Walking onto the stage to an eerie projection and soundtrack, the Swedish duo that make up First Aid Kit – aided tonight by two others and playing in front of a sold out Sydney Opera House crowd – launched straight into the “In The Morning”, before taking us through tracks from The Big Black & The Blue and their latest, acclaimed release The Lion’s Roar, released at the beginning of 2012.
It’s a fair argument to say it took far too long on their current touring cycle to get the girls down to Australia, but a quick look at their touring schedule will tell you why. Their long anticipated return, however, couldn’t have come at a better time – having taken a few weeks off, the girls arrived in the country refreshed and with the opportunity to play one of the world’s most prestigious venues; a fact the girls knew quite well, with Klara saying the experience was one she’d be telling her grandchildren about. Quite a bit of foresight for someone who’s not even 20!
I suppose much has been made about their age since the music world first showed them attention a few years ago, but at this point it’s far from a point of discussion. And with tonight’s performance they showed just what fantastic performers they have become, irrespective of age, but no doubt by means of their experience. It’s definitely something to be admired. Their live voices are impeccable, their presence undeniable and they were of course aided by some wonderful acoustics at the venue.
Johanna enjoyed playing the rock star, flicking her hair around and headbanging like she was the lead singer of a hair metal band. Klara, meanwhile, was simply adorable – not to mention talkative. She described “Marianne’s Son” – a bonus track to be found on the deluxe edition of The Lion’s Roar – as “one of the saddest songs we’ve ever written”. They dedicated “Hard Believer” to Richard Dawkins and “Out Own Pretty Ways” to the freedom of speech and Pussy Riot. They covered Simon and Garfunkel’s “America” and called it “The Best Song Ever Written” and gave us an entertaining sales pitch for the aforementioned deluxe edition… all they were missing were the accompanying steak knives.
But at the end of the day it was all about the music, and there was plenty to smile about here. My personal favourite of the night was the appropriate “New Year’s Eve” which saw Klara singing while Johanna was on the harp. No drums or backing tracks – just raw vocals that saw the girls at their best. Klara sounded absolutely incredible here. As many performers have done before them, they discarded electrical acoustics for “Ghost Town” next, and sung using only the acoustics of the room. Unsurprisingly, it worked quite well.
And such could be said for all of the set. The girls have been on the road now for about a year touring their latest record and they have very much perfected its live sound. It’s something that was wonderful to listen to at home, but I daresay it’s even more of a pleasurable experience in person. A wonderful night of some beautiful indie folk music. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Setlist
In The Morning
Blue
Hard Believer
Our Own Pretty Ways
Marianne’s Son
New Year’s Eve
Ghost Town
To A Poet
Wolf
This Old Routine
Emmylou
I Met Up With The King
The Lion’s Roar
Encore:
America (Simon and Garfunkel Cover)
Sailor Song
King of the World
