The man is 49 years old, has written some of the most beautifully crafted folk songs of the last decade, and yet still chooses to rock his audience senseless instead.
Blues, garage, rock, punk, folk—is there anything with a guitar that this man can’t do?
White takes his raw, genre-defying soundscape and shapes it into one of the most cohesive musical identities in history.
He never settles, never stops evolving, and yet always sounds exactly like Jack White. It’s a character study so deep it’s almost like method acting, a commitment seen in every detail of his career, right down to the iconic De Stijl aesthetic of The White Stripes.
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@aleagues Melbourne Victory fans serenaded The White Stripes singer Jack White with their own version of Seven Nation Army! 🎵👏 #aleague #football #Soccer #music #thewhitestripes #jackwhite #sevennationarmy
The Forum setlist featured a solid helping of White Stripes classics, including The Hardest Button to Button, Hello Operator, and the inevitable Seven Nation Army. These tracks catered to casual fans but also served as a study in White’s signature sound—gritty blues-based riffs paired with minimalist rock arrangements. Tracks like Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground and Let’s Build a Home captured that raw energy perfectly.
What wasn’t on the setlist were White’s softer, introspective songs—the kind of tracks that found new life in indie rom-coms, like We’re Going to Be Friends or Love Interruption. Instead, the night was focused on his edgier side, with highlights like Cannon and Freedom at 21. It’s always encouraging when legends get harder with age.
Seeing him wield his semi-hollow body guitar was a reminder of his technical brilliance—his use of distortion, unconventional tunings, and highly melodic yet rhythmic riff creation made it a visceral experience. Few artists can make a guitar serve as both a lead and a percussive element quite like White.
His falsetto, while divisive, brought vulnerability to tracks like I’m Slowly Turning Into You. There were moments, however, where that stereotypical rockstar habit of skipping lyrics—particularly on The Hardest Button to Button—was noticeable, though it allowed the crowd to fill in the gaps.
The highlight? Steady, as She Goes, a rollicking Raconteurs hit that reminded everyone of White’s knack for unforgettable songwriting. And, of course, Seven Nation Army, written just down the road at the Corner Hotel, proved its status as a kind-of Melbourne’s anthem. Melbourne Victory fans even serenaded White with their football-chant rendition when he attended a match a few days beforehand. It’s just another subtle musical string in this city’s overflowing bow.
