Sain Zahoor, Bristol 5th October

Bit of a strange one, this - I'd not seen the famous Sufi musician before and being a bit of a Qawwali fan, I was looking forward to an evening of trance-inducing music. True he has a great voice, but he really has just a couple of tunes. His music is beguiling but fairly predictable, never seeming to ascend to intense spiritual heights - there is a lack of light and shade. The concert was over by 9.20, which was probably about right. He would go down a storm late at night in the Siam Tent but this gig lacked atmosphere even though the largely Pakistani audience were reasonably enthusiastic (and refreshingly friendly!)