The Raconteurs

Liverpool Carling Academy, Monday 20th March 2006

Set List: Level, Intimate Secretary, Hands, Steady as She Goes, Together, This House Is Not A Motel, Store Bought Bones, Call It A Day, Yellow Sun, Broken Boy Soldier, 5 On The 5, Blue Veins, Headin’ For The Texas Border.

Tonight had the feeling of one those seminal gigs that everyone in attendance will talk about in years to come.

This is no newly fated NME hope. This is something different. Not many new bands receive the kind of rapturous applause that they did on their entrance to the Academy’s stage. No other band that have yet to release an album would see their new material applauded like old favourites. In fact most new bands would normally expect a passive crowd with arms folded in the come on entertain us stance.

Well no other band contains both Jack White and Brendan Benson – two old friends from Detroit all the way over in Liverpool for the debut for their new musical venture.

The word side-project is a word that often provokes dread. It’s a term that usually provokes fear of something woeful and self-indulgent. But that is certainly not the case with the Raconteurs.

Augmented by Patrick Keeler on drums and ‘little’ Jack Lawrence from The Greenhornes on bass - as well as Dean Fertita. It is these extra hands on deck that allows Jack White the luxury of being able to cut loose musically. In the White Stripes the onus is on White to carry the sound – tonight he can revel in fact that he has a band to help him out.

‘Level’ is a swirling psychedelic beast that opens the proceedings to the second biggest cheer of the night. The first biggest comes three songs in when White removes his leather jacket.

They aired the yet to be released new album ‘Broken Boy Soldier’ in full with the addition of new song ‘5 on the 5’ as well as a couple of covers the highlight of which was Love’s ‘A House Is Not A Motel’ – a song dedicated especially to Liverpool by Jack White - seemingly pleased that his band had chosen the city for his first live venture.

The limited release single ‘Steady as She Goes’ went down well with the capacity crowd at the Carling Academy as well as its b-side ‘Store Bought Bones’. Were again treated like old favourites.

They played for over an hour with a set of songs that are certainly in keeping with the influences of the illustrious front two. The sound has been described in some quarters as Cat Stevens meets Led Zeppelin. Benson’s pop sensibilities certainly compliment the bluesier guitar work of White.
They finish with the Flamin Groovies cover and they certainly know how to leave their crowd wanting for more.

Roll on the release of the album in May – which from tonight’s expectant audience is almost an eternity away.