First Aid Kit @ Oslo Spektrum

The Swedish folk/indie duo First Aid Kit, consisting of Klara and Johanna Söderberg, was in Oslo Spektrum again for their Ruins Tour concert. Their sound is solid, soft, melancholic, dreamy and mainly acoustic. 

They opened the show with low lights, a stage glowing with full of hearts and the song Rebel Heart, which is the first track of their new album. It was followed by their older hits It’s a shame and King of the world.

Every song had a unique background artwork which was beautifully done, including footages from their tours to symbolic articulations of one’s inner world.

Striking and meaningful

The most striking and yet meaningful act of the night was probably when Klara took the microphone after the song The Lion’s Roar. She shared her frustration about the gender inequality in the world. It was an empowering speech, conveying her frustration with words: «I’m so sick and tired of this world. Women with their dreams are being shattered because of some man’s sweaty, desperate touch».

Her bitterness and fury was noticeable on her voice, as when she announced the song title, You are the problem here. It can be taken as a #metoo moment; while the song was written before the #metoo incident broke out, it is even more meaningful with recent events in mind.

The show moved on with a mixture of old classics and new hits, including To live a life, Ruins, Wolf, and one of the most beautiful love songs ever: Emmylou.

When First Aid Kit got back to the stage for the encore, it was a pleasant surprise to see Van William joining them to play his own song Revolutions. It was a lovely show, supported by beautiful light shows and talented musicians.

First Aid Kit @ Oslo Spektrum: 9 / 10