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Live Review
by Scott Sterling-Wilder
22-11-2001
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More on: The White Stripes
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| The White-and-red Stripes |
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Live: The White Stripes
Astoria, London
Wednesday, November 21, 2001
The White Stripes are the hottest rock property right now and they are so genuinely red
Red and white. Red-hot and white noise. The White Stripes’ tonal cure is raw, infectious, hypnotic and so bloody good. This is a primal music and show, elementary, savagely stripped to its underpants. Multi-membered groups? Ah, yesterday’s news: skins and wires, a touch of keys, plus vocal is all you need, mate. This is the future past that has many facets: condensed Led Zeppelin (10 minute songs in 90 seconds!), more spaced-out Bowie, tortured T-Rex, kinkier Kinks, surreal Nirvana…
All true and yet so far off the mark: The White Stripes dictionary of music has lot of entries, from punk to prog, from blues to avant-garde, from hard to subtle… The bro/sis duo makes such a glorious noise that you are reminded of so many things that all comparisons become dubious. There are awkward tempo changes, mutated vocals, minimal levels (including inaudible vocal parts) and sonic booms. Standing in front of a ‘flag’ of different quarters, Jack White riffs, throws shapes, trash out powerchords and mini-solos while jumping about enthusiastically.
His shy sis, Meg, is a counterpart, almost detached in her rudimentary drumming (it sounded like any of us could instantly substitute) and yet so nonchalant, almost on the verge of ennui. The Stripes are an unusual band in many ways that includes coming onstage before its booked time!? (That’s so rockingly anti-rock, congrats!)
Then, there are covers and one that struck as supreme oddity is Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’, delivered from three differently set-up mikes for varied vox-effects. Recent hit ‘Hotel Yorba’ is wildly applauded while other selections – ‘The Same Boy You’ve Always Known’, ‘We’re Going To Be Friends’ – from the current album ‘White Blood Cells’, as well as the previous elpees, is respectfully, although somewhat bewilderedly, acknowledged by the sell-out crowd.
The White Stripes came from that place that gave us Motown, MC5, Iggy and The Stooges, Alice Cooper, (we’ll ignore the gun-loving/Commie-hating Ted Nugent) and, of late, Kid Rock and Eminem – the one-and-only Detroit. The Stripes gained underground respect before getting onto the big time treadmill that saw them sign a £1 million with the independent Beggars Banquet imprint XL Recordings. But, that apparently has not changed Jack and Meg, decked in the spartan red-and-white colour combination for public duty, who turned down an offer for another million to lens a commercial for the Gap clothiers.
It is statistical matter that every few weeks there is a new Rock’n’Roll saviour. Well, better read that – hype. This year’s models (over the last quarter) have included The Strokes, The White Stripes and Andrew WK. Well, the New York punk-kids who dripped cool and snotty pop genius, failed to rise above the critical success of plenty of write-ups but no album sales, Andrew WK fell short of the UK’s Top 50 with his debut album ‘I Get Wet’ which leaves us with The White Stripes.
Some decades ago someone wrote (it could be Lester Bangs but ‘Will take the cheque, Chris!’) that he had seen the future of Rock’n’Roll and named – Bruce Springsteen!? The White Stripes is the future; this is rock, the true sound of the XXI century.
And, the verdict is – red is the new black!
Scott Sterling-Wilder
22-11-2001
The White Stripes’ album ‘White Blood Cells’ is out now on Sympathy For The Record Industry
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