Rollins - Eric the Pilot '98

Henry Rollins spoken word from around '97-'98. Found this going through some old VHS tapes & wanted to share. Good stuff. Enjoy!

[@eskee1]

Right here. It was a Cessna 172 btw.

[@danny355]

You rule Eric

[@coolbeast2000]

You the mvp

[@qaesar09]

My guy, the han solo of tulsa

[@fletchermoore5428]

No way dude. You cant be Eric! I'd die.

[@savagetofu1]

Did’ja get in trouble?

[@McGillicuddy849]

“Aging alternative icon drops out of the night sky, it was written.”

[@peterdaigle7249]

Henry's stand up is pretty damn good. His innate sense of humour is brilliant.

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

He's great. You can't help but like the guy. And he's seen some shit. He's the kind of guy stuff like this happens to? You know David Gilmour never ended up waiting at a gas station in bum f&*k Egypt's lesser known and smaller subsidiary at 1AM.

[@LeslieDugger]

It’s not even stand up. He tells stories like this IRL no cameras one on one

[@skateslam2719]

I wonder were Eric is now, maybe hes still tooling around airports, driving single propeller planes into the night, and playing really bad covers of Paranoid and stairway to heaven

[@averagedrumguy6289]

Commentary of the day!!!! :)

[@kingofthecatnap7923]

The Gamer Punk -ya know, all good questions...

[@xennial80sxberner]

Yeah, I'd love to see who this dude is. He had to have seen this or heard about this when it came out (in 1999, just three years after it happened in '96) and I wonder what he's like now.

[@therune2you]

Maybe Eric is the one who uploaded this video, did you read the uploader's username?

[@NoBody-jk8kv]

@@therune2you daaaaaaaaamn you genius, you

[@DandamanV]

"'I don't wanna talk about it', and we proceeded to rock and roll" is the coolest punchline ever

[@Gekokujo76]

Back in the day of filesharing programs, I stumbled across a version of Eric The Pilot that was about twice as long as this, but split up into about 6 parts (It took a long time to get one of the middle parts). I've never come across another version, and this is the first time Ive seen video of Henry telling the story. Thanks a lot for posting it!

[@averagedrumguy6289]

Yeah, I saw him live years ago tell the Eric the pilot story and it was much longer. I guess he condensed it over the course of the tour. There's also a different audio version he released on a spoken word cd I have somewhere from around the same time. That's probably the one you heard back in the day.

[@Gekokujo76]

I totally forgot that there is an actual CD that is just Eric The Pilot. Looking at it now, that is definitely the "track listing" and length (around an hour) of the files I have from back in the day. Great story, but it's nice to see a version with video after all these years! Thanks again!

[@brianm2881]

@@Gekokujo76 Yeah, I have that CD (well, the files anyway). I assume you've hunted it down yourself in the seven years since you originally wrote your comment.

[@SavageOra]

Is anyone else jealous of the shape of Henry's head.

[@arvidalexatsinch1163]

xEnigmaticMess no

[@kainestewart2567]

Kinda

[@MattMacedo85]

He reminds me of a good mamas boy

[@_Nick0tine_]

Yeah, he looks cool as a skinhead

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

As much as I hate myself, I'm ok with just looking like me... just with more tattoos.

[@YogsenForfoth]

Henry Rollins just might be the coolest, most down to earth rock star/famous person to have ever lived. My god, I would be so thrilled to be able to meet him or get to hang out with him.

[@chuckselvage3157]

I met Henry when he came to Sydney years ago. He signed his autograph in his book "Get in the Van" for my copy and he IS the coolest.

[@samielamri6044]

Saw him in a Kroger grocery store once in Nashville. He was short.... And buying water..

[@x808drifter]

The instant Eric started to taxi without contacting anyone on the radio, I'd of started freak out.

[@jakenconor]

try as you might....it's impossible to dislike Henry

[@archive303]

Sorry, he is a twat!

[@IAmTheBestMang]

archive303 Wrong.

