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International beatbox battle returns

Clare Lissaman
BBC News, West Midlands
Nue A member of the French beatbox collective EOG performs during the New Urban Era Beatbox Battles competition, at the ATIK nightclub in Tamworth in 2023. The man can be seen in a dark silhouette with colourful lights behind him as well as members of the crowd. Nue
The event has again drawn competitors from around the world

Beatboxers and loopstation artists from around the world are taking part in an international competition in Staffordshire.

Organiser New Urban Era (Nue) said its Beatbox finals would bring "unparalleled vocal mastery" to Tamworth's Atik nightclub on Saturday.

Former UK female beatboxing champion Bellatrix, Australian beatboxer Codfish and KBA from Denmark will be headlining the event as judges and performers.

The event was first held in 2021 and last year attracted 60 wildcard entries from 16 countries, Nue said.

Getty Images A group of men celebrating and holding the winner in the air holding him by his legs. The men have their arms raised in the air and are smiling and the winner is also raising his arms and smiling at the camera. Getty Images
Smonal, who was lifted in the air as he celebrated his loopstation win last year, is defending his crown

Street artists also painted part of the Atik nightclub as part of the event.

This year, organisers made it a two-day event, with the competition following an open mic night at the town's Cavern Room on Friday.

Artists taking part include 17-year-old Smonal from France, who will be defending his crown. Last year he won the loopstation category, where artists use a device to record sounds and loop them to create longer pieces.

Vic Brown of the Nue arts group said finalists in this category and the solo beatboxer contest had again come from a range of countries, including the US and Japan.

Nue began a varied programme of arts events earlier this year after securing about £56,000 of funding.

Nue Edmaster and Frosty were among the competitors at the Atik in 2023. The two men are on stage. The man in front is working on computer equipment and has headphones on and his holding a microphone. The performers are watched by crowd of people, some holding their phones up to record so the lights of the phones can be seen. Nue
The beatbox and loopstation competition is part of a programme of events organised by Nue

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