If you’re standing on Embankment and you look across the river, if you see an upside-down cow with its nippley bits in the air, don’t be anxious, it’s no illusion, but rather a pop up stage for the viewing of choice musical and comedy acts. It’s a joining of forces between Udderbelly and the Southbank Centre, and between them they’ve cultivated an eight week festival of ocular and aural treats.
This summer’s evening they’ve given the keys to their Friesian kingdom to the world’s favourite beatboxer, Beardyman. Leaving crowds incredulous is all in a day’s work for Beardyman; he’s well talented, super funny, and impossible to dislike. His affability has made him a bunch of chums on his global travels, and he’s clustered his favourites together tonight for a shindig, and wouldn’t you know it, they’re all able to drop your jaw from twenty paces. The energy these collaborations have given tonight’s show pervades every second, keeping it fast paced and furiously funny. Like a beatboxing Parkinson, the Beard introduces them individually before bouncing their talents against one another.
Beardyman opens with a staggering display of what he does best, yet on introducing his next guest, he nearly has the love whisked away, with fellow beatboxer Reggie Watts nearly swiping the whole show from under his nose, eliciting laughter from the crowd like water from a tap. You can sense the entire auditorium collectively plan their marriage proposal to him as he brings the house down with a blazing rendition of ‘Fuck Shit Stack’. I’d like to describe it, but I could never do it justice. YouTube it if you please and take note of his beautifully fluffy ‘fro while you’re there.
Beardyman introduces the skills of turntablist JFB who showcases some inconceivably dextrous scratching before challenging Beardyman to a scratch-war, with JFB laying down some sick-as scratch-attacks only to have the Beardy one rip them up, elaborate ‘em and throw them back in his face. After one hell of a tussle they call it a draw, mercifully, before someone gets hurt.
Lastly before bedtime the whole crew, all eight of ‘em, get together to jam out the end of the night, to culminate in a crescendo of skills, for which they earn themselves a standing ovation.
Funny, innovative, surprising and awe inspiring, like a wedge of watermelon on a hangover, tonight’s been refreshingly good. While the cow packs up and heads to Edinburgh, let’s hope the Udderbelly festival becomes a fixture on the calendar; it’s right good this cow tent.
Words by Hannah Lanfear