[@tommyt1971]

Met him about 10 yrs ago when he came to my area for a spoken word event -- he was one of the coolest people I ever met.

[@arthurwood5405]

In my experience, pretty much all people who dislike Henry are completely uneducated about the man. He’s a very cool guy and when I met him, he was very nice and down to earth.

[@MattMacedo85]

Nas is the goat of hip hop story telling Chris Barnes is the goat of horror lyricism Henry is the goat of spoken word story telling

[@grommike3726]

Such a great storyteller

[@timothybaxter7392]

When Henry Rollins turned up in the Mess Hall in Kuwait..... this was how I felt... :D

[@timothybaxter7392]

Might have been Qatar actually. The years pass :) Think it was Qatar! D:

[@JosiahGould]

As someone from the area, I can confirm that Grove has not changed much. I think they have three gas stations now.

[@mrnobody6447]

That's a 50% increase in refueling stations.

[@petermgruhn]

I was just checking out Grove OK. There are two "Goodfella's Pizzeria's. Less than a block away. In a town with only one open gas station.

[@autodidactic]

i would love to see if any of those kids, now in their forties, have pictures of that night in grove oklahoma, still

[@theangryginger7582]

I'll get you in a plane with me, I'll get you to your gig, you know why? CAUSE I'M A LIAR

[@samielamri6044]

Ha!!!!

[@CasualGamerGameplay]

I watch this every now and then.... never fails to get a laugh

[@McGillicuddy849]

The way he describes the kids bringing home Marilyn Manson records is so true, the other day I bought Heaven Upside Down, and my mom said he looked like Nicolas Cage.

[@Juggalo972]

Such a good story teller!

[@bert9596]

Living in Oklahoma, The way he described being in that town in Oklahoma is exactly how it is here too.

[@joes7378]

Lot of those towns in Ohio too.

[@jallen5263]

Eric, you my friend, win the Mic Drop for the net lol. I started flying in a 172, they are nice lil hoppers. We souped it up and boosted the Motor and it was a great plane. Also put fat tires on it so we could land on dirt roads and stuff, great fun.

[@thereptiledude7247]

spent many hours on a flight deck watching harriers and helicopters take off. I can fully understand that feeling

[@tommyt1971]

“Things get pretty intense in a single-propeller plane.” I can empathize, flew over the Nazca Lines a couple of yrs ago & it was the most turbulent, bumpy flight I’ve ever been on. Had to stop looking out the window & taking pictures about 15 mins before we landed because the Dramamine I took didn’t help one bit! Happy I did it tho, saw all the cool geoglyphs on the ground!

[@geekrockrats]

Dude...how’d you get there? That’s awesome and you’re burying the lead

[@tommyt1971]

@@geekrockrats I work at a college and went with a professor and her archeology & anthropology students. The flight was a bonus I added to my tour package. Saw Machu Picchu too. Go there, the whole country is INCREDIBLE.

[@chuckselvage3157]

Henry tells great stories they're very concise and funny.

[@TheSaltySeaman]

My friend was waiting for the gig that didn’t happen here. He heard this story like. Two nights later. Jealous I’ll admit 😂

[@Sul00777]

How do you not have more subscribers. Great story man!! Crazy as heck but great!!

[@fractalspace6489]

This story is amazing

[@troygaspard6732]

My only single prop plane ride was one of my favorite flights. It was a short flight from Queensland to Dunk Island. There was a small spot of rain we flew through just as we arrived, but the pilot flew flew with grace and ease. There was a rainbow and sunny landing. I grew up on big planes; so it was for me actually more enjoyable.

[@derek1230066]

Did anyone else hear this stand up bit on a cd you got with the trespassers game?

[@tsibren]

Great upload, thank you.

[@Hughmanity80]

Henry is a decent story teller.

[@darkshiningstar3]

That whole show used to be on yt, what happened? One of his freakin best ever

[@guignolfest]

I remember this tour. Fun night in Chico. I helped promote it at Tower Books.

