The Official Website for Ian McNabb & The Icicle Works

29th March 2011

Hello pop pickers!

Well the off/on run of solo shows is now over for a bit.

Last Friday I went to the Palm House in Sefton park in Liverpool to help out my old mate 'Whispering' Bob Harris who was doing "An Evening With..." type thingy. I just got up at the end and did a couple of covers. Everyone was very merry by then (including me) and a splendid time was had by all. I then jumped in the car with Bob and his missus Trudie and we rocked into town for a couple of nightcaps. I got home far later than planned and then woke up at lunchtime on Saturday to face a gig day. St. Helens to be exact. A lunchtime pint woke me up and got me in the mood and St. Helens was duly serviced. A great night and a really special venue (The Citadel) that feels like a theatre but has the intimacy of the back room of a pub.

Sunday was a beautiful day and a trip into town for a good old roastie was called for. I was planning to go and see my pal Stevie Riks perform at the Green room on Duke St. but somehow didn't feel my bones could take the rattling which would occur from watching the great man at 3.00pm in the afternoon. Upon digestion and a glass of wine or two in the Shipping Forecast on Slater street I headed down to the Cavern where my old schoolmate Tony O' Keeffe's band The Shakers were playing. They play everything you would want to hear from the Merseybeat era and are really terrific. Of course the roar of the greasepaint and the smell of the crowd was too much to resist so I ended jumping up with them for three or four tunes. I just can't help it can I?

So - the next public outing will be the Icicle Works shows which commence at the very end of April. Tickets have been selling brilliantly so that's very encouraging. I'll be appearing on Radcliffe and Maconie's new Radio 6 Music show to promote the gigs in the middle of the month. I'll let you know exactly when when I know.

We'll be learning over two and a half hours worth of material for the gigs and hope to change it around a bit every night so it's always a little different. By the way, these shows will have NO SUPPORT acts and will start promptly at 8.00pm each night. The curfew at most 02 venues at the weekend is 10.00pm so stagetime is set in stone. Don't say you haven't been warned!!

So....rest and relaxation with a lot of springcleaning and some songwriting are my plans for April. Please get your tickets now for the Icicle Works shows as it looks as though they will all sell out in advance and I would hate for anyone to be disappointed by turning up on the night and hoping to get in.

Enjoy the spring weather...been a long cold lonely winter right?

Bon Jovi,

IMc x.

8th March 2011

Hello pop pickers!

Sorry it's been a while.

Well the year got off to a great start with the three Scottish shows.

Lathones was a 'normal' show but got the juices flowing for the job at hand for the next two nights. It was a bunch of fun to do and something of a challenge with me having to don my reading specs for quite a few tunes I haven't played in an age - Conscience Of Kings has been played about once in the past 25 years and Who Do You Want For Your Love? hasn't been aired since 1988!

The Tuesday was a long day without travel (before the show) so my new friend K and his wee lad Sergio took me for lunch and a full day of sightseeing around the area which was fabulous.

On the Wednesday as soon as the long drive home was over I met up with my friends Nasher (of Frankie Goes To Hollywood) and Ian Prowse (Amsterdam) in Pogues on Fleet street for a couple of Guinness' before we went and played an Anti-government cuts benefit at Ricky Tomlinson's club The Green Room on Duke Street. A splendid time was had by all.

Thursday I was still buzzin' so I popped into town for a jar and ended up jamming with two young French lads in Mathew street for half an hour. They started coining it after I joined them but I didn't take a cut as they looked like they needed the money.

I slept most of the weekend after that.

We're looking at ways to generate some cash to start the next album and I will be calling on you all with a cunning plan very shortly.....

Next up is the Red Door in West Kirkby on March 15th which should be a fun, intimate show. Get your tickets now!

The Icicle Works tickets are flying out so please remember to book early if you want to get in.
Don't get upset with me if you're locked out on the night!

That's it for now.

Stay classy,

IMc.

10th January 2011

Attention shoppers!

A very happy new year to you all. I think this year is going to be tough for anyone who isn't already wealthy (or a banker) but we must be positive and barrel forward with determination.
I'm certainly feeling chipper, although this may have a lot to do with the fact that I was laid low by a cough so horrendous that Xmas and new year were a non starter and just being normal again and being able to breath without going into spluttering convulsions is akin to joy.

