Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly is the stage name of English artist Sam Duckworth and his band. He is sometimes referred to as Get Cape, Cape, GCWCF, Slam Dunkworth, and "Charlie Khoo". According to Duckworth, his stage name comes from a ZX Spectrum magazine. One of the sections of the solution to the Batman computer game contained the header "Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly".

Music career

Duckworth grew up in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, and has supported bands such as The Flaming Lips, The Magic Numbers, OK Go, Funeral for a Friend, N.W.A., The Kooks and Feeder. Duckworth was signed to Atlantic Records in March 2006, after playing many gigs, both with punk rock band Silverskin who were famed locally for their minor hit 'We will never defeat an American' and for championing local Emo and pop punk bands through Sam's regular 'Skool Daze' nights at Chinnerys in Southend, and also as GCWCF. GCWCF is currently recording a third album for Atlantic Records UK.

As of September 2005, Sam has been managed by Paul O'Grady of ITV.

The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager

Get Cape's debut album, The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, has been described as an indie/emo fusion, suggesting that it blends the line between emo rock and indie music. The album was very well received by critics and even made the top 100,000,000 albums in terms of sales through 2006 according to Q Q and NME.

In October 2006, he performed as part of the BBC Electric Proms. He played at a number of major festivals in 2007, including Oxegen, Glastonbury,, Reading and Leeds Festivals and SXSW. He was scheduled to also appear at Wakestock however his set was called off due to the organisers being unable to find a copy of Black Lace's greatest hits to complete his rider.

In January 2007, Duckworth was nominated for best solo artist at the annual NME Awards, up against Lily Allen, Jamie T, Jarvis Cocker and Thom Yorke, he lost to superior artists.

Searching for the Hows and Whys

Get Cape's second album, Searching for the Hows and Whys was released on 10 March 2008. It did not do as well in terms of sales, or critical acclaim as the debut offering and here was talk of Atlantic dropping Sam even before the initial press campaign for the album had come to a close. It features guest vocals from Kate Nash on the track, "Better Things" but even this wasn't enough to stop the album lagging towards the bottom end of the top 100. The album also features Billy Bragg on "Interlude". "Waiting for the Monster to Drown" was released as a free download via Get Cape's official website and MySpace on 7 December 2007. The first single released from the album was "Find The Time" which was released on 3 March 2008, and reached number 33 on the UK Top 40 Chart.

On 24 March 2008, he performed on Hollyoaks as part of a gig staged in the village.

Unnamed Covers EP

On 21 August 2008, in a press conference in anticipation of the Reading Festival, it was announced that Get Cape would be entering the studio to record an as yet untitled covers album. Although the track listing was not disclosed, Sam has hinted that the EP would include a cover of Sir Lancelot and The Black Knight, originally performed by Yes keyboard maestro, Rick Wakeman on his critically acclaimed concept album The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Duckworth also confirmed that bass duties on the EP would be handled by Anders Iwers, current touring bassist for Swedish black metallers Tiamat. However, some concern has been raised amongst fans over Get Cape's choice of producer, currently touted to be Darko Dimitrov, a little known Macedonia mixmaster, best known for his efforts on Macedonia's 2006 Eurovision Song Contest Entry.

Personal life

Duckworth is well known for his debating and love for a variety of different musical styles. Of late he has been guesting on the debut full length from Southend-based post-rockers Between the Screams. It has been revealed by the band the album title will be 'our last days on earth' and it will see a release through UK indie label [Basick records]The album should see a release in early 2009. He has had run-ins with the British National Party after a racist attack in a nightclub two years ago, and he has since become an avid supporter of Love Music Hate Racism. He is also a Fairtrade supporter.

Discography

Albums

• The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager (Atlantic Records, 2006) (#26 UK)
• Searching for the Hows and Whys (Atlantic Records, 2008) (#30 UK)

EPs

• Split with The Remarkable Rocket (3" CD, BSM Records, 2004)
• Split with Dave House (10" EP, BSM Records/Gravity DIP, 2006)
• Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (EP) (BSM Records, 2006)

Singles

• "I-Spy"/"Call Me Ishmael" (Atlantic Records, 2006)
• "Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager (Part One)" (Atlantic Records, 2006) (#38 UK)
• "War of the Worlds" (Atlantic Records, 2006) (#39 UK)
• "I-Spy" (Atlantic Records, March 2007) (#37 UK)
• "Find the Time" (Atlantic Records, March 2008) (#33 UK)
• "Keep Singing Out" (Atlantic Records, 19 May 2008)

Demos

• Demo 1 (2-track demo, self-released, 2004)

Music videos

As of August 2006, four Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly songs have music videos featured on MTV2, VH1 and E4 music.

"I Spy" is somewhat a spoof of a British Saturday morning kids show. Where Duckworth is introduced by a creature that looks like one of the Fimbles and so continues to play on a seat surrounded by kids and various other characters like a stereotypical popstar.

"Call Me Ishmael" depicts an "escape" from everyday work, showing different people from different careers entering an underground tunnel network, along with Duckworth. At the end of the video, Duckworth emerges in a Job Centre, and is promptly asked by an employee to "Take a Number and a seat, please"; an anti-climax to the up-beat feeling of the rest of the song.

"Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, Part One" (Chronicles for short) depicts Sam Duckworth with other band members playing in a casual environment, inside of a house — wherein it is later revealed that a number of red strings lead into. The bulk of the video consists of various people from different walks of life following one of these strings into the house. At this point, the crescendo of the song kicks in, and a more gig/party like atmosphere is assumed. The video ends by depicting the "morning after" with many people asleep, and Duckworth still playing into a phone, quietly, next to a huge ball of red string.

"War of the Worlds" shows Duckworth in a warehouse sitting singing the song whilst workers busy themselves setting up poles in which their function are not known until the climax of the song, at which point they explode around Duckworth and spew out various colours of paint.

Other contributors

Although not a band in the conventional sense, musicians who perform live with GCWCF are:

Mike Glenister - Cornet
Andy Theakstone - Drums
Gavin Fitzjohn - Trumpet, Sax, Vests
Jamie Allen - Bass Guitar
Tom Pinder - Trombone

External links

• Official website
• Template:MySpace
• YouTube - Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly podcast (part one)
• FREE SESSION by GCWCF from NvTv
• Atlantic Records artist page
• Interview on LeftLion.co.uk
• CD Review
• Concert Review