The two-time UK beatboxing champion – he won the title in 2006, then successfully defended it the following year, before sitting on the judging panel as a guru in 2008 – brings his gob and gadgets to town.
Beardyman, also known by the less catchy moniker of Darren Foreman, made a name for himself early on with his human beatboxing skills, and went on to take the artform further than just one man and a mic.
nspired by MC Xander, he started using loops and various bits of kit to sample his own voice, sounds and noises that allow him to maintain a whole performance from start to finish entirely by himself, with his voicebox the only instrument creating sounds.
The results – as anyone who has caught the Man of Beard live, or who numbers themselves among the five million YouTube hits he’s scored, can testify – are just mind-blowing.
Since making his name, he has gone on to release a debut album, last year’s dorkishly titled I Done A Album; shared stages with a host of musicians, comedians and other assorted musical inventors; and even became the poster boy for YouTube Live, an online broadcast headlined by girl-kissing Katy Perry, which achieved the stat of being the most viewed event ever online in a single sitting.
So why the name? Because at one of his early shows, the flyer needed a name, at which point he was still known purely as Darren.
But because he had a beard, Beardyman was born. Long may he live.
Koko, 1a Camden High Street, NW1 7JE
Sat, Sept 22 | Doors at 9pm | £18.50
Tube | Mornington Crescent
koko.uk.com
