Fife-raised folk singer Rab Noakes is contending with the “phlegm stage” of a summer cold when The Courier calls to speak about his new album launch – but it’s a relatively minor inconvenience he is happy to deal with following his recent well publicised battle with cancer.
The 71-year-old founder member of Stealers Wheel was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015 and, having undergone treatment more than three years ago, is pleased to report it’s “so far so good” regarding his prognosis.
A singer-songwriter for more than 50 years, the St Andrews-born musician is certainly keeping himself busy – despite recent health hurdles.
Just a few weeks ago he hosted a well-received ‘Audience with David Mach’ type event in his home town of Cupar as part of the arts festival, and, at the time of this chat, he is looking forward to being ‘in conversation with’ fellow Fife singers Barbara Dickson and KT Tunstall in events at the Edinburgh Fringe.
However, it’s a well-attended and highly-acclaimed concert he performed as part of the Celtic Connections festival last year, that forms the backbone of his 20th full-album ‘Welcome to Anniversaryville’ being launched in Fife on August 29.
The songs which were performed with his ‘70/50 in 2017’ band of musicians at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket form a rich mixture of Rab’s self-penned material with a diverse range of interpretations.
And as well as the performance taking place around the launch, Rab is delighted that the event is taking place at the Lochgelly Centre – a venue close to his heart.
“I grew up in Cupar so the whole Fife experience was very much part of growing up,” he said.
“But I’ve always thought the Lochgelly Centre – a terrific centre – was a great addition to Fife’s cultural environment in an area that often had little attention.
“I once lived relatively close by, at Torbain Farm cottages, on the Auchtertool – Kirkcaldy road.
“But my first performance there came in 1984 at the time of the Miners’ strike. I’d been talking to Billy Connolly and he said ‘If you’re doing anything in Fife, count me in.’
“I contacted what was then ‘Arts in Fife’ and, in conjunction with Fife County Council, two concerts were organised. One was in Dunfermline, at Carnegie Hall, and one in Lochgelly, at the centre. They were a major success and raised about £5,000.00 between them. John Watt opened the concerts, I played a set and Billy played the whole second half.
“The next time I performed there was in 2000. I was with my occasional band, The Varaflames, and it was our first tour.”
In 2018 when Rab and his wife, Stephy Pordage, were planning the production of the new album, they met with Celie Byrne to discuss the possibility of her doing the artwork.
They met at Lochgelly Centre where she had an exhibition at the time – and she agreed to do it.
“While we were at the centre we were approached by the folks there and invited to hold a launch for the album in the centre. We gladly accepted this invitation and look forward very much to the event, in this terrific space.”
- Rab Noakes: Welcome To Anniversaryville Launch, Lochgelly Centre, August 29, www.onfife.com
