So yesterday I went to see the GIANT ELEPHANT SPACESHIP that has 'crashed' just off The Mall. It's about two storeys high! The tarmac underneath it is smashed and smoking and I have no idea how they did it. This all looks like it's going to be very cool indeed.
This is the thread to discuss the giant mechanical elephant walking through London and associated things going on around it. Has anyone seen it yet?
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 5 May 2006 07:16 (nineteen years ago)
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 5 May 2006 07:24 (nineteen years ago)
― Mädchen (Madchen), Friday, 5 May 2006 07:54 (nineteen years ago)
― Ned T.RIfle II (Ned T.Rifle II), Friday, 5 May 2006 07:58 (nineteen years ago)
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 5 May 2006 08:03 (nineteen years ago)
― Ivor Cutler (mark grout), Friday, 5 May 2006 08:15 (nineteen years ago)
I mean, you can't say we didn't warn you.
WATCH OUT, THERE'S ELEPHANTS IN HERE!!!
― Here I Go, Higher! Higher! (kate), Friday, 5 May 2006 08:17 (nineteen years ago)
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 5 May 2006 08:20 (nineteen years ago)
― Anna (Anna), Friday, 5 May 2006 08:26 (nineteen years ago)
― beanz (beanz), Friday, 5 May 2006 08:47 (nineteen years ago)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2006/05/03/sultans_elephant_map.shtml
I see Robert Elms has interviewed it.
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 5 May 2006 09:14 (nineteen years ago)
― Tim (Tim), Friday, 5 May 2006 09:22 (nineteen years ago)
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 5 May 2006 09:28 (nineteen years ago)
― Tim (Tim), Friday, 5 May 2006 09:28 (nineteen years ago)
― toby (tsg20), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:00 (nineteen years ago)
― sgs (sgs), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:01 (nineteen years ago)
― ai lien (kold_krush), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:04 (nineteen years ago)
― Porkpie (porkpie), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:17 (nineteen years ago)
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:20 (nineteen years ago)
― Konal Doddz (blueski), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:23 (nineteen years ago)
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:25 (nineteen years ago)
― Anna (Anna), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:31 (nineteen years ago)
― Here I Go, Higher! Higher! (kate), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:34 (nineteen years ago)
― Anna (Anna), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:36 (nineteen years ago)
― Here I Go, Higher! Higher! (kate), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:38 (nineteen years ago)
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)
― Pete (Pete), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)
Does anyone have a videocamera? Or even a phone? Instead of happyslapping, it will be happycurving... or, erm, something.
― Here I Go, Higher! Higher! (kate), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)
― Porkpie (porkpie), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:42 (nineteen years ago)
― Ed (dali), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)
:(
― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)
― Ed (dali), Friday, 5 May 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)
Walking back up to Piccadilly, having had my fill of elephun, who should I spy on the corner of the Mall, but our friend, Mr Winner-not-a-Sinner, megaphone a-blaring, up to his old tricks.
― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Friday, 5 May 2006 15:15 (nineteen years ago)
― Anna (Anna), Friday, 5 May 2006 15:46 (nineteen years ago)
― emsk ( emsk), Friday, 5 May 2006 15:47 (nineteen years ago)
― Here I Go, Higher! Higher! (kate), Friday, 5 May 2006 15:49 (nineteen years ago)
utterly charming, fiendishly clever and also OMG! A 40ft steampunk elephant.
a couple of photos: http://flickr.com/photos/31962137@N00/ more to come
― koogs (koogs), Friday, 5 May 2006 19:58 (nineteen years ago)
The thing itself is pretty great, nicely detailed in construction, and each time it would spray water at the crowd or trumpet it would get a round of applause and cheers. I liked also how its mechanisms are on show--the operators and metallic bits and wires aren't camouflaged.
― sgs (sgs), Friday, 5 May 2006 22:44 (nineteen years ago)
Until the bit when it sprayed me with water. Then it pissed me off. But then we saw it fall asleep on Horseguards Parade, and the people operating the elephant drove off in an open-topped Routemaster heading for [guess which area of London...]
