Monday, June 15, 2009

White Stripes redux

One of the coolest, and most surreal, experiences we've had living in Iqaluit was when the White Stripes played here in 2007. We obviously don't get many big name acts playing here. You do get the occasional southern band or singer coming through town, but not many.

And I really do understand. I recall hearing bands complain about how expensive it is to play in Newfoundland, and the risks involved. It's easily an extra two days travel is you're going by bus and whatnot. Plus, it's not exactly unheard of for their to be ferry problems. If you're flying in, well, St. John's remains not the cheapest place on the planet to fly to.

But the risks coming here are much higher. If you have to fly in equipment, it's about $4 a kg. Plane tickets are around $1,500. And flights being cancelled for weather or mechanical are, again, not unusual.

So yeah, I really do understand why so many Canadian acts pass on coming here. Which is why it made it so much cooler that the White Stripes did play here. From all accounts, they probably lost money on that tour, but they went ahead and did it anyway. They even shot a music video here.

I liked the White Stripes before, but wasn't exactly a huge fan. They pretty much have a fan for life now.

So why mention something that happened two years ago. Because Jack White was in Toronto the weekend playing with yet another new band - Dead Weather - when he mentioned there was a DVD of the 2007 concert tour coming out. There's not a heck of a lot of information there, but it certainly seems to be focussing on the Canadian dates. Which means we might get to experience the highly improbable situation of seeing Iqaluit in a rock concert/documentary DVD. And a remote chance that I can be spotted among the 600 or so in the Arctic Winter Games Complex.

So yeah, we're buying that one. I always feel kind of cheated buying concert DVDs because I don't have the proper sound system to really apreciate it (out of consideration for my neighbours, who I'm sure would not appreciate me cranking it up). But we'll make an exception for this DVD.

No idea when it's coming out, but I suspect it will make a lovely Christmas gift, if it's out by then.

Last Five
1. Walking the dead - Sam Roberts
2. Shaking the tree (live) - Peter Gabriel*
3. Koko - Goldfrapp
4. Maybe you're right - Barenaked Ladies
5. See you when you're 40 - Dido

1 comment:

KOTN said...

I heard one of the tracks from the new band on the weekend, as I was reading the story in the Globe, it came across on the satellite radio.

I love it, even if Jack drums.

We should invite him back... in fact, I think I just did :)