_1686 Rab Noakes "Rab\u2019s first fully-professional engagements were in 1967. Almost 50 years and more than 20 albums later he remains a vital, popular, prolific and acclaimed songwriter and performer. Rab now heads out with a solo version of his recent sold-out January concert at Glasgow\u2019s Celtic Connections. In January 2015 Rab played a significant guest role in the prestigious opening concert at Celtic Connections, an orchestration of Martyn Bennett\u2019s acclaimed Grit album by Greg Lawson. There were also creative collaborations with Barbara Dickson and he has been touring with acclaimed Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes with a variation on their Love, Ballads and Murder show. A relationship with Gerry Rafferty continued from the time Rab was a founder member of Stealers Wheel. Rab is hard to pin down in terms of influences. He is an accomplished songwriter whose songs reflect his lifelong interest in the popular song, in folk song and in songwriting. Alongside his acclaimed performance skills as applied to his own compositions his celebrated interpretations feature songs from sources as diverse as Elizabeth Cotten to Beck Hansen. Rab is also on the Executive Committee of the Musicians\u2019 Union who sponsored the \u2018Venue of the Year\u2019 award to SEALL at SMO last December. This is our way of thanking them for that support." Music Traditional "Rab\u2019s first fully-professional engagements were in 1967. Almost 50 years and more than 20 albums later he remains a vital, popular, prolific and acclaimed songwriter and performer. Rab now heads out with a solo version of his recent sold-out January concert at Glasgow\u2019s Celtic Connections. In January 2015 Rab played a significant guest role in the prestigious opening concert at Celtic Connections, an orchestration of Martyn Bennett\u2019s acclaimed Grit album by Greg Lawson. There were also creative collaborations with Barbara Dickson and he has been touring with acclaimed Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes with a variation on their Love, Ballads and Murder show. A relationship with Gerry Rafferty continued from the time Rab was a founder member of Stealers Wheel. Rab is hard to pin down in terms of influences. He is an accomplished songwriter whose songs reflect his lifelong interest in the popular song, in folk song and in songwriting. Alongside his acclaimed performance skills as applied to his own compositions his celebrated interpretations feature songs from sources as diverse as Elizabeth Cotten to Beck Hansen. Rab is also on the Executive Committee of the Musicians\u2019 Union who sponsored the \u2018Venue of the Year\u2019 award to SEALL at SMO last December. This is our way of thanking them for that support." 57.08641750493476 -5.880648823478737