Rab Noakes https://rabnoakes.com/ Projects, musings and selected work by Rab Noakes. en Sun, 08 Nov 2026 14:48:17 GMT Stapled, Not Scrolled: Why the Zine Table Still Matters https://rabnoakes.com/stapled-not-scrolled-zine-table/ https://rabnoakes.com/stapled-not-scrolled-zine-table/ The photocopied zine is not a relic of a pre-internet scene. It is a low-cost, high-personality way of publishing that still earns its table at gigs, record fairs and community events — and it asks for something social media rarely does: a bit of care, a bit of craft and a bit of exchange. Rab Noakes Paper Trail Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:15:19 GMT Before the Doors Open: What an Empty Room Tells You About a Gig https://rabnoakes.com/before-the-doors-open-empty-room-soundcheck/ https://rabnoakes.com/before-the-doors-open-empty-room-soundcheck/ The soundcheck is often treated as admin, but it is the first real conversation between a band, a room and the people who have to make the night work. This is a note from the empty-room hours — the cables, the compromises and the quiet trust that decide whether the gig lands. Rab Noakes Studio Diary Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:15:19 GMT The Half-Made Things and What They’re For https://rabnoakes.com/half-made-things-what-theyre-for/ https://rabnoakes.com/half-made-things-what-theyre-for/ A personal audit of the drawer where abandoned drafts, half-built songs and stalled collaborations go to wait. It asks what unfinished work is actually for, how to tell avoidance from a bad fit, and why a creative practice owes its loose ends an honest hearing rather than a forced march to the finish line. Rab Noakes Paper Trail Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:15:13 GMT The Tea Urn Is Part of the PA: Independent Culture in Village Rooms https://rabnoakes.com/tea-urn-part-of-the-pa-village-rooms/ https://rabnoakes.com/tea-urn-part-of-the-pa-village-rooms/ A practical field guide to putting on gigs, readings and screenings in UK village halls and community centres in 2026. It looks at the economics, licensing, volunteer logistics and room acoustics — and why these spaces can produce better attention without romanticising the hard work behind them. Rab Noakes Listening Notes Sun, 08 Nov 2026 09:15:13 GMT Borrowed Ears: A Working Case for Taking the Support Slot https://rabnoakes.com/borrowed-ears-case-for-the-support-slot/ https://rabnoakes.com/borrowed-ears-case-for-the-support-slot/ Thirty minutes, a room you've never played, and an audience that came for somebody else. The support slot is the least glamorous job in the business and one of the most useful educations it offers — on stage or anywhere else you make work in public. Rab Noakes Studio Diary Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:18:49 GMT The Rack Doesn't Know You: Tastemaking at a Pound a Disc https://rabnoakes.com/charity-shop-cd-rack-tastemaking-2026/ https://rabnoakes.com/charity-shop-cd-rack-tastemaking-2026/ There are no recommendations down the charity shop — just whatever was cleared out of a spare room last week. Standing in front of that rack for twenty minutes has taught me more about taste than any algorithm ever will. Rab Noakes Listening Notes Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:18:49 GMT The Yes Filter: Nine Checks Before I Take On a Creative Project in 2026 https://rabnoakes.com/yes-filter-nine-checks-creative-projects-2026/ https://rabnoakes.com/yes-filter-nine-checks-creative-projects-2026/ A practical, personal checklist for deciding which creative projects deserve a yes in 2026. It is about protecting time, spotting false momentum and choosing work that still feels worth doing once the novelty has worn off. Rab Noakes Studio Diary Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:17:53 GMT Staples, Sellotape and Scene Memory: The UK Gig Poster as Archive https://rabnoakes.com/staples-sellotape-scene-memory-uk-gig-poster-archive/ https://rabnoakes.com/staples-sellotape-scene-memory-uk-gig-poster-archive/ A deep dive into the humble UK gig poster and photocopied flyer as an archive of independent culture. It mixes collection notes, designer and promoter voices, and a case for why ephemeral paper tells a richer story than most official histories. Rab Noakes Paper Trail Sun, 08 Nov 2026 01:17:53 GMT Small Rooms, Honest Records: Notes from a Shed Studio in Autumn 2026 https://rabnoakes.com/small-rooms-honest-records-shed-studio-2026/ https://rabnoakes.com/small-rooms-honest-records-shed-studio-2026/ The romance and reality of recording in sheds, spare rooms and kitchen tables across the UK. A look at my autumn 2026 project, plus practical notes on acoustics, gear and keeping the household onside. Rab Noakes Studio Diary Sat, 07 Nov 2026 21:21:52 GMT Five Albums That Did More for My DIY Education Than Any Formal Course https://rabnoakes.com/five-albums-diy-education/ https://rabnoakes.com/five-albums-diy-education/ A personal run-through of five records that taught me more about making work than any classroom ever did. Folk, post-punk and electronic music, plus the practical lessons I still use in the shed. Rab Noakes Listening Notes Sat, 07 Nov 2026 21:21:52 GMT