Jack White will melt your face off! Tonight’s set at the Troxy is blistering, with no quarter shown. With artists who have been around a while the conversation can become dominated by a sense of time and diminishing returns. But with Jack White that’s not even part of the conversation – such is the sense of limitlessness and truth embodied in his music. The set is focused heavily on new album “No Name” but it does not feel like he has omitted anything. We do not pine for days gone by. This is partly because Jack White is able to dance along the full continuum of music – not even just his own timeline. Playing his stuff but then even an old blues standard by Robert Johnson and a cover of the Flamin Groovies.

That sense of truth feels like it extends to every element of the concert. The support act is Gina Birch (formerly of the Raincoats) and the Unreasonable’s. Her and her band play in pastel suits and perform with such humour and passion that every audience member can’t help but smile from ear to ear. They finish on a raucous version of “Lola” by the Kinks. This feels like such a master stroke of curation from Jack. Tipping his hat to an artist who deserves love and respect instead of just booking a new band with some buzz around them. He leans into the richness of music history himself. Something his record label Third Man really gets too.

He starts with two new ones “Old Scratch Blues” and “That’s how I’m feeling”. The latter is a garage song that’s so simple but genius. Jack is energy itself, almost moonwalking back and forth across the stage with his guitar. Letting out a disembodied howl.