Jack White

I’d seen Jack White live before last night but, in some ways, didn’t feel like I truly had.

It began with having tickets for the ill-fated final White Stripes UK tour in 2007, cancelled due to Meg White’s acute anxiety. I've since seen The Raconteurs from great distant in a fairly muted mid-afternoon main stage slot at Reading Festival, and have twice seen Jack plays drums in The Dead Weather. 

But I’ve longed to see him front and centre, axe in hand as he was meant to be. News of his solo album was a welcome break amid fears he was losing his identity through his endless collaborating and his roles as producer/record label owner/gun for hire. It also presented the best opportunity in a number of years to see Jack White live. 

Set lists from his show at the HMV Forum in April and his American tour in May also suggested a perfect blend of solo, Stripes, Raconteurs and Dead Weather material. Almost a greatest hits set.

And so, with a critically lauded solo album to add to his back catalogue and the intriguing possibility of which backing band he would use, Jack White took to the stage at the Hammersmith Apollo last night (22 June) as a genuinely exciting prospect.

The first question was answered when The Peacocks, Jack’s all female backing band, took to the stage. Six strong (drums, double bass, pedal steel, fiddle, organ/piano and backing vocals), they create a semi circle around the stage and build for Jack’s arrival with a flurry of noise.

Jack casually walks on, barely reacting to absolute hysteria of the crowd and immediately rips into the raucous Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground. When he stands still, which isn’t often, he is lit from the front, casting a thirty-foot shadow on the back of the stage that is a fairly accurate representation of his now towering stature.

Three Blunderbuss songs follow, kicking off with opening track Missing Pieces before singles Sixteen Saltines and Love Interruption, the latter of which sees backing singer Ruby Amanfu seductively sharing Jack’s mic front and centre. Her excellent vocals are a feature of the gig, giving Jack time to throw himself around with abandon.

From the get go, the other Peacock most prominent is drummer Carla Azar. Situated at the front of one end of the semi-circle, on Jack’s right hand side, she is the antithesis of Meg White, brilliantly quickening and complicating every song, making use of her entire kit with constant frantic beats.

Four songs in he stops momentarily to ask 'Are you awake now London?', the screaming replies have barely died down before he rips into Hotel Yorba, perhaps the best example of the way his new band have taken White Stripes songs and evolved them. With added fiddle and pedal steel guitar, Yorba becomes a stomping hoedown of a song that has people out of their seats and literally dancing in the aisles.

After seven frenzied songs and barely a breath, Jack puts down his guitar and takes to the piano to play a country section featuring Guess I Should Go To Sleep and a Hank Williams cover.

White Stripes numbers I’m Slowly Turning Into You and an evolved Ball and Biscuit close the first set, with Jack bouncing around his semicircle of support before casting his guitar down in a howl of feedback. He strides off stage to get a few moments of recovery before the energetic encore.

He arrives back on stage flanked by his Peacocks and after warming his fingers and fret up again bursts into Freedom at 21, the current single from Blunderbuss.

He hisses 'You still awake London?' before introducing The Peacocks, revealing its the debut show of the double bassist. Said Peacock then gets the gig going again with the recognisable bass intro of The Raconteurs' Steady, As She Goes. A highlight of the set, it is quickened and slowed several times, extended and punctured by two blistering solos.

Throughout the gig, Jack demonstrates why he is without doubt one of the world's best players. He wails, shreds, plucks and coaxes every possible sound out of his instrument and doesn’t miss a chance to do so.

The encore is eased a touch with Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy and We're Going To Be Friends, which has the cute feel of the final slow number at a school disco with Jack's soft vocals and dimmed lights.

By the final flurry of songs, which include Stripes favourites My Doorbell and the unofficial anthem of Euro 2012 Seven Nation Army, I’ve pretty much run out of superlatives, so don’t even try to describe them. Needless to the say the gig finishes with a bang.

It was a sad day when The White Stripes confirmed they would not be returning in 2010 for those who had never seen them live, but last night’s performance went some way to softening the blow.

Support on the night came from First Aid Kit, the latest band off Sweden’s conveyor belt of cool, though until they speak you could be forgiven for thinking they hail from the American south.

Their brand of country folk was perfectly pitched to set the scene for Jack, and their set of songs from second album A Lion’s Roar was short, sweet and hugely enjoyable. The best way I could describe them would be as a female Fleet Foxes, in that they create beautiful harmonies and outstanding volume for just two sisters.

