Conspiracy Theory? Maybe…

Posted on April 16, 2007 by C Moore
Culture

Rock musician Andrew WK has, for the moment anyway, stopped writing and touring. Claiming to have a new perspective on what makes people truly happy, Andrew WK (AWK) wants to put his music on hiatus to pursue a career as a motivational speaker and is currently traveling around the country to lecture to people on the subject of personal happiness and fulfillment.

One of the most probable reasons behind this drastic career change? An elusive figure named “Steev Mike” who has been threatening AWK’s professional career by flooding his websites with cryptic, hostile messages. “Steev Mike”, rumor has it, is AWK’s creator but has only been credited as a creative source on AWK’s first album, “I Get Wet.” Since then, Mike has become somewhat of an urban legend.

There are very few traceable records of Mike, one being an article entitled “Steve Mike” that alledgedly ran in the UK underground magazine “Dazed and Confused with AWK’s picture in it. There was no mention of Andrew WK in the article, which made it seem as though AWK actually was Steev Mike. Another reference to Steev Mike is found on an album by a band called Couch that was distributed through Bulb Records. Only 25 copies of the album were produced, but what’s interesting is that Bulb Records was run by James’ Krier who happens to be AWK’s father. Six years later, Bulb records released AWK’s first demo, “Room to Breathe.”

Aside from Andrewwk.com, there are several other web sites owned by the corporation Andrew WK Inc. Starting in 2007 through today, may of those sites were hacked into by the mysterious Mike who encoded strange messages and images in them. The last of the coded messages was released on the site andrewkwsucks.com and included the following rather contemptuous charges:

“I’ve been giving [your fans] bits and pieces, hoping that you’d come to your senses and stop trying to squeeze me out. Well, you haven’t responded to my initial request and you’ve forced me to make threats. When you act unprofessional, so will I. Now I have no choice but to let the facts speak for themselves. I never wanted it to come to this, but I can no longer wait in the background and ignore your complete disrespect. Our choice to let you enjoy the spotlight while I create the magic leaves me almost helpless. You will not force me to expose myself until I expose you first…”

The message went on for quite a number of paragraphs, ending with the words “I have no choice but to let the world know you are a backstabbing fraud.”

Shortly after the message was released, AWK cancelled his tour dates and became a soul-searching motivational speaker, setting up a new lecture series called “The Joy Trilogy.” He even appeared at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin earlier this year, lecturing a seminar called “Party for Life: Lecture and Discussion About Pure Fun and Total Love.”

So is Steev Mikes the brain behind brand AWK? Has AWK been bullied out of touring by his resentful creator? It is all coincidence or indeed conspiracy?

Decide for yourself. Here is a list of sources and other relevant links to give you more information on the AWK/SteevMike mystery:

Andrew WK’s official site
Source for most information on conspiracy
Steev mike code translator
Whitekiller.com archive site
Steev mike archive site
Information on Andrew WK’s new lecture tour

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