Partying with Andrew WK

Partying with Andrew WK

16 April, 2012
by: Domzig

A whole new kind of orgasm...

I can still remember when I first saw the video for Andrew WK’s 'Party Hard'. There I was, sitting on my parents' couch eating pizza and watching MTV2 when suddenly, sandwiched in between some nu-metal vid and The Strokes, came this dude who looked like he hadn’t seen a shower in fifteen years, blasting loud, dumb rock that was a million miles away from the miserable ‘I want to kill myself, but I love myself way to much’ stuff that Korn was pumping out. I don’t remember what else I did that day, but I recall an urge to get drunk right away.

To people of a certain age, that tune has become the noughties version of ‘Fight For Your Right’, being whipped out whenever the beer is flowing and the dancefloor needs moving. It’s a rare, modern example of a party rock song that seems to defy genre boundaries. I can honestly say that I’ve danced to it in all sorts of weird and wonderful places – from warehouse parties and standard indie nights to a drum and bass night in Derby and even a friend’s wedding.

But what of the person behind it? Well despite never really bothering the charts again (in the UK at least), thanks to the internet and a large and fiercely loyal group of fans, Andrew WK is still sporting white t-shirts, busting out karate kicks and generally throwing down with the best of them. He visited the HMV Forum last week, and we hung out with him to get some tips.



How does it feel when people tell you it’s been ten years since ‘I Get Wet’ came out?

I’m still trying to absorb things that happened to me ten years ago, let alone what we’ve been through since then, and maybe I never will. It’s kind of shocking and frightening in a way, it really shows how life just happens so fast. I didn’t even realise it was ten years ago until a couple of months ago, suddenly I was like “holy smokes! Time does fly when you’re partying hard.”

I’m really scared that I won’t be able to extract the value from all this life experience. You have to have some moment to sit around and breathe it all in.

Have you listened to it recently?

I’ve heard it enough to last many, many lifetimes. That’s not in a bad way, but I never really listen to recordings when they’re done. It’s so ingrained into my brain and soul that I can hear it whenever I close my eyes.

How have you managed to keep partying for all these years?

Beyond the response from the fans, what I really wasn’t expecting was my own enthusiasm for making music. If someone had told me twelve years ago that I was going to have more fun playing these songs now than I first released them, I would have laughed at them. It’s been quite a strange experience in a way, as not only has it been really fun, but I’ve also realised that I’m having loads of fun – that's a feeling that doesn’t happen to me a lot.

It’s kind of like the first time you ejaculate, you may have felt good before, but once you’ve ejaculated you realise you’ve crossed a line and you can never come back. In some ways that’s frightening, but in some way it’s exciting. It’s like here is a brand new gift you’ve been given. Being on-stage right now feels like a whole new kind of orgasm.

Do you reckon you could out-party Ozzy?

No. I wouldn’t even try. He’s such a god, I wouldn’t even try and compete with him. It’s hard enough competing with myself.

So you won’t be snorting ants anytime soon then?

Maybe. I might start with a mosquito, the ants have vicious pinchers while a mosquito has just that tube thing. Plus they're well more flimsy and will probably mash up a whole lot quicker. I snorted parmesan cheese once – that was pretty crazy.

So we’ve been following your Party Tips on Twitter for a couple of years, and we were wondering if you could give us a few tips on a house party we’re planning?

Try and remove all carpets and rugs – we all know happens when sweet wine, beer, liquor, ciders, not to mention urine, puke, blood, semen and female ejaculate spill on a rug. I mean who knows what’s going to happen at your party, right? And you definitely don’t want that trapped in the fibres of your soft furnishing. You certainly don’t want to be walking around in it after.

What you want is bare wood floors, or even tarpaulin – there’s nothing party about the smell of stale beer, unless it brings back the memory of a party. If it does happen, drink in the smell like a good perfume.

What should we do about music?

As long as its loud, you can’t go wrong. It should be so loud that there is no way you could hear someone shouting in your face, and if that means renting a couple of speakers, then that’s a really good investment. There should also be areas where people can talk and chatter, as that is a great joy, especially if you’ve brought a date – you should always consider having a communication space.

How do you feel about designated make-out rooms?

Yeah! You should have one, but you should make sure that people are clear about the fact that it is not their room and they should try and keep substances off the surfaces. I don’t mean the surfaces of their bodies, but things like the wall and the bed and the floor and the lamps and the curtain. Try and keep all the fluids on your body or your partners’ body.

Andrew's new album 'Close Calls with Brick Walls/Mother of Manknind is out now. Photo by Julian Baton.

Domzig