Wednesday was a return visit to the FortyFive Vinyl Café and Listening Room in the centre of York. The café had only been opened a year when we first visited but it had left a very positive impression and we were happy to be invited back.
To read more about this unique venue, please click here for the previous blog post.
Since writing that post, Ray re-mixed the audio and video from last year to create a playlist of six songs recorded on the earlier visit. Click here for the playlist on YouTube.
Back to this visit. We arrived early and had lunch. Their sharing platter was served on a portable record player with a hole in the middle of the plate so it sat on the turntable and could be rotated around.
After we’d eaten, the cafe was almost empty so I tried taking a panorama to give a better impression of the café.
This really is a Mecca for music fans with photographs, memorabilia, vinyl albums, CDs, a jukebox and many imaginative features such as a guitar with twelve holes for shot glasses. Being very professional, we did not partake.
White Sail performed first. They are Jane Stockdale, Chris Bartram & Sara Dean. Click here for their website.
Their harmonies are lovely and they play a variety of instruments. Here is their current flyer that shows where they are performing over the coming months.
Rays’ set contained a mix of songs from his latest album and some that have proven favourites over the last twelve years and his forty eight solo tours. As you can see from the set list, Jane joined him to sing Going Underground.
Tonight, White Sail joined him for a finale with two numbers. Sol Invictus is a song by Thea Gilmore which is sung acapella by the three voices with Ray playing synth behind them.
The final number was My Compass Points To North with Jane singing, Chris on trumpet and Sara playing her harp. It was a nice way to finish the evening.
On Friday we started the journey south. Firstly a gig at the Dubrek Studios in Derby then on to Netley for Saturday and Stroud on Sunday.
A Visitor On Europe’s Roads 
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