Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Encyclopedia
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 and Slam Dunkworth (the latter title apparently first coined by Emmy The Great
). 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".
, Essex
. Get Cape was signed to Atlantic Records
in March 2006, after playing many gigs, both with punk rock band Silverskin and as Get Cape.
Get Cape has collaborated with Billy Bragg
, Nitin Sawhney
, Shlomo
, Killa Kela
, Baba Maal, Flea
, Kate Nash
, and many others with his participation in many events for Africa Express
.
Get Cape organised The Demolition Ball - the last night at the London Astoria venue before it was knocked down in January 2009.
Get Cape also headlined the Astoria for his 21st birthday party.
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.
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
, although he did not win.
Searching for the Hows and Whys Get Cape's second album, Searching for the Hows and Whys
was released on 10 March 2008. It features guest vocals from Kate Nash
on the track, "Better Things". 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.
as part of a gig staged in the village.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly have also had an episode of American TV show One Tree Hill
named after them. Every episode of the show has a title with a musical theme, either a song title or band name. Episode 3 of season 6 of One Tree Hill is titled "Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly."
after a racist attack in a nightclub which lead to the song Glasshouses, and he has since become an avid supporter of Love Music Hate Racism
. He is also a Fairtrade supporter.
Sam also took part in Oxfam's Blue campaign at Glastonbury which was shot by photographer Rankin.
Rumours circulating the net included that of Duckworth's proposed marriage to “an Asian princess” in an interview with Metro Newspaper.
The talk of an Asian princess was just hearsay, but in an interview Sam admitted that there was no truth to the engagement however he is dating fellow musician Nadine Shah, hailed as “the female Nick Cave”.
"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 — into which it is later revealed that a number of red strings lead. 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 Sam 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.
Emmy the Great
Emma-Lee Moss , known by her stage name Emmy the Great, is a London-based singer-songwriter. She has released two albums, First Love and Virtue.-Early life:Moss was born in Hong Kong to an English father and a Chinese mother...
). According to Duckworth, his stage name comes from a ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
magazine. One of the sections of the solution to the Batman computer game contained the header "Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly".
Music career
Sam grew in Southend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. Get Cape was signed to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in March 2006, after playing many gigs, both with punk rock band Silverskin and as Get Cape.
Get Cape has collaborated with Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
, Nitin Sawhney
Nitin Sawhney
Nitin Sawhney is an Indian-British musician, producer and composer. His critically acclaimed work combines Asian and other worldwide influences with elements of jazz and electronica and often explores themes such as multiculturalism, politics and spirituality...
, Shlomo
Shlomo
Shlomo, meaning God's peace, is a common Hebrew male given name.It also means Hello in syriacThe following individuals are often referred to only by the name Shlomo:* Solomon* Shlomo...
, Killa Kela
Killa Kela
Killa Kela is an English beatboxer from West Sussex.-Biography:Kela began beatboxing in his teens with the 360 Physicals crew. He was discovered by DJ Vadim when he sent a tape of his beatboxing to Vadim's now defunct label Jazz Fudge...
, Baba Maal, Flea
Flea
Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...
, Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
, and many others with his participation in many events for Africa Express
Africa Express
Africa Express is a 1975 Italian adventure film starring Ursula Andress, Giuliano Gemma, and Jack Palance that was filmed in Rhodesia .Plot Summary: John Baxter is a freewheeling trader of goods in Africa with a pet chimpanzee and one dream: to save enough money to buy a gas station in Detroit...
.
Get Cape organised The Demolition Ball - the last night at the London Astoria venue before it was knocked down in January 2009.
Get Cape also headlined the Astoria for his 21st birthday party.
The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager
Get Cape's debut album, The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager, is best described as an indie/rock fusion. The album was averagely received by critics but it made the top 100 albums of 2006 lists of QQ (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
and NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
.
In October 2006, he performed as part of the BBC Electric Proms
BBC Electric Proms
The BBC Radio 2 Electric Proms was an October music festival in London run by the BBC for five years, 2006-2010...
. He played at a number of major festivals in 2007, including Oxegen
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
, Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
and SXSW.
In January 2007, Duckworth was nominated for best solo artist at the annual NME Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
, up against Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
, Jamie T
Jamie T
Jamie Alexander Treays , known by his stage name Jamie T, is an English singer/songwriter from Wimbledon, South London.-Early life:Jamie Alexander Treays, was born in Wimbledon, South-West London...
, Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. Following Pulp's hiatus Cocker has led a successful solo career...
and Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
, although he did not win.
Searching for the Hows and Whys Get Cape's second album, Searching for the Hows and Whys
Searching for the Hows and Whys
Searching for the Hows and Whys is the second album by Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. It was released on 10 March 2008. The record was co-produced by Sam Duckworth and Nitin Sawhney...
was released on 10 March 2008. It features guest vocals from Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
on the track, "Better Things". The album also features Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
on "Interlude". "Waiting for the Monster to Drown" was released as a free download via Get Cape's official website and MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
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.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. [Self-titled]
The third and self-titled album was released on Cooking Vinyl on 13 September 2010, with the first single from the album "Collapsing Cities Feat. Shy FX" released on 9 August 2010.The Mannequin
The Mannequin is the first album released under the name Sam Duckworth rather than 'Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.'Television
On 24 March 2008, he performed on HollyoaksHollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
as part of a gig staged in the village.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly have also had an episode of American TV show One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
named after them. Every episode of the show has a title with a musical theme, either a song title or band name. Episode 3 of season 6 of One Tree Hill is titled "Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly."
