Gerry Cinnamon: Get to know the Scottish singer

From his biggest songs to his tours

Author: Anna Sky MagliolaPublished 19th Nov 2023

Gerard Crosbie, or as we fondly know him, Gerry Cinnamon, is a Scottish singer-songwriter known for singing with his native accent and having particularly 'honest' lyrics. With hits such as 'Sometimes' and 'Belter', Gerry has proved incredibly popular since his debut album back in 2017.

As he is now the UK's biggest independent artist, gearing up to take to the stage at TRNSMT 2024, we're taking a look at some of Gerry Cinnamon's biggest songs, albums and the best moments from his latest tour. The Scottish singer has released two Top 3 albums, 'Erratic Cinematic' and 'The Bonny', and six Top 20 songs in Scotland, including 'Belter', 'Canter' and 'Where We're Going'.

Gerry Cinnamon - 'Canter'

'Canter' was a big hit for Gerry reaching Number 1 in the Scottish Chart. Released on 22nd June 2019, Gerry described the song as: 'It's an upbeat tune."

Going on to explain: "It's just one of those tunes I try and drop some knowledge bombs. When I was a wee guy I was always trying to look for a bit of gold in a song, for a bit of advice, so I think it's me just talking to myself."

The official lyric video of 'Canter' has now had over 14 million views on YouTube since its release in April 2020.

Gerry Cinnamon - 'Sun Queen'

'Sun Queen', featured on Gerry's second album 'The Bonny' and was the second song to be released, following 'Canter'. The song reached Number 2 in Scotland.

Gerry Cinnamon - 'Where We're Going'

'Where We're Going' is the fifth song to come from Gerry's album 'The Bonny', which was released two months after the song. Gerry announced the new music on his socials along with a short black and white video, telling his fans, 'Where We’re Going 🔥 Out midnight Cheers x.'

Gerry released an audio video to YouTube on release, which gained millions of views, followed by the lyric video which includes grainy black and white footage.

Gerry Cinnamon's album 'The Bonny'

Gerry Cinnamon's album 'The Bonny' was released in April 2020 and was another big success for the Scottish singer. 'The Bonny' includes several popular songs by Gerry including 'Canter', 'The Bonny', and 'Where We're Going'.

Gerry revealed details of the new album on Instagram saying, 'New Album. The Bonny. Out Now.🔥 Hope you’re all safe and looking after each other. We’ll get a proper sing song again once this all blows over. Much love. Cheers x.'

Despite being in the middle of lockdown when it was released, the album went to Number 1 in the UK. 'The Bonny' is available in multiple formats, in addition to the usual digital options. There are four different types of vinyl, CD and cassette!

Gerry Cinnamon's debut album 'Erratic Cinematic'

In 2017, Gerry released his debut album 'Erratic Cinematic' which reached Number 17 on the UK Albums Chart and included the singles 'Belter' and 'Sometimes'.

A couple of years after the album's release it became a Silver-selling album and Gerry celebrated the moment by posting on Instagram, 'No bad for a DIY record that only went into the shops last week. No label. No media. No problem. Just folk digging the tunes. That’s what it’s all about. That means it’s real.' (sic)

To mark the album's fifth anniversary, Gerry reflected on how he made the album from his Glasgow flat.

He commented: "The majority of the album was recorded in my wee flat in the East End, the other half in the studio.

"I bought an old Mac and some mics and stayed up for months trying to get my head around using a Mac for the first time, gainstaging, mic placement, room acoustics, compression, reverb decays, delay sync, automation, sampling, mixing, mastering and everything in between."

Is Gerry Cinnamon on tour?

Gerry Cinnamon isn't on tour at the moment, but had a busy last couple of years. He played a number of gigs and festivals in 2021, as like many artists Gerry had to put his live gigs on hold temporarily due to the Coronavirus pandemic - however he later delighted fans when he confirmed 11 dates for 2021, including dates in Glasgow, Newcastle and London (including rescheduled shows).

Following on from his 2021 show, Gerry also embarked on a 2022 tour, heading around the UK and Ireland.

On 5th November 2021, Gerry delighted fans by announcing an extra tour date at Glasgow's Hampden Park Stadium on Sunday 17th July 2022. Gerry said: 'Hampden round two. Finally happening. The Saturday’s been sold out for years so about time I announced an extra night. Some line-up. Some weekend.'

He wrapped up the tour with two huge homecoming shows on 16th and 17th July that saw 100,000 fans flock to Hampden Park to be part of the gig.

Gerry took to Instagram after the shows and wrote: 'Quiet weekend. 😂 Didn’t think it would be that emotional tbh. Not easy to process let alone put into words. The vibe and volume was indescribable. Hope all had a good time and a proper sing song cos that’s what it’s all about.'

Is he playing at TRNSMT?

He most certainly is! The singer is set to perform at Glasgow Green's TRNSMT in July 2024. He joins the incredible line-up of Liam Gallagher, Calvin Harris, Sugababes, Rick Astley, Garbage and The Last Dinner Party.

The news was announced on 21st November 2023, with Gerry writing: 'C u sn.x' (sic). For those who need a hand understanding, that translates to 'see you soon'.

Gerry Cinnamon breaks Hampden Park record

Not only were his Glasgow shows amazing to watch, the Hampden Park shows also broke a record as he became the first independent act, as well as the first Scot, to sell out multiple nights at Hampden Park.

The gig saw 50,000 people fill the stadium each night in the sold-out shows, bringing in triple the number of fans as Calvin Harris' show at the stadium a few weeks before.

'Live at Hampden Park' album

Gerry's fans can relive 2022's Hampden Park shows thanks to a live album, which has now been released. Titled 'Live At Hampden Park', the live album includes songs such as 'Dark Days', 'Sun Queen', Ghost', 'Where We're Going' and the platinum-certified singles 'Sometimes' and 'Belter.'

The album also features some new music, including previously unreleased track 'Sacred', a tribute to Gerry's hero Billy Connolly with his own rendition of 'I Wish I Was In Glasgow' and fan favourite 'Discoland.'

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Saweetie

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You can hear songs by Gerry Cinnamon on Forth 1.

Now read:

Gerry Cinnamon makes history with his huge Hampden Park shows

Gerry Cinnamon fans surprised at hearing his song in The Umbrella Academy

Everything you need to know about Gerry Cinnamon's huge Hampden Park shows

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