Oxfam volunteer Ed McGregor reviews a great night of music in Wembley.

There was an exotic mysticism in the air at the beginning of the night as we travelled to Wembley arena for an evening of Pakistani music, dancing, saris and samosas.

It was planned to be the biggest Pakistani concert ever to take place in the UK. The concert was in the midst of planning when the earthquake struck South Asia, with a devastating effect on many regions including Pakistan and Kashmir.

The organisers decided to use the concert as a platform to raise awareness and financial aid for those who survived the disaster. Oxfam and Islamic Relief welcomed this decision and would channel all profits raised to those affected by the quake.

Although the crowd was small the feeling of good will seemed to fill the venue. The performance by Jal added to this atmosphere as he blew the place apart. The sound quality was stunning as the tightly synchronised rhythms of Salman Albert on the drums, and guitar-based Eastern melodies intertwined with magical effect.

Legends such as Ali Azmat, Strings, Faakhir and Haroon were left gasping for breath with the crowd after the performance by Jal. We were lucky enough to meet the band before the concert and tell them about Oxfam’s work, and I can exclusively reveal that they are all thoroughly nice chaps!

Faakhir and Haroon were hitting all the right notes. Ali was immense as he switched between singing and playing blistering lead guitar. Sporting his white goatee and tache, the veteran was at home and at ease. Shiraz wowed the audience as he worked the stage with his magic, winking to the youngsters…