The Head Like A Rock show was a gas and thanks to all who came. We put a hell of a lot of effort into it and were only mildy disappointed when the horrendous weather which fell the night before put paid to our walk up which probably cost us 100+ people, which was the figure last year. Anyway we had a hoot and it seems you guys did too - thanks for making the effort - the gig was very nearly postponed but it's such a drag when that happens - for everyone. Check out the footage on McNABBTV

A couple of days after that I went to see Paul McCartney play upstairs to 1,200 people and what a night that was, never thought I'd see such a huge artist play in a venue that size...ta Macca! (And thanks for the free food!).

So...the festive period came and went...how was it for you? I made a cup of tea at ten past twelve on New Year's and watched the Groucho club mate-fest that is Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny. I liked the polar bear. Kylie Minogue cannot sing.

So 2011. Lots of gigs in already. This year's Xmas bash will be two solo shows at the fabulous new Capstone Theatre. I'll be playing 50 songs over two nights so the shows will be totally different. Would you believe tickets are already selling well so don't leave it too late. Capacity is severely limited to just under 300 per night - book early!!!

Much to look forward to...a new album...a rocking affair this time with my live band. We'll probably be cutting this in the next couple of months. I have loads of new songs...they're still coming!

So keep checking the website for updates...have you got your Icicle Works tickets yet for April/May? The venues are smaller than last time and will undoubtedly sell out so don't linger on that one either (sorry if I sound like Del Boy here but I hate it when people are calling me to the stage door 20 mins before we go on telling me they've been following me for 30 years and they can't get in. Book in advance! It's cheaper!)

Really looking forward to starting the year off north of the border with three nights at the Fifestock festival end of February / beginning of March. Hope to see some of you there.

Oh...I got an Iphone. I've never invested in an Ipod so I'm catching up on the joys of listening to music all day long as I go about my business. It reminds me of the excitement I felt when i first got a Sony Walkman...you're never bored! I've rediscovered my record collection. Expect it to show in the new songs.

You buggers stay out of trouble now.

Peace out y'all,

IMc.

P.S You can add me on Facebook if you want to follow my every move!

6th December 2010

Hello sports fans!

The Scottish shows went great - thanks to all who came. Was a real pleasure to play a different venue in Glasgow this time (Stereo), and everybody seemed to rise to the occasion.

We rehearsed HLAR with the girl singers last week and that was a real buzz - also great to play Go Into The Light which I think I only played solo a couple of times, working our way around Sad, Strange, Solitary Catholic Mystic which has obviously never been played before, and This Time Is Forever which has only ever been played at Richard Naiff's wedding!

I'm really looking forward to the Xmas gig - it's a real challenge to play an album all the way through in sequence - I think we'll be ready.

OK so one last solo show (Bristol on the 10th) and we're on the home stretch. I've also been writing a fair bit and am feeling the call of the studio for a new album. I think the next one will be the band live in the studio with minimum overdubs - haven't done one like that since HLAR.

Well, hope to see as many of you as possible at the last two shows - if I don't speak to you before have a great Xmas!

IMc x

5th November 2010

Greeting pop pickers!

I'm sitting here with my laptop on my knee watching re-runs of Colditz, inbetween spinning tunes. Tonight I have listened to the re-issued Band On The Run, dipped into a lot of the Apple re-issues, and have been hammering the new Keith Richards solo compilation (largely due to me reading his book which I am enjoying enormously).

Had a great time in Leeds last Thursday and must say these solo shows are among some of the most enjoyable I've done in a long time. We used to cart my piano around with us back in the day but it was too big and meant we had to hire a van - so now we take my amp and electric guitar around with us for a bit of variation amongst all the acoustic-ness of it all. It seems to work well. And we get to travel in a nice comfy car.

I've had a rotten cold this week which put my plans for a nice birthday bash (November 3rd) on hold - oh well I don't need any excuse for a party, we can do it anytime! (it was also a miserable wet Wednesday which is never a good starting point). I received many messages on Facebook and thanks if you were one who sent one of them. I also received lots of text messages - mainly from ex-girfriends which always disarms me slightly but I guess I should be flattered that they can never let go eh.