Personal life
Duckworth is well known for his debating and love for a variety of different musical styles. He has had run-ins with the British National PartyBritish National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
after a racist attack in a nightclub which lead to the song Glasshouses, and he has since become an avid supporter of Love Music Hate Racism
Love Music Hate Racism
Love Music Hate Racism is a music-oriented campaign based in Britain by the Anti-Nazi League and Unite Against Fascism. The campaign involves concerts aimed at spreading an anti-racist message...
. He is also a Fairtrade supporter.
Sam also took part in Oxfam's Blue campaign at Glastonbury which was shot by photographer Rankin.
Rumours circulating the net included that of Duckworth's proposed marriage to “an Asian princess” in an interview with Metro Newspaper.
The talk of an Asian princess was just hearsay, but in an interview Sam admitted that there was no truth to the engagement however he is dating fellow musician Nadine Shah, hailed as “the female Nick Cave”.
Albums
- The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager (Atlantic RecordsAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, 2006) (#26 UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
) - Searching for the Hows and WhysSearching for the Hows and WhysSearching for the Hows and Whys is the second album by Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. It was released on 10 March 2008. The record was co-produced by Sam Duckworth and Nitin Sawhney...
(Atlantic RecordsAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, 2008) (#30 UK) - Get Cape. Wear Cape. FlyGet Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (album)Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly is the self-titled third album by Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. It was released on 13 September 2010.-Track listing:#"Hand Me Downs"#"Collapsing Cities"#"Nightlife"#"All of This is Yours "#"Queen For a Day"...
(Cooking VinylCooking VinylCooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases...
, 2010) (#89 UK) - The Mannequin (2011)
EPs
- Split with The Remarkable RocketThe Remarkable RocketThe Remarkable Rocket is one of the side-projects of The All New Adventures Of Us frontman Jaime C. Macefield. The name comes from an Oscar Wilde short-story of the same name about fireworks....
(3" CD, BSM RecordsBig Scary Monsters Recording CompanyBig Scary Monsters Recording Company is a British based independent record label. Probably the most well-known acts associated with the label are This Town Needs Guns, Kevin Devine, Pulled Apart By Horses, Walter Schreifels, Andrew WK and Get Cape. Wear Cape...
, 2004) - SplitGet Cape. Wear Cape. Fly/Dave House SplitThis is a split EP, featuring a side each from Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly and Dave House. Each artist contributes one of their own songs, as well as a cover of one of their counterpart's songs. It was released in a limited quantity - only 500 were ever pressed - of 10" white vinyl, and was a joint...
with Dave HouseDave HouseDave House is a singer/songwriter from South East England often likened to The Weakerthans, Billy Bragg & The Get Up Kids. He first started performing as a solo artist in 2003 after the breakup of his old band Lucky Thirteen. He was also the bassist in The Steal, and currently plays guitar in Pacer...
(10" EP, BSM Records/Gravity DIP, 2006) - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (EP)Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly (EP)Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly is the debut EP of Sam Duckworth, who performs under the name Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. It was released in tandem with a video for "Whitewash is Brainwash", which sees Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly travelling around on the London Underground and performing a secret show in Bank...
(BSM Records, 2005) - Covers EP (Pure Groove, 2009)
Singles
- "I-Spy"/"Call Me Ishmael" (Atlantic Records, 2006)
- "The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager (Part One)" (Atlantic Records, 2006) (#38 UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
) - "War of the Worlds" (Atlantic Records, 2006) (#39 UK)
- "I Spy" (Atlantic Records, March 2007) (#37 UK)
- "Waiting for the Monster to Drown" (Atlantic Records, December 2007)
- "Find the Time" (Atlantic Records, March 2008) (#33 UK)
- "Keep Singing Out" (Atlantic Records, 19 May 2008)
- "Collapsing Cities feat. Shy FX" (Cooking Vinyl, 9 August 2010)
Music videos
| Date | Song | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Whitewash is Brainwash" | Thom Day | |
| 2006-jun | "Call Me Ishmael" | Ben & Greg (Ben Jones & Greg Fay) |
| 2006-jun | "I-Spy" | |
| 2006-aug | "The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager (Part One)" | |
| 2006-oct | "War of the Worlds" | Sam Brown |
| 2008-jan | "Find the Time" | OneInThree (Bugsy Riverbank Steel & Ross Elliot Cooper) |
| 2008-apr | "Keep Singing Out" | Nick Bentley |
| 2010-aug | "Collapsing Cities" | Luke Snellin |
"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 — into which it is later revealed that a number of red strings lead. 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 Sam 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
The GCWCF live band includes:- Mikey GlenisterMikey GlenisterMikey Glenister is a musician from Southend, Essex, who was born on 20 September 1984. He plays trumpet, cornet and drums. He currently plays with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.-Musical career:...
– Cornet - Andy Theakstone – Drums
- Gavin FitzjohnGavin FitzjohnGavin Fitzjohn is a Welsh musician, known for playing the saxophone and trumpet. He was born on 2 April, 1985 and brought up in Cogan, Vale of Glamorgan. He currently plays in Paolo Nutini's band.-Musical Career:...
– Trumpet, Sax, Vests - Jamie Allen – Bass Guitar
- Tom Pinder – Trombone
- Tim Oliver – Keyboards
- Chris Bradshaw – Guitar