Jack White Lazaretto Tour Leeds First Direct Arena 17.11.2014

Jack White Lazaretto Tour

Leeds First Direct Arena

17.11.2014

Detroit,Michigan home of Chrysler Cars,Motown rapper Eminem and Queen of Pop 'Madonna' was born here,it's also home to 'White Stripes' Jack White & Meg White (were then a married couple)  they really began hitting our shores way back in 2001 with the Lego video for 'Fell In Love With A Girl", they graced the cover of NME countless times,headlined many festivals, until things went quiet after the two divorced, 'Jack' experimented with other bands 'The Raconteurs' 'Dead Weather' and now he is solo artist and guitarist adored by music fans across the world. 

 

 

2014 13yrs later he is releasing Solo material and with new album 'Lazaretto' on heavy Music video rotation on MTV Rocks with brand new blues rock approach new short cropped elvis hairstyle he is here in the U.K. for 3 yes 3 Dates only. 

 

So naturally I had to get there and see for myself how awesome he really is live,tonight in the venue there is a mixed genre of people from 30's-50's and down to Teenagers from College he's crossed a generation with Raucous sound and rock N roll energy.

 

 

Supporting him tonight 'Lucius' a two piece girl Duo who step on the stage in matching Orange dresses one on tambourine and another behind a keyboard playing a guitar,I realise quickly I know them mainly because I seen them on 'Jools Holland Later.. Series',their sound reminiscent of 'The Pierces' another girl duo, but they reminded me of an updated 'Beverly Sisters' with harmonies like stars of the 50's. 

 

 

The only song I actually knew well was a cover of 'Buddy Holly's Golly Gee (it Dosent Really Matter) not my cup of tea at all.

 

 

Before he came onstage we had this guy walk on saying we need to put our phones away as 'Jack' does not like being filmed on phones in the crowd and we shouldn't take photos ,as he has a team doing for us, if only others had respected it but in the show later on 3 women at the side of me kept snapping shots which annoyed me as I was advised not to do it ,it seemed it was ok after all. 

 

 

He arrives on stage as 8.30pm he plays for a long while so he begins early,he walks on from stage right he's wearing black shirt and trousers with Blue Braces, his hair has grown out over his eyes now, he begins with a few jams he likes to jam  and freestyle some riffs before really getting into it, he has a full backing band a guy on Drums ,Bass Guitar and a woman in the strings section,Piano.

 

 

He rips into 'High Ball Stepper' from the 'Lazaretto' album and then begins a familiar song 'Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground' a 'White Stripes' classic,he plays songs off his album and 'Love Interuption' ,he's surprisingly fresh edgy and entertaining he talks to us "How's it goin Leeds, are you gonna be louder than 'Glasgow''? he tells us that he's cut from tartan cloth with Scottish Blood,he carries on playing more 'White Stripes' classics 'Hotel Yorba' and has his own crew attending to his every move on stage a guy also with brace sporting a ZZtop beard he dashes onto the stage runs around it freeing up  the cables faster than your average roadie, so our 'Jack' he has no time for that so just concentrates on the playing for us what a guy !!  

 

The stage set up is simplistic with minimal lights , and lots of dry ice and 3 beams lit up above moving during various parts of the show they reminded me of 'Later With Jools' another mention again ha, so much so  it actually made me think that 'Jools Holland was going to walk on as a guest any second now.

 

We all yell and cheer everyone's dancing and bouncing about now "Yes we damn well will be louder than Glasgow", so he carries on playing and getting us involved in the songs,and as encore time beckons we make a lot more noise and 'Jack' walks back with his band smiling and clapping,he walks over the left edge of the stage and stood looking down staring hand up to his chin looking moody ,right near to me where 3 girls are taking chances photographing him I actually thought he was going to kick off but he walked off and began the next song with unmistakable riff of 'Icky Thump' and everyone was singing and chanting like they were at a football match,next song was 'Raconteurs' 'Steady As She Goes' a fav of, he also played 'Would You Fight For My Love' a recent single.  

 

 

What better song to end the whole night with can you guess ?  yes you got it 'Seven Nation Army' we all went wild jumping about it got really lively, then he grinned Thanked Us and took a bow with his band and they were outta here !! 

 

The crowd piled out of the venue with discussion of the how the show was and how awesome 'Jack' was live I thought he was 'Epic' and was astounded and really loved the fact he did not shy away from the 'White Stripes' material as he's very select about what song's he plays when and for how long ,I think Leed's got a great show from him tonight ,No pics in the gallery as I respected the bands wishes and left my camera behind before the gig.

 

Til The next show comes around Bye for now Giggers!!

 

 

Lmi   x