Jack White Responds To Fans Seeking Extra Long Sets: 'It’s Not A Marvel Movie Or A Vegas Residency'
"The Beatles and Ramones played 30-minute (ish) sets, and if I could, I would do the same at this moment in my performing life."
Jack White (Credit: David James Swanson)
Jack White has issued a response to anyone who complains about the set length of his shows.
Looking at his recent sets, the High Ball Stepper star has been playing 18 to 22 songs each night, likely performing for approximately 90 minutes at each show.
Pointing out that the likes of The Beatles and The Ramones played for about 30 minutes, White explained that that’s the type of rock and roll show he’d love to play.
“Been hearing a lot of chatter throughout the year of this glorious electric touring about how long our sets are ‘supposed to be’ on stage. As if the length of a show determines how ‘good’ it is,” White began in a social media post yesterday (9 February).
Adding that he understands fans like to brag about their favourite artists performing for three hours, White revealed that he has no interest in being one of those artists.
“I’ll let our fans know now that my mind has no intention of ‘impressing’ y’all in that context,” he wrote. “The Beatles and Ramones played 30-minute (ish) sets, and if I could, I would do the same at this moment in my performing life. That’s actually the kind of show I’d like to put on right now. But there becomes this chatter that the cost of a ticket ‘entitles’ people to some kind of extra-long show...uh...ok (hahaha) so I’m bridging the gap.”
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He continued, “I’m not sure y’all are knowing (or maybe remembering?) what a real rock or punk show is like though if you’re thinking that way, I think you’re talking about an arena laser light show with pyro, huge screens with premade videos, singers flying over the crowd, t shirt cannons, etc, that’s not the kind of shows we’re performing.
“I’ve seen a plethora of rock and roll gigs that lasted 45 minutes and blew my mind and inspired me beyond belief. Read the room, leave everyone exhausted and inspired (hopefully) and most of all wanting more, without needing 3 hours to do it.”
Comparing fan wishes of long setlists to long movies due to having a 300 trillion budget, White said he’s never seen that film and likely doesn’t wish to: “Love to all of our fans, I see your faces every night and you can be assured I’ve never phoned it in in my life, whether its 20 minutes or 2 hours, I’m giving the room what the room is prompting me to do and share and that doesn’t mean if people cheer louder, it’s going to be longer either!
“There’s no setlist, and it’s not a Marvel movie, or a Vegas residency, it’s rock and roll and it’s a living breathing organism. See you in the hall tonight friends, love you all so much and thank you for coming to these shows, standing in line and paying your hard-earned money to help this train keep rolling. And the crew and the boys in the band are loving y‘all as much as me, we are grateful, thank you.”
Reviewing his mysterious, hot ticket gig at the Corner Hotel in December, The Music’s Christopher Lewis wrote: “Jack is definitely here for a good time, not a long time.
“The performance is one outrageously long jam. There is no break, there is no silence, even when Jack yelps his excitement at a grovelling crowd, it is done so over the feedback of guitars and a drum fill that is signalling their next move. White demands your attention but he also commands you to keep up. There is no time to order a beer or go to the bathroom, he is going to pummel your senses for close to 90 minutes and you are going to stand there and enjoy it.”
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