Introducing - Gerry Cinnamon

Gerry Cinnamon has been kicking around the Scottish music scene for a number of years. I first caught him live with his band The Cinnamons when my friends (also from Castlemilk) in Sonny Marvello suggested them for a support act away back in 2009.

Gerry shaked, shimmied and owned the stage in Stereo that night and then promptly went AWOL for a few days.  His personality, humour and love of music shone through then. It burns even brighter now.

Part of the reason for the fire burning brighter is the fact that so many people have fallen in love with him. His confidence is sky high. A lot of that stems from the incredible reaction to his song Hope Over Fear that he posted online shortly before the Scottish Independence referendum. Gerry went viral.

The reaction led to Gerry headlining rallies and been invited to play all over Scotland. With a growing catalogue of his own songs and a steady supply of cover versions thanks to considerable time spent hosting open mic nights - Gerry won hearts and minds with his political views, twinkle in his eye and his songs from the heart for the people. I look forward to his forthcoming album.

I couldn't make his show at the ABC but my friend Ryan (also from Catlemilk) kindly offered to write a guest blog review.

Gerry Cinnamon: O2 ABC, Glasgow. Friday 4^th November 2016

There’s a buzz in the air. From the bus stops of Castlemilk Drive and the back seats of every taxi leaving the scheme right up to the queue outside the O2 ABC that extends round the corner and up the hill.

I didn’t manage get a ticket when they went on sale. They sold out in less than a week, making him the first unsigned act to ever do so. I had to rely on my ever-reliable source for tickets, who managed to sort me out at the 11^th hour. He has asked that he remain anonymous. Cheers John.

I first met Gerry 15 years ago at a music night in Castlemilk. He appeared quiet and shy, stood there in his AC Milan tracksuit watching the band that was sound checking. I’d heard he was a local boy who was writing songs and he was due to play a few of them on the night but he was nervous. “I haven’t brought my guitar”, he said. I offered him mine but he said, “Na, it’s ok.”  He didn’t play that night.

Fast-forward 15 years and it’s a far cry from the shy, introverted teenager, too timid to take the stage that night. I don’t know him personally but I’ve followed his career with interest since then, from the low-fi days of The Cinnamons to critical acclaim as a solo artist.

On stage now stands showman, able to melt your heart with a love song or smash you in the face with a chorus. There’s a rawness about his act and an honesty in his songs that comes from the heart. That’s why we’re all here.

We arrive at the venue in good time. Outside, a sea of people stand patiently; either waiting to get in or trying to punt a ticket for three times the face value.

Either way, the buzz has intensified. Some folk are chanting his name in the lobby or singing the odd chorus here and there. Following another successful appearance at T in the Park and winning Best Live Act at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards people know what they’re coming to see.

There’s a friendly atmosphere around the place; handshakes and hugs all round, sometimes the occasional nod. It’s like when you meet someone on holiday and you recognise their face and your mind is blown and instantly become their best fuckin’ pal, for the duration of the holiday at least, even though you walk past them in the street every other day. It was that kind of vibe.

Over 1400 are people packed into the main room of the O2 ABC. It’s a good night to be a housebreaker in Castlemilk as half of its population is in Sauchihall St. As usual, the front is crammed with people eager to get as close as they can to the madness. The lights dim and so starts the chanting: “GERRY CINNAMON, CINNAMON, GERRY CINNAMON. NA NANANA NA NA NA NA NA”

As the intro video plays on a huge screen above the stage, a silhouetted Gerry walks on stage to a wall of noise from the crowd. There’s a pause as he appears to take it all in. Then he gets down to business. From the opening beats of Gerry’s Lullaby it was clear that everyone in the room was strapped in and ready for the ride.  Here we…

Sing me to sleep. Sing me a love song. Sing me a lullaby.

What follows is a blistering 80-minute set. The sound generated by one man, a guitar, a loop pedal and a harmonica is incredible. The crowd, lost in the moment, passionately sings back every word of every song. And they mean it too. Every syllable.

It’s hard to believe that his album hasn’t even been finished yet.

The opening guitar riff of Sometimes, a favourite of those who followed The Cinnamons, is belted out note by note by the crowd. A life long friend of mine leans into me and says, “This song just reminds me of my weekends.” Yes, Barry, you and 1,399 other people mate. From here on in it’s any man (and woman) for themselves.