So...the medicine show rolls into Manchester this Saturday which is always a special night - I hope to see some of you there.

I always feel the need to have a whinge on here but I've decided if I haven't got anything positive to say I'll keep my gob shut. It usually only starts a fight anyway. No doubt something will rile me soon and I won't be able to resist!

Tickets are flying out for the Xmas show so you better get them while you can - it's gonna be a corker!

Keep on suppin' in the freak world!

See you all soon me luvs,

IMc x

22nd September 2010

Hiya pranksters!

Well I is chuffed at the moment. Loadsa gigs running up to the end of the year and Icicle Works 30th (2011) Tix on sale as we speak. Great to be working with SJM (promoters) again, they really get things done and make it easy. I'm so used to having to push
the boulder up the hill largely by myself (a shout out here to Paul Bruns who has been my proverbial rock this year - and previous ones - he built this website single handedly by the way) that it's a real joy to have enthusiastic folk working with you instead of the usual whingeing naysayers.

Anyway - the Icicle Works shows WILL sell out...don't leave it too long...the venues aren't that big.

Lots to think about...writing new songs and digging out ones I very rarely play on the upcoming gigs...big show on December 18th...busy busy...plans within plans.

The New Brighton gig was a blast...thanks to those who came and supported a great cause.

Um...can't think of anything at the moment...unless you want me to rant about the hypocrisy of the Papal visit?

Nah...didn't think so - give me a PayPal visit anytime!

Keep comin' back!

See you at the shows,

IMc x

31st August 2010

Thanks to everyone who came to the shows at the weekend. It was good to play again. I miss it and don't do it enough. A few years ago me and my band played loads of festivals. However I had a top agent then who seems to have lost interest in me. I shall have to find another! The next show will be a charity show in Birkenhead on September 11th. Check out the details on the website.

I had a goof around at the Mathew Street festival on Monday. I don't usually bother but it was a beautiful day and it seemed a shame not to join in. I enjoyed meeting up with Stuart Anthony and his lovely wife Chrissie and we were suitably jollified. We watched the Doors Alive who are very good. I then tried to watch Bruce Foxton but the crowd was so vast I couldn't see anything. Then it was up to the Zanzibar to watch my mate Alan's band the Trestles who were also great.  Then up to the Philharmonic to see my buddy Stevie Riks who was a funny as ever...he introduced Neil Innes and Pete Best...priceless. By this time I was Beatled out and it was home time.

I am close to confirming four Icicle Works shows next April to celebrate 30 years since we played our first gig (April 1981 - crazy isn't it?!). I can't believe I've been doing this for so long. Thanks for enabling me not having to get a job! These shows will be at 02 Academies.
London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. Hope to see as many of you there as possible.

I've written some new songs which I'm honing and look forward to playing some of them over the next couple of months. It's such a bugger learning even more words...my brain seems full of useless information which I can't delete to make way for new stuff. I don't feel too bad about this however as loads of old rockers all use autocues to remember the words of songs they've been singing for 40 years! They also have them in massive letters as we're all going blind now as well as deaf! Oh well...can't think of anything else.

Keep coming back...I'm determined to write something on here every week even if I don't have that much to say.

TTFN,

IMc.

18th August 2010

Hello there music lovers!

Welcome to the first blog of which will be many.

I'm not always a big fan of musician's blogs. I feel much of the time they give the game away. I used to love imagining what my heroes were up to as I sat through my mundane schooldays. Was Marc Bolan dancing through a forest with pixies? Was David Bowie in direct contact that very moment with his counterpart on Mars? I think I know what Gary Glitter was doing! It was important NOT to know what they were doing. These days everybody tells you what they're doing every five minutes. It's boring. 'I'm sitting in traffic in Pimlico.' 'I wish Ben wouldn't leave the toilet seat up.' Twitter is a rubbish invention in my opinion and it has spoiled quality of life. Facebook has it's uses although I could do without it sometimes. Where once I would read a book, write a song, watch a movie, play the piano...now I sit and tap inanely to people who I don't know - about nothing at all. Wrong!

Anyway I will be posting on here as regularly as I can so drop by as often as you wish.

Thank you for your continued support.

IMc.