2012 so far…

I’ve seen many comments on blogs and Twitter recently to say that 2012 hasn’t been a vintage year for music. Now I know these comments come out around this time every year, but I still felt like having a look back at what the first six months of 2012 has had to offer.

The year got off to a good start with The Maccabees’ brilliant album, Given to the Wild. Their expanded ambitions and soaring sounds catapulted their album into the charts and was an immediate contender for end-of-year lists. Chairlift’s Something was also released, containing one of my favourite songs of the year so far.



February saw the release of two mesmerising albums from contrasting solo females, namely Grimes’ Visions and Sharon Van Etten’s Tramp. While worlds apart, both brought critical acclaim and attention to talented individuals released their fourth and third albums respectively.

In April, Jack White’s first solo record since The White Stripes (just kidding Meg) dropped, and it was his best in years. While I was a big fan of The Dead Weather’s first album, it’s great to have Jack back where he belongs, front and centre, axe in hand. His mix of blues, rock and country was a joy from start to finish, and I’m excited to say I’m seeing it live next Friday (22 June).



May saw dreamy soundscapes courtesy of Beach House, Poliça and Sigur Rós to delight and soothe. It also saw a new record from Richard Hawley, who brought a distinctly heavier sound than on his previous solo albums. His distorted psychedelia was unexpected but brilliant none the less.

And while Best Coast’s The Only Place, also released in May, drew some lukewarm reviews, it’s a superbly simple slice of breezy surf pop. Its lack of complexity is intended, and shouldn’t be used as a negative.

Even this week alone has seen exciting new albums released by Friends and Crocodiles, and new songs debuted live by Bat for Lashes.



And that’s just the albums, there have many dozens of brilliant songs from new bands yet to release albums, most of which you can find on my Jams.

With new releases from The xx, Bat for Lashes and hopefully a return to form from Bloc Party to look forward to in coming months, 2012 seems like a pretty good year for music to me.

2012 albums to check out

• Beach House – Bloom
• Best Coast – The Only Place
• Chairlift – Something
• Crocodiles – Endless Flowers
• Friends – Manifest!
• Grimes – Visions
• Jack White – Blunderbuss
• Poliça – Give You the Ghost
• Richard Hawley – Standing at the Sky’s Edge
• Santigold - Master of My Make Believe
• Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
• The Shins –  Port of Morrow
• Tanlines – Mixed Emotions

Jubilee songs

Enthusiastic about the Jubilee? Thought not. Enthusiastic about a four-day weekend? Thought so. So grab your bunting, your union jack paper plates and your mask of her maj, and enjoy these Jubilee-appropriate songs. They are all right regal affairs, though not all are as positive about our beloved Queen as supermarket adverts would have you believe we all are. I couldn't actually find any like that. Be sure to check out the Mystery Jets vid too, featuring Lizzie herself. Carry on subjects.

The Horrors & TOY

Going into a gig with high expectations can sometimes prove to be a bad thing, however, when a band produce a towering performance that dwarfs your anticipation by comparison, there can be a certain satisfaction to sit alongside your enjoyment of the gig itself.

The expectation I had for seeing The Horrors live has built massively since the last time I saw them, in a tent at Reading Festival in the heady days of 2007. In the near five years since, the shouty, riotous goth-punks with strange names have evolved into carefully considered, sophisticated shoegaze gods, releasing two albums worthy of modern classic status.

Having finally seen them live again last night at Birmingham’s HMV Institute, I can confirm that, while the band I saw in 2007 and the one that blew me away last night are almost incomparable, that is in no way a bad thing.



And, almost a year on from releasing third album Skying and after touring the globe non-stop for five months in 2011, as well as a jaunt supporting Florence earlier this year, the band could be forgiven for going through the motions on this tour. However, they did anything but. This performance was a clear signal of a band that have honed their craft; technically brilliant and refined but still intense and thrilling. 

Of course having two amazing albums to choose songs from is an excellent foundation for any gig, but like all truly great bands, they took great songs and injected them with added vitality and edge, making them an entirely different prospect live.

The production of their third album took away the scuzz of their earlier work, putting it in Simple Minds territory rather than the My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain sound of Primary Colours, but onstage the scuzz is brought back in full force and smacks you in the chest from the get go. The thumping bass drum, synth line and synchronised strobe lights that begin Mirror’s Image grab you and you’re not let go for an hour and a half. Playing a set entirely from their second and third albums, the quality never drops even for a moment.



And each member of the five piece play their part in delivering a near-perfect set. Each song is built on a consistently exciting rhythm section, courtesy of drummer Joe Spurgeon and bassist Rhys Webb, whose roles are brought to the fore in the live arena. The drums pound and the bass punches, with everything else layered on top.

