Jack White calls out fans that demand “extra long shows”: “It’s not a marvel movie, or a Vegas residency”
Fans attending their next Jack White concert would do well not to expect “extra long shows” from the musician.
Currently in the midst of his North American tour, the White Stripes frontman took to social media Saturday to address the “entitlement” of those demanding lengthy sets, arguing that longer shows do not equate to better ones.
“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,” White begins. “As if the length of a show determines how ‘good’ it is.”
READ MORE: “The body of what we constitute as the standard rock act… is by and large, over”: Twisted Sister guitarist explains why he thinks rock music is dead
“I know that we’re living in a current era where people like to say ‘so and so played for 3 hours last night!’, and brag about it the next day hahaha, I’ll let our fans know now that my mind has no intention of ‘impressing’ y’all in that context.”
Noting how bands like the Beatles and the Ramones played relatively short, 30 minute-ish sets, Whites says that those are the kind of shows he’d like to put on right now: “If I could, I would do the same at this moment in my performing life.”
“But there becomes this chatter that the cost of a ticket ‘entitles’ people to some kind of extra long show,” he continues. “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.”
As White explains, it’s all about what feels right in the moment: “I’ve seen a plethora of rock and roll gigs that lasted 45 minutes and blew my mind and inspired me beyond belief,” he says. “Read the room, leave everyone exhausted and inspired (hopefully) and most of all wanting more, without needing 3 hours to do it. That’s like saying a film is supposed to be better cause they spent 300 trillion making it, well I’ve never seen that movie.”
“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,” White concludes. “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.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Jack White (@officialjackwhite)
The post Jack White calls out fans that demand “extra long shows”: “It’s not a marvel movie, or a Vegas residency” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
