Review: First Aid Kit, Lloyds Amphitheatre – ‘Serious Country Rock with a glittery pop flash smeared across them’

Early on in Katy J Pearson’s support slot she surveyed the sun dappled audience and said “Well Bristol this is nuts, there’s a lot of people here”. And indeed, there were.

The Swedish country rock sisters, First Aid Kit, had seemingly brought out every Bristolian that wasn’t standing in a field in Somerset.

There were little ones hoisted onto shoulders, great groups of female friends and families – it was, notably, a crowd low on macho silliness, high of female friendliness.

Which was fitting because First Aid Kit, Katy J Pearson and Bess Atwell showed just why we deserve, and need, parity for women on festival stages.

As the sun slowly sank behind the Lloyds Bank Amphitheatre First Aid Kit were busy making sure every face had a huge smile on it and every voice was raised to the wispy clouds.

King of the World started a country groove that didn’t really let up. Johanna and Klara Söderberg were cheered onto the stage like conquering heroes, resplendent in the coolest jumpsuits you can possibly imagine. Think ABBA Eurovision pop glam mixed with Gram Parsons’ finest Nudie creation.

Somehow that couldn’t be more fitting- First Aid Kit are serious Country Rock with a glittery pop flash smeared across them.

As song after song started you could see people turning to their friends, grinning and saying “Oh, I love this one”. Stay Gold with its wonderful singalong chorus, the encore one-two of Master Pretender and My Silver Lining provoking uncoordinated, wobbly hands-in-air clapping, a beautiful Emmylou that had all the couples swaying.

Every one a stone cold, certifiable, timeless classic. If Johnny, June, Gram or Emmylou had written any of them they’d take their place with the greatest country songs of all time.

It was the new ones that were the real revelation though. Each one fitted perfectly into the set; yet more faultless country rocking. Out of My Head must be the song that the jumpsuits were inspired by because, if Kacey Musgraves makes the finest Disco Country around, then this is First Aid Kit adding some serious danceability too.

The finest new one was saved for the encore. Angel is the first single taken from a soon to be released new album and is everything that you want this band to be. A massive sing along chorus, passion, love, harmonies and a cool, stompy swagger. Just so good.

From the hair flailing and splashy drums of Lion’s Roar to the massed, furious la-la-las (“Don’t sing it pretty, sing it ugly” we were commanded) of Hem of Her Dress, First Aid Kit were untouchable.

Throw in a cover of Don Henley’s Boys of Summer – changing the emphasis from empty, dumb posturing to regret and loss – and this must have been the best of the Bristol Sounds series.

Before all of this Katy J Pearson had her home crowd in her pocket before she even sang a note. Bristol loves her and it’s not hard to see why. She’s a remarkable musical magpie, picking up shiny sixties pop hooks, wiggy seventies prog-rock keyboard wooshes, cool eighties post-punk sax grooves and tonnes of other stuff.

Take Back the Radio still sounds like a huge summer hit, Tonight saw the first proper dancing of the evening and Alligator was chunky and stompy and totally glorious. There must be good money on her headlining one of these next year.

Bess Atwell drew the short straw of a 6pm start and, as such, there were still a few empty spaces for her short set. Those down the front were won over pretty quickly.

Red Light Heaven, All That You Can Do and Nobody are already 6music favourites and her gorgeous voice, vague shoegaze shimmer and classic trailer park Americana had just the required soothing Summer Sunday feeling.

As we filed into Millenium Square the DJ was playing Dancing Queen. Queens, more like.

Main photo: Jess Siggers

Read more: Review: Elbow, Lloyds Amphitheatre – ‘It’s all a bit sentimental at times but hey’

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