[@claudiasolomon1123]

"Dark hair, dark clothing, short." Oh that's quite a detailed description. Be on the lookout for , THAT specific man.

[@charlesklass4209]

Wow, this guy's pretty funny, I wonder what else he's done.

[@butterflymoon6368]

classically handsome

[@paulmorgan9775]

Brilliant!...very entertaining!

[@kevingumfory]

Seen Rollins in the 1st lollapalooza. Spent the last 30 yrs thinking he had a personality or substance. My had.

[@geekrockrats]

“Eric....what are you gonna do noW!?”

[@oldreprobate2748]

That many cars show up, it's showtime.

[@jameslachance5252]

Henry has to go up in a glider. Being towed by a single engine plane. Hardcore.

[@drummerchappell]

I haven’t done that in years! So much fun. That jolt when the tow rope comes off is a little freaky at first though.

[@12vLife]

when I was young and stupid, I was having a big breakfast and on a whim accepted an invitation to take a flight in a tiny single engine airplane around the grand canyon. That breakfast came out in both directions mid flight repeatedly on the pilot. We landed and I was not well the rest of the day. Will never fort that.

[@MichaelHansenFUN]

he met Marilyn manson after this

[@xennial80sxberner]

I'd love to see who this dude Eric is. He had to have seen this or heard about this show when it came out in just a couple years after it happened in 1996. I wonder what he's like now.?

[@tommyt1971]

Can anyone even imagine what it's like to be Henry's manager's assistant? She must've been going out of her mind while he was in the air -- I've wondered how long it took her to find out the truth about Eric?

[@sammencia7945]

Found out, he didn't file a flight plan so no one knows his transponder. Really no one knew where he was. Could look at MO radar and track the GA but which one. No cell phones in 1996 (by 98 yes). Eric had radio off. So when Henry calls she is freaked out.

[@tommyt1971]

@@sammencia7945 Yup. I feel bad for her but even if Henry tries to say that he's a wimpy traveler, he really isn't -- that's just his self-deprecating sense of humor. He can take care of himself. The guy's been to some of the worst hot spots in the world and he was already a hard guy so he'll always land on his feet, so to speak.

[@sammencia7945]

Eric followed the I-44 across Missouri to Grove, OK. What a story.

[@CS-ov7sr]

I heard this the first time when I found the secret content in the game of Jurassic Park with the girl who can’t hold on the weapons and had shitty physics. I have been looking for it ever since.

[@TRKTKO]

10:18 Is that Derek Trucks? I swear I seen him at another Henry gig too.

[@richardjamesclemo6235]

One of the Chuckle Brothers in the audience at 7:07

[@bollock1213]

Fuck sake 😂

[@richardjamesclemo6235]

@Sir Kyushu As a top, it’s only “to you”, rarely “to me”.

[@gscjapan6356]

@@richardjamesclemo6235 What do you mean, Mate?

[@richardjamesclemo6235]

@@gscjapan6356 Chuckle brothers’ catchphrase is “To me, to you”. If I was gay, I’d definitely be a top, therefore I would be the giver (to you), not the receiver (to me).

[@gscjapan6356]

@@richardjamesclemo6235 Lol🤣 I see. Thank you, my fried 🤣🤣

[@flynnjaman]

Amazing, but he missed a great joke. It should’ve continued after Eric asked Henry, “hey, here! You try to fly it!” Henry would go, “Sorry, Man! This isn’t like a cover band, where I get to pretend to be a pilot.”

[@camtilsley6545]

12:37 I feel way too sorry for Eric, putting all that effort in and getting completely rejected

[@nebulous8389]

No way he endangered both of their lives and could of endangered more lives if a commercial aircraft crashed into them and hes also in as coverband

[@wisterV]

Cam Tilsley sounds familiar? 🤷‍♂️

[@Memnoch67]

part of the test for a pilots license is landing on a dirt road. Make fun of "Eric the pilot" all you want but he has more balls than most ever will.

