Ian McNabb brings four decades of songs to Cluny 2

Ian McNabb at Cluny 2 brings one of Liverpool’s most enduring guitar songwriters back to Newcastle on Wednesday 25 November 2026. From The Icicle Works through a long, self-directed solo career, McNabb has kept melodic pop, expansive rock and the independence of a working musician closely connected. Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets are £23 plus fees and the show is 16+.

Ian McNabb at Cluny 2: four decades beyond The Icicle Works

McNabb formed The Icicle Works with drummer Chris Sharrock and bassist Chris Layhe in 1981. The trio became part of Liverpool’s creative surge during that decade, finding a UK top 20 hit with “Love Is A Wonderful Colour” and international chart success with “Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)”. All four of the original band’s albums reached the UK top 40 before the group split in 1988.

The solo story that followed has been anything but a quiet appendix. McNabb remortgaged his house to finance Truth And Beauty, then recorded parts of Head Like A Rock in Los Angeles with members of Neil Young’s Crazy Horse. That album earned a Mercury Music Prize nomination in 1994. His catalogue has continued through major-label releases, self-financed records and his own Fairfield imprint, allowing him to keep writing and touring on his own terms.

There are plenty of connections running through that history. Songs developed with Ian Broudie later appeared on Lightning Seeds records; McNabb toured on bass and keyboards with The Waterboys; and he briefly played bass in Ringo Starr’s band. More recent work has brought Chris Sharrock back into the fold and included a co-write with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck on “Aquamarine”, featured on Our Future In Space.

That breadth gives the Cluny 2 date several possible routes. Familiar Icicle Works songs remain part of the foundation, but the deeper interest lies in how they sit beside a solo catalogue made across changing line-ups, labels and eras. In a seated or close-listening room, the songs and the stories behind them can share equal weight.

Ian McNabb plays Cluny 2, Newcastle, on Wednesday 25 November 2026. Doors are at 7.30pm, tickets cost £23 plus fees and the event is 16+, with under-18s accompanied by an adult. See the official event page or buy tickets. Browse more dates in our Upcoming Gigs guide.

Event details are correct at the time of publication. Please check with the venue or ticket provider before travelling.