Party-starting hell-raiser Andrew WK, the man who stormed through sweaty venues with a bloody nose and white outfit singing Party Hard in 2001, is now an agony aunt.

The gig for Village Voice magazine follows action as a weather man, a workout plan creator and guest on America’s Cutest Pet.

Don’t think he’s lost his mojo, though. He still follows his partying philosophy. In fact, the doctrine is stronger than ever.

“Partying is being glad you’re not dead and doing something about it,” he explains.

“What if we are thankful for not being dead every day. We can party while we work and we can party though painful experience no matter how hard or bad a thing might be.

“I believe there is some inherent thing to be gained by being alive.”

The creed initially came from dealing with depression, anger and confusion.

“I thought there had got to be a better way to feel and of course there is.

“I figured I might as well try to put as much time into working towards that feeling, or making that feeling, or being in that feeling as I can, and the best way I can describe as simply as possible was party.

“It’s a word everyone can understand, so simple and small, but also big enough and expansive enough to include any activity or pursuit that meant joy for that particular person.”

Since his last date in Brighton more than ten years ago, he’s opened Santos Party House in downtown Manhattan (the first new club built from scratch there for years, with clients including Mick Jagger, “I don’t think people realised who he was, ‘oh, wow, that guy looks and dances like Mick Jagger’”), produced a Grammy nominated album for Lee “Scratch” Perry and supported Black Sabbath with DJ sets. He’s sung Ramones songs on a world tour with Marky Ramone and taken to motivational speaking.

Most recently he talked at the Oxford University student union and was asked at New York University to avoid discussing the music business and instead talk about life and the his life-defining party mindset.

“For whatever reason, people have turned to me. It doesn’t make any sense why they would ever trust me with any intense life situation, but I take it seriously. I try to remind them of what they already know and talk. We try to motivate each other. I’m trying to get cheered up and if others can get cheered up that’s a blessing.”

He’s left his band at home for a run of UK dates billed Possessed By Partying. He’ll have a keyboard and a microphone and his right-hand man Blakey Boy for the intimate shows.

“The whole point of this music - and all my efforts really - is to generate this energetic celebratory feeling of excitement about being alive in general. This kind of night I feel has that opportunity.

Don’t expect a presentation with someone on a stage playing to the people off the stage. “It really is a room full of people gathered together to generate that energy. It is a team effort.”

He’s working on a book, to be published by Simon & Schuster, to discuss the philosophy. Some would have preferred an autobiography clearing up the still unsolved matter regarding whether he is who he says he is.

“What we are trying to focus on here is a good fun feeling. People accusing me of having alterior motives or not even being a real person. I’d rather people not pay attention to that.

“A lot of it is based on truth but I don’t know why that should change the value of the end result: this is a means to an end and what I hope people care about: fun and the good feelings.”

 

Andrew WK plays The Haunt, Pool Valley, Brighton, on Sunday, July 20. Doors 7pm, £16.50. Call 01273 606312.