“Can I have two pints, mate”

“We’ve got Tennents or Carling.”

“Doesn’t matter mate. They’re just for throwing.”

“ £10.60 please.”

As the night went on the crowd grew with every track.  The number of drinks being thrown and people on shoulders began to multiply, as did the decibels.

Dead Man’s Shoes and War Song Soldier caused further chaos. The former a single released by The Cinnamons, the latter a harmonica driven folk song that Dylan would have written had he grown up in a scheme in Glasgow.

Gerry is joined on stage by Calum Frame for a rendition of Fickle McSelfish, a personal favourite of mine. Lyrically beautiful and peppered with self-deprecation, every man can relate to it. And if you can’t, you’re a fuckin’ liar.

“Then she grabbed on my hair, bit on my lip ‘til in bled.

Fuck the notion of living without you, I’d rather be dead.”

New track She’s A Belter is a love song, so warmly received it sounds like a new fan’s favorite already, even though it’s never been recorded. Its Irish folk song melody and Glaswegian lyrics makes it instantly lovable.

“She is a gangster, with a 100 mile stare. When she walks her feet don’t touch the flair.”

Diamonds In The Mud slows things down. It has a sound of nostalgia that lifts halfway through. It feels like storytelling at it’s most personal.

Single Kampfire Vampire is a highlight of the set. The harmonica solo and aggressive guitar playing bring the audience up a notch again. It becomes an anthem before the harmonica outro bring the audiences hands in the air to show their appreciation. It’s becoming hard to keep up.

“Schools, run by fools. Leave to get education.”

The encore closes with a cover that seems close to Gerry’s heart, Caledonia. One last sing-along before the curtain falls and the crowd leave knowing they’ve seen something special. One of those nights you’ll be saying in years to come, “I was there.”

Gerry discredits music industry ‘vampires’ and encourages people to “Build their own bonfires.” Some might say that Gerry’s built his own bonfire.

I disagree.

It’s more of an active volcano and it’s ready to erupt.

So, what’s next for Gerry Cinnamon? With the album on it’s way and the small matter of some high profile support slots I can’t see this train coming off the tracks. The people are behind him and they want more.

Jools Holland? The Barrowlands?

Who knows? All I know is, based on what we’ve witnessed tonight, whatever the future holds, it’ll be fuckin’ chaos.

Ryan Davidson.

Introducing - Mark W Georgsson

How do you choose what song(s) will launch a record label?

Well in the case of Last Night From Glasgow Records, the label that I helped to co-found earlier this year, it kind of landed in our laps.

Mark W Georgsson has recorded a stunning album of celtic/folk/Americana songs with Rod Jones from Idlewild producing. I've known Mark for a number of years as he used to be in a band called the Velveteen Saints who I really liked.

Mark went off and did something completely different after the band broke up. The depth, maturity and quality that is displayed throughout the album (that the label will be releasing in January) is quite incredible.

So Mark sent me the album, around the same time Ian Smith and I started discussing forming a record label. We approached Mark and asked if he would be interested in releasing a single - a AA side as Mark's friends in Iceland had recorded vocals for The Ballad Of The Nearly Man in their native tongue.

So the A-side is a beautiful duet between Mark and his friend Katie McArthur and the AA-side is the same song in Icelandic by Mark's friends, including Arnarni who sings for the band Leaves.

AA-side artwork by Brian Sweeney

So Mark is pretty good at networking! Rod Jones for production, friends singing on his record and then as a friend and  fellow Albion Rovers fan, acclaimed Scottish photographer Brian Sweeney has provided the artwork. The AA side cover (above) is an Icelandic football pitch in the snow (quite stunning) and below is the A-side cover is a Scottish football pitch.

A-side artwork by Brian Sweeney

OK - now i'm going to ask you all to set aside 3 minutes and 13 seconds to watch Brian's beautifully shot promo film to accompany Mark's single.

I'll then tell you what I think of the film and song afterwards.

Well I hope you agree; song and film are beautiful.

The guitar is sparse and beautifully played, Mark's voice is gentle, weary and soulful, the lyrics paint a picture, the production allows everything to breath, there is no rush, a sense of reflection...

