04 July 2022 (gig)
05 July 2022
We’ll come to the music in a moment.
But first let’s solve the mystery of that Ukulele Man statue. Crafted by British sculptor Colin Christian, the lifelike piece stares out eerily - but does have some sonic use, with White going over to sing in its ear, and sound coming back out of its mouth.
Tonight is anything but statuesque as blue-haired White and his band rattle Berlin’s ritzy and plush Verti Music Hall to its rafters.
Does White’s Phone Free policy for this Supply Chain Issues tour help? The parameters, no different to those of a cinema or theatre, certainly keep this audience highly engaged.
Earlier on, sartorially elegant stagehands clear the stage after a sweaty, stomping set from Belgian support act SONS, who prove that there’s more to their hometown Antwerp than just fancy fashion design and gold.
Then it’s over to White, who knows how to build theatrical suspense, with silhouettes of the band first appearing behind a giant vaudevillian curtain.
From opener Taking Me Back all through to – you guessed it – Seven Nation Army, with its ubiquitous, anthemic riff, White does not stop. It’s one blue guitar change after another and perpetual motion from White.
Days before the release of fifth solo studio album Entering Heaven Alive, tonight’s set includes songs from White’s April release, Fear of the Dawn as well as more familiar material from the White Stripes, Raconteurs and Dead Weather. The crowd embraces new single If I Die Tomorrow as much as Steady As She Goes and I Cut Like a Buffalo, or indeed, the swingy Hotel Yorba and gritty Sixteen Saltines, from 2012’s Blunderbuss.
The rumour is that this is an act without a setlist, with White bouncing across the blue-lit stage to call out the next song to his bandmates.
And what a band it is, with keys and vocals from the versatile Quincy McCrary, bass (and upright double bass) in the safe hands of Dominic Davis and all manner of drums and percussion from Daru Jones. All three ooze swagger throughout. Described by Esquire as White’s “secret weapon” and regarded as the go-to drummer in the world of hip-hop, Jones is more often on his feet than not, dealing some hefty blows to his unconventionally-configured kit.
White wastes no time with banter. In any case, he’s already built a bond tonight. The main set comes to an end with What’s the Trick? and the calls begin for arguably the riff of the past 20 years. White obliges, sending a crowd isolated from their devices for two hours away with ringing ears, sweaty brows and a lot to remember.
PHOTO CREDIT: David James Swanson
