One of the many good things about the White Stripes is their commitment to bringing their music to those who aren't necessarily looking for it. Faced with a few days' downtime before their headlining slot on the first night of Wireless, Detroit's two coolest thirtysomethings put on shows at an obscure south London ballroom, and for 20 Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Hospital.
Having bestowed pleasure or bemusement, they swept on to Hyde Park to open Wireless, the outdoor bash for people who prefer to be next door to a tube station. Now three years old, this is a festival with every amenity except festival spirit. There are dozens of ways to spend money on site, and cash machines to fund it; all it lacks is what Glastonbury's Michael Eavis calls "the Dunkirk spirit", without which a festival is just an open-air gig. So no fancy dress then, or teenagers keeling over from their first experience of mixing drugs with fresh air.
In compensation, there was the chance to check out both new and returning bands. Perry Farrell falls into both categories - the former Jane's Addiction frontman debuted his latest project, Satellite Party, in a lather of corsets and sequins. The corset, needless to say, was worn by Farrell, and the sequins by a remarkable dancer-cum-vocalist, who entwined herself with him in sync with the music. Oh, and the music was the cheerless California metal stomp you would expect.
The Thrills and Air, both touring new albums, pulled crowds into the Xfm tent. The former remain the quintessential "good little band", while Air's symphonies for guitar and laptop still induce sleepy contentment.
Neither was much competition for the White Stripes, who made a power of noise for two bony people, and seemed to be as in love with their ravaged version of the blues as ever. Judging by the couple of songs they played from it, new album Icky Thump takes the experimentalism of 2005's Get Behind Me Satan as its starting point, with the title track spiralling into an angular jam session. Meg White sang lead, prettily, on In the Cold, Cold Night, while Jack, dishevelled from the moment he stepped onstage, became even more so as he punched through Blue Orchid and Seven Nation Army. An icky thump, all right.
· At Hyde Park, London and Harewood House, Leeds, until Sunday. Box office: 0871 230 9840.
