Jack White has taken to social media to address fans who feel entitled to extra long performances.
“Been hearing a lot of chatter throughout the year of this glorious electric touring about how long our sets are ‘supposed to be’ on stage,” the rocker wrote. “As if the length of a show determines how ‘good’ it is. I know that we’re living in a current era where people like to say ‘so and so played for 3 hours last night!’, and brag about it the next day. I’ll let our fans know now that my mind has no intention of ‘impressing’ y’all in that context.”
White went on to point out that some of the biggest acts in rock history were known for short sets, adding that the length of their performances did nothing to dull the magnitude of their impact.
“The Beatles and Ramones played 30 minute (ish) sets,” White noted. “If I could, I would do the same at this moment in my performing life. That’s actually the kind of show I’d like to put on right now. But there becomes this chatter that the cost of a ticket ‘entitles’ people to some kind of extra long show.”
READ MORE: How ‘Seven Nation Army’ Became White Stripes’ Unlikely Smash
White continued to pontificate on the subject of set length, suggesting that fans who demand marathon performances may have strayed from rock’s ethos.
“I’m not sure y’all are knowing (or maybe remembering?) what a real rock or punk show is like,” he explained. “I think you’re talking about an arena laser light show with pyro, huge screens with premade videos, singers flying over the crowd, t shirt cannons, etc, that’s not the kind of shows we’re performing. I’ve seen a plethora of rock and roll gigs that lasted 45 minutes and blew my mind and inspired me beyond belief. Read the room, leave everyone exhausted and inspired (hopefully) and most of all wanting more, without needing 3 hours to do it. That’s like saying a film is supposed to be better cause they spent 300 trillion making it, well I’ve never seen that movie.”
White closed his post — which you can read in its entirety below — by assuring fans his message didn’t come from a place of bitterness, but instead was meant to be more of an open dialog.
READ MORE: Five Reasons White Stripes Should Be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
“Love to all of our fans, I see your faces every night and you can be assured I’ve never phoned it in in my life,” the former White Stripes frontman wrote. “Whether it’s 20 minutes or 2 hours, I’m giving the room what the room is prompting me to do and share and that doesn’t mean if people cheer louder its going to be longer either!”
Jack White’s 2025 Tour Plans
Jack White is in the midsts of his No Name tour, a worldwide trek that will keep him on the road through the end of May. While the tour gets its name from White’s 2024 surprise-released album, his set have covered his entire career, including material from the White Stripes and the Raconteurs.
White famously doesn’t use a set list during his concerts and instead reads the room to determine what song he’ll play next. Despite apparent discourse over the length of his shows, Setlist.fm reports that his recent performances have averaged around 90 minutes in length.
10 Rock Hall-Worthy Artists Who Debuted in the 2000s
Some evoked the greats of the past. Others tore up the playbook.
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
