On 7th May, 2010, She & Him played their first UK live show! The venue was KOKO in Camden, London, and I was lucky enough to attend this spectacular show.
It was such an amazing show, beautiful and energetic! And we were two people away from the front 
. Zooey Deschanel was as stunning, energetic and talented as I though, I think she still get’s nervous performing though! Of course, she received many declarations of love, from boys and girls!
Obviously, the duo performed most of their songs, I’m sure everybody’s favourites were included somewhere! Add a few brilliant cover versions to make it complete. Towards the end of the main set, the band performed with such energy and pace that the whole room was buzzing! The main set was followed by two amazing encores.
Support was by The Chapin Sisters (Lily and Abigail Chapin). We met these girls after the show and they signed a CD for us which was a lovely touch. They were really nice, and their music is beautiful. The sisters have a third sister, Jessica Craven (daughter of Wes!), although she’s just had a baby so is no longer a full time member. The two sister improvised though with a stand-in sister for their last song… Zooey Chapin! Yes, this was a surprise early appearance by Zooey Deschanel.
Zooey Deschanel at KOKO, London, May 2010
Here is a photograph I took of Zooey Deschanel singing; if you click through you can visit my Flickr page for many more pictures, including a few of Camden town and of course, the Chapin Sisters! I have a few videos too, which will be uploaded soon. It was a shame though, that I had managed to fill my 4GB memory card just before the end of Sweet Darlin’ (knowing it would be the final song, less the encores), but got most of it. It would have been amazing if I could have recorded I Put A Spell On You though, I could relive that powerful moment again!
Of course, we treated ourselves to a couple of She & Him t-shirts too (well that is a must at any gig!) as well The Chapin Sisters CD. I got the blue t-shirt with the drawings of the boy and girl from the Volume Two artwork signifying ‘She’ & ‘Him’.
The KOKO venue in Camden, London is very pretty and nicely done out. It goes very high up inside and has a huge disco ball (which Zooey actually commented on!). It’s quite small, which I actually like as it’s more intimate. Although it means it takes a little while to empty the room afterwards (we could have stayed on for a club night). At the end of the show it was a visit to the merch counter (which is where we met The Chapin Sisters and got the signed CD), quick ride on the Tube to Euston, then a treat to first class on the Virgin Pendolino back home!
If only I was able to return on Monday for the Shepherd’s Bush show…!
Set List
Main set
1: I Was Made For You
2: Thieves
3: Black Hole
4: Me And You
5: Lingering Still
6: Sing
7: Home
8: Change Is Hard
9: I Thought I Saw Your Face Today [Perfect whistling!]
10: Brand New Shoes
11: You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me
12: Would You Like To Take A Walk? (An Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong cover)
13: Magic Trick (An M.Ward song)
14: Gonna Get Along Without You Now
15: In The Sun
16: Take It Back
17: Don’t Look Back
18: Over It Over Again
19: This Is Not A Test [Complete with mouth-trumpet!]
20: Ridin’ In My Car
21: Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
22: Sweet Darlin’
Encore:
23: Fools Rush In (Cover of a 1940’s pop song)
24: Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry cover)
Second Encore:
25 : I Put A Spell On You (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins cover) [This song really shown how powerful and talented a singer Zooey is]
Other Reviews
She & Him, Koko, London – Independent
“There’s so much talent on display, it’s no wonder the pair inspire such a dedicated and vocal following.”
She& Him Woo Intimate London Crown – GIGWISE
“…the pair impressed the crowd with renditions of ‘Thieves’, ‘Don’t Look Back’ and ‘Me and You’.”
“Zooey’s voice was exquisite. Simply the best female vocals I’ve heard for years. It really was that good.”
Live: She & Him @ Koko – For Folk’s Sake
“Take an indie boy’s dream starlet, pair her up with one of the folk world’s most talented musicians, and let the two of them make sweet, retro music all summer long.”
Putting A Spell On Me – We Write Lists
“There was a sense of community amongst those on stage, and it spilled easily over into the crowd, who watched on in complete awe.”