Marc Reck

After a great week celebrating Pyn’s birthday and our anniversary, it was full steam ahead this week, starting with 2 very productive meetings with 3 of Birmingham’s favourite promoters. Aside from being an opportunity to spend some very pleasant time with some very inspiring people, it has also led to some great opportunities.

• a new bi monthly gig in the Bulls Head starting on Saturday October 11th

•   a big celebration of Birmingham’s Underground on for the Mr Elephant / Night Times event on Sep 20th at the Rainbow Beach / Warehouse,

•   and a role as breaks reviewer for the Night Times!

Following the continuation of being missed off all promotion material for this surfs up festival, i’ve been thinking about how local artists are represented, often by their local promotors. Suffice to say, it was really refreshing to have this meeting, as it seems that both of the events will hopefully provide platforms to shine a light on local artists.

For me, as both a promoter, and dj, this is particularly important, as it seems we are increasingly in an age where local artists don’t get the support or promotion that the big names do. While this are many possible reasons for this, and filling a large venue without a headliner is no easy task, it does seem a shame that in this online age, that the people who often play for free, and in many cases rock the party a lot more noticeably than the paid headliners, are not promoted, linked to, or even mentioned in the same way the names are. 

That said, with the very best intentions, things can always get overlooked, and good promotion, filling venues, and building good relationshops is ultimately very hard work. It seems that while a headliner can provide a quick fix, there is nothing like building mutually beneficial relationships with people you like working with.

Certain promoters actively realise this, and in my eyes are really trying to build the local Birmingham scene.

Hare and Hounds, Bulls Head and Leftfoot Promotor Adam Regan, is one of these people, and has pioneered really positive change in the local area over the last ten years. Since re-opening the Hare and Hounds, Adam’s picked up on the Mr Elephant events, and has been increasingly supportive of my djing as a whole. To date i’ve had the opportunity to host 2 packed events and play 4 great gigs at the venue, which i’m pleased to say has really been mutually beneficial for all involved, which on a local level has felt really positive. 

Whats been nice about working with Adam this last year, is his understanding of both promoting and djing, so it was nice (and synchronistic) to get a call to host a bi monthly event at the Bulls Head From October. Not only is it an opportunity to spread my wings as a dj, play a wide a range of music, and invite local guests to a venue that already draws an open minded crowd, but also it will provide an opportunity to generate an income stream to go someway to support the huge amount of time that goes into djing, and promoting a night.

Event starts on October 11th 2008, and should be a scaled down Mr Elephant Presents with a range of multi genre party rocking music.

Another promoter and dj who is doing some great stuff in the city, is Breakthru promotor, and Night Times editor Ric Woodall, who has continued to provide platforms for local artists with his events, and much needed nightlife publication, The Night Times. After a set at Custom Made in 2007, he has also been really vocally supportive of my djing, and has recently asked me to be a resident at his new night Times events (and dj his wedding reception!)

This has paved the way to collaborating on the next Mr Elephant event, which aims to shine a light on Birmingham promoters, something important to both of us, and intrinsically important to brummy legend and House Of God Promoter Nic Wells aka DJ X & PCM, who has been involved with, and actively promoted Birmingham’s underground scene for about 20 years now. 

Initially i was going to do a manageable event with a host of other people, on the rainbow beach for the 5th (and proabably final of 2008) Mr Elephant, trying to feature as many promoters and their respective residents that we could feasibly fit in. Now however, with the addition of the launch of the Night Times event, and the 700 capacity rainbow warehouse, that 350 capacity event has now exploded to feature over 20 promoters and their residents, with 3 well programmed rooms featuring a variety of underground music.

We were all quite clear that we wanted to charge no more than a fiver, so the the thought of filling the 1200 people space was initally a little daunting, but if we can get the venue to support us, it could potentially be a big free all night celebration of Birmingham’s underground scene….And as its Mr Elephant Presents hosting the beach, you can expect the usual interactive and carnival esque additions, only this time x 10!

For more information thus far, check out www.mrelephant.com, and keep an eye out for next edition of the Night Times, and of course the flyers (which will have a mask on them!)

Oh and the date is Saturday September 20th 2008