大象传媒

Sweaty from a hot day out with his friends at the National Portrait Gallery, Pikey explained his unusual stage moniker.

"Pikey was a name that I was given when I used to go skateboarding. I didn't really like it so I added Esquire on to the end, which makes it an oxymoron!"

Pikey's first taste of fame came in 2006 when he was a finalist in the National Beatbox Championships: "I entered again this year (2009) but I wasn't so successful. I went out in the heats round, but that's not really what I want to do anymore.听

"It's not about the competition, it's about making the music. I don't want to bolster my ego through winning championships, I want to do it through albums."

By joining Queens English, a five-piece based between Ipswich and London, he has found a way of putting his abilities to good use: "I do some backing vocals and ad libs as well, but mostly I just do beatboxing. We have a DJ who plays instrumentals, then the rest of the band sing and rap around us."

Pikey's guide to Suffolk

Pikey was born in Norfolk but has lived in Ipswich since he was three: "The local music scene is good but it's very indie and rock orientated."

"I think The Swan is the best local live venue as it brings new music into Ipswich, opening up the scene a bit more to exciting national and local bands. The Cheek from Woodbridge are really good at what they do and I also like the Kabeedies, I know one of them from Woodbridge.

"We haven't got many local gigs booked yet, but we want to do a couple. I'm doing one at PJ McGintys with a couple of metal bands, which should be fun because I prefer doing gigs where people are not used to our style of music.

James Severy and Pikey at Swanfest 2008

"I also ran a club night in 2008 at The Swan called Pikey's Caravan. I did a collaboration set with Ipswich singer/songwriter James Severy, and another band from Queens English's label called Hellacholla.听

"The best way to get involved and see what hip hop in Suffolk is about would be to go to听 Rapsploitation at the Swan. It's not all guns, crime and derogatory names to women!"

Back to the start

Pikey met the other band members at a private party in Aldeburgh: "They were doing a set at my friend's party.听

"I approached them afterwards, we got talking and they were quite interested in collaborating. A few weeks later, I got a call from MC Leon Rhymes asking if I'd like to do some work with them and see how it goes, and one thing led to another.

"I wasn't on the first album, EQ, which was released in 2008. I joined while recordings on the first album were being done, and they had to get it pressed for a tour in Sweden so I didn't get the chance to be on the album.听

"Unfortunately, I didn't get to tour Sweden either because I wasn't able to take the time off work. However, we're planning a European tour, probably go through Sweden and try to get some gigs in Amsterdam as they love hip hop and we reckon we'd be well received out there.

Pikey Esquire

"People really liked the first album, we had some really good reviews. Tom Robinson from 大象传媒 6 Music loved it, he even got us to come down to a festival where he had a stage and perform, which was brilliant.

"We're working on a second album called QE2, like Queens English the second, or the ship. It's still going to be very hip hop formulated, with beats, rhymes and samples, but with the addition of my beatboxing."
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The band try not to take themselves too seriously: "We're a mockery to hip hop - we want to be making hip hop for indie kids, sort of like Beastie Boys when they first came out. Hip hop orientated but very rocky, very punky.听

"There probably are other bands currently out there doing similar stuff but unfortunately I can't name any. I think the formula of what we're doing is quite unique."

Pikey has high hopes for the band's future: "We want to be on the festival circuit really, doing wicked little festivals like Secret Garden Party and Glastonbury."

However, he's grounded about aspirations of making money through music: "It would be fantastic if I could make a career out of it, but unfortunately music, especially hip hop, doesn't make money these days.

"Mind you, I don't think there鈥檚 a shelf life to beatboxing, unless my lips get so old they won't work any more."