Featured image: Gary Walker
Neo-blues soul artist Yellow Days, the stage name of Haslemere’s George van den Broek, returns to Manchester with his seventh album, Rock And A Hard Place, and a live show that proves just how far he has come.
Before he steps out, London-based act Brian Nasty warms the room up nicely, turning early arrivals into an engaged, buzzing crowd. Performing as a duo with vocalist Isidora, Nasty blends soft harmonies with thrilling rap beats, heavy R&B and an almost spoken-word delivery. From the first song, the pair have the crowd involved, their back-and-forth flipping between slow, dreamy lines and hard-hitting verses.
Isidora takes a moment in the spotlight for a song she wrote with Nasty last year, her calm, airy tone wrapping around his deeper vocal. It’s a stunning combination, the kind of music that makes you want to sit in a café on a Sunday and just watch the world move. With low-fi textures, jazz touches, and Nasty climbing into the crowd for the emphatic hook, “Fed up of asking why!”, this is one of those support sets that people are genuinely glad they arrived early for.
When Yellow Days takes the stage with a six-piece band – drums, keys, guitar, bass, trumpet and saxophone/flute – the energy shifts again. An extended instrumental introduction lets the band stretch out, before his unmistakable baritone cuts through the room. The deep thud of the drums and the bright stab of horns ignite the space.
He opens with Rock And A Hard Place cut ‘Glitter & Gold’, then glides straight into ‘Sharon’, the band moving in seamless, syncopated waves. ‘A Little While’ sheds its lo-fi studio skin and becomes something bolder and even more expressive live, steeped in R&B and jazz.
Later, a solo rendition of ‘California’ slowly reintroduces each band member, showcasing the group’s chemistry. The saxophonist occasionally switches to flute, creating an ethereal blend with keys. A sensual piano-led number, ‘The Way Things Change’, lands like a cinematic love scene, underlining how much Van den Broek has evolved since his teenage debut.
‘Can’t Fight the Tears’ becomes a powerful vocal showcase, his improvised runs feeling like emotional outpourings. He’s closing with ‘Let Me Down Easy’, a smooth, slow-burning finale that lets every member of the band shine one last time. Cameras are up, hips are swaying, and it feels clear: Yellow Days isn’t just dancing on the line between genres; he’s bending them to his will.
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