Welcome back, virtual gig goers! (I’m going to pretend this is a thing… if you build the virtual stadium, they will come…)
Last time, we were treated to the joys of Norway’s finest, Katzenjammer. This week, we’re staying Nordic as a bunch of Swedes pay tribute to a Canadian.
First Aid Kit put together this show in 2017, a few months after the death of Leonard Cohen, who was old enough to be their grandfather at least. It’s since been released as a live album, Who By Fire (Spotify link here: https://open.spotify.com/album/4QtoNIqTWR3e5NVb833Bj2?si=g13iHwDbQvSnQ3VV587s-w).
It’s pretty much a greatest hits package, featuring Suzanne, Bird on a Wire, Sisters of Mercy, Famous Blue Raincoat and many more from the Söderberg sisters and friends – including the wonderful Frida Hyvönen, and Annika Norlin/Hello Saferide who sings a beguiling, wonderfully fresh version of Hallelujah.
Not all the guest spots are quite as compelling, and the staged readings of Cohen’s poems interspersed among the songs feel a bit like a devised theatre piece by some talented drama students (I say this as a former drama student). But at its best, this is a magical show: songs don’t come better than these, and the arrangements are stunning, topped off by celestial vocals and trademark exquisite harmonies.
Do watch the whole show if you get a chance. But if you just want a taster, here’s the finale:
The 'Spill 