MUSIC star Rag ‘n’ Bone Man went back to his roots with a special appearance in Brighton yesterday evening.

The award winning musician – real name Rory Graham – visited the Brighton Youth Centre, in Edward Street, to jam with teenage musicians as part of charity initiative AudioActive.

The 18 year-old organisation hosts urban music workshops for young people.

Rory said that Audioactive helped teenagers build the self-belief required to perform – the kind that he lacked when he first got into music.

He said: “It’s about confidence and inclusiveness.

“People can feel they’re part of something without being judged. It’s a daunting thing for everyone to sing and play an instrument for the first time. It’s important to be encouraged.”

Years before scoring a number one album – as he did with his debut record earlier this year – Rory took his first steps in music in Brighton.

The 32 year-old participated in the open mic night Slipjam B and was part of The Rum Committee, a hip-hop collective.

He admitted he struggled to drum up the courage to perform initially.

He said: “I went to Slipjam nights but never got up and rapped – I was always a spectator. Over the years I built up the confidence to be on stage.”

Rory will perform to 5,000 fans next month at Brighton Centre but he said he is much more relaxed about playing live music now.

“It’s funny, this summer I played at Glastonbury in front of 45,000 people but I was much more scared before my first ever Slipjam night.

“That was in front of about 45 people at The Hope and Ruin in Brighton.”

“The difference between that is strange, of course.”

Tom Hines, project manager of AudioActive, said that the idea of the charity was to “encourage people to be themselves on stage”.

He said: “Jordan from Rizzle Kicks is a good example of that.

“He became so happy to be himself while he was here.”

Chief Executive Adam Joolia added: “People accuse Jordan of selling out now, but he was playing pop music – the stuff you know him for now – when he was here when he was 13.”