Scots stars Dickson and Noakes to appear at Mareel next June

Barbara Dickson and Rab Noakes are coming to Mareel.

Veteran Scottish singers Barbara Dickson and Rab Noakes will appear at Mareel in June next year at a concert presented by Shetland Arts.

With a blend of folk songs, classic pop influences and self-written favourites, the pair will recall their early years playing in Scottish folk clubs and concert halls.

Dickson and Noakes have been friends since they were teenagers, singing and playing in venues around Scotland. As separate acts they often found themselves performing alongside each other (and other musical luminaries), creating a lifetime bond.

Subsequently they have occasionally performed live together, sang on each other’s records and remained friends for over 40 years. Both have established diverse solo careers, winning awards and praise for their work in many fields.

Shetland Arts marketing officer Lisa Ward said: “Rab’s continuing reputation as one of Scotland’s finest singer-songwriters and Barbara’s skills as an interpreter of new and traditional songs provide an enviable platform for this unique concert. We expect it will be very popular.”

From her folk scene roots to mainstream chart success with hits including I Know Him So Well,  Dickson has cemented her status as one of the UK’s best-loved performers.

As Scotland’s best-selling female album artist she has earned six platinum, 11 gold and seven silver albums.

Dickson has also achieved fame as an actress. She starred in the television series Band of Gold and appeared in the musicals Spend, Spend Spend and Willy Russell’s long-running Blood Brothers.

Noakes has enjoyed a varied and illustrious musical life including being a member of Stealers Wheel, writing songs for hit-makers Lindisfarne, regular appearances on iconic shows such as John Peel and The Old Grey Whistle Test, lots of records, interesting collaborations and consistent touring.