Rab Noakes Press

A press pack about Rab Noakes is available in PDF format:
Rab Noakes Press Pack (2009 revision) 1.77 MB

Rab Noakes Short Biography

Rab has featured in the press on many occasions. A selection of quotes from the press are given below:

Live shows:
‘With his warmly intimate vocal style, apposite guitar picking and background knowledge it would have been a hard heart who wasn’t drawn in’ - Rob Adams

‘His set was a roots festival in itself' - Rob Adams

‘Stunning.’ - Living Tradition magazine

‘a man who knows a good sound and a good song’ - fROOTS magazine

‘He is turning out first-rate songs with something to say, songs with the sort of edge and musical maturity that will win him new admirers.’ - Donny O’Rourke

'Highly prolific and of a consistently good standard, Rab Noakes writes melodic songs that seem to have that special quality of being perceived on at least two levels; the self absorbed singer songwriter material that typifies most aspiring songsmiths who started out in the early Seventies, but at the same time great and memorable pop songs. ' - Allan Wilkinson, Fatea Magazine
(read full review here)

Recordings:
‘It’s the art of song presented with oodles of style, deeply satisfying and vital.’ - Tony May

‘Neon records should prove to be a home of excellence.’ - Michael Weston King

‘Noakes’ clean guitar and languorous vocals…’ - Norman Chalmers

Further Press Quotes
“There was the wee Cupar singer-songwriter enthusing about Beck’s ability to draw 50 years of pop history together in one show while he himself was in the process of drawing…50 years, maybe more, of pop history together in one show”. -
Rob Adams – The Herald June 2000

“Now, collaborating with a host of musicians under the name The Varaflames, Rab could be the closest Scotland has to musical royalty”. - Go Magazine, November 2000

“…Noakes’ clean guitar and languorous vocals…” - Norman Chalmers – Scotland on Sunday, November 2000

“Rab’s warmly intimate vocal style, apposite guitar picking and singing first rate songs with something important to say, songs with the sort of edge and musical maturity that wins him new admirers…”, “…are sure to turn the evening into an unmissable one”. - The Fife Herald, October 2000

“…mention Rab and words such as ‘legendary’ and ‘seminal’ seem to follow.”- Jackie Copleton, Glaswegian, November 2000

“Rab Noakes, meanwhile, looks at times as if he would rather be anywhere else than here, but this guy and his band can play and he writes terrific songs…” - Paul Massey, The Herald, December 2000

“Faultless production and funky backing band” - Anne Marie Middleton- The Scotsman, July 2000

“The expertise of someone who’s done it all” - Living Tradition, September 2000

“A man who knows a good sound and a good song.” - fRoots, September 2000

“Stunning.” - Neil Brown- Living Tradition, January 2001

“The sheer authority of presentation.” “Rab Noakes’ set was a roots festival in itself” - Rob Adams, The Herald 1999

"Not only do you never know what to expect from pop's history but his own song catalogue has such reserves." - Rob Adams, The Herald 2000

“Great performance and the finesse of a great production” -
Colin Harper, Mojo Magazine

“Noakes produces a fresh, vibrant & varied record which should garner him must justified praise.” - Nick Allan, Get Rhythm Magazine

Click here to access the online store to buy Rab Noakes CDs and digital downloads.