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Sam Duckworth is heading home

HE may be preparing to scale the lofty peaks of this year's Glastonbury festival but Sam Duckworth is currently busy proving home is where the heart is.

The Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. singer has given his backing to this year's Southend Festival, not only by heading home for a performance at Chinnery's but also by becoming its patron.

He explains: "I think Southend gets a kicking really, it gets a bad reputation of being somewhere that doesn't really have a great arts scene and yet there are a lot of talented musicians and talented young artists and a talented history of people in Southend.

I just wanted to lend my name and help out as best as possible to motivate people that are artists not to feel isolated being from Southend. It's a unique place and this is a unique opportunity to celebrate the talents, the arts and media and culture in Southend."

While Sam himself, who is a former Southend High School for Boys pupil, may now be more used to the bright lights of big cities thanks to two critically acclaimed albums, he still holds his hometown in high esteem.

"The hard thing about being so close to London, and I think many people are guilty of this , is that the moment they become successful they say they are from London rather than Southend as it makes their career path easier," says Sam.

"I think that there is nothing wrong being from Essex and there is nothing wrong in being from Southend. There is a constant struggle with the Southend Arts Scene as simply because of its proximity to London and its very easy to get the train and see some incredible arts and culture and as a result there is often a neglect of what is going on in your home town."

The 22-year-old Southend born star, who wrote hits such as Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager and current single Keep Singing Out, said he was now happy to promote local talent.

But like most teenagers growing up in Southend, he was keen to escape seaside suburbia for bigger and better things.

However after finding fame thanks to his fresh sound of acoustic guitars and electronic sounds, he now treasures the all too rare opportunities he gets to come home.

"I think Southend has always been a very musical place even from when I first started getting into music," Sam says. "Listening to bands from Southend when I was growing up like Engerica and Smother, these were amazing bands and I think what is beginning to happen now is that Southend is starting to get recognition because people are starting to take it a bit more seriously.

"It always used to be a bit of a burden being so close to London and being from Essex as people wouldn't really take you so seriously and I think what has happened now is people have got creative and utilised the internet and new opportunities.

"The regeneration of the Southend Arts Scene has come at a very good time and now its time to really start celebrating the talent that we've got," he insists.

On June 24 Sam returns home to play at Chinnery's in Marine Parade, Southend as part of the Southend Festival and it is a venue he relishes.

"It's a funny thing really as growing up more than anything I spent most of my weekends down at Chinnery's going to see local bands, putting on shows myself and to me that was my real hangout," he explains.

"I came up with the name in Chinnerys actually," Sam reveals, "My friend was reading Retro Gaming magazine and there was the subheading for a Batman game that read Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. I just like the three sub-headings, they really worked well together, so I thought right I'll have that'.

2008 has been a busy year for Sam, who has been touring Europe, played live on the teen soap Hollyoaks and is gearing up for main stage performances at both this summer's Glastonbury and Reading festivals.

With American dates to follow soon, the musician has hardly got time to catch his breath and dismisses any notion of his own heroic status.

"I don't know if I want the responsibility of being a superhero," he laughs, "If I'm honest with you, I can't really get out of bed very well in the mornings and I'm not great at turning up to things on time and I think that having the responsibility of life saving and stopping crime is something I don't think I could handle."

Instead he is more than happy to stick with what he knows and putting on a good show, even with the American tour looming.

"I have no expectations what-so-ever and I'm not going out to America to break it," Sam says, "I'm going out there because when the first album came out there were people that wanted to see us play and we really want to go out there and get some amazing experiences.

"I don't care if we only end up playing 50 people a night and only end up selling 300 records. At the end of the day if people want to hear you play and you want to go and play somewhere you should be able to go and do it without having the expectation of having to be incredibly successful."

Tickets for to see Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. are £12.50 and available from Fives Records, in Leigh, PMT Music, in Southend, and at Chinnery's itself.

Visit www.chinnerys.co.uk, or call 01702 467305 for more information.

12:56pm Wednesday 28th May 2008

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