First Aid Kit // Norwich Arts Centre - 02.03.10
I have a half Swedish child, a Swedish ex husband, a Swedish ex boyfriend and a penchant for Swedish cheese and pear cider (a staple diet that I highly recommend.) It’s therefore not very surprising that I’m obsessed with this beautiful little, sister, folk duo from Stockholm, First Aid Kit. Miss Lightyear clearly has a thing for all things Swedish… well, at least sporadically.
Quite rightly though. First Aid Kit might not have many years between them but it is clear they have a natural ability to write music of a rare calibre. Their heart warming harmonies and luscious melodies evoke all manner of emotions and, as you listen to their vintage sounding take on things, you are left wondering how on earth these two young ladies write with such a level of maturity about things far beyond their years.
Klara and Johanna spent the first two hours standing in the foyer selling merchandise, signing CDs, taking photos and chatting with their fans, filling the atmosphere in the Arts Centre with warmth and calm. I found them very humble and peaceful characters – they’re just on tour and their Dad’s driving them, and they’ve just got this album. Yeah they like it. They’re happy…
Sat crossed legged at the front with my cronies and a pear cider, First Aid Kit began to bind the audience into their spell. Opening with “Sailor Song”, a track from their debut album The Big Black and the Blue, the magic immediately began. The sister duo are completely at ease on stage, Klara has the confidence of her heroes, and her banter with the crowd was hilarious. They found a perfect balance of mixing their old tracks with new tracks. They played all our favourites, including a heartfelt rendition of “You’re not coming home tonight”, which they dedicated to all the housewives out there, and a personal favourite “Our Own Pretty Ways”. They introduced their fans to their new material with such passion it was impossible not to be blown away. Playing “Ghost Town”, the girls walked away from their mics. and their sound equipment, playing to us as if they were in our living room- completely unplugged.
Coming back on stage our ears were graced with “Still Feeling Blue”, a Gram Parsons cover, with First Aid Kits trademark sound stamped all over it. They clearly didn’t want to stop playing, and the audience didn’t want to stop listening. The whole affair had been carefree, like you were momentarily stepping into their world. They jumped off stage, we made a circle around them and they argued about what final song they would play. Klara won the argument and they finished with the self penned “Waltz for Richard” with nothing but an acoustic guitar and their voices.
So confident in this band to deliver an unforgettable show, I invited six friends along with me who were First Aid Kit virgins. By the end of the set, they were fans. There is something very special about these girls. It’s not just that their music and songs are beautiful and captivating; it’s that they perform them with such conviction and passion that you can almost see the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into everything to get them where they are today – both professionally and personally. Unforgettable show, unforgettable band, unforgettable girls …
Miss Lightyear
