Rab Noakes celebrates 50 years as a musician

A force to be reckoned with on the Scottish music scene, Rab has performed with Lindisfarne, Stealers Wheel and Gerry Rafferty.

Early in 2015 Rab Noakes was diagnosed with tonsillar cancer and that year endured thirty early morning radiotherapy sessions and two chemotherapy overnights. It’s rigorous stuff and rendered him inactive for a few months.

But he was soon back in action - at the MU conference in July, followed by Roddy Hart’s Neil Young Tribute concert in September.

The release of his, I’m walkin’ here, album was delayed from May and saw the light of day in October.

The songs on this EP were written during the post-treatment period and were part of that process. They were recorded chronologically, so their performances reflect that progress. There’s no self-pity though, here you’ll find defiance, resilience, love, support and wit.

Rab’s wife, Stephy Pordage, was an integral part of the process at every stage. She was part of the production team with John Cavanagh.

She was a key part of the writing process and contributed a significant part of the lyric of the song,‘Mindful’.

Rab’s included the songs, at least one at a time, in performances since the gigs restarted back in November 2015.

He often prefaces any rendition by making light of it saying something like “When something like this happens to the likes of me at least I know I’ll probably get a couple of songs out of it”. He goes on to say “It sounds a wee bit flippant and it does puncture the tension a bit. Truth is, though, it’s what we do creatively. We utilise experience and observation of, and response to, life’s ingredients, add a helping of imagination and deliver a work”.

Catch this iconic 70s singer-songwriter on Thursday, March 16. The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £12.

For more information visit www.catstrand.cloudvenue.co.uk/rabnoakes or telephone 01644 420374.