[@richmoreno9938]

Was this at The El Rey Theater in Los Angeles?

[@tommyt1971]

Just thought of something when he mentioned the "Airplane" movie -- anyone else think his manager's asst was probably waiting for Henry to call her and said "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smokin'!"

[@michaelste]

he did this story on his last spoken word tour.

[@oldreprobate2748]

Try the single prop from Denver to Boulder Colorado. The 500 foot sudden drop in every flight is a gas.

[@brandocalrissian3294]

"Zildjian that's cymbals for drums" haha well he's not wrong.

[@TheHiddenAnswer]

Jesus!! How many crowd shots do ye need.

[@elderyear]

I was thinking the exact same thing. The 90s were just lousy with videos like that. Lots of them were poorly spliced or whatever, so they’d show a shot of someone completely losing their shit and laughing during a not very funny bit. And it didn’t match the crowd volume or reaction. Comically bad editing, it was everywhere in the 90s. It would be harder to watch if it wasn’t so hilarious.

[@skullduggery3377]

@8:54 - she's like: fuck you, i told you i wanted to go to the celine dion concert.

[@capitolc4430]

CROSS CHECK🛩️

[@jpenneymrcoin6851]

light planes are extremely scary. just thin pieces of metal barely held together with tack welds and loose rivets. but the good news is, you can't fly over 10K feet for a long time, so if you fall out, it's max 2 miles to the ground. (cessna transition layer specsl, where the atmosphere starts to get too thin to breathe so you shouldn't fly unpressurized). also, keeping your hands on the tiller is absolutely unnecessary because planes are built inherently stable - if you nose down, you speed up, which noses you up - unless you lose an engine, you won't crash. oh, except in a crosswind landing.

[@MichaelHansenFUN]

funny thing shouldn't Henry be not getting himself into these situations at his age

[@TheGrowlerCatB2BGame]

Judging by the uploaders name I'm going to assume this is your account, Eric.

[@A1Authority]

So then, Average Drumguy.... you lost your pilot's license?

[@notsure6679]

Fuk this is the special where he talked about his first school dance? I cannot find this anywhere

[@drummerchappell]

I noticed right away that the uploader seems to be a drummer…. I wonder.

[@TheMojoincc]

Back when he was cool; it makes me sad what Henry turned into.

[@lusolad]

What has he turned in to?

[@elderyear]

@lusolad He turned me into a newt.

[@richarddearnley9555]

Waitin for the twist, like Eric was a well-known, liked fan around there or that he'd had the plane crashed...no, just slightly crazy.

[@oldreprobate2748]

Rollins is one of the best grunge reporters of the last two centuries, on par with Hunter Thomson, maybe better. Certainly more coherent. Who will follow?

[@Seegie16]

HOW IS HIS SPOKEN WORD DIFFERENT FROM STAND UP COMEDY?

[@Hellwyck]

He's not telling jokes, he's telling anecdotes. Now turn your fucking caps lock off.

[@Dan.Solo.Chicago]

I would have stuck with Eric, idgaf, you basically have your own personal pilot now. “It’s just me and you Eric, just me and you. Let’s do this!” and Dumb and Dumber our ass to Tulsa.

[@LeslieDugger]

People in OK do drink V8. It’s like the 80s out there

[@ther6989]

look.. at the name of the KZbin channel

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

I don't like those little planes. I'll fly in the big ones all day but the little ones kill musicians. I'm surprised Henry agreed. And it's not just Lynyrd Skynyrd and Buddy Holly. The list is longer than you might think and it's usually that situation. They have to be at a gig, they can't get a flight (usually because the weather is bad) so they charter one of those tiny planes. So if ever you're on tour and you for some reason you can't get a flight on an airline, maybe just eat it this time.

[@elderyear]

Yeah, if you haven’t heard the story of how Randy Rhoads died, it’s heartbreaking. And bizarre.

[@PaulTheSkeptic]

@@elderyear Actually no. Now that you mention it I don't know that story. I'll search it up. You're right that is bizarre. Crazy.

