AN OXFORD man was on a mission to make music with his mouth in a bid to wow 800 people in London.

Simon Olivier, of Abingdon Road, who goes by the name Pieman, made a bid to become UK beatboxing champion.

He made his way through to the finals of the Vauxhall UK Beatboxing Championships after winning the regional heat in Oxford on Sunday, last week.

The 19-year-old made it through to the final, at the Carling Academy in Islington, after the audience at The Cellar bar, off Cornmarket Street, judged him to be the best of the eight competitors taking part

But he was knocked out in the first round of the London contest.

The aim is to mimic musical sounds using only your voice and - it seems - Pieman has got the knack.

Mr Olivier said: "It's the first time that I've ever made it to the finals. Last year I was knocked out in the heat stages by the person that went on to win, Beardyman.

"I've played in some of the bigger venues in Oxford, like The Cellar, The Bullingdon and Po Na Na, but this was the first time that I've ever competed in front of this many people. But I don't really get nerves any more."

Beatboxing originated in New York in the 1970s, where young people who were unable to afford stereos and instruments would make music with their mouths.

It broke into the mainstream and has been used on tracks such as Mungo Jerry's In The Summertime and Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry, Be Happy.

Mr Olivier first got into beatboxing when he was younger, making "funny noises", and it developed from there.

He said: "Four years ago I started taking it seriously when I heard other beatboxers like Killa Kela and Rahzel.

"There's a really good scene in Oxford, we all started meeting up and jamming and it's grown from there."

Mr Olivier said it was his ambition to follow in the steps of last year's Vauxhall UK Beatboxing Champion Beardyman and work in the music industry.

He said: "Going into the music industry would be the perfect career for me, getting paid to make music. Hopefully there will be some people from record labels there on the night."

Jim Wilde, from the All From The Mouth Beatboxing Agency, said: "Simon is a very good beatboxer who can do the technical stuff as well as he can the simple things."