The barren winters cast a doubt

Upon his weary mind

As a storm brews out on the Atlantic Sea

Set to blow all his thoughts back to me

That sense of space, time and reflection is amplified by a truly gorgeous 40 second instrumental featuring some exquisite guitar playing.

Katie McArthur then joins us to beautifully sing a verse, before Mark returns towards the end and the two sing in tandem;

As a storm brews out on the Atlantic Sea

Set to blow my one true love, back to me

Brian Sweeney was introduced to me by Mark as 'a mad genius'. I've met Brian a few times and Mark's description is pretty perfect. He is literally fizzing with creative ideas 24-hours a day. His thoughtful and stunning film (featuring South Uist, Vatersay, Eriskay and Barra) is the perfect compliment to Mark's song. It is truly beautiful.

So yeah, I'm delighted with the first release on Last Night From Glasgow; the song, performance, artwork, film, the people involved......  we have many more to come.

Crash Club featuring Ian Mackinnon - Recondition

Crash Club are an electronic outfit hailing from Ayrshire that I have been aware of for a number of years. I've caught them live on a few occasions and I've always been impressed by the electronic soundscapes they create. Crash Club seem to have been building up a bit of momentum over the last 18-months or so - their live shows are reaching new levels, leading to them being nominated for best electro act at the SAMA's this year. They have also been keen (and clever) to introduce guest vocalists - mixing styles and keeping them on their toes.

Crash Club are predominantly based around the electronic musical talent and brains of Sammy Todd, ably assisted by Neal McHarg providing Mani circa XTRMNTR bass lines and his brother Aran on guitar. Guest drummers join them - powerhouse Calum Muir being one of them - well worth seeing live.

Recondition is their latest single, featuring the guest vocals of Ian MacKinnon from the promising Medicine Men.

Crash Club cite Leftfield and the Chemical Brothers amongst their influences and that certainly comes across in the intro to Recondition - pulsating electro is mixed with rock guitars, creating the kind of groove that makes people move. There is a brief pause before the vocals kick in;

show me pleasure if it's there to be had

a premonition

my recondition

Recondition has been released at the right time for Crash Club as they continue to build momentum into 2015 and they have to be looking to release an album as they have an ever growing song base to choose from.

Crash Club are supporting The Klaxon's at the ABC in Glasgow this coming Monday - 27th October. To fully appreciate Crash Club you have to see them live and they will sound superb through the ABC sound system.

Crash Club will also be helping Tijuana Bible and Medicine Men bring in the New Year at King Tut's on 31st December.

Vigo Thieves - reasons to believe

Believe by Vigo Thieves was re-released recently to coincide with the song being chosen by the Scottish FA as then anthem for the nations Euro 16 campaign. It is the perfect choice - Strachan has restored the fire in the soul of the players and the supporters, people believe again.

I was delighted when I found out as the band are huge supporters of the national team. Barry follows the team home and away as a committed member of the Tartan Army and it was only last year that Gordon was creating a bubble bath in Trafalgar Square in London when down watching Scotland against the Auld Enemy!

Gordon Phipps - it's always the bass players that are the party animals!

The band are growing from strength to strength, a summer of festivals followed by an Autumn tour led to the offer of 4-dates with The Courteeners (including 2 at the Barrowlands) and Vigo Thieves will be rounding off 2014 in style with their second headline show at the ABC in December. It promises to be quite a party.

Vigo Thieves have worked hard to build a word of mouth following that will only grow - especially when they release their album. 2015 promises to be a big year for the band so I decided to look at a few of the many reasons why more and more people are believing in the Vigo Thieves.

Vigo Thieves at the SFA launch of Believe

REASONS TO BELIEVE

The songs
Vigo Thieves wouldn't have generated this much noise if they didn't have something about them but at the end of the day it all comes down to the songs. People are looking for songs to sing-a-long with, to dance to, to jump around to, to fall in love with, to look for hope in, or to soundtrack their nights and their life. This band have the songs to do that - attend any of their live shows and you'll see just what they mean to people.

Vigo Thieves have been building a top rate collection of songs over the last few years. More and more people are waking up to it - songs like Heartbeats, Forever, This Love, Believe and Steal Your Heart are festival and stadium anthems in the making - the hooks, riffs, refrains, beats, choruses are all there. People are already singing a-long to the hooks and riffs at the shows.

