On 8 March, The Brunswick hosted Ian McNabb, a Liverpool-born artist who boasts a 40+ year career in the music industry. Starting as the frontman of the 80s band ‘The Icicle Works’, he then progressed onto touring with Ringo Starr and is now completing a solo tour.
With such an expansive discography, it’s no surprise that his performance this night spanned over two sets consisting of fan favourites from his time in The Icicle Works such as ‘Understanding Jane’, along with more recent releases from his solo career including ‘Our Future in Space’ and ‘Before All of This’.
The set was a one-man show, with McNabb alternating between the piano and guitar, along with his trusty harmonica, which he was keen to mention he had been playing before the Bob Marley film came out. What McNabb lacked in band members, he made up for in charisma, at one point leading the audience into a stilted Liverpool-inspired soundscape.
The audience was split into three sections, with mine being hesitant and somewhat self-conscious waves crashing, whilst the others were boat horns and police sirens.
Half concert, half comedy show, McNabb had the audience in the palm of his hand the entire night, rolling off jokes that had the packed audience laughing with a familiarity of old friends, many of them following McNabb’s career since his early years.
However, I was not the target audience for this show, with many jokes going over my head or references to growing up in the 80s (2003 baby here). Especially when McNabb launched into an impassioned speech on cancel culture, I found myself slowly sinking down into my chair.
However, for those feeling nostalgic of the 80s, you can catch McNabb on tour over the next couple of months.
Address: The Brunswick, 1 Holland Road, Hove, BN3 1JF
Website: The Brunswick Hove | Events Venue & Pub | United Kingdom
