Last night at midnight in Central London, Jack White played a secret show in the basement of a disused office block, to fans clad entirely in powder blue medical gowns.
The event was a collaboration between Jack and the Punchdrunk Theatre Group who had temporarily transformed the space into the Vescovo & Co Clinic for contagious diseases, and had staffed this fake medical facility with dozens of their actors playing the roles of doctors, nurses and orderlies at the time of a disease outbreak.
Drawing on the themes of Jack White's current album, 'Lazaretto', a term used to describe a quarantine island, the experience began with an elaborate online treasure hunt. A spoof medical infomercial from 1949 appeared in the archives of online medical resource The Wellcome Trust, which contained various obtuse clues that led Jack's superfans to a website belonging to the fake medical company, Vescovo & Company. Thousands of fans submitted their details to this website as part of an online screening for a contagious disease. A lucky few progressed through the screening process that lead to them receiving a telephone call from Punchdrunk actors inviting them to an out-of-hours appointment at the Vescovo Clinic. The clinic had been created for this one occasion by Punchdrunk Theatre across multiple floors of a disused building owned by The Vinyl Factory.
On arrival, fans were asked to change in to blue medical gowns before being subjected to a variety of treatments testing in a maze of medical rooms staffed by Punchdrunk actors. Chaos descended as an outbreak alarm was raised and terrified fans were herded into a smoke filled quarantine chamber. Finally a screen was dropped to reveal Jack and band in full medical uniform who proceeded to belt out a thirty minute set before Jack himself succumbed to the mysterious disease. The rock star fell to the ground in a fit of convulsions before being strapped to a stretcher and wheeled off to a waiting ambulance.
@runoutgroove ,as you said, the Greek island of Lazaretto, not Jack’s 5 star album (enjoyable on any isle, eh)
Quarantined on the isle of Corfu? That IS some sick irony. AND Mo betta than Lazaretto!
the irony is I missed out on going to the secret show because I was on holiday in Corfu right opposite Lazaretto Island, an original leper colony!
Jack’s voice sounds sooo much like a young Bob Dylan in Hand Springs! When I first heard it it put me in mind of his “dad” as he’s called Dylan, singing 115th Dream and Mediterranean Homesick Blues!…Now Jack’s got the talkin poetry singin ballads hip hop rappin dancin whalin guitar playin Lazaretto blues ! ;) And those receiving Jack’s curatives (music meds) are home – sick no more…
Ohhh hand springs. Nice so many I would love to hear the live interpretation of I would’ t be able to choose. I do love them all but that 60 mod groove thing puts me in a good mood and makes me want to dance!
Genius! Crazy & Culty! Perfect for fans who “get” Jack! Wish I would get a secret email in Florida in September :-) Met him once in 2003 in Florida and I swear he played “Hand Springs” for me! Thank you destijl for sharing, sounds like an experience you will never forget!
@Barbara thanks for sharing your L’Olympia Experience & Destijl also fascinating eyewitness account concluding (?) the Vescovo Case. Jack’s musical prowess, energy, & general awesome presence comes ALIVE through the power grid like no one else!
THANK GOD for the internet info highway and Jack’s concert videos and for those that live to tell the tales!! I live vicariously…..
Visited an honest-to-goodness lazaretto today, the first in the United States— https://www.flickr.com/photos/28108918@N02/sets/72157645207442438/ Between that and Eastern State Penitentiary (https://www.flickr.com/photos/28108918@N02/sets/72157623319886400/), Jack should reconsider his no-shows-in-Philly policy. Too many places right up his confinement alley for him to continue by-passing the city. Unless, of course, he’s not into ruin porn.
I’ve said it before and I’ll shout it out again now, “WOWZARETTO!!!”
Happy Birthday Jack, hope this is a great year for you!