This week on Rolling with Scissors, we’re returning to one of the most intense and important pieces of punk history ever put on tape: Get in the Van, Henry Rollins’ raw, unfiltered account of life inside Black Flag during the early years of American hardcore. This isn’t mythology. This isn’t nostalgia. This is Rollins telling the truth exactly as he lived it — blunt, loud, sleepless, violent, hilarious, miserable, and absolutely unforgettable.

Before we dive in, a quick note about last week: yes, I know I didn’t talk at all during the Frank Zappa special. That was intentional. I may have mentioned it in the episode notes, but it bears repeating here — it felt appropriate to let Frank Zappa himself do the talking as we wished WORT a very happy 50th birthday. Sometimes the best thing I can do is shut up and let the art speak, and Zappa had plenty to say without me ruining the moment.

Back to tonight’s ride.

Henry Rollins didn’t join Black Flag as a pre-ordained rock figure. He was a fan — a kid with a job — who stepped up to the mic and suddenly found himself thrown into a world of broken vans, hostile crowds, cops shutting down gigs, sleeping on floors, and a nonstop touring schedule that would break most humans. Black Flag didn’t smooth out punk. They turned it into a discipline. Rollins brought the intensity that held it all together, even when everything else was on fire.

Get in the Van captures it all. The violence. The exhaustion. The fear. The tiny victories. The bad meals. The worse sleeping arrangements. The brotherhood. The misery. The transformation. It’s punk rock stripped of myth — just reality from someone who lived it while bleeding into the microphone.

And to round out the last thirty minutes of the show, we’re shifting into one of Henry’s spoken-word releases: Rollins Speaks. His talking gigs are an entire art form of their own — part stand-up comedy, part confession, part travel diary, part social commentary, and part “how the hell did he survive that?” I’ve seen Rollins live a few times, and every show was worth it. He can move a room from laughter to silence in a single breath. And yes — I met him once. Beneath the intensity and the reputation, he’s genuinely a kind, thoughtful guy who gives you 100 percent of his attention when he speaks to you.

Last week I also hinted at some changes coming to Rolling with Scissors. That’s still true. I’m working through ideas and figuring out the timing — whether we launch the new direction in early January or if I surprise everyone with something special for Christmas. Still planning. Still scheming. Still building.

But tonight belongs to Henry Rollins, Black Flag, and the miles they survived together — miles that shaped an entire generation of punk fans and musicians.

Strap in. The van is already rolling.

Hour 1

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Henry Rollins – Get In The Van Disc 1 – 01:17:42 – Get In The Van Disc 1 – 213CD – 2003

Hour 2

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Henry Rollins – Get In The Van Disc 2 – 01:16:37 – Get In The Van Disc 2 – 213CD – 1994

Hour 3

Artist – Song – Time – Album – Label

Henry Rollins – Airport Courtesy Phone – 01:07 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Vacation in England – 02:20 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Depression – 01:58 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Condos – 03:33 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Big Knowledge – 05:17 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Jet Lag – 01:27 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Good Advice (Pt. 1) – 01:17 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Good Advice (Pt. 2) – 04:48 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Regarding Henry – 02:51 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – I Know You – 05:35 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Depression – 01:00 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Idiot – 00:30 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Prisoner – 00:32 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Halloween – 01:30 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Surrounded – 00:29 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – New Eyes – 00:37 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Nothing Behind The Face – 00:22 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – I Know Nothing Else – 00:37 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Broken Man – 00:18 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Small Room – 01:46 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992

Henry Rollins – Box – 02:28 – Rollins Speaks – Imago – 1992 [fade out]

Rolling with Scissors airs live every Tuesday from 2–5 AM on 89.9 FM in Madison and streams at wortfm.org. Missed it? You can catch the episode for two weeks after broadcast at archive.wortfm.org or at rwsradio.com.

While the audio disappears after two weeks, the episode notes and playlists don’t. Every deep dive, rant, and full album breakdown stays right here — so you can revisit the details any time.

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