Andrew WK

Manning Bar

Sydney, Australia

August 26, 2018

While Andrew WK himself might not have changed, the way his oeuvre has evolved and come a long way since he had what seemed like “everyone” singing along to what became a bona fide synth metal anthem “Party hard” – a long way that saw the public realize that there is a tad more to his party philosophy than a reception on face value level would suggest: A smart man, celebrating the fact that you are alive and making the most of it.

Andrew WK has become a stern advocate for positivity, mindfulness, self-affirmation and Zen.

In essence, PMA that would couldn’t have made the Bad Brains more proud.

Be your take on Andrew WK what it may - in a live environment the benevolent optimist, motivational speaker and multi-instrumentalist is a force to be reckoned with that instantly connects with his audience. His incarnation in Sydney is an adrenaline fuelled tour de force that works on different levels using hedonist clichés, exuberance, musical adroitness, giddiness, vulnerability and attitude in a subtle manner for maximum effect to get his message across – a “result oriented performance” as David Lee Roth would have put it.

The fact that Andrew WK with his appearance, trademark white outfit and charisma is an instantly likeable borderline cartoon-esque character only adds to the theatrics.

There is ridiculousness, brilliance, earnestness and energy by the bucket load of a born front man and an adoration and affection for his followers that pervades every facet of the show.

Backed by a well-oiled full band, the show is an exercise in rock’s roll excess with three guitarists taking solo-ing over the top or alternatively blast beating and pummelling the audience mixed with quieter interludes of Andrew accompanying himself on the piano.

It proves to be hard to argue that what he has created is not a unique, engaging and holistic performance act that finds it warranted, well-earned  enthusiastic reception in a day and age where cynicism and artifice reigns supreme.

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Photos by @k.a.vv

The Good, The Tasty, The Sustainable

Loving Earth

What did they say?

All you need is love?

Well, a lil’ chocolate every then thrown in for good measure certainly does not hurt.

Who does not like good chocolate?

I am talking the good stuff, ideally raw organic one like the one Loving Earth Chocolate. I first stumbled across Loving Earth when I was handed their exquisite collaboration with Sullivans Cove distillery.

Loving Earth was founded in 2007 after the founders had established contacts having worked with indigenous communities in India and Mexico. Back in Melbourne their operation took off quickly and after establishing two chocolate producing facilities, they continued their mission to create a brand that is healthy, sustainable and fair by not only working with their contacts in Mexico and Peru but also with an Aboriginal community in the Kimberley region, paying respect and honouring both the Indigenous people that have cultivated their ingredients for thousands of years, and the earth and ecosystems in which they are grown.  

By doing that, Loving Earth enables Aboriginal communities to increase their revenue and support themselves and familiar by providing raw materials.

A favourites of the Loving Earth range is their Dark Chocolate, which is comprised of merely two ingredients: Seventy-two percent raw “Amazonico Criollo” cacao berries from Satipo, Peru, which are considered to be the diamonds of cocoas, and twenty-eight percent Indonesian evaporated coconut nectar, which was transformed from the bean state into the bar you can purchase without further dilution. The resulting flavour is divine with deep earthy nuances and hints of sweet toffee.

Apart from fudge, Loving Earth also produces “superfoods”, of which I have come to appreciate their Acai Powder, sourced straight from deep in the Amazon forests. Acai has an incredibly high ORAC of 101,495 uM trolox / 100g.

My breakfast enjoyment would be dramatically diminished if it was not for Loving Earth’s Paleo - Berry Choc Mix. The activated premium raw wholefood blend is packed with superfoods, berries, activated nuts and seeds, i.e. they are easier to digest and have increased nutritional value, caramelised coconut chips and chunks of their dark chocolate. Apart from being a great source of protein and cane sugar free, it is a damn tasty treat.

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Photos by @k.a.vv

School of Life

Food for Thoughts

Now, here’s an interesting one: The School of Life.

An organisation that devoted itself to developing emotional intelligence. Sounds a bit esoteric?

Fret not.

They offer a wider variety of surprisingly sensible programmes and services with the focus being on how to live thoughtfully, wisely and well.

Sounds vague enough?

The organisation was originally founded in 2008 in swinging Londontown and has since grown to spread its operations via Paris, Amsterdam, London, Melbourne, Antwerp, Belgrade, Instanbul and Sydney.

Apart from offering classes, workshops, retreats, intensives, secular sermons, and therapies in the third dimension and through facilitating it themselves, they publish books, an arm of the operation that shall form the focus of this feature.

What is refreshing about School of Life’s approach to publishing is that they are not trying to corner you with dogmas, au contraire: The tenet is to get you thinking and to provoke a process that will let you come to your own conclusion. This is something I can attests to, as I have had a chance to read a range of their books on different topics and the way it is presented is holistic, matter-of-factly, undogmatic yet offers a gentle guidance for those in need thereof.

