At this stage in his career Andrew Wilkes Krier, more commonly known as Andrew W.K., needs little introduction. With a party-hard philosophy that is emphasised in both his music and his motivational lectures and epitomised by Andrew’s lifestyle, the one-man-party has practised what he preaches for over a decade in the public arena.
While for many of us getting older results in partying less, Andrew W.K continues to champion an ethos of celebrating life on a daily basis as he approaches his mid-thirties.
“It’s not necessarily easier… I think that I have more ability to extract even more joy out of life just like anything that you practice and you train for. So I think it’s the same amount of effort, but I just get more out of the effort,” Andrew surmises.
It was back in 2001 when Andrew appeared with a bloody nose on the cover of his now classic debut record I Get Wet, an effect he achieved by hitting his face against a cinder block wall. 2012 will see a special edition re-release of I Get Wet with a new record tentatively scheduled for 2013. Despite now having a wealth of singles, EPs and LPs, Andrew’s musical intent has remained the same.
“Every song is different than the others literally but hopefully not different in terms of what they accomplish, which is a real physical sensation of power and excitement, and a raw energy that comes from that type of joy and euphoric rocking out. That remains my goal and I want to find as many ways to get to that place as possible.”
Although Andrew mainly achieves his musical agenda via uptempo party anthems, he says it’s not about the sound but the soul of the music that makes a song rock ‘n’ roll.
“It’s not about volume or presentation or performance, it’s about the spirit and the intensity with which it’s delivered,” Andrew professes.
“I think all intense music in general is going towards a similar type of connection within your body. And of course it helps to have genre names just like it helps to have titles of books so that you can locate them, but once you’ve located it, I find it personally much better to forget about style or genre or even instrumentation and just let that music take you to that place that it wants to take you.”
Andrew’s music will be taking him to Groovin The Moo in May, where he’ll be performing his One-Man-Party show.
“This tour, it was specifically requested by the promoters and the festival that I’m playing… What I really hope is that this one man that is coming to party gets to have a lot of fun with a lot of people. I’m inviting all of them to be my band for that night.”
Considering that Andrew is currently on a world tour with his full band, it seemed appropriate to inquire as to whether Australian audiences know how to party hard compared to other nations.
“They don’t know it; it goes much, much deeper than that. They are a party. It’s something that you don’t need to know, it’s so second nature. It’s like, do you know how to grow your hair? Do you know how to beat your heart? It’s part of what makes an Australian person an Australian person, from what I’ve been able to tell.”
Indeed those attending Groovin the Moo or Andrew W.K.’s One-Man-Party sideshows will have the chance to prove the spirited performer right. Be warned however, those who attend an Andrew W.K gig have been known to leave with what Andrew calls a bang-over, the aftereffects of excessive headbanging.
“It’s harder for me to get them because I have so much experience, I’ve built up such a tolerance to headbanging, but I trust that there’ll be so much intensity that even my neck will be sore.”
Andrew W.K. One-Man-Party Australian Tour – May 2012
With special guest Aleister X
Wednesday 2 May – Pier Live – Frankston
Tickets from ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au
Friday 4 May – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Presented by RRR
Tickets from the Corner Box Office, www.cornerhotel.com, by phone 9427 9198 and 57 Swan St, Richmond 12-8 Mon-Sat.
Wednesday 9 May – The Zoo, Brisbane
Tickets from Oztix, online at www.oztix.com.au, by phone 1300 762 545, from the venue online at thezoo.com.au and the usual outlets.
Thursday 10 May – The Standard, Sydney
Tickets from Moshtix, online www.moshtix.com.au, by phone 1300 Get Tix (438 849) and Moshtix outlets. Also through Penny Drop online: http://pennydrop.oztix.com.au.
Thursday 17 May – The Bakery, Perth
Tickets from the venue, www.nowbaking.com.au and OzTix, online at www.oztix.com.au, by phone 1300 762 545.
Groovin The Moo 2012 Dates
Saturday 5 May 2012 – Bendigo VIC
Bendigo’s Prince of Wales Showground
42 – 72 Holmes Rd, Bendigo VIC 3550
Sunday 6 May 20112 – Townsville QLD
Murray Sports Complex – Townsville Cricket Grounds
Mervyn Crossman Dr & Murray Lyons Cres Idalia QLD 4811
Saturday 12 May 2012 – Maitland NSW
Maitland Showground
Blomfield St, Maitland NSW 2320
Sunday 13 May 2012 – Canberra ACT
The Meadows, University of Canberra
Kirinari St Bruce ACT 2617
Saturday 19 May 2012 – Bunbury WA
Hay Park (off) Parade Rd Bunbury WA 6230