The enthusiastic responses at live shows and the growing scale of them has only encouraged Stevie Jukes to write bigger and better songs - anthems to be sung loud and heartily.

I'm fortunate to have heard some demos of songs that Vigo Thieves are working on in the studio and they sound incredible.

It isn't just the live environment that these songs work in, they sound incredible on the radio and their anthemic and cinematic nature has been picked up by the Scottish FA, it is surely only a matter of time before they are soundtracking games, adverts, films and shows.

The video of This Love displays the cinematic widescreen feeling of Vigo Thieves

2. Positivity
Vigo Thieves are all about heart and soul. They give it everything and the lyrics of Stevie Jukes highlight that. Examples?

Got to wake up, live for today
Stay young in your heart and young in your mind - Steal Your Heart

Love is the fire that's burning, when your heartbeats - Heartbeats

You're looking for the love to heal the pain from all the scars
So live for the moment and you'll shine like the stars - Steal Your Heart Pt II

Lets live forever, together we can stay young - Forever

It's not just the lyrics, Vigo Thieves are positive in everything they do - their live shows are a celebration, they are always looking to improve, develop and grow, their attitude and commitment is like no other I have experienced. Which leads on to...

Drummer Alan Jukes has the best seat in the house

3. Vision and leadership
Stevie Jukes had a clear vision for Vigo Thieves when he started out. 'Start with the end in mind' is one of his key philosophies and one that has served him and the band very well. Stevie has combined his talent for singing and songwriting with sheer hard work and resilience to get Vigo Thieves to where they are. He won't rest until he has taken them as far as he can possibly go - and that is all the way.

These qualities and more have helped drive the band forward more than anything else. I've never been anything less than impressed with Stevie, his natural charisma on stage and off has helped create opportunities and develop lasting relationships.

Stevie Jukes knows how to get a crowd on his side

4. A real band
Vigo Thieves didn't stick an advert in a magazine or online, they didn't come together through management or a record company, they are a true band. Stevie and drummer Alan are brothers, Gordon on bass and Barry on lead guitar are long term friends with the Jukes brothers. Chris Gorman on keys, synths and backing vocals joined after producing early demos and being the unofficial 5th member. Recognising his importance to the developing sound, Stevie likened him to 'playing piano like Elton John and having a voice like Jesus'.

The band gel superbly on and off stage, there is a real chemistry between them. Stevie singing his heart out, Alan a power house on drums, Gordon keeping the songs flowing on bass, Barry adding flourishes and riffs on guitar, Gorman helping to take them to the next level. Chris Cruickshanks joins the 5-piece on saxophone, creating a Springsteen feel to songs like This Love.

Vigo Thieves stripped back in session

5. The shows
I've mentioned the live shows turning into celebrations. I've witnessed incredible scenes at King Tut's, T in the Park, Wickerman, the Arches, the ABC, Barrowlands.... The momentum is with this band and the bigger the shows, the more they respond and the more they give.

For an unsigned band to have sold out the Arches and got over 1,000 people into the ABC is an incredible achievement - they still haven't released an album! The songs, the shows, airplay and word of mouth is generating something special and they won't be unsigned for much longer.

Vigo Thieves at the ABC in Glasgow earlier this year - a celebration

Get a ticket for Vigo Thieves at the ABC on 20th December. You won't regret it.

BLOC

As a follow up to my blog on the re-opening of BLOC I wanted to delve a little deeper into the philosophy of the bar and their music policy in particular. I caught up with Chris Cusack who is the booker for the venue.


1. In terms of music- what does BLOC stand for?
BLOC stands for independent music of all forms. We are as inclusive as possible, hopefully without being inconsistent. We focus on the DIY touring circuit which usually involves live bands and that means a slight bias towards rock and indie, but there is plenty good electro, metal, classical, folk and even hip hop when we can get it.

In terms of general philosophy, we want to provide support for musicians looking to exist as sustainable entities outwith the machinations of mainstream music promotion where money not quality overwhelmingly dictates who and what succeeds to the exclusion of anyone unwilling to compromise their ethics.
Bit of a mouthful but that's the idea.


