing free jazz saxophonist Charles Gayle, though these sessions remained unreleased for some years.)
Weiss was fired following the End of Silence tour; he was replaced by jazz and funk bassist Melvin Gibbs, who'd been highly recommended by guitarist Vernon Reid. They continued to tour and record, releasing the albums Weight (1994) and Come In and Burn (1997). The first video from Weight, the schizophrenic "Liar", was a hit on MTV, with Rollins sporting numerous costumes (including a cop and a nun). However, the band began to stagnate, and Rollins fired the band members in 1997.
Rollins replaced the Haskett-Gibbs-Cain lineup with the rock band Mother Superior, retaining the name Rollins Band, and released Get Some Go Again (2000) and Nice (2001). They also released a two-disc live album, The Only Way to Know for Sure.
In 2002, the Rollins Band released Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three. The album features a number of guest vocalists (including Lemmy, Corey Taylor, Ice T, Tom Araya and others) singing Black Flag's songs.
Inbetween other commitments (His radio show Harmony In My Head, his cable/satellite TV show The Henry Rollins Show, and his spoken word tours), Rollins has been rehearsing with the Weight/Come In And Burn-era lineup.In a blog entry on henryrollins.com, Rollins admitted, "Actually we have been practicing on and off for months now, slowly getting it together... So, we are back together and are planning on getting some shows in by August. Nothing is booked yet. We have contacted all the agents are seeing what’s available. It’s been really cool being back in the practice room with these guys after all these years." [http://21361.com/site_2004/dispatchs_archive/03-29-06.html
Members
- Henry Rollins - vocals
- Sim Cain - drums
- Andrew Weiss - bass guitar
- Chris Haskett - guitar
- Melvin Gibbs - bass guitar
- Mick Green - drums
- Bernie Wandel - bass guitar
Albums
- Do It (1988)
- Life Time (1988)
- Hard Volume (1989)
- Turned On (1990)
- Live In Australia, 1990 (1991) (1999 re-issue)
- The End of Silence (1992)
- Weight (1994)
- Come In and Burn (1997)
- Get Some Go Again (2000)
- Nice (2001)
- The Only Way to Know for Sure (2002, Live)
EPs/Singles
- Disconnect (1994)
- Liar (1994)
External links
American musical groups | Punk rock groups | Alternative musical groups | Black Flag associated bands | Henry Rollins
"Rollins Band"