Gig review: White Denim

Published on Tuesday 30 June 2009 19:08

WHITE DENIM *** CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH

TONIGHT, it seems, we're going to party like it's 1968. Despite being well received by the music press on both sides of the Atlantic, young trio White Denim, from Austin, Texas, aren't so much at the cutting edge as they are in a musical strip-mine, trying to dig out parts of history to use in their own Frankenstein creation. Variously sounding like the Stooges, Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament/Funkadelic and the White Stripes – who were always a bit time-warped – their recordings are exciting, trippy, explorational works.

Their live show, however, mixes the best and worst of the era. Singer and guitarist James Petralli, drummer Joshua Block and bassist Steve Terebecki (the latter sporting a geekish, bespectacled look that sits well with the band's vinyl-collecting, know-it-all image) are skilled and energetic musicians, barely pausing to say "hi" or even take a breath between songs. Where they pull out an irresistible riff (Shake Shake Shake's, for example) or a great tune (the strangely Hall & Oates-esque Sitting) they're an unimpeachably good classic rock'n'roll power trio. The only trouble is, they do go on a bit. Riffs and drum parts are extended until they assume epic proportions.

You want to whoop and cheer and egg them on to make an even greater racket, but half the time you can't help looking at your watch.

When they left the stage after their main set, the crowd seemed pleased enough to welcome them back on – but it was telling that they seemed collectively unsure about using the old "one more tune" chant, instead starting it up and then group-stuttering on the key word: it seemed to come out as more "one more t… song".

White Denim have some great songs, but tunes aren't always guaranteed.