It’s the unique mash-up of astonishing percussion, unbelievable beat boxing and breathtaking acrobatics of the Tom Tom Crew that has captivated audiences across the globe.

Fresh off the back of countless sell out seasons on an international tour, the quirky Australian performers returned home to dazzle audiences at last months’ Melbourne Festival.

For the past five years, the boys from the Tom Tom Crew have been busy joining A-List artists all across the world performing to record-breaking crowds.

The move to send the crew came about after the first season of the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Director Scott Maidment decided to send the crew to the Edinburgh Fringe – one of the most expensive and competitive fringe festivals in the world – where they played in a whopping 23 sell out shows.

But it no doubt paid off, with the crew picking up several awards and flooding newspapers with raving reviews.

‘“It was a risky move but thankfully it worked!’ says Ben Walsh, the co-founder and percussionist extraordinaire of Tom Tom Crew.

But the journey started with the most humble (and impulsive!) formations at the Woodford Folk Festival where Maidment – who was managing three separate acts at the time – randomly threw them on stage together to ‘jam’. What followed was a heavily improvised first show and the birth of the Tom Tom Crew.

Maidment had created a masterpiece – an infusion of hip-hop, percussion and circus that just seems to fits together seamlessly. It is what festival director, Brett Sheehy dubbed as the ‘coolest show of the festival’ and undoubtedly one of the loudest and most exciting.

The raw energy and passion of the Tom Tom Crew comes from the thrill of performing, and more importantly, a love for its audiences.

‘When the crowd are amped up and really connected with the performers, you come off stage very charged from the whole experience,’ Walsh says.

The world-renowned percussionist is no stranger to the limelight, but still finds performing with the Tom Tom Crew the most rewarding.

‘The feeling that happens at a Tom Tom Crew gig is very addictive and unique.’

Acrobat Ben Lewis says all of that comes from an audience interaction that is real and personal because crew members consciously engage with the crowd.

The excitement of audience interaction aside, the show is also highly unpretentious. The performers are honest, unmasked by costumes and makeup.

‘What we lack in direction and a big budget, sets and costumes, we gain in purpose, commitment and, of course, skill,’ Walsh says.

But how do three very distinct art forms work so well together in one cohesive act?

For the acrobats, the answer is more than simply years and years of training (though that certainly occurs). When you see fully-grown men literally flying through the air at terrifying heights or somersaulting off teeterboards to land on a mate’s shoulder and build a three-man tower, you sense that a lot of trust goes into these complex and dangerous routines.

For many of the acrobats, they have been training and performing together since they were little boys studying at the Flying Fruit Fly Circus in Albury. That experience provided them with a unique understanding of each other’s routines and a trust unseen in any other type of relationship. The precision with which these high-flying jumps, spins, and climbs occur with unspoken communication and is only achievable with years of training and a special instinct like no other.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of the show is the astonishing beat boxer, Tom Thum, whose vocal acrobatics match the talents of the actual acrobats. The prodigy has been named Australia’s best beat-boxer four years running at the Oz Hip Hop awards, won the beat-boxing world championships and placed second at the Scribble Jam beat-box battles, the most prestigious hip-hop competition in America.

Thum is able to mimic the electrifying horn lines of a sizzling jazz band, the steady rhythms of a drum kit and even bring out renditions of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, all with just a microphone.  Such an eclectic repertoire is inspired by the eclectic music he listens to and desire to learn about its roots.

‘I listen to a lot of things that are not so mainstream, as well as a lot of world music, just to try and find that new interesting instrument I can try and emulate,’ he says.

Thum is also a gifted graffiti artist and talented break-dancer, occasionally beat boxing while spinning on his head or painting unique pieces of art with every show the Tom Tom Crew does on tour.

‘I was always compulsively drawing when I was younger. I would scribble on absolutely everything and eventually just started making noises and didn’t stop.’

He describes his practice routine as something that occurred as a result of hyperactivity rather that set rehearsal times.

‘It’s almost a Tourettes-esque affliction where I find myself making noises without even realising.’

Thum’s passion for the performing arts emerged from a love of hip-hop.

‘Through graffiti, I found a way to satiate my urges to scribble. Through music and beat boxing, I channelled my urge to make loud noises and express myself. And through bboying I satisfied any pent up teenage aggression and restlessness. I was basically the foster child of hip hop culture that decided to never leave home,’ Thum laughs.

As a unit, the Tom Tom Crew is a perfect fusion of different art forms coming together, their style dubbed as urban circus and a playful mash-up of street art and hip-hop.

On the surface, it’s easy to argue that the group is just a bunch of talented artists all doing their own thing on the same stage. But the chemistry these guys have is undeniable, and what’s more remarkable are the stories and artistic concepts behind individual performers when you pull the different elements apart.

‘We definitely inspire each other and share a connection on the stage,’ Walsh says.

While the building blocks of the show that has thrilled audiences across the world can be complex, beneath the many layers of gravity defying acrobatics and raw, pulsating energy, the boys from the Tom Tom Crew are honest and down to earth.

Cheeky, charismatic and charming, there is nothing complicated about their approach to music and performing.

Jacqui Duong is a Bachelor of Arts student at Monash University majoring in journalism and English literature.