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Live Review
by SashaS
12-4-2003
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More on: The White Stripes
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| The White Stripes asteroid fans' senses |
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Live: The White Stripes
Brixton Academy, London
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
The White Stripes: ‘Celebratory’ tour ignites London
On Sunday The White Stripes entered Brit-chart at the Top spot – an incredible success considering that their ‘breakthrough’ disc, ‘White Blood Cells’, stalled in the mid-50s – and started their short tour later the same night; on Thursday, the ‘Elephant’ album entered the Billboards 200 at No.3, failing to out-sell the corpo-rock Goliaths, Linkin Park (which they, mercifully, did in the UK).
Thus started a week that turned out to be a ‘Celebratory’ tour for the White pair that climaxed with rolling into London for its two final, sold-out, dates. And, the first of two shows was – triumphant! Well, you wouldn’t have it any other way as all the hype built to a crescendo. The brilliant thing is that The White Stripes have justly earned it, as well as being lucky to be at the right place at the time their primal thunder was (almost) needed.
Jack and Meg White success is remarkable because they are the most unusual duo in the rock history, playing music that is older than the grandparents of the fans digging it. The Stripes happened to be around when teenagers started tiring of club culture’s cyber-beats and wanted something more organic, basic, human… The offer is stripped down and succinct, modernising the old idiom and yet keept genuine for the genre’s veteran fans. And, the fact that they already had a couple of albums beforehand, afforded the new admirers more food to clinch their increasing cravings.
The Whites’ approach is minimal, simple, purist, it utilises guitar and drums, with occasional keyboards, to convey this zeitlos blues. Its raw, punchy, direct and no-bull approach is what makes it so R-E-A-L at the time that feels more reel-induced. The stage is suitably empty bar the gear and the only addition to the previous shows is a screen behind (used for ‘Felix The Cat’ cartoons before the show) that projects infrequent visuals of mainly geometric shapes of suitably limited colouring. The duo’s regular bi-dye attire is supplanted by black: one leg of Jack’s trousers is offsetting his red ensemble! It doesn’t give him an appearance of a jester but a man challenging conventions, expectations and whatever-else-you-got.
New performing confidence is evident in Jack’s non-talking showmanship, songs are delivered with new resolve, almost harshly, his guitar playing reaches new heights… John Peel’s comparing Jack with Jimi Hendrix is a dope dunk because both manage to single-handedly replace a whole band and, periodically, a whole orchestra! Backed by the economical drumming, bordering on mechanical, by Meg, you can’t but wonder why do you require 24 members in The Polyphonic Spree when there is more passion within these two!? Actually, with Meg’s detachment, it is more like one…
Being fully aware of Jack’s capability to drop live gems such as ‘Hotel Yorba’, (Dolly Parton’s) ‘Jolene’, ‘Death Letter’, ‘Seven Nation Army’, the revelation of the evening was Meg, stepping in front to handle ‘Cold, Cold Night’, with a clear and soulful voice. As far as The Whites go, shouldn’t we stop caring whatever their relationship may be and, start solely talking quality of this glorious music?
As a matter of fact, well – more by design, on the way to and fro the gig, the in-car entertainment was The Yardbirds’ ‘Little Games’ – reissue containing an embryonic version of ‘Dazed And Confused’ that Led Zepp would make a rock anthem – and the similarity is uncanny while remaining notably apart. The Stripes’ sound is cleaner, less clattered (instrumentally) and more focused; the quality of today’s analogue tapes is much superior to the tapes of 30 years ago and it ‘misses’ the crackly, fuzzy, ‘dirty’ tonality of yesteryear. ‘Elephant’ is definitely not less warm than the ‘oldies’ on account of improving technology but its clarity, even the vinyl version’s, is something past-rockers couldn’t even imagine.
The White Stripes is the greatest band… right now. I’m already sick to my soul thinking about Jack’s threat to stop after one more album!
SashaS
12-4-2003
The White Stripes’ album ‘Elephant’ is available now on XL Recordings
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