32 Facts About Ian McNabb

Robert Ian McNabb was born in Lourdes Hospital in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, the first and only child of Patricia and Robert Gerard McNabb.

Ian McNabb had a brief stint as a child model, and a resultant photo was later featured on the album art of Potency: The Best of Ian McNabb.

Ian McNabb has been a supporter of Liverpool FC since childhood.

Chris Sharrock later joined the group, where Ian McNabb first became friends with him, he would go on to drum for The Icicle Works.

Ian McNabb wrote his first song at age 15, titled "Apologise ".

Ian McNabb quit Young World near the end of 1976 and joined an all-male teen cabaret group called City Lights.

Ian McNabb began attending the Mabel Fletcher College of Music and Drama.

Ian McNabb quit City Lights in February 1980, having agreed to start a band with Chris Sharrock.

Ian McNabb became the lead vocalist and songwriter for the band, which was founded in 1980.

Ian McNabb played extras in many television dramas at this time.

Ian McNabb put together a new "second generation" Icicle Works line-up in 1989, which released one album in 1990.

In October 2006, after 15 years as a solo artist, Ian McNabb unexpectedly revived the name the Icicle Works for a series of UK concerts.

In essence, Ian McNabb seemed to be re-branding himself, using a somewhat more successful trade name in order to give his work increased exposure.

Ian McNabb then retired the name for a few years, before playing a handful of "30th Anniversary" shows as the Icicle Works in 2011.

Around the time of the split of the Icicle Works in 1990, Ian McNabb spent some time as a de facto member of the Wild Swans, playing guitar and singing background vocals.

The Wild Swans dissolved in late 1990, and Ian McNabb then issued two solo singles in 1991 to little notice.

Ian McNabb then resurfaced in 1993 with a collection of demos which would form the basis of his first solo album, Truth and Beauty.

Label boss Andrew Lauder then suggested that Ian McNabb go to record in America, which Ian McNabb was sceptical about.

Ian McNabb facetiously suggested to Lauder that his new material sounded like Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and if Lauder could get Crazy Horse to play on the record, he would go to America.

On returning to performing his own material, Ian McNabb focused on acoustic music, leading to a residency at the Birmingham club of Ronnie Scott.

Ian McNabb followed APPBOBOTEP with a live acoustic album, Live at Life, compiled from a pair of Christmas gigs in 1999.

Ian McNabb marked McNabb's full-band return, and was issued by Sanctuary Records.

Ian McNabb returned to his own Fairfield label in 2002, and issued the low-key The Gentleman Adventurer.

Later in 2005, Ian McNabb released People Don't Stop Believin, an album of B-sides and outtakes from Before All of This.

In late 2008, Ian McNabb participated in a concert reunion of City Lights.

Ian McNabb revived The Icicle Works moniker and current lineup for a sporadic set of concerts throughout the rest of the year and on into 2016.

In March 2016, Ian McNabb released his first album of covers, titled Respectfully Yours.

Originally, the plan was to release the album in 2020 and then tour the country, but the pandemic changed this much to the chagrin of Ian McNabb according to the posts on his blog.

Around the time the "second generation" Icicle Works were winding down, Ian McNabb became a de facto member of The Wild Swans, playing guitar and singing back-up vocals on their second studio album, 1990's Space Flower.

Ian McNabb co-wrote a total of two songs with Broudie that wound up on The Lightning Seeds' second and third albums, 1992's Sense and 1994's Jollification.

Ian McNabb had occasion to serve as a touring bassist for one of his heroes, Ringo Starr, whose son Zak Starkey had had an early music industry break in 1988 when McNabb hired him to be a member of a late-running version of The Icicle Works.

Ian McNabb has contributed guitar on Amsterdam's album The Journey and Gary Cooke's debut album Songs for Everyday Use.