30 October 2026
After supporting Sam Smith at the London Coliseum just last month, Tia Gordon carries her tender brand of neo-soul back to London following a brief run of shows elsewhere in the UK. The crowd is bubbly for a Wednesday night and the demographic varied. Rugby lads, students, thirty-something professionals in crisp white shirts, and older heads make up the crowd’s assemblage.
The lights dim and support act Jessy Blakemore emerges, who set the mood beautifully with her dreamy vocal acrobatics. By the time Tia came out the room was packed. She opens by teasing the crowd with a slowed intro for ‘should I give it up?’ before jumping into the relatively animated feel of the recording. Tia enlisted an extensive ensemble – drums, guitar, bass, trumpet, two backing vocalists, and keys. The live brass shone particularly bright on the first track, mimicking Tia’s melody for the hook even more vibrantly than the
record.
After the second tune, Tia spoke to the audience, shouting out her auntie and asking the crowd to participate for ‘feel’. Everyone obliged. She commanded the crowd with a warm brilliance that is simultaneously ethereal and down to earth. The next tune was ‘backwards loving’, featuring some nice bass improvisation between spaces in the sparse instrumental. Tia is clearly an artist who values the musicianship of her band. Tight but expressive, her musicians were stellar all night long.
The crowd’s gentle accompaniment to nearly every hook laid bare the careful economy of Tia’s choruses. Delivered with softness, they still have a direct honesty that everyone can tap into. Next was the stripped back ‘love’, which was one of the most gorgeous moments of the night followed by ‘friends’ – a tribute to her social circle’s loyalty.
This was actualised when, in advance of her birthday on Saturday, the band launched into a surprise performance of ‘Happy Birthday’ and a member of her team brought out a cake. Next was the reggae tinged ‘a little love for myself’ proceeded by ‘landslide’ where the crowd swayed to a tasteful guitar solo that endured to a rapturous peak.
When announcing her last number, she expressed her distaste for the gimmick of encores before admitting it was actually her penultimate tune. After ‘cold shower’, the crowd performatively chanted “one more song” and Tia heckled back with a tacit love. She finished with ‘mad about it’ – the biggest singalong of the night where the glitter ball descended and each band member was introduced before individually displaying celestial musicianship.
Throughout the night, I noticed multiple groups of people huddling together to share the energy of the music and lyrics. There is a palpable intimacy to Tia’s music. Apt for late nights alone, her vibes translated wonderfully, although maybe paradoxically, to the live setting with the songs unifying the crowd through their subjective relation to Tia’s tender-hearted craft. With Olivia Dean’s whirlwind rise over the past few years, the public evidently desire the tactile comfort neo-soul and R&B provide. As one of the rising stars of the UK scene, it is easy to envision Tia’s music spreading just as wide.
Words: Charlie Edmondson