First Aid Kit @ Union Chapel, London 04/03/10
Consisting of Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, First Aid Kit first sprung to our attention after their cover of Fleet Foxes’ ‘Tiger Mountain Peasant Song’ gained a over a million views on YouTube. Last time we saw the band it was in a small crammed pub in Camden. It’s a testament to their growing success that they’re now able to full the considerably larger Union Chapel. The gothic architecture of the venue proved to be the perfect backdrop for the girls’ harmony infused folk. The chapel’s faultless acoustics were also utilised perfectly by the band, performing one song totally unaccompanied by microphones. With their stage set up now bolstered with the inclusion of a live drummer, First Aid Kit gave an assured performance that belies the fact they’re still teenagers.
Their set consisted of tracks from their debut album ‘The Big Black And The Blue’ and was rapturously received by the sold out London crowd. Tracks such as ‘I Met Up With The King’ convey a staggering level of lyrical maturity and hint that this pair will only continue to get better. The performance was concluded with a cover of Gram Parsons ‘Still Feelin’ Blue’. The lush acoustic sounds of the late troubadour have clearly been an influence on the girl’s sound, so it proves a fitting end to a fine set.
