Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. @ The Anson Rooms, Bristol
28th January 2007
Meg Rowell went along to catch the gig...
Sam Duckworth is Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly., the boy-done-good whose tales of travelling the UK with nothing but a guitar and the clothes on his back have infatuated both fans and critics alike.
Tonight, he's at the Anson Rooms in Bristol, playing a sell-out gig to a varied, yet wholly enthusiastic, audience. After watching him play an inspiring set of his trademark folk-punk, laced with electronic beats and live instrumentation, I have to say that I can't wait to see what he's doing in three or four years time.
Don't get me wrong, Sam Duckworth is already a great musician who puts on a blinder of a show, and while his rough 'n' ready attitude is obviously a major part of his appeal, it's his inventive and original approach to music, that gets me excited about just what he'll be coming up with in a few years time.
Playing to a crowd ranging from teenage indie-kids to the kind of blokes more at home propping up your local bar, Sam Duckworth was joined on stage by his trusty laptop, a full band and a very welcome horn section. Storming through 'classics' such as Call Me Ishmael and Oak Tree, the fully supportive crowd sang along, clapped in time to his chaotic yet catchy beats, and even graciously indulged him in pre-song rants about Northern Ireland, the war in Iraq and the current Big Brother racism row.
Aside from the obvious musical talent being witnessed, it was these passionate speeches that particularly enamoured me to this twenty-year-old boy-next-door. For all the good that the Bono's and Chris Martin's of this world may be doing, to see a guy who could just as easily be standing next to you in the crowd, up on stage, guitar in hand, talking so passionately and eloquently about issues currently affecting his generation, was, frankly, a refreshing and empowering experience. The effect this had on the crowd was one of whole-hearted togetherness and the whoops and cries of support were a genuine joy to observe.
Often likened to a young Billy Bragg, his onstage presence and charisma repeatedly reminded me of a British Ben Kweller; his performance constantly wavering between the confidence of a rock-star and the genuine spontaneity of a young guy having one hell of a lot of fun.
Closing the show with the unbelievably catchy Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager, Sam thanked the crowd who, unable to help themselves, burst into song, chanting the chorus from Chronicles... until he, rather predictably, returned to perform an appropriately moving version of War Of The Worlds.
After the chants for 'more' began to die down, he affably admitted that he didn't actually have anymore to play - when you've only done one album you run out pretty quick... - and while what he'd already given us was plenty to showcase his talents, it's this that really exemplifies Sam Duckworth's predicament. He's a great musician, an inventive songwriter, and a fantastic showman, but I couldn't help thinking that maybe he's peaked a little too early, before he's really had a chance to figure things out.
Nevertheless, based on tonight's performance, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. is certainly someone to keep an eye on; because if this young man continues the way he's going, he's going to grow into someone very interesting indeed.
For full details of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.'s current tour, click here.
