Jack White, O2 Arena

They say guitar music is dead, but if there’s one man whose plectrum can stave off the invading bleeps of electronic production, it’s Jack White. This former White Stripe’s second solo album Lazaretto, released in June, is a dense paean to rock ‘n’ roll, complete with his trademark yowls and livid riffs that make you clutch your chest. 
Maverick antics...
White is one of the best living guitarists; it’s easy to forget just how talented a musician the White Stripes, Raconteurs and Dead Weather frontman actually is. Maverick antics have often overshadowed his genius: whether it's disdain for the digital world (he famously sent only vinyl copies of 2003's White Stripes record Elephant to journalists), or disregard for fellow musicians (in a recent open letter, he apologises to Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Lana Del Rey, Adele, Meg White and the The Black Keys – one suspects at his manager’s gunpoint – as well as “anyone else I’ve spoken about”) 
New album
But these capers cannot distract from June's passionate Lazaretto, his follow-up to 2012's Blunderbuss. Musically and lyrically, it’s unmistakable Jack White fare - menacing, sexual, surreal. But it somehow feels heavier; richer - perhaps because it took so long to make (18 months, compared to White’s usual two-weeks in the recording studio) 
Lazaretto takes us deep, deep into blues country and first single High Ball Stepper sets the tone: high-pitched wordless cries echo around screeching guitars in a scorching instrumental, with a touch of jazzy piano for texture. Likewise title track Lazaretto starts with a growling bass intro before White snarls "My veins are blue and connected/And every single bone in my brain is electric" and the song flies off, never looking back.  
Expect a dense, blues-drenched, virtuoso performance from White at the O2 - a space just about big enough to house all that might (and spite). With standing tickets already sold out,  book now to ensure you catch one of guitar's greats live.