The White Stripes - UnderGreat White NorthernLights

Wed 10th Mar, 2010 in Music Reviews

“I like to do things to make it really hard on myself.”

Jack White was talking about his challenging stage set-up when he said that, but it’s also true of his work ethic. The creative force behind the White Stripes (not to mention the numerous side-projects, producer gigs, record label and the rumoured solo album), Jack is not a man to do things the easy way.

In this spirit, Under Great White Northern Lights documents the White Stripes’ 2007 Canadian tour. Travelling to every state and province, it’s no exaggeration to call this tour ‘all-encompassing’, as Jack and Meg make it up to the country they had never previously visited.

More than just a whistle-stop tour through the major cities, Under Great White Northern Lights takes pains to include tiny, out of the way towns. Many of the towns and cities are also treated to unique White Stripes experiences, popping up with only moments’ notice and taking place in some odd locations: residents of St John’s in Newfoundland scramble to find the One Note Show, where Jack and Meg walk on stage and bash out literally one note (an F, for those of you who were wondering) before walking off; public transport users in Winnipeg, Manitoba are treated to an impromptu performance of The Wheels on the Bus; and Jack misses out on a mid-song strike at a bowling alley in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

These eccentric locales are woven through interview sequences, backstage footage and a collection of other, on-the-road moments. Shot predominantly in black and white (with a hefty dose of red, as befits the band), Under Great White Lights is a documentary in much the same vein as D.A. Pennebaker’s legendary Dylan doco Don’t Look Back, complete with London cabs as the road vehicle of choice.

While Under Great White Lights might not deal with as pivotal a moment in music history, it does observe a band as they reflect upon their past, and their future. After ten years of the White Stripes, Jack is particularly candid about his creative frustrations, especially within the confines of the band’s aesthetic, but everything points towards a strong future for the White Stripes.

The CD component, compiled from nights throughout the tour, acts as a sort of de facto career retrospective, and, across sixteen tracks, emphasises how much Jack and Meg have managed to wring from such a limited palette. From the helter-skelter Black Math to the indestructible riff of Seven Nation Army, it’s remarkable to note how distinctive each song is despite the fundamentally unchanged elements. Left-turns like Little Ghost’s furious mandolin or the vamping organ of I’m Slowly Turning Into You are refreshing deviations that reinforce Jack’s willingness to bend (and occasionally) break his own rules.

With ten years under their collective belt, the only thing that could undo the White Stripes is Jack White himself, but given his unflinching work ethic, there’s no risk of that giving out any time soon.