[@stevenimeson902]

you ever see deliverance ?

[@davedecker1725]

Yew got a purty mouth boi😲

[@JCaverly]

Could you possibly upload more clips, or does anyone know what this entire set (the VHS) was called?

[@averagedrumguy6289]

The VHS was called 'You saw me up there' I believe from around '97-'98. Hope this helps.

[@JCaverly]

Seems pretty rare, have you got the whole thing to upload potentially?

[@averagedrumguy6289]

Unfortunately, I uploaded the video to a laptop and then a few vids on to youtube and got rid of most of my old VHS tapes. The laptop no longer works, so all I have left is the KZbin clips. Pretty sure you can find more clips scattered through KZbin and Rollins may still sell the DVD on his website, so I would check there first. Good luck!

[@TheOmegalodon]

Henry released this show on DVD. It is now available on his website www.henryrollins.com/

[@jrd33]

Try kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4SVZqWDrqmopZI

[@luvhandles90210]

hmm i guess for "Eric" if all went well maybe the story would not have made it into Henrys spoken word, but nope the gods said "you shall be remembered for being an idiot and nothing more"

[@thelaughingman79]

if this story is real it would have been national news

[@crimsonblood01]

Uhh no different age in aerospace

[@JPMcFly1985]

The 90s was kinda before even the basic internet much less social media, so a lot more flew under the radar (no joke intended). I googled Mister M's and it's still there

[@hypatiastanhope4716]

😆

[@stevecass]

Humans are weird, man.

[@YourLocalZombie]

Well, that bit about Marilyn Manson didn't age well.

[@zackmnr19]

Lol... average drum guy...are you eric, the pilot, sir?

[@averagedrumguy6289]

No sir, I am not. 😂There is a gentleman that goes by @eskee1 & is named Eric that commented on this video a few years back. He may be the real deal. 🤔He clarified the type of plane and also corrected Henry on the cap he was wearing.

[@zackmnr19]

We could only hope it was in fact, Eric. But I do appreciate not only this video but your timely response, as well. But as a drummer timing is your life...

[@alinebaruchi1936]

"Stockolmer" thought that he's smarter I got footage and mean friends From the navy He's opening his mouth no time

[@nrood3821]

its one thing to learn how to play an instrument to play your own music. its a whole other shitty thing to learn an instrument to play other people's music.

[@brianm2881]

That's 95 percent of musicians, though, at least, between playing folk music, classical music and then popular styles as well. Plus even most great songwriters start off playing other people's music to learn their chops. Yeah, it's a bit lame playing bad Eagles covers, but there's a whole world beyond that in terms of playing other people's music.

[@elderyear]

Oh come off it. For the vast majority of human existence, music was a cultural artifact copied and passed down for millennia. All music was “other peoples music,” at the same time it was the musicians own. A cover band is no different.

[@ghostedyoutuber263]

Wow, I did not know Henry was as funny as a female commedian.

[@elderyear]

Hm. If Henry Rollins is “as funny as a female comedian,” and Henry Rollins is a male comedian, do you think maybe being unfunny is independent of gender identity? I know I’m asking a lot of you in the thinky parts department, and I know that’s not your strong suit. But I believe if you consider this patiently, and try your best, you might just get there. Or, maybe you’ll just die a misogynist bonehead. I’m thinking the latter. But I’m rooting for you, little buddy.

[@ghostedyoutuber263]

@@elderyear virtue signal much? are we triggered? did I disrespect your pronouns?

[@elderyear]

@@ghostedyoutuber263 Hold on are you some sort of advanced AI that churns out cliched chud comments on KZbin? Your use of every single cringey online insult trope makes me think it’s an algorithm pumping these out and not a real person.

[@ghostedyoutuber263]

@@elderyear Are you trying to flirt with me? AGAIN?

[@elderyear]

@@ghostedyoutuber263 Well that was unexpected. But I’m not into the “anything with a pulse” fetish. Using “triggered” unironically is a deal-breaker.