As you probably know we are taking a break from all the monthly events for the forseeable future, to concentrate on other projects, so until we return, we just wanted to say a massive thank you on behalf of the whole Mr Elephant crew for bringing the vibes to our last 41 events, and to everyone who has been part of any Mr Elephant event, workshop, radio show, or website.

We’ll really miss the events, and each one has been a truly inspiring experience, but the time feels right to move on to other projects until next year.

It was really important that we left things on a high, and we’re forever grateful to all the venues that have housed us throughout the last years, the Adam & Eve, Hare & Hounds, Epic Skate Park, Rainbow Beach, the Bulls Head & Prince Wales.

When we return to do events we will certainly be looking to promote local talent through smaller regular events, but there was a unananimous decision that we all wanted to return to another reason why we started Mr Elephant in the 1st place, and that is the larger more festival style events. Like the 1st 2 at Epic skate park in 2007, the family days at the Prince garden, the 12 hour celebration pf Birmingham’s Underground on the Rainbow beach/warehouse, and the workshops & multistage 2nd Birthday at the hare and hounds. Events that are one offs and that encompass all the areas of Mr Elephant in one cohesive event, or to put it another way, a balance of all the events over the last 3 years, and pushing some of the Mr Elephant ideas forward.

We’ll still be hosting our radio show on www.rhubarbradio.com with Marc Reck every monday evening at 6pm & Mr Elephant residents Skeleton & Dolhasz will be hosting The Beat Suite every wednesday from 11.30pm. However to avoid the whole website being taken up with the radio shows, it seems more appropriate for these to exist on their own websites & of course the rhubarb ones, so that the artists & events can remain on the front of this one. One of the main aims of Mr Elephant is to shine a light on great stuff, and so hopefully the videos of the events housed on this website helps further that.

There are many ideas and goals that we have as Mr Elephant and while we’ve achieved so much more than we hoped, (due to the ever expanding platform of talented contributors) there is so much we have yet to explore.

We have always been totally unfunded, and, as most will know, it becomes difficult to devote such a large portion of your life when you have to cover your own costs, and have other ambitions to explore. With that in mind we are looking at ways to fund future events so we can realise their true potential, and we’ll be taking time out to further our own interests in order to bring them back in bigger and brighter. We all want to keep the free party ethos alight wherever possible, simply because it allows the most accessibility to people, regardless of financial status, and therefore the most diverse mix of people, which is always a good thing… The logisitics of sorting the time and resources we can work out.

Anyway, once again, thanks to one and all for a truly inspiring 3 years, and on behalf of all the Mr Elephant crew, we wish you a beautiful hot summer.

One love
Mr Elephant.

Our 2nd Inter-mix will feature not one but two Birmingham based promoters and their residents who bring international music to the city. The mighty reggae collective Jam Jah & legendary tropical dance music selectors Moseley Tropical.

Elephant favourites Jam Jah need no introduction and we try and get them in whereeever we can due to their unmistakeable blend of roots reggae and dancehall which never fails to set the room alight. Chief selectors Robin G and Damon will be repping the show and they’ll be kicking it off from 10pm.

They’ve got a new e.p out which you can buy from their website now – http://www.friendlyfiremusic.com/

Moseley Tropical similarly bring a whole load of great musical culture to our fair city of Birmingham, and have hosted their unique mix of past present and future tropical dance music at many Birmingham venues – http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=55522940457

“The past, present and future of tropical dance music”…”leave your preconceptions at the door”. One of the chief selectors Mr Zuppa Inglese not only has a great skill on the decks but also a great show on the mic, so expect to be shaking your thang from midnight til 2am.

Doors open at 10pm / Entry is free before 10.30 & £4 after

So our first proposed Inter-mix event was actually a Balkanik Eruption event. Both Marc & Liam both having gigs on the pre-booked night, meant we couldn’t run the full Inter-mix idea, but thankfully it did give us an opportunity to invite one of our favourite Birmingham events – Balkanik Eruption down and see how they run things.

Suffice to say it was a balkanik blast!

First up on the decks was Uncle Zitty, who is no stranger to rockin underground dancefloors and one of the residents of Balkanik Eruption.

Next up was our very own Marc Reck who played his first totally Balkan set, and judging by the dancefloor and residents responses did us proud.

Next up was Leon Trimble aka Vj Chromatouch who was not only doing visuals but also using Traktor and what sounded like a load of mashup balkan music

And to wrap things up was Zuppa Inglese aka Brian Parsons who used his fabulous music collection and tailored skills to full effect til 2am.

Hosted by Ellie Middleton with face painting from Rosa, and door hosting by Kyle, the Balkanik eruption crew are not only a pleasure to work with, but they really know how party.

Join their facebook group and look out for their next event (normally at the Cross in Moseley)

Those lovely people at the Night Times have featured Mr Elephant twice in this month’s issue! An interview and a review! Click on the pics for a readable version

Update : It seems the workshops were also covered by the BBC website too – http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2009/05/21/half_term_highlights_feature.shtml

Thanks to Rich for the heads up

The sister night to Cinephonic is another experiemental elephant residency called Inter-mix. A dj/vj based remix project, with live musicians in Room 2 at the Hare & Hounds

Launch date is Sat July 11th 2009..More news soon