I’ll admit, before this gig, I wasn’t particularly familiar with Julia Fordham’s music. I’d read about her and knew she was highly regarded, so when I saw that she was playing The Fire Station, I thought … why not?! Sometimes it’s good to take a chance on something new. From the moment she stepped on stage, it was clear that Julia Fordham is a class act. Elegant and effortlessly charismatic, she engaged the audience with a mix of wit, charm, and a voice that radiated warmth. The New York Times once described her contralto as “one of the most strikingly beautiful new voices in pop,” and hearing it live, I could see exactly why.
From her website “Julia started writing her own songs and performing them at local folk clubs in the south coast of England when she was 14. A few years later she was invited to be a guest singer with the UK’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra which sparked a lifelong love of the Jazz genre. When she was 16 Julia started working at Radio Victory in Portsmouth where she loved being in the studio singing jingles and doing the voice overs for commercials. In 1988 Julia signed with Virgin/Circa Records and released her debut album simply titled, Julia Fordham… In 1989 Julia’s follow up album Porcelain became her landmark work…
Successive albums followed with Falling Forward ,… China Blue ,…Under The Rainbow,…The Language Of Love, in 2014. 2018 marked the start of a new venture for Julia Fordham as she embarked on two sold out tours in the UK with fellow female singer songwriters Judie Tzuke and Beverley Craven. Their album Woman To Woman showcased their combined writing talents with a fine collection of songs with beautifully blended harmonies.
In 2020 Julia released her album Cutting Room Floor, a collection of songs that had been written for films. Followed by another sold out concert tour around the UK in 2022 with Woman to Woman. The Julia Fordham Collection, Julia’s Best of Album, is now at just under 10 million streams. 2024 will be filled with new music from Julia. Her next album Earth Mate will be released in early October to coincide with her U.K November tour. A fine collection of songs recorded in a live setting with an excellent assortment of acclaimed musicians including Gordon Giltrap and Leland Sklar.”
Her vocals are rich, velvety, and deeply expressive, the kind of voice that instantly transports you to another place. From the opening song, “Lock and Key”, I was drawn in. Even though I wasn’t overly familiar with her material beforehand, the emotion in her delivery made it easy to connect with each song. The setlist covered a mix of classic hits and new material from her new album. Porcelain. “Where Does the Time Go?” and “Love Moves (In Mysterious Ways)” both drew huge applause, clearly striking a chord with long-time fans in the audience.
One of the standout aspects of the night was Fordham’s easy rapport with the audience. She told stories, joked about life on the road, and reflected on past collaborations with artists like Michael McDonald and India Arie. Despite playing to a packed venue, the atmosphere felt incredibly intimate, as though we were gathered in a small jazz club rather than a concert hall.
By the time the set closed with “Done and Dusted”, I was completely sold. I’d come in curious but uninformed and I left as a new fan, wondering how I hadn’t given Julia Fordham more of my attention before. Many thanks to Elaine and Wikimedia Commons for the photographs and to Laura and Chris for helping me construct the blog. Thank you also to the Fire Station, which is a fantastic venue, and to Sunderland Music City for bringing such artists to the city for us all to enjoy.
Setlist: Lock and Key, The Comfort of Strangers, Few Too Many, Cocooned, Girlfriend, Porcelain, Earth Mate, My Old Table, Minor Victories, The Other Woman, Genius, Invisible War, Home (If That’s What Love Is), Where Does the Time Go?, Love Moves In Mysterious Ways, Happy Ever After, Stay; Behind Closed Doors, Done and Dusted.
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