The last time we saw The White Stripes in active duty was 2007, the year they gifted us their sixth, to date final studio album, the barking Icky Thump. The record was set to have two accompanying tours; in typically perverse fashion, the regular one was cancelled after seasoned gig veteran Meg came down with ‘acute anxiety problems’, and the band has been virtually dormant since.
Before that, though, came a dementedly whimsical jaunt around of all ten of Canada’s provinces. Three years and two shonky new Jack White projects later, Under Great White Northern Lights combines a documentary about that tour, and a CD of live recordings culled from it. Though the latter part is far from faultless, the first track does as concise a job as any in answering the question ‘so, what are those White Stripes like?’ (the alternative, I suppose, being something along the lines of ”er... blues... siblings... but... um... not”). Bagpipes strike up, ringing out loud, proud and perplexing, until a minute in they’re not so much replaced as atomised by a nuclear roar of blues-metal guitar, Jack attacking ‘Let’s Shake Hands’ with a fervor verging on psychosis. This is The White Stripes: arch, primal, slightly maddening but with an unvarnished fury that completely belies their success.
It looks likely that a new record will happen, which is good, because Under Great White Northern Lights would be a funny postscript. It's not particularly revelatory, less cohesive a concert film that Under Blackpool Lights, and in no way intimates that the band was about to go into hiatus. Really, it serves, more than anything else, as a reminder of just how singularly odd the White Stripes are, and how boring things are without them around.
Under Great White Northern Lights is the documentary film and first live album by The White Stripes. The film, directed by Emmett Malloy, documents the band's summer 2007 tour across Canada and contains live concert and off-stage footage. The album collects various recordings from throughout the tour. The album was released on CD, as well as 180-gram vinyl LP. The documentary was released on DVD and Blu-ray, alongside the album. A special edition box set was also available. The CD, LP, DVD, BD, and box set were released on March 16, 2010.