2. How important have your own experiences of playing in bands been to shaping that philosophy? Care to share any good/bad? 
My own experiences in touring bands (and as the founder of my own DIY record label) have been key to the way BLOC operates. I picked the best aspects of DIY promotion, from my experiences on the continent in particular, and tried to build a system that was realistic for a small business but extremely fair to the acts that perform for us. I wish we could pay double what we do. They deserve so much more. But it is a start and the details (food, drinks, free promo, funding zines etc) all contribute to the sense of investment in the acts and promoters we host.

As for my own experiences, I have had many, both good and bad. Some hilariously so. The most infamous of which - that actually saw me invited to write a chapter for a book published by Cambridge University on the pitfalls of independent music - found me and my bandmates trapped in Prague for 4 days with no transport and our written-off van and equipment in a lock-up surrounding by angry looking dogs and men in greasy vests.

On the flipside, driving across Spanish flatlands, through miles of sunflowers in France or up mountain roads watching a full moon reflect off frozen lakes have all been truly breathtaking. Unloading a van in the French countryside whilst a family of wolves howled in the field next to us was fun. Ach there are so many. This barely scratches the surface. Plus some of them are not entirely PG so probably best kept hush-hush.



3. You have regularly attracted big names for secret/not so secret shows. What is the attraction to them?
The attraction to BLOC for big names is the ability to actually engage with their audience in the most intimate way imagineable. Live music these days is so often entirely soulless. it focuses on light shows and live production and is closer to a circus than a gig. One big, gaudy, flickering distraction to sell beers and tshirts set to music designed for sync-deals in advertising. 


Amidst that mulch, there are genuine, organic outfits that managed to break through and a lot of those acts came from humble beginnings and in some ways miss the buzz of a crowd screaming in their face from less than a foot away.


In the same vein, we are lucky enough that many of the acts who pass through our doors and go on to become succesful keep us in mind and are only too happy to return our good faith. Frightened Rabbit, PAWS, Twin Atlantic and more are good examples of this. It takes a certain kind of mentality to want to do that though. An understanding of why music is so exciting the more directly you communicate. A realisation of how much truer the art is the fewer middlemen and production staff are inserted into the process. Certainly some bands just don't get that. We have found that out in the past. We asked if they were interested and they were very much of the opinion "We can play big places now. Why would we play a small one?" So yeah. It's a mentality thing.

4. Variety is the spice of life and BLOC offers an incredibly eclectic array of nights and music. Did this come about naturally or was it your goal from the start?
Yeah as I said at the beginning, we aim to be inclusive. Personally I get turned off by venues that only book in one narrow field of music. They become like gang-huts. The same faces. The same sounds. It all gets stale and introverted.

I am not going to pretend that I enjoy the music of every band we put on, but I have worked hard at developing an ear for the quality of the music. I might not listen to much in the way of, say, folk music, but I absolutely make an effort to tell when someone does a good job of it. It helps that we work with so many promoters who have more developed ears for specifc genres. That was on purpose. These people are experts in their style and having them on board keeps the quality high but the styles diverse.

5. Are old favourites like Slow Club, TYCI and Blochestra returning? Any new nights?
Yeah those will all still be in the calendar. We have nurtured every one of those from its inception. And yes there will be a number of newer nights like TariboWest and REPEATER. We also have a few fresh ideas lined up for 2015.

Blochestra

6. I believe the sound system has had a severe upgrade. Can you share the spec? What other improvements have been made?
The sound system has been upgraded but, without being too technical, it's more in the realms of the out-board and mics. To make it more user friendly, especally for bands that bring their own engineer. We had the PA system upgraded quite recently and in truth it is beyond the necessary rating required for the venue which means we can afford not to push anything or endanger the speakers by running too hot. The new outboard is just another stage in our ongoing determination to keep the facilities evolving. We have also improved the DJ set up and equipment. But that is far from "job done". When the chance arrives, we will look to replace these again with better or newer items. It's an ongoing project.

