Rab looked
smart in a black and grey stripped suit and with his
good looking band, began his show with ‘Let The Show Begin’! This was an
evening of song and stories.
Rab introduced
his band - Innes Watson (fiddle), Una
MacGlone (double bass), Stuart Brown
(drums), Una McImrpov, Christine Hanson (cello), Lisbee Roo IBanjo), and Jill
Jackson (vocals), I was impressed as he had four woman musicians in his band along
with two men! And they did an accomplished job too.
He sang his landmark songs – ‘Together Forever’ (which was covered by the band
Lindisfarme back in 1969), ‘Edens Flow’, and ‘Clear Day’ (a call and response
song). These song may not have made pop charts but they were hits with young
folk singers. Rab performed on the BBCs Old Grey Whistle Test and record in
Nashville.
He performed
his quality song ‘Gently Does It’, when he expertly played the melody on guitar
and spoke of being inspired by the acclaimed folk singer Alex Campbell and of
what a great performer he was the way he built up his set.
He sang the ‘Twa
Corbies’, along with the perfect-toned voice of Gaelic singer Kathleen Innes. And
a new stand out song, which was 'a Scots song nod to Dylan and a Bob Dylan nod
to Scots song' ‘Tramp and Immigrants’ – a mash up of Dylan’s ‘Pity the Poor
Immigrant’ and Scots song ‘Tramps and Hawkers’.
***II For a defiant start of his second set, Rab
sang ‘That won’t stop me’ from his Treatment Tapes Cd. This 70/50 concert was a
double celebration - Rab will be 70 this year and it was now 50 years of performing
his songs.
He sang songs
of travelling long gone folk and of things you taught me, with ‘Jackson
Greyhound.’ He sang he maturity of experience, lessons learnt and hard fought for
acceptance of being that bit older. He spoke of his travels in the deep
American south – starting at New Orleans, and on up to Nashville, Georgia,
Alabama, Louisiana - with the civil rights on one hand/ music on the other. He said
it was important to let the song tell the tale when he sang ‘A Voice Over my
Shoulder’.
Rab took
part in the project ‘Scotland Sings
- Hands up for Trad’ when he had re-engaged with the Scots song tradition
through working with Kathleen. He wrote his song about the treatment of asylum
seekers being lined up for farm work with ‘The Handwash Feein Mairket.’
He thanked
his wife Steph for her help during his cancer treatment and sang of love, with ‘Just
One Look’ and ‘I Always Will’. He also spoke of writing songs with her – and
sang ‘O Me O My (O Fly Away)’
Rab always
enjoys looking back and treated us to special songs of the past and along with
Kathleen he sang an emotional full stop song for his encore with the 1947 song ‘Tennessee
Waltz’, which had the Fruitmarket audience on its feet and it was clear his
emotion.
Noakes sings
with an American twang he picked up listening to radio back in the days. At the
time there were American ships in Glasgow and America was the dream place with
music fans here in the thrall of the American blues and rock. Times they are a
changing recently…
Noakes is
unassuming, genuine, and a keen observer of life. It was clear he had put a
great deal of consideration into the song choices for his concert. A memorable
night.
**SONGS
Let the Show Begin, By the Day (One More Shave n’ Haircut),
Together Forever, Gently Does it, The Twa Corbies, Tramps and Immigrants, Water
is my friend, I’m Walkin Here, Clear day,
II That won’t Stop
me, Where Dead Voices Gather, A Voice over my Shoulder, Jackson Greyhound,
Eden’s Flow, Handwash feein’ mairket, Just One Look, I Always Will, On me oh my
(Fly way oh fly away), Out of Your Sight, Tennessee Waltz.
