Going to see a recorded live show at the cinema is a bit strange. Sitting back in the plush seats of London’s Other Cinema for a screening of the new White Stripes live film, you find yourself wanting to clap and cheer after each song but have to keep a lid on it. Art house cinemas (said with fingers firmly in quotation mark position) can be intimidating at the best of times so spitting out pop corn whilst wolf whistling is probably not a good idea. Still though, at several points during this movie it was seriously difficult to resist.

An atypical move on the part of the band, whose TV appearances are somewhat rationed, this full 80 minute set recorded at the Empress Ball Room in Blackpool earlier this year, has 26 songs in it, which is apparently some kind of record. And if this sounds like a marathon of minimalist, retro, electric blues, rock’n’roll then that is precisely what it is. Whether the White siblings were pulling out the stops for the film crew, or this just happened to be the best set they’ve ever played on UK soil is really academic. What is important is that if you don’t have the opportunity to see this at the flicks (and what with the Other Cinema being under serious threat of closure this could be a common problem in London at least) it is available to buy on DVD from all good record stores and would make the perfect Christmas present for anyone who is remotely fanatical about this excellent band.

True to the White Stripes’ obsession with employing traditional technologies to record their work (although not to view it obviously), the show was filmed in grainy 8mm film to give it an authentic ‘made to look like the 60’s’ look and this does add to the proceedings. There is no commentary and no band interviews, which, whilst being a little disappointing was probably done to keep up the long standing and frankly well upheld air of mystery that surrounds the two strange-o’s. However the set they play is well varied and contains a lot more of their older material (most notably ‘The Big Three Killed My Baby’ and ‘Astro’) as well as a good number of covers such as ‘Outlaw Blues’ by Bob Dylan and the truly crowd pleasing ‘Jolene’. Without the luxury of multi track recording, the songs are at their most basic and rely on raw and abundant energy, as well as serious levels volume to carry them off. Needless to say this stuff is gold.

Watching a White Stripes set from the comfort of a big red velvet seat may not be the real thing, but you do have a great view and the opportunity to think about the band’s act. Famous for not using a set list, there is still structure evident, illustrated by the swapping of guitars. Jack White’s songs are simple (but effective), tend to follow one or two formats and use only one or two keys. The fact that they are all fairly short and well suited to improvisation, means that they can be played in sections. Meanwhile, Meg White’s drumming is also stripped down and therefore will pretty much go with anything, the same way a rapper can use any beat to deliver their lyrics. This, of course, is not meant as a negative criticism, quite the opposite. If anything this shows the band’s true talent. Jack White is no Van Halen or Mark Knoppfler and hits more than the odd bum note, however his strength is in his lyrics and in his knowledge and appreciation of past musicians and the art of show business itself.

‘Under Blackpool Lights’ is a fitting tour video and a must see, especially if you haven’t seen the White Stripes live before. Jack White has already said that this act can’t go on forever, which is probably true. It is better to leave a good party while it is in full swing than waiting until its gone off the boil after all. Reviving a old music style will have limited mass appeal and it doesn’t really sound like the White Stripes’ style to milk anything. So just in case 2003 was the last year of new material from them you’d better hotfoot it to your nearest high street to buy the DVD.

words: Robin Harris

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