Reeps One wins the UK Vauxhall Beatbox Championships

A smooth running successful night of phenomenal skills representing the best in UK beatbox talent.

By: Nicky Short

Additional reporting: David Barros

Reeps One, Beatbox Champion 2009

From the moment you walked in to the Shepherd’s Bush Academy auditorium, the full force of the acoustics reverberated in your ears. Packed with hundreds of fans from across the UK eager to see who would take home the keys to a brand new car. Nicky Short reports...

As obligatory with urban events, procedures ended up starting an hour late, but the crowd was warmed up, dancing, bopping and drinking to Da Sound Of Da Police on the turntables, waiting for the judges' showcase.

German vocal legend Indra treated the audience to a showcase of drum kit sounds, Hobbit and TyTe pit their Scooby Doo and Dalek impressions against one another in a bizarre cartoon beatbox battle and Faith SFX, the 2005 champion launched into renditions of A Millie and Bonkers from the depth of his throat!

Austrian vocal group, Bauchklang wowed the crowd. Mixed as it was, from pint drinking scruffy jeans wearers to tight dresses and stilettos, they amazed with atmospheric eurobeat anthems which seemed to contain more sound layers than could possibly have been produced by just five dudes with mics.

The battles kicked off at midnight, hosted by Stig of the Dump AKA the sexiest fat man in show business who presided over proceedings with a steady stream of abuse. The quarter finals were one round each, a minute apiece and saw Nottingham's THe PETEBOX knock out Boris FX, hailing from Newcastle. In a battle of 'the flashy one' versus 'the geeky one', Reeps One from London beat Bristol finalist Krystal Gob - a controversial decision with which the crowd didn't entirely agree. Layth wiped the floor with Northerner Equ, and Minamus - cheeky chappy from Bristol was knocked out by Bigg Taj's smooth singing and laid back style.

Ill commotion DJs kept the punters happy during the breaks with a tasty mix of hip hop, new jack and dancehall, even prompting a spontaneous b-boy jam!

In the semi finals competitors got two rounds of one minute each. THe PETEBOX worked the crowd, dropping speedy drum and bass beats and lyrics including A Little Bit Of Luck and the Round the Twist theme tune. His opponent, Bigg Taj scratched on his vocal turntable with some piercing screeches that drove Judge Indra to cover his ears, he saved it launching into a flawless rendition of Mary J and Method Man's You're All I Need complete with beats and lyrics. Depsite going to an extra round, THe PETEBOX took it.

Layth and Reeps One faced one another having met in the London heat where Layth took first place. Layth's style was raw and deep, articulate and varied, incorporating whistles. Despite hiding under his flat peak cap, Reeps One battled with charisma and showmanship, confronted Layth while spitting and swept through to the grand final.

The final was a battle of the crowd-pleasers and with two rounds of two minutes each, THe PETEBOX and Reeps One let loose all the tricks up their sleeves. THe PETEBOX's set included the Ghostbuster’s theme, Sweet Like Chocolate and No Woman No Cry, while London pride Reeps One varied the pace and tone of his tracks masterfully, including sound effects and physical gestures, sucking his opponent's brains out and shooting them out of the sky. A close run verdict from the audience and judges' point of view, Stig (thoroughly drunk by this stage) finally announced a home victory. If you weren't already prepared for the inexcusable pun, Reeps won!

Beatbox scene legend and mastermind of the event, Archangel proudly presented the East Londoner with the grand prize, the keys to a brand new Corsa SXi worth £14,000.

Reeps One, Beatbox Champion 2009