GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY. | LIVE REVIEW
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Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Mon 8 Sept
There are certain bands and artists that everyone seems to know, but no one knows what happened to. After having initial success, they seem to just disappear back into the world of musical obscurity, without announcing a split or retirement from the industry.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, aka Sam Duckworth, is one such artist. Following his incredibly successful debut in 2006 (who hasn’t loudly sung along to The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager and felt like it was written for them?), there were a few more successful hits, but then he seemed to disappear as quickly as he arrived on the scene.
Unbeknownst to many though, Duckworth has been working hard for the past eight years, releasing several further albums under his Get Cape moniker. However, at the age of 28, he clearly feels the time is right to say goodbye to this chapter of his life with one last countrywide lap of honour, before continuing working on releasing music under his own name.
And where better to play out his last gig in Wales than Clwb Ifor Bach? Going back to where he first started, Duckworth sang the praises of the city, thanking those who had supported him along the way. The night kicked off with support from Duckworth’s close friend and musician Sean McGowan, whose charisma and stage presence (just him and an acoustic guitar), made him irresistible to watch. This in spite of a comment from a fellow audience member, “Close your eyes and it sounds like Ray Winstone is singing at you.”
Then it’s on to the main event. Duckworth walks unassumingly onto the stage through the crowd and onto the stage, the nerves and awe clear to see as he looks out into the crowd of fans who have gathered there just for him. Using a laptop to create musical layers and replace live instruments has become common practise in the music industry, but whether it’s the songs or the setting, or the fact it’s all very low-key and intimate, the opening beats of The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager Part 2 feel decidedly, heart-warmingly familiar and old-school, a theme that continues throughout the whole show.
It’s a sad, unfortunate truth in music that sometimes, despite an artist’s brilliance, the time comes where they believe they have done all they can with a project and wish to move on. I can’t help thinking though, that with artists like Ed Sheeran and George Ezra around, there’s still plenty of room for Duckworth, who arguably does it better than both.
words HELEN LOCK