Two-time winner Beardyman is the star turn at this weekend’s UK Beatbox Championship in Battersea.
Multivocalist and comedian Darren Foreman will be joined by world champions the Beatbox Collective at the event, which is part of season designed to celebrate the reopening of the Battersea Arts Centre, which was destroyed by fire three years ago.
“The UK beatbox championships have been recognised as the biggest and one of the best battles round the world,” said organiser Rupert Oldridge, 33.
“Internationally all the beatboxers look at this battle and think this is the one to go to.”
Oldridge helped set up the Beatbox Academy ten years ago and many of its graduates will be competing, with South London beatboxer Maverick among this year’s favourites.
“Everyone is much more than a beatboxer,” added Oldridge. “All these guys and girls are personalities and you can put them in any situation, any genre, any club, any venue, any type of event and they will absolutely smash it.
“We do voiceovers, events, host and a lot of teaching such as musical therapy. We are using beatboxing as a vehicle, describing someone as just a beatboxer is quite limiting.
“Saturday night is just battle battle battle and hopefully you won’t be beatboxed out by the end of the night.
The best thing is that its all ages accessible, there might be an Eff and a Jeff here and there but it’s a really good community vibe. Everyone battling and hi-fiving and showing each other how to do stuff.”
