This is a cool video of Henry Rollins and Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls) at Hammer Conversations in 2007. From the UCLA YouTube channel “Hammer Conversations is an ongoing series that pair thinkers from a range of disciplines for engaging provocative discussions on culture, science, and the arts”. The conversation goes for some 130mins and covers some pretty interesting and “intimate” territory. Enjoy..
Henry Rollins & Amanda Palmer, Hammer Conversations
May 4th, 2009
5 Comments
I’m iffy on this interview. It’s mostly good but like so very many people who get the chance to interview Dear HEnry, I don’t think Amanda Palmer was very prepared or informed (“have you ever done a video?”)on her chosen interviewee and she adjusted the mic so much someone should have duct taped her hands to her legs. I think Henry tried to push the interview towards more relavant topics but she just kept going for the “aww, you don’t like to hug or be hugged?” topics. An hour plus of the man’s time and those are the best topics of conversation she could come up with. Meh.
Also, though I am but two years older than her, I did NOT get all of my music from MTV while eating cereal after school. She is not an entirely accurate representation of my generation…thank frigging god.
Hi Indie, the concept of the Hammer conversations is that, a conversation. It’s not strictly an interview. Check out the Hammer site to learn more about em.
I concur with you though, sometimes it felt like she had gone all shrinky and had Henry on the couch! But overall I thought it was a interesting conversation and both of them had cool things to say.
The fact that Indi got the impression that Amanda was doing an interview with Henry pretty much sums up the whole 1:30 of this (which, was awesome and I WILL buy you a cup of coffee for that, HelloHenry gal). I feel bad for anyone that has to share a stage with Henry because the man is blessed with the ability to be naturally articulate and charismatic. That, paired with 47 years (at the time) of tremendous butt-on-the-edge-of-the-chair life experiences makes for a show stopper. Obviously, the audiences attention was on him and Amanda came to that realization towards the middle by getting pert near confrontational. Towards the end of the Q&A, she seems genuinely irritated that the audience isn’t playing by the rules of coming to the microphone armed with a question that both of them could answer. Most were for Henry, and Henry can talk. Definitely an interesting dynamic going on there.
Thanks for the coffee Chris, much appreciated!
I agree, HR is one articulate fellow, tough to share a stage with someone like him. I’ve not heard much of the Dresden Dolls but people always ask me if I like them, apparently I’m “supposed” to!
Sorry about the mix up!! I did get the vibe that it was an interview more than a back and forth conversation. I mean, Dear Henry didn’t ask too many (any?) questions. It was very much Amanda Palmer stating an opinion and asking Henry his thoughts. He would answer and then they would move on. In my mind a conversation between two “entertainers” would be much more give and take, maybe know each other a little bit before hand so conversation flows a bit more naturally. Or, I suppose I could just be entirely too critical.