Jack White at Troxy

One of the most respected rockstars of the 21^st century is about to take centre stage at the Troxy tonight. It’s his second night running at the East London venue, with both shows selling out comfortably as the Seven Nation Army singer tours his sixth studio album No Name. Jack White has carved a solid and immense reputation since the much-loved White Stripes released their breakout single Fell in Love with a Girl, later building a hugely successful solo artist career when the band disbanded.

Tonight begins with White intriguingly assuring the crowd that every word he says tonight will be the truth. You could speculate that this was a response to the explosive conference at Washington’s Oval Office the previous day, only because White was one of a handful of celebrities to pledge his support to the Ukrainian leader on social media, calling him a “courageous man” in the face of “false leaders and evil opportunists”.

White breaks into the gloriously angsty Old Scratch Blues before performing No Name’s powerful and brilliant lead single That’s How I’m Feeling. Throughout tonight’s set, White treats the crowd to impressive instrumentals that could only ever be performed by him, because we all know what a guitar sounds like when Jack White plays it.

The setlist tonight is unique, and many of the tracks White chooses to play were not played the previous night, and some barely played on the tour at all. This is a rare occurrence for an artist these days, as most setlists stay the same throughout touring. White is a clear master of improv and prefers to keep things fresh – you get the feeling the Detroit-born rocker has an energy that isn’t easily matched.

Tracks such as the White Stripes’s Black Math and Hotel Yorba are a welcome hark back to the 2000s, while White’s cover of The Stooges’s  Wanna Be Your Dog sizzles with punk rock energy.

Instead of your typical encore, we get more of an interval, with White and the band coming back for not three but nine more songs for the crowd to enjoy. The Raconteurs’s hit Steady, as She Goes, White’s Freedom at 21 and the White Stripes’s Slowly Turning Into You are formidable crowd pleasers, but there’s only one song that can end tonight properly.

As the unmistakable riff of Seven Nation Army plays out, there’s no doubt tonight’s show has been special. While White is an undeniably talented musician with a mesmerizing stage presence, he still manages to keep an air of humility without detracting from his rock god status. This is no mean feat in a world that sometimes thrives on arrogance and bullish behaviour, even in the music industry.

Tonight’s gig was a reminder that rock ‘n’ roll is alive and well, and as long as we have artists like Jack White, it will remain so indefinitely.

Hannah Broughton
Photos: David James Swanson

For further information and future events visit Jack White’s website here.

Watch the video for the single That’s How I’m Feeling here: