[1] Previously the frontman of the Icicle Works, McNabb has since embarked on a solo career and performed with Ringo Starr, Neil Young/Crazy Horse,[2] Mike Scott (of the Waterboys), and Danny Thompson of folk band Pentangle.

McNabb cites his earliest musical influences as being from watching T. Rex's "Born to Boogie" and That'll Be the Day starring David Essex at the age of 10.

McNabb quit Young World near the end of 1976 and joined an all-male teen cabaret group called City Lights.

In October 2006, after 15 years as a solo artist, McNabb unexpectedly revived the name the Icicle Works for a series of UK concerts.

A few phone calls later, McNabb found himself in a Los Angeles studio with Crazy Horse drummer Ralph Molina and bassist Billy Talbot.

Molina and Talbot toured with McNabb in 1994, featuring on the short live bonus CD which accompanied his next album, Merseybeast (1996).

[1] This performance also featured Noel Gallagher of Oasis on uncredited rhythm guitar as the group covered The Seeds' "Pushin' Too Hard".

On returning to performing his own material, McNabb focused on acoustic music, leading to a residency at the Birmingham club of Ronnie Scott.

The album included one newly written track, "Why Are the Beautiful So Sad", which continued to chronicle McNabb's dislike of celebrity culture as noted earlier in "Don't Patronise Me".

The album's opening track, "Livin' Proof (Miracles Can Happen)", was written for the Go-Go's reunion which had recently taken place, but was declined by that band.

The album was moderately received critically, with reviewers complaining of a lack of variety in the rock bombast of the record as compared to its two predecessors.

[citation needed] 2001 also saw the issue of a demos and outtakes collection, Waifs and Strays, which included previously unreleased material and alternate versions of familiar McNabb chestnuts.

Almost entirely performed by McNabb (with help from his long-time collaborator and bassist in the latter-day Icicle Works Roy Corkill), the album takes in a variety of styles from rock, through ballads, a touch of funk, and acoustic storytelling.

This was McNabb's highest-ever chart placing as a solo artist, and his biggest hit since The Icicle Works' "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" reached No.

This unexpected chart success was assisted considerably by his loyal fanbase buying several different formats of the single in an attempt to gain greater publicity and recognition for his then-current album, Before All of This.

But despite support from a number of prominent DJs such as Jeremy Vine and Janice Long on BBC Radio 2, further widespread success continued to elude McNabb.

In January and February 2008, McNabb was involved with "The Number Ones Project", a concert and compilation album celebrating Liverpool's fifty-six No.

McNabb played at the January concert, and subsequently appeared on the album, released in February, with his studio cover of John Lennon's "Woman".

McNabb's tenth studio album, Eclectic Warrior, was created as a pledge music project, and was released on 18 March 2013.

In June 2014, McNabb joined radio station 'Radio Wirral' and was appointed to host a regular Friday night slot from 10 pm until 12 midnight.

Originally, the plan was to release the album in 2020 and then tour the country, but the pandemic changed this much to the chagrin of McNabb according to the posts on his blog.

He also had occasion to serve as a touring bassist for one of his heroes, Ringo Starr, whose son Zak Starkey had had an early music industry break in 1988 when McNabb hired him to be a member of a late-running version of The Icicle Works.