7. BLOC has been the scene of some mental nights; the recent We Are Scientists/Paws show looked incredible. How did that come about?
That came about for a lot of the reasons mentioned previously. Specifically the guys in PAWS, who have played for us many times, were touring with We Are Scientists and suggested it to them. They accepted and the rest is history. It was a pretty spectacular event and the guys in both bands were as down to Earth as we had hoped. Again, it takes that mentality to enjoy a tiny show like that when you are used to playing The Barras. A certain lack of pretention. It is refreshing to encounter that in succesful bands and WAS were as friendly and down-to-Earth as you will meet. it goes without saying that the guys from PAWS are not easily sucked in by that minor celebrity bullshit.

8. What’s your favourite choice off the new food menu?
I have to admit, the boys in the kitchen have really taken it to the next level with some of the new stuff. I pride myself on my spice tolerance (because I am an idiot probably) and thus the Balkan 176 burger was pretty exciting - and surprisingly challenging. It really is pretty bloody intense.

But for flavour, I would say that perhaps the Cuban bagel is hard to beat, though the burgers have been selling like crazy. I don't know man. That is easily the hardest question yet. I love food. Dammit.

Okay. The Cuban Bagel. No. Wait. The Cashew Crunch.

The Durty Burger - try it!

9. Bloc has also branched out into a label. What releases do you have coming up?
We have a couple of albums in the pipeline, including Felix Champion's debut near the end of the year. Those guys are a genuinely dedicated, hard-working group of young guys and seeing the effort they have put in to pursuing their band we were only too happy to be able to help them fund the release.

In the immediate future we have another compilation of Scottish acts. To be precise, it is a series of four compilations as part of a bigger whole and released every fortnight from September 18th. The various bands involved are pretty stellar. United Fruit, Adam Stafford, Felix Champion, So Many Animal Calls, The Cosmic Dead... some of the best underground acts in the country.

Oh and all of those compilations are completely free, just like our shows.

10. Any tips or advice for bands or artists looking to play BLOC?
If you want to play BLOC just drop us an email. Details are on the website, bloc.ru, and I reply to every (non-bulk) email I receive. Which can sometimes be a painful undertaking but, as someone who has written thousands of gig and tour emails and had about a 5% response rate, I made that promise to myself from the start and I am sticking to it.
If you want a gig in general - and assuming you have all the usual rehearsal/demo/professionalism stuff in hand - just make sure you don't sell yourself short. 

Music has become an easy way for non or ex-musicians to make cash by inserting their "expertise" into what should be a fairly simple process. Don't waste money on needless PR or management too soon. Don't pay to play. Don't agree to bring coachloads of your family down to Liverpool so you can say you played The Cavern. And probably most poignantly, think twice before agreeing to endless streams of gigs where you are asked to sell tickets. You invariably end up milking your relatives for pity-money, selling at cost price and ultimately it is a form of pay to play.

Don't get me wrong, there are times that a specific support slot or venue will be worth it but, if the promoter or venue shows you no evidence of ever developing that relationship, I would suggest you take your business - and audience - elsewhere. There are plenty of alternatives and plenty places only too happy to have you.

How Long (Change You Into Something Better) by United Fruit

I've heard a few whispers from people on the Glasgow music scene about DIY band United Fruit having a powerful guitar punk pop album that could see the group make significant steps forwards over the next 12-months.

So I was quite pleased when an email popped into my inbox inviting me to check out their teaser track How Long (Change You Into Something Better) which is already earmarked for airplay on Radio 1 this week (indeed this very night on Edith Bowman's review show).

I caught the band last September and was really impressed by their wall of noise, passion and how tight they were on stage, they played 2 songs of their forthcoming second album that sounded superb. Could that translate to record?

Yes!

There is definitely a sense of pop on this song, on first listen there were some echoes of Bob Mould/Sugar in the choppy guitar chords and throat rasping vocals. United Fruit retain their sense of urgency but this is definitely more commercial/pop for them.

Sugar are not the only American band to spring to mind while listening to United Fruit's new sound. I can imagine this going down a storm on American College Radio - assuming they still play the kind of stuff they used to and not R'n'B!

The chorus is repeated until it is lodged in your head, the vocals are delivered with passion and sneer.

I await the album with interest. United Fruit have been going since 2009 and they've put in the groundwork with their debut album and 5 tours of the UK and Europe. They're not afraid of hard work and they might now have found the sound to take them further.

Will I wait for you?

Well I listen to my heart

It won't last forever

I know we can make this work

I think United Fruit can definitely make this work.