Yussef Dayes landed in Bristol for the 7th date of his European tour with a sold-out event at the renowned St. George’s Hall, which was perfectly suited for the gig. Known for presenting jazz, classic and folk music, the standing and seated space in the Hall both quickly filled up with fans clearly eager to get as close to the stage as possible.  

St. George’s smaller size provided an incredibly intimate space for the show, with impressive acoustics that suited the bright and intense percussive sound that Dayes and the group brought to the venue. More than once they had the audience in silence and on tenterhooks as they skilfully and fluidly meandered their way through tracks like ‘For My Ladies’. Dayes even dropped in a cover of D’anglo towards the latter part of the set that had the entire audience moving in unison, mirroring the performance that was unfolding in front of them.

Just when the crowd thought the incredible live session had come to a close, Yussef and the group stepped back on stage to give a final encore that everyone, including me, was eager to have one last taste of. 

Photos and Words by Andrew Busby