Live photos: Inside Jack White’s politically charged tiny London show
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(Credits: Far Out / Raph Pour-Hashemi)
Despite a couple of decades since The White Stripes released their debut album, Jack White continues to show that his creativity refuses to dry up. His most recent album, No Name, was met with acclaim from fans and critics alike. In a 4.5-star review, Far Out called the album “An old-school rock n roll triumph”. In order to celebrate the record, White recently played a handful of intimate shows, one of the most charged of which took place at Islington Assembly Hall in London.
Despite White having worked on a range of albums since The White Stripes disbanded, his new album feels like a full circle moment. In his solo career and with The Raconteurs and Dead Weather, he hasn’t been afraid to experiment with synths, choirs and rap. On No Name, we see him return to doing what he does best: delivering a raw and energetic blues sound.
With this kind of music, there is no better place to experience it than a smaller venue, which is why Islington Assembly Hall was one of the best places for the show. New songs were irresistible to a crowd who were desperate to lap them up, enjoying the blues and rugged rock feel that reverberated off the walls and caused the room to shake.
White seems to be well aware of the raw nature of the show. It’s rock and roll in its purest form. Sweaty. Exhausting. He revels in having a crowd in the palm of his hand as he asks, “Can I get an amen?” He also mocks Oasis, highlighting, “This is the kind of rock’n’roll you’re not gonna get at Wembley Stadium for £400!”
Oasis weren’t the only people on the end of White’s opinion that night, as the singer took time between songs to mock fellow musicians and politicians. The White Stripes recently launched a lawsuit against Donald Trump, who used their hit ‘Seven Nation Army’ in a campaign video without their permission. White didn’t directly discuss the lawsuit, but he also didn’t hold back in discussing politics.
“As soon as you join a political party, someone tries to lie to your face…” He said, “I got news for you: You got a brain, you got a mind. Can I hear an amen, London!” There have also been videos of White surfacing from gigs where he mimics Trump and some of his recent ramblings during the presidential debate as he said, “They’re eating the cats, they’re eating the dogs.”
The show was packed from start to finish with unrelenting energy, yet White was also happy to take a moment and reflect on his history with the country’s capital. “I’m no stranger to London Islington,” he said, “I used to love in this neighbourhood. But I don’t call anywhere home. I haven’t in a long time. As soon as you call somewhere home, someone tries to take it from you.”
Check out the images of Jack White’s politically charged London show below.
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