At around 6:15 pm on the Isle of Wight at Bestival something remarkable happened. While Public Enemy and Flavor Flav attempted to reignite their floundering careers in front of thousands on centre stage, the still fledgling group Sound of Rum took to the Psychedelic Worm tent in front of what could only have been a handful of people in attendance.
Had this been a contest of who could pull in the bigger crowds, Public Enemy would have it all sown up, but unfortunately for the Flav that’s just not the case. So it came to be, that while one MC star was seemingly dying on his arse peddling his autobiography and novelty sized timepieces to thousands, a bright new star was staking a claim for bigger and better things only half a mile away.
Front woman Kate Tempest might have looked every bit the mild mannered Daisy Steiner doppelganger to passers by, but the Broxley born MC was actually a hip hop time bomb ready to explode on the unsuspecting crowd.
The young MC clearly brought her ‘A’ game to the festival party, whipping up the rapidly growing crowd into a frenzy with her fierce razor like rhymes. Accompanied by her trusty guitarist Archie Marsh and drummer Ferry Lawrenson, the lively three piece were harmoniously tight, with Tempest’s raw poetic talent bursting at the seams to guide proceedings.
Tempest even found time mid set to indulge in a little freestyle “poetry”, single handedly waxing lyrical in front of the now booming crowd with a fluency and emotional passion that had so far been seldom seen at the festival. Fists in the air and gobs to the floor, the crowd lapped up every second of the five minute long Shakespearean tinged effort.
Suffice to say, passers-by who popped their heads in didn’t so much stay for Sound of Rum but rather were taken hostage by Tempest’s passionate, gut wrenching delivery and no compromising stage presence.
Rapturous applause and indistinguishable cries rang out following Rum’s storming final track ‘Prometheus’. “I dunno what you’re saying, but I hope it’s fucking positive” screamed Tempest. “We want more” the crowd bellowed back.
Clash was sure of two things by the end of the set. Firstly that the future’s bright for Sound of Rum and secondly that anyone willing to pay £21.99 for Flavor Flavs book is getting mugged hard.
Words by James Wright
