Chill out at Atkinson as the lead singer of Icicle Works entertains

ROBERT IAN McNABB has gone from being the frontman of The Icicle Works to a solo career, performing with Ringo Starr, Neil Young/Crazy Horse, Mike Scott, and Danny Thompson of folk band Pentangle.

Ian joined his first band, Young World, at the age of 15, and they played the working men’s club circuit for a couple of years before Ian joined another band, City Lights.

They gigged extensively around the North of England cabaret circuit, but Ian grew tired of playing other people’s songs and decided that cabaret was not the way forward for him.

He had always written songs for fun but now he began to take it seriously.

In 1981, he formed The Icicle Works with Chris Sharrock (drums), and Chris Layhe (bass and vocals). They quickly gained a following through their debut single release, Nirvana, and extensive live performances up and down the country.

The Icicle Works became part of the Liverpool renaissance movement of the ’80s, alongside acts such as Echo and The Bunnymen, The Teardrop

Explodes, WAH! Heat, OMD, Black, Dead Or Alive, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, The Lotus Eaters, and China Crisis.

Ian has had success right through the ’90s and 2000s and, so far this decade, has released Little Episodes, Eclectic Warrior, and Kruggerands – harder rocking albums which both feature the band Cold Shoulder.

Respectfully Yours is a long-promised album of cover versions; Star, Smile, Strong, features collaborations with Prof Brian Cox, a co-write with Ralph Molina (from Crazy Horse), and the unexpected return of Icicle Works drummer Chris Sharrock (who had gone on to work with The La’s, World Party, Del Amitri, Dave Stewart, Mick Jagger, Robbie Williams, Oasis, and both Liam and Noel Gallagher in their solo endeavours).

Most recently Ian has released Our Future In Space, which once again features Cold Shoulder, and the song Aquamarine, co-written with REM’s Peter Buck.

See Ian at The Atkinson, Southport, on March 6 and get tickets at www.theatkinson.co.uk/events/ianmcnabb-2020/