CMAT // GLASGOW GARAGE, GLASGOW
CMAT MAKES APPEARANCE AT GLASGOW’S GARAGE FOLLOWING HER FANTASTIC SET AT TRNSMT FESTIVAL AT GLASGOW BACK IN JULY THIS YEAR.
★★★★★ (5/5)
By the time that CMAT had finished her hour+ set at the Glasgow Garage, she was 100% the cowboy that she set out to be on her popular track “I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!”. When the Country Pop artist performed at TRNSMT festival in the summer she exclaimed, somewhat sarcastically, that she was a “Certified Country star” that wanted to be a “Pop Star”. If this current tour has proven anything, it’s that she has all the talent and flair to make that dream a reality.
After selling out Oran Mor in extremely quick fashion, the venue was upgraded to the Glasgow Garage, adding around an extra 100 in capacity which also sold out almost instantly. The capacity of the garage is 700 people for an all standing gig. It felt like there could’ve been double that number by the time CMAT took the stage.
There was no advertised dress code for the show. However, it felt somewhat wrong to be there without at least one of either a Cowboy hat, Cowboy Boots or Western Shirt. The best gigs are the ones where there is a tangible connection between the performer and the crowd. This was absolutely case here. It felt like every single person in the crowd knew every word that was sung to them for the entire night. This, coupled with CMAT’s innate ability to entertain, meant that the atmosphere remained upbeat throughout the whole set.
Before CMAT and her band arrived on stage to thunderous cheers, Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” was played in full. Like every song that was played during the night, the crowd sung and danced along to every word as if their life depended on it.
The set opened with “Nashville” which also opens CMAT’s 2022 debut album “If My Wife New I’d Be Dead” an album which landed the top spot on the Irish Album Chart earlier this year. It’s the epitome of what a CMAT song is.
Throughout the night, the crowd are treated to a set that covers almost all of CMAT’s discography to date. The aforementioned debut album was almost played in full with just a few songs omitted.
From the poppy and upbeat “No More Virgos” and “Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)” to the melancholic “I’d Want U” and “Lonely” every word was delivered with the sarcastic wit that would be expected if you had heard even one of her songs before. It’s not just tracks from the album either. Deeper cuts “Rodney” and “Another Day (KFC)” prove to be some of the highest peaks of a night that really had no slumps.
It was obvious how invested the crowd were in the singer songwriter on the stage. Every time there was a break in the music, the noise from the crowd was deafening. A variety of items were thrown onstage too. Cowboy hats, a bouquet of roses, specifically from Waitrose, (Which CMAT would later redistribute to the crowd), and even a white bra. “This is all very well behaved from a Glasgow
Crowd. You’re all listening to me. Do you like me?” CMAT asked, which resulted in the loudest and longest cheer of the night.
Along with songs from the past and present of CMAT, the future was shown here too. The foot stomping “Mayday” sounds like it is destined to be played in the biggest arenas up and down the country. After the main set was closed with “Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)” the band leave the stage and minutes later CMAT returned solo with her guitar. Another unreleased song, “Rent” serves as the first song of the encore. It’s the complete opposite to the other new song that was played whilst still remaining completely on brand, showcasing the diversity and variation in CMAT’s songwriting.
The night ended with “I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!” a song that feels like the one that you let your friends listen to when encouraging them to get aboard the CMAT train. CMAT instructed the crowd to two-step during the song. Every person in the room obliged and the visual of the whole crowd moving side to side in sync like waves is a sight to behold. It’s a real crowd pleaser and the perfect way to end the night, leaving the crowd on a high and sending them home happy.
CMAT’s band deserve a shout out too, all impressive musicians in their own right and each one of them play a massive part in the performance, both musically and in the pantomime like performance on stage.
With a collection of songs that already feel like classics and a stage presence that would rival acts with much more years of experience than her, it feels like CMAT is firmly in the probable rather than possible category of up and coming musicians who can make it to the very top. Infinitely relatable with a killer sense of humour to back up her strong songwriting and vocal performances make CMAT a must see for not only fans of country and pop, but anyone who is a fan of music at all.
REVIEW BY:
ROSS MUNRO
SETLIST:
GLASGOW GARAGE, GLASGOW
NASHVILLE
LONELY
I DON’T REALLY CARE FOR YOU
PETER BOGDANOVICH
I’D WANT U
GROUNDHOG DAY
MAYDAY
2 WRECKED 2 CARE
RODNEY
ANOTHER DAY (KFC)
NO MORE VIRGOS
EVERY BOTTLE (IS MY BOYFRIEND)
ENCORE:
RENT
I WANNA BE A COWBOY, BABY!