Andrew W.K. @ Corner Hotel, Richmond 25/08/2018

Everything about an Andrew W.K. show is big. Big band, big hair, big voice, big guy. The philosophical party Prince is a musical monster who infects everyone with his positive spirit, broad smile and goofy mid-song thumbs up to the crowd.

From the opening cords of Music Is Worth Living For to the dying embers of Party Hard, Andrew W.K. put everything he had into the show and more. Opening up with the first song from his latest album, the frontman showed off his impressive vocals as he hit and maintained his high note in a powerful reminder that he isn’t just a one trick pony.

There is definitely more to the man than meets the eye. He isn’t about partying without a purpose, and even his most famous tune is about giving it a real crack but only when the time is right.

The man may not have changed his appearance since 2001, but he’s developed an impressively varied back catalog of tunes. From the obviously hard rock party anthems of his first album I Get Wet to the more thoughtful, layered stuff on You’re Not Alone Andrew W.K. has a wide range of music to keep everyone interested.

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And when the time came for She Is Beautiful to be belted out over the raucous Corner Hotel crowd, Andrew W.K. showed that he is a talented all-round musician when he pulled out his guitar shaped like a pizza, licked off a riff or two and slammed into the opening section of the tune.

Of course he had to save the best till last, and introduced the song that kicked it all off in self-indulgent style, counting down from 100 before spitting out fan favourite Party Hard.

Arms flailing everywhere, fingers burning across the piano, hair all over the place and tons of sweat left on the stage. Out of every musician on the planet, Andrew W.K. understands this the most: when it’s time to party he will party hard. And so he did.

Image credit: Jaz Meadows.