Ian Mcnabb - The Icicle Works front man and Solo artist.The God Cast Interview.

The Icicle Works (also known as Icicle Works in the United States are an English alternative rock band, named after the 1960 short story "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl. They had a top 20 UK hit with "Love Is a Wonderful Colour" (1983). In the US and Canada, they had one top 40 hit, the 1984 single "Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)". Consisting of singer/guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter Ian McNabb, drummer Chris Sharrock, and bassist Chris Layhe, the band released four albums from 1984 to 1988. The original band broke up in 1989, but McNabb has continued to perform under the Icicle Works name with various replacement members; this revised Icicle Works line-up still plays sporadic live dates After having been a solo act for 15 years, in 2006 McNabb reactivated The Icicle Works name for a series of six UK concerts in October of that year. This version of the band consisted of McNabb, former 'second-generation' Icicle Works bassist Roy Corkill, and two new members: keyboard player Richard Naiff and ex-Dodgy drummer Mathew Priest, both of McNabb's long-time solo touring band. Original drummer Chris Sharrock had been invited to play with the revived group, but declined to participate. That same year, the Icicle Works' self-titled debut album was reissued as both a 2-CD and limited edition 3-CD set, each featuring a wealth of bonus tracks and radio sessions. The Icicle Works appeared at GuilFest 2007 and played a nine-date UK tour in December 2007. McNabb and company played two free shows as 'The Icicle Works' in Liverpool in January 2008. Later in 2008, a compilation of unreleased early Icicle Works tracks and demos called Lost Icicles, Volume 1 was issued as a digital-only release. Lost Icicles, Volume 2, a recording of a live show from 1984, was issued as a digital-only release around the same time. McNabb continued to play gigs as a solo artist throughout 2009 and 2010. In 2009, the band's fifth album Permanent Damage was reissued in a 2-CD set with bonus tracks. Over the next two years, the band's three remaining studio albums were reissued in deluxe 2-CD and 3-CD sets, all featuring numerous bonus tracks. After a three-year hiatus from performing, the McNabb/Corkhill/Naiff/Priest line-up played a series of 30th Anniversary gigs as The Icicle Works in 2011. In an unrelated event, on 11 August of that year, original Icicle Works member Chris Layhe joined Ian McNabb onstage at a McNabb solo gig. The duo performed 3 Icicle Works songs and one cover song by The Clash. It was the first time McNabb and Layhe had performed together in 23 years. While McNabb continues to perform, record and release new material as a solo artist, The Icicle Works typically continue to play a handful of UK shows every year or two.