HE WAS once told by a screaming teacher that he would never amount to anything, and proved them wrong last week by rocking Glastonbury Festival with the likes of Kate Nash.

Sean McGowan, from Millbrook, Southampton, recently performed as part of a 34-musician-strong set that included Billy Bragg, Kate Nash and Sam Duckworth with his best friend and fellow band member Dean Paul at the Left Field. The experience was one that he admits will stay with him forever and far surpassed even his wildest dreams.

Sean said: “It was crazy, I had an unbelievable experience. We played four sets and then a fifth that was backing Sam Duckworth, which included 34 musicians on rotation. Billy Bragg is mental, he’s 55 yet he was grabbing me and throwing me around which was absolutely crazy. It was not just the best day of my career, but the best day of my life.”

The feat achieved by the 20-year-old marks a defiant triumph in the face of his school years at St. Georges where, although he admits his experiences at the school feature in his writing, he was told by a teacher that he would never amount to anything.

Sean continued: “A teacher told me off and I wanted to know why, so I questioned him. He then got up and, making a scene in front of the whole class, started screaming angrily at me and told me that I would never amount to anything.

Although those words didn’t motivate me at the time because I was just angry at everything, I reflect back and really feel that I’m proving that teacher wrong.”

Coupled with the surrealism of meeting his childhood idols and simply performing at Glastonbury was a bizarre event in which a 70- year-old woman decided to run onto his stage completely naked.

In the midst of the 34-musician set, titled Bill’s Radical Round Up, the enthused streaker was enjoying the set so much that she ran right in front of Sean and unleashed a tirade of dance moves.

Sean explains: “That was crazy, and definitely the strangest thing I saw at the festival.”

These past two years have seen the still unsigned star propelled from simply writing music all the way to supporting the likes of Pete Doherty and performing at festivals such as Bestival.

He is keen to cite the fundamental role The Joiners have played in his success. Recently crowned ‘Best Small Venue’ by NME magazine, the St. Mary’s venue has provided Sean a platform to express his talent since the age of 17.

His writing stems how he channels his anger and observations into a musical form and Sean explains how, aside from Glastonbury, the most eye-brow raising moment of his career came when he was casually listening to a John Peel lecture on the radio with Billy Bragg, who caught him off guard by mentioning him as a potential replacement to himself.

So what does the future hold? Sean concludes: “I’m so optimistic. I’ve achieved my lifetime ambitions. Who knows where it will take me?”

Sean is a supporting act on a 33 date tour soon and featuring regularly at The Joiners.