Jack White at Hammersmith Apollo

One of the 21^st century’s most recognised rock stars takes to the stage at London’s Eventim Apollo tonight for the second time this week, filling out the 5,000-capacity venue for two nights running. Nashville resident Jack White is promoting his latest album, Frozen Charlotte, and injecting some much-needed rock ‘n’ roll blues into one’s veins.

Upon entering the Apollo, venue staff ask for each attendee’s phone and swiftly place it in a locked bag, which will then be unlocked after the show. White has been keen to restrict audience phone access over the last decade to create a “100% human experience” at his gigs, but it doesn’t happen at every show and may depend on the event’s location. Nevertheless, there is no phone in sight tonight, and it brings a more focused and strangely freeing feel to the experience.

White bursts onto the stage with gusto this evening, immediately happily goading the audience, and even tells them off when the cheering begins to subside, exclaiming, “Have you been told to be quiet?”

The band starts as they mean to go on, with a high-octane jam, before launching into some old favourites, as The White Stripes’ number Black Math kicks things off nicely, followed by the band’s bold and brash breakout single Fell in Love with a Girl.

The Detroit-born singer leads the set into a blues-on-acid frenzy of tunes before simmering things down with a succession of softer songs. It’s only been a day since the world learned the tragic news of country legend Dolly Parton’s passing, an artist whom White highly respected. While concert goers of London’s previous night were treated to a rare performance of the White Stripes cover of Jolene, it still feels as though Parton’s influence is coursing through the middle of tonight’s set. White’s raw emotion is particularly apparent on You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket, which he sings with a haunting, isolating vocal, in a briefly stripped-back set.

The new tunes on White’s seventh studio album, Frozen Charlotte, fit into the set like a glove, alongside some tracks that are now, unbelievably, over 20 years old. Dollar Bill and I Can’t Believe What I’m Hearing stand out in their own right, while lead single G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs gets unexpectedly lost in the sea of raucous blues White has created on stage tonight.

For the encore, White, dressed in all-black attire apart from his bright white cowboy boots, comes back with a further eight songs, armed with the unforgettable bassline of Lazaretto and more delicious tracks from the White Stripes’ widely worshipped 2003 album Elephant. Of course, the gig inevitably ends with Seven Nation Army, and although any seasoned fan of White’s may be tempted to roll their eyes at this, it never fails to set the stage alight.

The gothic Americana frontman still puts most other current rock artists to shame with his powerhouse of garage rock guitar playing, and he’s developed his own brand of acidic blues, although at times it may prove too chaotic for everyone’s tastes. Tonight has been a whirlwind of rebellious energy, punctuated by a few sombre notes before ending on an expected yet welcome high. “London, you’ve always been good to us,” White says before he leaves the stage, leaving the audience already looking forward to the next date.

Hannah Broughton
Photos: David James Swanson

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

Watch the video for You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket here: