Having scored concert tickets at stubhub.co.uk last minute I was quietly pleased with myself walking into Brixton Academy. When the road crew preparing the stage for the main act are all dressed as 1920’s gangsters in all black with trilbys, braces, and slouch work pants you know that Jack White is indeed in the building.
The obvious departure (appart from the abundant theme of blueness) from his many dayjobs is the full blues band; A dobro, upright bass, violin, an amazingly convincing fifties style organ player and of course, a mental drummer in a top-hat.
You’d think that playing White Stripes songs that arent with the minimal and primal box of one guitar and one drum set would leave them sounding a little contrived, but it actually breathes a complete new lease of life into songs like ‘Hardest Button to Button‘ and ‘Hotel Yorba‘ that come across as hardened versions of songs from the turn of the century.
The set seems to mesh perfectly into a jam of very talented musicians weaving in and out of White‘s creative new album ‘Blunderbuss‘ and slanted White Stripes hits.
Jack White‘s 50’s gothic gentlemanly demeanor crossed with the punching up of traditional rock and roll and roots blues seems to give him the edge on most of his contemporaries.
His new reprise of ‘Ball and Biscuit‘ is intoxicating, and he is one of the most interesting and integral acts of today.
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Post by TR Wicks
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TRACKS:
The White Stripes – Ball And Biscuit