Claiming that The School of Life’s offerings are diverse is an understatement par excellence – from philosophy to literature via psychology to the visual arts – nothing is off limits and somehow they manage to block out the white noise of a world overflowing with information and distil and boil down relevant matters down to their essence without falling prey to becoming an overbearing preachy voice that batters you with its ideological contracts.

School of Life’s emissions are stimulating, encouraging and their careful curation helps to weed out a lot of unnecessary elaborations as somehow their range of writers find their own distinctive voice with writings being structured according to the situations of your own life.

Different angles are taken and while some of them might not be your preferred ones, they more often than not resonate, lend perspective and with their calm and reasonable voice encourage you to leave your limitations behind and expand your horizon.

For a lack of a singular, fitting term, I find the School of Life to be a repository of attitudes that are elusive, but much needed, as they are here to stay and meant to be revisited.

Denfair

Hordern Pavilion

Sydney, Australia

August 16-18, 2018

Over the last three years, Denfair has established itself as a yearly curated design destination event in Melbourne for professionals in the realms of architecture, interior styling and art. Showcasing hundreds of design related brands is has become a hub not only for trade but a marketplace and incubator of new ideas.

The platform for all things design incarnated for the first time in Sydney this year and while the offerings and visitor numbers were lower than what usually materializes on a yearly basis in Melbourne, the Sydney Denfair event showed promise with its curated offerings covering a wide range of styles and approaching to all things design.

Love for design pervades the event and the breadth of what is on display not only instils the value and positive impact well thought through design can have apart from being visually and aesthetically pleasing, but also the positive contributions it can make to our lives in terms of sustainability.

With exhibitors being an eclectic mix of cutting edge tastemakers, considerate and engaging conversations are to be had in every nook and cranny of the exhibition hall once you enter no matter if you are an expert in furniture, homewares, materials and art pour l’art or if you randomly pop in out of sheer curiosity.

Brands we discovered during our visit were e.g. King Living. Them joining forces with local Australian designers, i.e. Tom Fereday, resulted in a minimalist aluminium framed table desk with timber finish that generates integrated power and offers both charging and lighting, making it one utilitarian, stylish and useful piece of design furniture. Honest design at its best.

Presented under the umbrella of Cult Design, Danish designer Peter J. Lassen’s layered Montana system is a thing of beauty: It can be customised to accommodate your personal preferences including all components being able to be modified, including shelves, lightning, trays, doors and materials used. Classic design that is simple yet functional.

Tait’s elegant Seam Collection is based on a design process that puts emphasis on using a seam not unlike in the tailoring of garments. The resulting collection of shaped and sculpted chairs, chaise lounges and tables designed by Adam Cornish is versatile as it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Lightspace is a fairly new brand in public and workspace furniture that is focused a creating an idiosyncratic melange of Eastern and Western Design that is fun, collaborative and playful.

The first Sydney incarnation of Denfair showed more than promise as it is more than a mere design exhibition: One cannot help but feel invigorated and inspired having delved into the creative community that Denfair manages to attract and nurture.

Courtney Barnett

Opera House

Sydney, Australia

August 23, 2018

Going to Melbourne is never not a delight.

Apart from culinary discoveries, its arts and music scene always produces something new and original or at least emissions that add an idiosyncratic twist on the tried and tested and infuse it with fresh blood and originality.

Case in point: Victorian indie darling Courtney Barnett, who also operates the record label Milk! With her partner and artist in her own right Jen Cloher.

With her contemplative and at times launig-ironic and pithy approach to dissecting everyday observations, backed by her trademark singy-spoken vocal delivery and a dual guitar attack serving the counterpoint to her sweating the small stuff, her debut album, along with her collaboration with Kurt Vile from 2017 found themselves on heavy rotation on the mobile device I was utilising during my travels.

Given that Courtney Barnett’s oeuvre seamlessly transitions and manoevours between poppy tunes and heavier, feedback laden grungy Pixies / Breeder-esque nuances, it is not further wondrous that it did not take long until songwriter Courtney Barnett became a worldwide sensations in the indie-scene.

In a live environment, of which  tonight’s audience welcomed her enthusiastically, Courtney Barnett incarnates with a tight band, the sheer force of which propels her show constantly forward like a well-oiled machine. Not counting on winning the crowd over by playing her upbeat radio hits too early, her set seemed to have been well thought through with deliberate ebbs and flows navigating her catalogue.

Being more of an introvert and despite a lack of stage banter, her engaging and nonchalant delivery along with the urgency of her innate energy and the personality of her strong voice is reflected in her reception as the nearly sold-out crowd celebrates every note, swaying and dancing along in equal measures.

A fantastic evening by a woman who is firmly in touch with who she is and is at the top of her game.

You would do yourself a major disservice if you did not make an effort to catch her if she ever holds court in your neck of the woods.

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Photos by Prudence Upton (provided)