Cafe man Ian in tune to serve up first gig

Ian Barnett took over the former Vinery cafe last year and transformed in into the Vinyl Groove cafe, which sells vinyl records and turntables as well as a wide range of tasty treats.

Now the lifelong music fan has lined up two popular bands for a concert at the town’s Lowther Pavilion tonight (Fri) - and if the gig proves a success, Ian is hopeful that more will follow.

The concert at Lowther will feature The Haggis Horns, a seven-piece funk band from Leeds who top producer Mark Ronson has described as “the best horn section in the world”, supported by Captain Accident and The Disasters, a six-piece band from Cardiff, who blend a mix of reggae, ska and soul and supported Toots and The Maytals on their recent UK tour.

Ian said: “I have a huge passion for music and live concerts and I have been buying vinyl records for years. Before the cafe, I worked for SONOS sound systems and ran sales for them in Scandinavia, while way back I worked as a chef in Michelin-starred restaurants. I was keen to combine all of my passions into one business featuring vinyl, music, coffee, food, Hi-Fi and technology and we were keen to promote live music too.”

Ticket details from Lowther on (01253) 794221.