HITS FROM THE GONG BATTLE

Roc Raida's Gong Battle For World Supremacy stopped off at Bar Rumba in London on Friday September 8th. Eclectic Breaks' weekly promotion "The Getdown", partnered with Stanton DJ, played host to the all new DJ competition, with this European chapter picking up from the very first Gong Battle that was held in April 2006 at S.O.B's nightclub in New York.

Acting as an underground alternative to the elitist and often intimidating DMC competitions, the Gong Battle offers DJs and spectators a more informal atmosphere with a high emphasis on fun and entertainment, in the spirit of its inspiration, 70s American TV programme 'The Gong Show'. The London Gong Battle was hosted by hip hop legend Lord Sear, aided by EB resident MC Scandol, whilst the judging panel featured some of the scratch scenes leading figures, including the events founder Roc Raida, alongside 2tall, Daredevil, Tatsuki (Japan), Whut, Blakey, Sparky T (Greece) and Laurent Fintioni.

The evening's entertainment began with a selection of beats from DJ 2tall, who prepared the eager crowd for the turntable action that followed. Thirteen DJs stepped up for the elimination round, including several internationals such as Perplex from Australia, Its from Japan and Suspect from France, all with just 90 seconds to show off their skills before the judges. Eight successful candidates made it through to the quarter finals, where two DJs took to the stage at a time, taking it turns to battle, until one from each duo was either gonged or sent through to the next round. The semi finals saw Koncept take on Mr Eclipse, and Suspect battle Mr Optic, with Mr Eclipse and Mr Optic surviving and progressing to meet in the final round. Both DJs put in a fair effort, but Mr Optic pulled Blakey's juggle, which gave him a gong, and saw Mr Eclipse take first place. US Gong champ IDee then did a showcase set, bringing the event to a close as prizes from Stanton DJ, including a specially branded "Gong Battle" SA-5 mixer, were awarded to the winner.

Click here to listen to Roc Raida's interview on KISS FM!