IAN McNABB

. . .Revisiting Ronnie Scott's

A Review of the Birmingham Concert: December 13 1998
By Susie Fielding

I was hoping to find a review of this gig on the Web Site, but almost a week has passed, and nothing has appeared. Such a storming evening cannot pass uncelebrated so it looks like the job falls to me. Apologies.

After missing McNabb's week long residency at Ronnie's in May (the Crystal Ball had let me down, and I'd booked a holiday for the same week) lightning was not going to strike twice - the planned weekend away in Hereford was cut short. The tickets were ordered.

The omens were excellent: the reviews on the Webpage had been very encouraging. The venue must surely be special to have been favoured with so many dates and a mention on the liner notes for the latest album. Plus it was the last date of the (original) tour, which usually guarantees a good atmosphere.

We were not disappointed, Ian was in fantastic voice, and the audience (size: 2 - 300? all the seats were all taken, plus numerous people standing) seemed to comprise a large contingent of fellow long-time fans (including lots of girls!), ensuring raucous choruses for most songs followed by extremely enthusiastic applause.

I didn't record the set list (there are some occasions in life when it just isn't appropriate to take notes), but "Fire Inside my Soul" was first, Roy Corkhill and Mokka appeared on bass and keyboards respectively for several numbers, and the Gibson was again abused. Songs included, apart from those referred to elsewhere (and in no particular order):

Camaraderie
Sex with Someone You Love
Liverpool Girl
I'm a Genius
Starry Blue Eyed Wonder
Understanding Jane
Little Princess
Out of Season
Bloom
Merseybeast
I Don't Want to Talk About It (Cover Version)
Love is a Wonderful Colour
A Little Bit of Magic
Evangeline
Hollow Horse

I know there were others, and links into bits of other songs, but the only thing I could ever remember on the Generation Game was the cuddly toy.

The night just flew away, but the first set lasted almost an hour, followed by half a dozen songs from Carina Round (I fully endorse the comments in the Trina Heath review of 29 May). The second set began shortly before 10:30pm and lasted until after midnight.

We were treated to one joke:

Q:   What do you call a Teletubby who's been burgled?
A:   A Tubby

and the occasional one-liner, but there was not much other evidence of the "new comedy profile" reported in other reviews. Shame! I wanted to hear the monologues referred to in the Leeds/Ashton under Lyne reviews.

Highlights of the night were:

  1. Two 4 feet high illuminated snowmen graced either side of the stage. Ian noticed one was not working, and issued an instruction to "Get it Sorted". A couple of technicians spent some time checking the all the wiring and connections to no avail. Finally, they hit on the novel (and successful) idea of replacing the light bulb.
  2. A hilarious version of "Tin Can"-- played after members of the audience sent up 3 sheets of paper with the entire lyrics: "Tin Can at my feet", "I'm gonna kick it", "Down the streeeeeeet". "The worst song I ever wrote" said Ian, and then asked for 3 volunteers from the audience. Nigel from Newport, a "Foxy Chick" from Cambridgeshire and a "thirty-something" bloke with a Liverpool accent who said he was from Cheltenham did the honours, holding aloft their sheets, and occasionally singing their lines into the mike - Nigel doing the best McNabb impersonation.
    Meanwhile, the man himself took a seat in the audience to give musical direction and encouragement. Afterwards he shook Nigel's hand, and kissed the "foxy chick" on the cheek, so the 30something bloke kissed Ian on the cheek.
  3. Ian's mum was in the audience, as he pointed out to everyone, so she got a round of applause.
  4. Ian greeting the audience after arriving back on stage for a second encore with: "Merry F***ing Christmas".
  5. The second encore featured "You Stone My Soul" when audience participation achieved a new high - Ian got everyone standing and clapping along to the chorus, and then jumped off the stage and wandered amongst the audience for several minutes shaking hands, and keeping the momentum going.
    After the second encore, the audience refused to budge, and spontaneously started up another chorus of "You Stone my Soul" which lasted several minutes, until the man reappeared to thunderous and deafening applause for one final number: "Child Inside a Father".

Despite threatening at one point that he was having such a good time that he could go on all night, the house lights went up after the third encore.

A wonderful night - even my husband, who was finally converted after seeing McNabb play bass for Mike Scott in October/November 1997 cheerfully admitted: "He's really talented". And never had that fact been more apparent than tonight.

In the days it has taken me to write this I see we can do it all over again on 7 February 1999.

Well count me in!

Susie Fielding,
18 December 1998

[Carl's Note (9 January 1999): Paul Cole reports that the set list for the Birmingham show was:

First Set

Second Set


18 December 1998. Page updated 9 January 1999 (HTML changes 24 February 2008).
This review Copyright © 1998, Susie Fielding. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission.
The right of Susie Fielding to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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