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Live Review
by SashaS
21-1-2004
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More on: The White Stripes
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| The White Stripes rock Ally Pally's 7K |
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Live: The White Stripes
Alexandra Palace, London
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
The White Stripes’ admire-eruption in leafy ’hood
Since the last time The White Stripes graced UK stages, there were broken fingers, famous girlfriend, Jack’s film debut and the punch-up… Fame arrives in different packages, doesn’t it? All the above appeared to be of no concern to the band as they took to the stage of this place that is twice the capacity of any indoor venue they’ve played in London so far.
The White Stripes marvellously managed to overcome the venue’s shortcomings and size to create an ambient that was reminiscent of their club dates. In their hands it looked like this architectural beauty with dubious acoustics transformed with ease into a white-and-red realm. The duo had no problem in captivating this 7 thousand strong lot… (They are bound to repeat it for another Palace-full crowd tonight, again.)
Overcoming broken fingers, court appearances and reportedly troubled love life [is he on with the ‘Bridget Jones’s’ star or not?], Jack White knows how to mesmerise his audience with crushing guitar runs, Led Zeppelin-esque moments and body-postures [more like attitude] to fault, plus Meg’s crude and basic drumming for generally big sound, grandly bouncing off the walls. It still was a stripped-down show that generously filled in this much larger space than they‘d been used to.
Supported by Blanche - the band Jack White was watching on the infamous night of his fight with The Von Blondes singer Jason Stollsteimer, court case pending - the duo delivered their usual blend of hits, album tracks and covers at the sold-out opener of the three-night London stint. Perhaps not the vintage performance but taking the circs in, very, very near it.
The mass fan-mania is ignited with ‘Hotel Yorba’, ‘Seven Nation Army’, ‘The Hardest Button To Button’ and ‘I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself’. Other highlights were the discordant reworking of a blues standard ‘Take A Whiff On Me’ and Meg’s taking over the mic for ‘In The Cold , Cold Night’; he referred to the other member as “my sister” to prolong/re-tease on that old chestnut of Meg’s “sis/ex-wife” status.
Another triumphant night but the inevitable question is - which way the future beckons? Where will the next disc take them? For now, they are on top of the world and should win the two Brit Awards categories they are nominated in.
The White Stripes currently deliver the primeval scream - what Rock should do, actually.
Setlist:
‘Black Math’
‘Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground’
‘I Think I Smell A Rat’
‘Take A Whiff On Me’
‘When I Hear My Name’
‘Ball And Biscuit’
‘Lovesick’
‘In The Cold, Cold Night’
‘Hotel Yorba’
‘I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself’
‘I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother’s Heart’
‘Death Letter’
‘John The Revelator’
‘Same Boy You’ve Always Known’
‘We're Going To Be Friends’
‘Offend In Every Way’
‘Apple Blossom’
‘Let’s Shake Hands’
‘The Hardest Button To Button’
‘Fell In Love With A Girl’
‘You’re Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)’
‘Hello Operator’
‘Seven Nation Army’
SashaS
21-1-2004
The White Stripes album ‘Elephant’ is available now on XL Recordings
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