Paul Simon - Armadillo Glasgow - 9th May 2026

One of the greatest living American songwriters

Story by Adam Hamill

11/05/2026

Last night I had the privilege to see one of the greatest living American songwriters at Glasgow’s Armadillo. I’m talking about Paul Simon, one half of Simon and Garfunkel, the 84-year-old has crafted a career defying the norms of genre. From rhythm and blues to reggae, folk and jazz, the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has a legacy that speaks for itself.

I was first introduced to Simon in 2011’s “The Muppets” during a montage set to the ever iconic “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”, and since then I’ve loved diving deeper and deeper into his discography, as well as his work with Garfunkel. With a legacy like his, getting the opportunity to see THE Paul Simon live was a no brainer. This is Simon's first time back in Scotland since 2018 and since then he’s released one album, titled *Seven Psalms*. It was released three years ago and he’s been touring it since 2025. This is an especially poignant tour as Simon suffers from pretty significant hearing loss in his left ear, going as far to say that his “time is up” last year. From where I was sitting though, this hasn’t changed his skills as a player or indeed his gusto and energy for performing. The concert was split in two halves, the first was “A Quiet Celebration”, where Simon and his band played the entirety of *Seven Psalms* cover to cover. This was such a treat. Having an artist of Paul Simon's calibre playing a 33-minute piece uninterrupted was, to this point, the most unique show of a legacy artist I’ve ever seen. Beginning with the spiritual “The Lord” and flowing through the jaunty “Wait” then returning back to “The Lord” in a stunning reprise this was a treat for the ears. Act two was the greatest hits and when you’ve had a career as enduring as one Mr Paul Simon has how do you whittle that down into a small setlist? Somehow he managed to play the tunes that you’d expect to hear like “Graceland” and “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” while also including Simon and Garfunkel staples “Homeward Bound” and “The Boxer”. This tour is not an arena show and this is played to the advantage of getting some quieter songs on the setlist that wouldn’t work in a bigger setting. For long-time fans of Simon, getting to hear “St Judy’s Comet” and “The Late Great Johnny Ace” live was nothing short of mesmerising.

I sort of get this same feeling when seeing legendary artists but there’s a certain touching moment when you snap to the realisation that the performance you’re watching has soundtracked your entire life. Maybe even your parents entire lives. These songs have existed long before I have and will exist long after I do so how lucky am I to see these tunes performed by the very person that penned them all those years ago. Nowhere was this feeling more prominent than when Simon played “The Sound of Silence”, solo and acoustic. Easily the most powerful moment of the evening was hearing an aged Paul Simon sing memories of the past that echo on to today in an intimate venue. This is an experience I’ll carry with me forever. Whether you’re a superfan of Rhymin’ Simon or like Fozzie Bear only know “Me and Julio”, this is a show that has something for everyone who loves music.