Gerry Cinnamon

Brighton Centre

Sunday, September 5

THERE is always a lot of pressure on the opening night of a tour.

Even the most seasoned of performers must feel a combination of nerves and excitement before heading on stage, let alone if their return has followed an 18-month break.

Live music was forced to take a hiatus because of the pandemic, leaving musicians and audiences alike with a huge void to fill.

So, my excitement was tinged with underlying nerves as I made my way to the Brighton Centre to see Gerry Cinnamon perform on the first night of his rescheduled tour and my first gig post-lockdown.

Having been a fan of the Glaswegian for some time now, I should have known there was nothing to worry about.

Just before he hit the stage, Sweet Caroline starts playing, instigating a mass singalong which soon segues into KC and The Sunshine Band’s Give It Up – but with a twist, “Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na-na-na, Gerry Cinnamon, Cinnamon, Gerry Cinnamon”, sings the crowd.

The tone of the evening was set, the charismatic performer bursting onto the stage, armed with just a guitar, a harmonica and a back catalogue filled with crowd-pleasing anthems.

Watching from the seated area above, you could see people jumping in unison and climbing onto each other’s shoulders, with Gerry’s irresistibly infectious festival sound making it impossible for you resist the urge to dance.

Gerry didn’t address the crowd too much, but he didn’t need to.

His fans know he tends to be reclusive, but his music is bold and brash and packed with attitude.

He kept his stone island parka firmly fastened all night, but he beamed from under his flat cap as he proclaimed, “I love playing in Brighton and I promise, I will be back”.

An encore of Belter and Canter, arguably his best-known tracks, capped off his high energy performance and the sold-out crowd left the arena, chanting Gerry’s name and thanking their lucky stars that live music had returned once again.

Rating: ****

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