Tall and dark, Faris is an imposing figure on stage, looming over his mic stand and the audience below. His voice, whether brooding or booming, is distinguishable from all other sounds, filling the air and soaring to the rafters. He is one of the best frontmen British indie currently has to offer without doubt.

When not singing, he still headbangs and throws himself around with abandon, at odds with Rhys Webb who calmly bounces alongside him. They are flanked by guitarist Joshua Hayward and keyboard player Tom Cowan, who are reserved throughout, delicately tempting weird and wonderful sounds from their respective instruments.

That is until half way through 10-minute finale Moving Further Away, when Josh lets loose with a unhinged solo, flinging himself around and creating a frenzy of feedback and distortion The Velvet Underground would be proud of.

Highlights for me would be the anthemic Sea Within A Sea and Still Life ending the first set, the riotous Who Can Say and I Can See Through You shaking the building after the ominous opening and the extended finale, in particular Joshua’s crazy solo.



Support on the night came from TOY, a band born from the ashes of Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong in 2010 and not too dissimilar from the band they were supporting. With an endorsement from Rhys Webb and two great singles released so far, I was excited to see what they could bring. Any band with the skill and guts to release a debut single that clocks in at just under 8 minutes is worthy of attention.

And they certainly grabbed their slot by the throat, with 6 songs comprising blistering drums, soaring synths and a wall of fuzzy guitars, the highlight being aforementioned debut single Left Myself Behind.

Largely backlit and hidden behind hair, there are clear comparisons to be made between TOY and The Horrors, and while they are still raw, they played their half an hour set with minimal fuss and maximum intensity, their lengthy soundscapes leaving a lasting impression. Ones to watch for 2012 and beyond.

On a final note, it seemed poignant on reflection that 32 years on from the date of Ian Curtis’ suicide, his influence was stamped all over this gig. Can either of these bands leave a legacy like his? Who can say.

Holiday songs

I’m going on holiday tomorrow, and as it’s only in England, the weather isn’t gonna be great. But it doesn’t matter because I still have music, and these are all songs that either bring the sun with them or remind me of when we used to have summers.

The Drums’ Let’s Go Surfing is such a simple and infectious song, it’s one I can’t help but be cheered by everytime I hear it, and it's essential for a beach holiday. Same goes for Vampire Weekend’s upbeat Holiday. Bringing something different as always, The Pixies’ Holiday Song has a great riff and vintage Black Francis vocals to kickstart any roadtrip, while The Maccabees’ Went Away with its soaring melodies should be the anthem of summer 2012, if we get one. And finally, the title track and lead single from Best Coast’s new album, The Only Place. A sunsoaked love song to California and, though I'm not going to California, where I’m going does have the ocean and the waves too, so it'll do for me.

Great voices

While a great riff or drumbeat may be the first thing to grab the attention in a song, it’s
a voice that will keep me coming back. There is something ethereal about a great voice, something that’s tied to destiny or fate or whatever, but some people are given voices
that are meant to be shared.

From the beautiful and emotive to the powerful and cool, these are my five favourite voices. There are plenty more I love, but on this particular day, these five are the tops.

My number one was easy, Jeff Buckley. Jeff’s voice had an incredible range, from soulful power to a delicate warble; it was both heartbreaking and life affirming. It is indeed a tragedy that he only recorded one album, but what an album, and what a voice.

My next voice was greatly influenced by Buckley, but Thom Yorke has also had the longevity to demonstrate a number of distinctive styles, from the Buckley-esque Bends falsetto through to the lower-register almost rap on Hail To The Thief songs, such as Myxomatosis, and everything in between.

Stevie Nicks’ voice is all about power and distinction; her voice is special because there isn’t anything else like it. Similarly, Lou Reed’s voice brings an ice cool attitude despite
not being a typical voice.

Lastly, Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays has a voice so sweet it’s like having another kind
of sundae poured into your ears. I often listen to her vocal at the end of this track over and over. Need I say more?

Tanlines – Brothers

Another band off Brooklyn’s seemingly never-ending cool band production belt, Tanlines
are Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm, and they fit into the synth pop bracket, as most of my favourite new music does these days. Named after the studio it was recorded in, this song’s crashing waves of synths, pulsing bass and thumping percussion provide a blissful background for the brilliantly downcast vocal. And the video showcases the multi-instrumentalism behind this talented new band. See an interactive version of the video, allowing you to move the camera, here.