Gia Ford: Pop star praised by Elton John to perform free gig at Sheffield station
A Sheffield pop star who counts Elton John among her fans is putting on a free gig at the city’s railway station.
Gia Ford will perform at Sheffield station on Thursday, February 6, from 5pm, for around 45 minutes.
The show is completely free for anyone passing through the station or in the surrounding area to attend.
Ford’s music is inspired by artists including Fleetwood Mac, Nick Cave, and Radiohead, and the Gay Times called her the music industry’s ‘most exciting new storyteller.
Elton John is among her admirers, saying of her acclaimed debut album, Transparent Things, that it was ‘beautifully produced, beautiful record, beautiful songs”.
Thursday’s free gig is part of a wider nationwide series from National Rail that's aimed at encouraging train commuters to discover more music and shake-up their playlists.
It follows a survey which found that 80 per cent of people in Sheffield admitting they listen to the same music on repeat and one in four saying they never listen to new artists on their commute.
A survey commissioned by the Rail Delivery Group found that the most popular tune for Sheffield commuters was Eye of the Tiger, by Survivor, which appeared on 38 per cent of people’s playlists.
Manic Monday, by The Bangles, Happy, by Pharrell Williams, As it Was, by Harry Styles, and Under Pressure, by Queen and David Bowie, were the other top five tracks.
The Top of the Tracks campaign has been launched to help people discover new music during their daily train commute.
For more information, and a code giving 30 per cent off Sofar Sounds gigs across the UK, including Sheffield, visit: www.nationalrail.co.uk/topofthetracks.