Rolling into town under the Australia-only moniker The Saboteurs (known as The Raconteurs to the rest of the world), guitar wizard Jack White and his band of merry men took to the stage of Sydney’s Big Top (20 April) – as part of a series of Bluesfest side shows and first-ever Aussie performances.
Part of his continuing crusade against attendees at his shows hiding behind the glare of their smartphones, devices were surrendered to security pouches before entry to the venue in a bid to encourage the audience to live in the moment and to enjoy the music – a renegade move that worked with amazing results from both band and punters.
Before that though, it was glam-pop theatrical thespians Johnny Hunter. There’s something to be said for a band whose vocalist rocks a '60s mullet and sings like a punk version of early Rolling Stones and appears oblivious to the world around him – but that’s Johnny Hunter vocalist Nick Hutt for you.
The rest of the outfit, however, pulsed their way through a set that seemed like it’s out of its time, the general vibe the band aim for cursed by the technologies of the modern age when the sounds they want to create would be better suited to an analogue set-up.
Though The Saboteurs are a band, clearly divvying up all musical duties as equally as possible among its members, White is the leader. He conducts his band mates with a wild and unadulterated passion, the neck of his guitar his baton.
Jack White - image © Ashley Mar
Performing songs from their first two albums, 'Broken Boy Soldiers' and 'Consolers Of The Lonely', as well as tracks from the upcoming new release 'Help Us Stranger', their first since 2008, the chemistry between The Saboteurs is undeniable.
Click here for more photos from the show.
The energy on stage is electrifying, with the variety of colour throughout their quirky blues-rock meets '60s surf and pop creations quite remarkable. The seminal ‘Steady As She Goes’ brought the volume of the venue to an ear-splitting level, the crowd chanting the lyrics with uniform love.
If White’s mission was to immerse his audience in living live music with their eyes and not the screens of their phones, consider this show mission accomplished.
In the absence of necks craned down to glowing screens, necks were instead craned toward an eclectic and enigmatic band, a unique and enjoyable high volume cascading through Big Top that can only come from completely giving in to the magic of The Saboteurs.
