Ian McNabb had three upcoming shows cancelled after he posted comments defending Russell Brand, and more dates were expected to follow. The cancellations hit scheduled appearances in Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh, turning a social media post into a wider touring problem for the 66-year-old singer.
The Cluny 2, Cottiers, Voodoo Rooms
Three venues dropped McNabb’s appearances: The Cluny 2 in Newcastle, Cottiers in Glasgow and The Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh. Refunds were available for the cancelled shows, which matters to ticket holders because the immediate next step is financial rather than logistical.
McNabb is the lead singer of Icicle Works, and the row flared after he wrote about Russell Brand on Facebook and X. In those posts, he claimed Brand was “stitched up” for his “outspoken views” and also wrote, “He got close to the target,” along with, “And he has a big audience. I know people who were in his orbit and girls were throwing themselves at him every night.”
Ewan McNaught’s booking decision
Concert promoter Ewan McNaught said he booked several of McNabb’s shows, then moved to cancel them after what he called “disgraceful social media comments in support of Russell Brand.” He added, “I hate cancelling gigs, and it’s one of the few times in my career that I’ve had to do it, but not only can I not defend Ian McNabb’s disgraceful social media comments in support of Russell Brand, as a husband and a father of a young daughter, I simply can’t work with him moving forward,” which is the bluntest explanation in the dispute.
McNaught also said he spoke with McNabb’s agent and the venues, and that they were “all on the same page” that the shows could not go ahead under the circumstances. That leaves little room for a solo booking decision; the promoter’s account makes the cancellations look like a shared response rather than a single venue acting alone.
More cancellations expected
McNabb issued another statement saying he and his shows had been “cancelled,” but McNaught said more of the upcoming dates were expected to go as well. The open question is which additional shows, beyond the three named venues, will be pulled from the schedule before the tour can be reset.
For ticket holders, the practical reading is simple: check the cancelled venue dates first, expect refunds where the show has already been scrapped, and treat the rest of the run as unstable until the promoter’s wider cancellation call is complete.
