Henry Rollins: The Column! A Modest Proposal: Global Occupy Music Festivals

By Henry Rollins Thu., Nov. 3 2011 at 5:00 AM

[Look for your weekly fix from the one and only Henry Rollins right here on West Coast Sound every Thursday, and come back tomorrow for the awesomely annotated playlist for his Saturday KCRW broadcast.]

Does music have the power to cause real change? Several times in my life I have been asked this question. In a feeble effort to be humorous, I answered that if music had the power to stop a war, then the music of Bob Marley and Bob Dylan would have prevented all mass conflicts.

Thinking about it further, I came to the conclusion that music might not be able to stop a war, but that it is more than capable of causing change. In fact, it has, on a massive, global scale.

Rock & roll and hip-hop come to mind immediately. They are with us to stay, and their imprint on culture cannot be denied. For myself and countless others all over the world, it was punk rock that opened my eyes and jolted me into such a state of alertness that I count the years before I heard this music as all but irrelevant.

For me, the revolution was personal and total. In those days, I met many people who were discovering and reinventing themselves, exploding outward from the effects of this music. It was as if we had been living in a daydream for years, and all of a sudden were in the real world.

I dwell on these thoughts right now because recently I have been to a few Occupy sites across America: Wall Street, Chicago, Seattle and Portland, Ore. All of them were different, all of them were intense and real.

At the Seattle site, an intense young man came up to me and started asking me questions about what I thought of the protests, what the sustainability challenges would be, etc. He then asked me about the Federal Reserve and Ron Paul, if I thought Paul was going to be president. He pulled out a video camera and started filming me. I told him that I thought there was no way that was going to happen. He asked if it was because the powers that be wouldn't let Paul near the presidency and I said no, it was because he says too much crazy stuff. He said, "That's a pretty bold statement." I told him it was as bold as saying the next day was going to be Friday, which it was. I then asked him why he was filming me. His answer was fantastic -- it is the reason I travel and stay outside a lot. "For my own protection." Wow. They broke the mold on this guy.

I am wondering if there will be a band or bands who will be a musical voice to this rapidly growing gathering of citizens. So far I have heard people playing drums and other percussion instruments but have yet to hear of one band or artist attaching to the Occupy protests on a national level.

Tags:

Henry Rollins, Occupy Music Festival

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nerdherder

Yeah, the occupy movement needs an anthem alright. How about articulating some specific solutions to specific problems other than 'rich people bad, give me money'. Better yet, let's hear someone articulate why communism and anarchy are preferable to the Constitution. Che Guevara is so punk. What obedient sheep you are.

Jennie Vasquez

Nerdherder, my comments were in reference to music and movements. All the large great movements and by great I mean large, have had some kind of anthem. This one needs it too as a unifying element. As for my personal views, an obedient sheep I am not. I agree with you about needing specific solutions to problems. I still haven't heard anything concrete that would benefit the members of my community where we have some of the highest unemployment in Southern California. That and I don't think that rich people are bad nor should they give me their money because I don't want money I haven't earned. My stance on this movement is that is still confuses me and as long as even one member finds it okay to throw bricks and other objects at cops, the movement will not have my respect. Cops aren't the enemy, they are very much a part of the 99%. A part of the 99% fortunate enough to have jobs. They have bills to pay, families to feed. When they are ordered to remove people they are doing their jobs. A thankless job at that.

What I like to do is to to learn as much as I can because life is not all black and white. I like to hear what all sides are thinking and form my own opinions. The movement does have some points that make sense. Some of what they are angry about are things we should all be angry about. There should be investigations onto exactly what did happen with the bailouts. That much I know, understand, and agree with. The rest I'm still trying to figure out what the movement wants and continue to try and educate myself because agree with it or not, I want to have my own educated opinion. Like it or not, the movement is steaming along and making some waves. I want to get a feel for what these people want. Maybe someday I'll think it's great, maybe I'll think its a bunch of crap. More likely I'll continue to think of it as a movement I'll never fully understand and one that ultimately will not help me personally but if it helps someone somewhere out there, good for the movement.

I read Henry's opinions because although I don't always agree with him, he has earned my respect in that he is a man of action and backs up what he believes in. I consider him a modern day Geographer whose life experiences have taken him more places than me so when he speaks I listen and take note because his experiences offer a different perspective than mine and make me think outside my little box. I think it is important for people to express what they are thinking like you did. I totally see where you are coming from in your comments. We need more people like you expressing opinions, like Henry expressing his, to light a fire, spark conversations that lead to solutions that benefit everyone.

Robert_Cratchit

Brutally sodomizing straw men.

Jennie Vasquez

In answer to the original question, of course music can cause real change. Sam Cooke's A Change is Gonna Come is a perfect example of a song that has sparked change. Perfectly written and of course perfectly sung in a way only Sam Cooke could sing a song that deep. The key is to have music that will attract a global liking but be intimate enough to touch each person individually and to move individuals to want to take action.

In regards to this movement, I think it could use some kind of an anthem that unites all the cities. Perhaps one of the members of the movement is working on it right now. Who knows what will emerge from this in terms of new talent. I'm kind of surprised that music hasn't been used more to rally support for the cause because music at times relays a message more than just words.

As for global music festivals, why not? I would think that what would be better than to have big names attached to this movement would instead be for the different cities that are being occupied to find acts representing all kinds of different genres willing to support the movement. Then there could be music festivals involving the bands from the different regions visiting the different cities. To me, I think of big artists as their own corporations and it takes away from the grass root movement feel that this movement has. If big acts want to throw in support that is great but not as the main attractions.

Whatever happens with this movement, one that still confuses me, somedays I start to understand it, other days I'm as confused as ever, there needs to be music attached to it somehow. All great movements from generations past have had those songs that define that the place, time, and cause. This one needs it too.