Gerry Cinnamon is a one man band, in more ways than one. In an impressively short time, he has catapulted from strumming Oasis in an “empty” to headlining Hampden Stadium, a move even more established artists can only dream of.
No PR, no Management, no gimmicks, no band. Just a man and his guitar.
Cinnamon took to the stage of our city’s National Stadium to an ecstatic audience, who had been nicely warmed up thanks to The Snuts, Jake Bugg and The Charlatans. Strong support, but it was always going to come to the one man.
“Lullaby” and “Sometimes” from Cinnamon’s debut offering kicked things off, solidifying the party atmosphere. A mixed bag of his short, but cherished soundtrack followed; “The Bonny”, “Fickle McSelfish”, “What Have You Done?”, “Dark Days”, fan favourite, “Belter” and “Where We’re Going” all got an airing.
The party vibe was tinted with nostalgia in the form of “Diamonds In The Mud” and “Sun Queen”, where Cinnamon paid homage to his scheme community of Castlemilk singing about Shaman mates, lightweights, a typical sunny day in The Mulk, “it’s 13 degrees and there’s folk in the street in the scud”, and “faded memories of a young team”, some of which shaped the stronghold of his audience, sharing a smile about a more carefree time in the mayhem of their teens.
Last weekend Cinnamon achieved what his counterparts simply can’t; his allure is accessible but the secret to such success? Who knows? Does it matter? As a fellow Castlemilk kid, it is more than humbling to see one of our own tackle the big league to his own beat, and win.
Something of a philosopher, Cinnamon’s set is not complete without a wee word in his fans ears, “Do your own thing” for fellow aspiring musicians in the spirit of his own shunning of the traditional avenues of getting your music to the masses, and “these are the best days of our lives” for the rest, a stark reminder not to take anything for granted post Covid 19.
A nod to another Glasgow great came in the form of a cover of The Big Yin’s, “I Wish I Was In Glasgow”, and a taste of things come with new track, “Sacred”.
The rowdiest ‘gaff’ Scotland has ever seen came to a close with, “Canter” which Cinnamon dedicated to Hampden, the song speaks for itself.
Cinnamon’s stint at Hampden can never really be described and even the thousands of videos adorning social media since the weekend only showcase a fraction of what it was like to be there; a gig that Hampden never saw coming, and one which it will never forget.
Review by Siobhanne Beattie
