Monday 20/03/06 The Raconteurs @ Carling Academy, Liverpool

“Tickets for Jack White” yell the touts in their masses outside the venue. Hmm. It’s surely not too often that a band playing their first ever live show manage to sell out a 1,000 plus capacity venue in just 39 minutes, but thanks to lynchpins Mr White and Brendan Benson there’s understandably a palpable buzz about The Raconteurs debut outing. Of course, it could have descended into chaos, absolutely shitloads of things could have gone wrong – technical hitches, bum notes etc – but consummate professionals as they are, tonight The Raconteurs are as tight as a camel’s arsehole and sound as if they’ve been plying their trade together for years. Better still, they’re a mightily impressive live force.

After assembling on stage to nothing less than a heroes welcome and greeting the baying crowd with "Alright Liverpool!", the band launch into the rough and ready ‘Level’ a bluesy stompathon performed with plenty of swagger and verve. Indeed, The Raconteurs mean business from the offset. Searing through the blinding ‘Intimate Secretary’ and rip-roaring ‘Hands’, the band genuinely look as though they’re enjoying themselves with the often deadpan Jack White even forcing a smile and rolling out the clichéd lines (a la “I can’t think of a better place to play the first show with The Raconteurs.”). Soon, recent single ‘Steady As She Goes’ brings the familiarity factor to proceedings, later compounded by a gritty rendition of the Love classic ‘A House Is Not A Motel.’  

Showing that there’s two sides to The Raconteurs beast, and after Jack starting a charm offensive (“I can’t think of a better place to play the first show” erm, surely you’d say that in every city mate?) the lead two duet on ballad ‘Together’, a poignant, near anthemic number that splits the set up perfectly. Such pleasantries are soon obliterated as they bombard the crowd with the scuzz-fest of ‘Store Bought Bones’ and ‘Call It A Day’ (which prompts Benson to quip to the crowd “I know that song about as well as you do!”) While many of the songs do draw on a similar base sound, each one leaves its own imprint and impresses.  With the crowd nicely whetted up, it’s plain sailing to the finale of a superb rendition of The Flamin; Groovies’ ‘Headin For The Texas Border.’

Rightfully elated, bowing out Brendan beams into the microphone “Thanks for making our first time so special.” No thank you my friend. If tonight’s anything to go by, great things are certain to come from The Raconteurs.

Photos by: Sakura Henderson