Edinburgh Fringe 2018
The Beatbox Collective: What’s Your Sound?
The Beatbox Collective
Genre: Music
Venue: Gilded Balloon at the Museum - The Auditorium
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Incredible sound, a beat that gets you clapping, and spectacular lighting displays – this show is an instant crowd-pleaser. If you appreciate honest, unmodified vocal gymnastics, or just want a night out where you can switch off an enjoy the fun, this is a show you want to see.
Review
The Beatbox Collective are made up of individuals who’ve won almost every beatboxing award there is. Together, they’ve toured the UK, performed at the Rio Olympics in Brazil, and are performing their new show at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe – What’s Your Sound?
The show is divided into a few parts, fully utilizing the talents of the 5-strong collective. We’re treated to group performances – mixing well known songs with theme tunes – as well as individual displays of talent that can only be described as sound-blending, vocalised/beatboxed monologues. We also have a day in the life of a beat boxer, a tutorial on the art of beatboxing, and a fantastic mismatch of sound and song, where an audience member is asked to become a ‘sixth’ member of the team.
The talent of this crew is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s easy to see why these are the elite of their kind, as they manage to create harmonized melodies, strong drum beats and rhythmic backing all without mixing. Their voices are their instruments.
A show such as this cannot be effective without some fairly magnificence lighting and visual effects displays. We’re fortunate to be supplied with this, which come in the form of a spectacular show of lights, haze, video projection and lasers. These serve to cement the ‘nightclub’ feel, although it’s hard to imagine a nightclub where the strobe fits so perfectly with the rhythm of the music.
This show is clever, fun and entertaining. It does, however, deserve a venue that could bring the audience a little closer to the performers. If you are sitting on the row ends you miss the immersive nature of the show, which doesn’t do the performers, nor the incredible effects, true justice.
This show is a hidden haven of immersive sound, which deserves bigger houses.
