White Stripes - Manchester Apollo - 17.11.05 For all the distractions over the past few years - the scraps with the Von Bondies, the celebrity girlfriends, secret marriages and the recent furore over Jack White penning the coco-cola tune - the one thing that's remained a constant high has been the music. Constrained by the limitations they set themselves, The White Stripes sound that combines the blues, primal punk rock and in the case of "Blue Orchid" white boy funk, found themselves in the enviable position of having the most records in John Peel's box of all time favourites. Perhaps it's this that is most indicative moment of their career, the fact that beyond all the bullshit that goes along with being the White Stripes that make music that still manages to enchant musical connoisseurs In the past White Stripes shows have been stripped down affairs, a simple red and white drape on the backdrop in keeping with their self-imposed uniform colour scheme. Tonight they've gone cabaret and despite this it still works for them. Jack White walks out in a fantastic matador costume with studded trousers that are somewhere between Goth and the Michael Jackson "Bad" video. If it was anyone but Jack White it would look hideous, but it all seems so right with the Stripes It says alot that the band has avoided the hollow structure of the Arena despite the fact they could have sold it out twice over, but they understand the nature of intimacy. "White Orchid" with its incessant satanic funk pounding away from the outset has White screeching all over the place as the crowd go wild. "Jolene", a cover yes, but one that's defined now for a generation by the White Stripes version is glorious. "My Doorbell" takes a simple piano motif, a retarded drumbeat and turns it into an old skool hip-hop track. All this before they've launched into their earlier material such as "Hotel Yorba", which for many started a journey into Detroit garage that they would never escape from. Few bands have managed to produce so many singles while being in love with the concept of making great albums which have a A side, B Side and last no longer than 50 minutes. They famously sent out vinyl copies of "Elephant" out to reviewers because they believed that anyone without a turntable was not fit to review their album. "Dead Leaves On Dirty Ground", "Fell In Love With A Girl", "The Denial Twist" and naturally "Seven Nation Army" can't help but send the crowd into a frenzy and despite musically being entrenched in the past they're nothing short of relevant to the 21st century. Critics love to pour over the White Stripes questioning when the band will split, but what else can Jack White do? A new band or solo career would pail into significance compared to the glorious catalogue of the White Stripes and poor pennyfarthing would be left without a paddle. The chances are they'll ride out the whole coco-cola shtick and come out with a song that competes with "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" and set themselves up for a storming album to follow up "Get Behind Me Satan". Words: Alex McCann Photos: Karen McBride - www.karenmcbride.com ***************** Click here to leave your comments on the Message Board (NB: The message board opens in a new window so please disable your pop-up blocker to view) ***************** ***************** Click here to leave your comments on the Message Board (NB: The message board opens in a new window so please disable your pop-up blocker to view) *****************

 

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