The four piece stage line up may be symmetrical in its stance but much of the First Aid Kit sound is driven by the atmospheric dulcet twang of the pedal steel and who better to display his maestro talents than Melvin Duffy, one of the UK’s foremost exponents of the instrument. With the solid backfield of Duffy and Niclas Lindstrom on drums holding court, Johanna (keyboard) and Klara (acoustic guitar) had the liberty to explore the depth of their prodigious musical ability, schooled in Stockholm but now increasingly strengthened by a Stateside presence.
2014’s mega cool album release STAY GOLD had to virtually
share equal billing with THE LION’S ROAR in the set list but that is far from a
hardship with the near identical quality of both records. The ninety minute
stage time hardly fluctuated in the magical experience of an absorbed audience
gratefully gorging on the rapid song flow. ‘The
Lion’s Roar’ perfectly set the scene as the clock struck nine and there was
no finer way to send a crowd home happy than being serenaded with the signature
tune ‘Emmylou’.
From the latest album, the delectable ‘Stay Gold’ had an early airing, perhaps while the band were getting
into full stride, but ‘Master Pretender’
and ‘My Silver Lining’ were presented in
full glory. ‘Heaven Knows’ was always
a prime finale candidate and it duly rocked as the filling in a three song
sandwich encore. In giving a nod to their past and present influences, the
girls interpreted the work of others on two contrasting occasions. Their recent
liaison with Jack White in his Nashville studio led to a cover of ‘Love Interruption’, thus providing the
evening’s rock induced moment with Melvin ditching the pedal steel for more
conventional electric guitar. Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘America’ was given the First Aid Kit treatment in the encore as the
sisters recalled the time they sang the song in front of Paul Simon in
Stockholm.
Few present would argue about the show’s golden moment as
Johanna and Klara bravely came to the front of the stage and delivered a
stunning unplugged version of ‘Ghost
Town’ to the respectful audience. This proved to be the only tune lifted from
their debut album THE BLACK AND THE BLUE but it held its place against the more
popular material that has evolved since First Aid Kit spread their wings far
and wide. As the Swedish sisters go from strength to strength, they gave an
opportunity for a UK artist at the outset of her career to open the shows on
this current tour. Bringing her eclectic style from Croydon to the stage of
Birmingham’s most prestigious venue was a long journey for Kimberly Anne but
she enthusiastically grabbed her thirty minute limelight opportunity to share
the breadth of her undoubted musical talent.
The bar for the 2015 gig year has been set high by this
eagerly anticipated First Aid Kit show which failed to disappoint. Though still
young in years, the acclaimed Soderberg sisters have created a distinctive
sound that resonates right across the music spectrum with the mouth-watering
prospect of much more still to come. Right now, First Aid Kit make music the
right way and long may that continue especially with the pedal steel guitar
being king.