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 5 May 2006 23:13 (nineteen years ago)
― jel -- (jel), Saturday, 6 May 2006 08:31 (nineteen years ago)
the bit i heard was like an hour long Sigur Ross track (reminded me of the current single), played live by people on a flatbed truck (which couldn't be easy, balancewise)
i liked that fact that there was a bloke sat at the back who had no other job than wagging the tail. wish i'd taken pictures of the scooter.
i nearly went back this morning because i'm damn curious as to the rest of the story. am disappointed at lack of television coverage, have seen nothing except odd 30 second spots on bbc24. kinda wished they'd report on it as if it was real, like a feelgood War Of The Worlds.
― koogs (koogs), Saturday, 6 May 2006 09:02 (nineteen years ago)
i missed the girl last night, but saw the elephant go up and down a bit. i am hoping that when ken livingstone greets the elephant he gets a good soaking :)
― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Saturday, 6 May 2006 09:45 (nineteen years ago)
― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Saturday, 6 May 2006 09:49 (nineteen years ago)
I am impressed by SGS's talk of 'major chords'. I don't know much about the elephant. I like the language of JtN's post, but don't know what he means about a geezer that we know with a megaphone. I don't think I know such a geezer.
― the pinefox (the pinefox), Saturday, 6 May 2006 10:15 (nineteen years ago)
The sultan commissions an engineer to construct a time-travelling elephant to try to find her, and then sets off in the elephant with his court, touching down in London.
whoa, i really regret skimming through 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea now!
― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 6 May 2006 10:21 (nineteen years ago)
― Matt #2 (Matt #2), Saturday, 6 May 2006 10:39 (nineteen years ago)
― ledge (ledge), Saturday, 6 May 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)
― ledge (ledge), Saturday, 6 May 2006 18:13 (nineteen years ago)
― toby (tsg20), Saturday, 6 May 2006 18:16 (nineteen years ago)
the girl freaked me out, especially how sleepy she looked - eyes blinking, always yawning...
― i am not a nugget (stevie), Sunday, 7 May 2006 13:35 (nineteen years ago)
― i am not a nugget (stevie), Sunday, 7 May 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)
― Ed (dali), Sunday, 7 May 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)
Thousands of people there, I followed the elephant all the way along Pall Mall and down into Horseguards Parade and it was packed all the way. Maybe Our Ken will bring Survival Research laboratories over next, or maybe not.
― Matt #2 (Matt #2), Sunday, 7 May 2006 16:49 (nineteen years ago)
Yeah, totally. A real 'mad shit like this is why I live here' moment.
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 7 May 2006 18:54 (nineteen years ago)
― Konal Doddz (blueski), Sunday, 7 May 2006 19:10 (nineteen years ago)
― robster (robster), Sunday, 7 May 2006 19:14 (nineteen years ago)
― ledge (ledge), Sunday, 7 May 2006 20:29 (nineteen years ago)
was confused about this bit. wasn't sure they lifted the top off to show she had gone or whether them lifting the rocket up was it taking off into space (only to be put down again 10ft away but hey...)
about 100x as many people there on sunday as on friday i reckon. great carnival atmosphere.
elephant music changed to digeredoo style then vaguely stereolab in prince charles II street. music for the scootering girl was 'baby elephant walk' which was funny. her walking (and the spaceship taking off) was the sigur ross i was talking about.
and then all the people dismounted and got in an open top bus and left. we all waved. they didn't wave back. that's french people for yah! 8)
― koogs (koogs), Monday, 8 May 2006 07:49 (nineteen years ago)
― Anna (Anna), Monday, 8 May 2006 08:51 (nineteen years ago)
I am so glad that I got to see it.
The music was definitely spacerock when we saw it. And they played "Heroes" while the elephant was going to sleep.
― Here I Go, Higher! Higher! (kate), Monday, 8 May 2006 09:12 (nineteen years ago)
And I was impressed by a big papier mache fish at the Brighton Festival children's parade... :/
― Archel (Archel), Monday, 8 May 2006 09:14 (nineteen years ago)
'Whatever happened to adult scepticism and rationality? For me The Sultan's Elephant is simply a spectacular irrelevance to the real business of theatre.'
Like...lighten up, dude!
― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Monday, 8 May 2006 09:46 (nineteen years ago)
― Here I Go, Higher! Higher! (kate), Monday, 8 May 2006 09:49 (nineteen years ago)
― koogs (koogs), Monday, 8 May 2006 10:01 (nineteen years ago)
I'm sure that point could be debated endlessly but WHO CARES? It was still an incredible, magical, fantastic, awesome, glorious spectacle. I pity the poor fellow.
