Sound of Rum brought a buzz to the Zanzibar. Rapper/poet Kate Tempest and bandmates Archie (guitar) and Ferry (drums) mix hip-hop and rock (imagine a kind of South East London Rage Against the Machine) to beautiful effect.
The star of the show however was Kate, her thoughtful and insightful lyrics blended to the beat of the drums and had the Zanzibar crowd hanging on to her every word.
Her passion for what she rapped was evident for all to see, hurling herself around the small stage. She got so caught up in the moment during one song that the Londoner forgot to say her words;
“I got overwhelmed with emotion and I forgot to say the words.” She joked with the crowd.
Mid set Kate dropped the instruments and treated Zanzibar to an accapella rap/poem but had to deal with some heckling from one drunk indiviual, but like a true MC she flipped it on him and mocked the man in her freestyle, to rapturous cheering from the rest of the crowd.
Sound Of Rum boast a unique sound and Kate was a charismatic and intriguing front woman, influenced in equal measures by the Wu-Tang and William Blake, check out their debut album, Balance.