Get Cape Wear Cape Fly - Weds 28th Nov, The Fleece, Bristol

“Anyone know how to start the 2^nd verse?” is the call from singer/songwriter Sam Duckworth aka Get Cape Wear Cape Fly at the busy Fleece.  “I haven’t been out of the house in a long while,” although admittedly nervous it becomes part of the appeal of this self-deprecating but hugely talented troubadour.

Sam and co first came to prominence in 2006 with breakthrough debut album ‘Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager’ an eclectic indie/folk collection of politically charged songs about everyday life.  3 albums have followed and whilst total mainstream success has more recently been elusive, latest album ‘Mannequin’ has shown glimpses of a stripped-back  but still confident sound maintaining the much-loved Morrissey-style lyrical observations whilst moving away from those dreaded emo generalizations.

Taking to the stage with opener ‘Find the Time’, Duckworth begins well easing into his brand of honest acoustic pop/rock, sounding more engaging with the omission of drums, trumpet and customary laptop.  On next track ‘Call Me Ishmael’ there’s a throaty call to arms reminiscent of an early James Dean Bradfield that quietens the chatter at the bar.  There’s enough of an edge to keep the tracks from sounding contrite and sickly carefully side-stepping the glut of dull male solo strummers mopping up the Radio 2 market.

Growing in confidence after a couple of endearing false starts, ‘Glass Houses’ is a poignant retort to the racial prejudice of BNP policies with a funky folk feel and upbeat chorus that has the audience shifting.  Biggest cheer of the night comes for ‘I Spy’, a well-crafted anthem displaying honesty and disregard for following convention “It doesn't matter that this song has a simple tune, even though it's not what I'm supposed to do.”  Fortunately for Sam, simple brilliance is more than good enough for tonight.  Other oldie ‘War of the Worlds’ hypnotically glides along with occasional acoustic rock-outs and gravelly vocals again lapped up by the enthusiastic audience.

There’s some cheerful banter between Duckworth and the crowd throughout as we hear about his recent battle with illness which resulted in a withdrawal from a headline slot at this year’s Truckfest.  It’s pretty clear that we are witnessing the first steps on a long road back for a genuinely nice bloke with the capability to produce storytelling gems that are accessible and thought-provoking.  This is particularly true for the gig’s highlight the tender ‘Angels in the Snow,’ inspired by a fear of nuclear warfare and the emotional effect of a visit to Chernobyl, the standout track on last year’s album.

                          (Left to Right: Raza Rizvi, Sam Duckworth, Mike Harley, Cat Green)

It’s a successful comeback overall, early nerves are overcome; the crowd are enraptured and eagerly anticipate the next installment.  At a time when politics mixed with music has left most reaching for the bucket, Sam Duckworth’s articulate observational writing continues to ensure he is both relevant and adored in equal measure.

Big shout too for the bushy-bearded Bath singer Sam Eason; who reminds us of a vocally more agile Badly Drawn Boy with the passionate delivery of Damien Rice.  Sam has headlined the Fleece before and am confident he will be playing more gigs there and fewer wedding receptions.

Review published online for Venue.co.uk:
http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-g/19802-get-cape-wear-cape-fly

Best Track - Watch online through link below

Get Cape Wear Cape Fly - I Spy

Sam Eason - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out


Setlist - To Follow