― ledge (ledge), Monday, 8 May 2006 10:05 (nineteen years ago)
― ledge (ledge), Monday, 8 May 2006 10:12 (nineteen years ago)
http://flickr.com/photos/simon-crubellier/141571479/in/photostream/
― koogs (koogs), Monday, 8 May 2006 12:32 (nineteen years ago)
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 May 2006 12:42 (nineteen years ago)
― The Other Day Upon The Stairs (kate), Monday, 8 May 2006 12:44 (nineteen years ago)
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 May 2006 12:50 (nineteen years ago)
― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 8 May 2006 12:56 (nineteen years ago)
― ZOT! (davidcorp), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:22 (nineteen years ago)
http://www.thesultanselephant.com/gallery/gallery.php
― StanM (StanM), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:35 (nineteen years ago)
― StanM (StanM), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:40 (nineteen years ago)
http://www.straattheater.net/festival.asp?id=1561&maand=7&jaar=2006&land=2
― StanM (StanM), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:02 (nineteen years ago)
― Porkpie (porkpie), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:06 (nineteen years ago)
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 08:10 (nineteen years ago)
"The Elephant and the Sultan
Documentary tracking the recent free theatre spectacle of a 40-foot articulated elephant, containing a sultan and his harem, weaving through the streets of central London.
The mechanical wonder, weighing 40 tons, was created by theatrical magicians, Royal de Luxe. What sort of reaction will the moving show get from Londoners and tourists alike?
Award-winning film-maker Chris Terrill follows the elephant's trail.
Thu 18 May, 19:10-20:00 50mins Stereo Widescreen"
― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 08:26 (nineteen years ago)
― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 08:29 (nineteen years ago)
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 09:27 (nineteen years ago)
I agree with you I think. The thing that pissed me off most about it was the whole patronising 'here we are bringing a ray of sunshine into your otherwise drab lives' aspect of it, and the Mayor of London logos everywhere.
― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 09:35 (nineteen years ago)
― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 09:39 (nineteen years ago)
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 09:47 (nineteen years ago)
― Johnny B Was Quizzical (Johnney B), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 10:20 (nineteen years ago)
― The Minimal Criminal (kate), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)
― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 10:39 (nineteen years ago)
― The Minimal Criminal (kate), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 10:42 (nineteen years ago)
― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 10:50 (nineteen years ago)
― teh_kit has 21 friends (g-kit), Wednesday, 17 May 2006 10:51 (nineteen years ago)
The little giantess and the diver just left Antwerp - magic.
http://s4.concentra.be/imgpath/000/000/118/128/id118128-960x700-n.jpg
http://s4.concentra.be/imgpath/000/000/118/010/id118010-960x700-n.jpg
― StanM, Sunday, 22 August 2010 20:07 (fifteen years ago)
The Big Picture @ Boston.com from last year's performance in Berlin: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/10/the_berlin_reunion.html
― StanM, Sunday, 22 August 2010 20:09 (fifteen years ago)
Where are they going?
― o sh!t a ˁ˚ᴥ˚ˀ (ENBB), Sunday, 22 August 2010 20:09 (fifteen years ago)
the sea, the sea, to set sail upon the sea
― Jaw dropping, thong dropping monster (kingfish), Sunday, 22 August 2010 20:12 (fifteen years ago)
Mexico in November, I think, but it's not quite clear if that includes these giants (http://www.royal-de-luxe.com is the official site that only contains a couple of dates but that site isn't linked on the wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_de_luxe for some reason)
― StanM, Sunday, 22 August 2010 20:16 (fifteen years ago)
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/217244/INNAPPROPRIATE-POP-UP-BOOK.jpg
― strangled by a necklace of mexicans (Pillbox), Tuesday, 9 November 2010 22:07 (fourteen years ago)
wait, waht
― DJP, Tuesday, 9 November 2010 22:11 (fourteen years ago)
Wonder what the audio version was like.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 9 November 2010 22:17 (fourteen years ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk
― a you, Saturday, 25 June 2011 13:40 (fourteen years ago)
For some reason I briefly forgot that elephants can see
― | (Latham Green), Tuesday, 25 October 2022 22:23 (three years ago)