Thursday, July 29, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
International Magic
My practice has been a little disrupted this week after a slight cardiac incident. I thought having more time on my hands whilst recovering would mean more practise, however it seemed that sitting up with the cards was not actually rest. I did get an awful lot of magic reading down though. There is no getting around the fact I have quite by accident become a 'card guy'. I don't think this is necessary that bad, however as I hope it means I'll pick up other slights and moves easily (I got the paddle move in a few seconds). I will continue going through the card magic books I have as card magic is relatively cheap and easy to practise. My 'Ambitious Card' is becoming my sum total of all my card magic, every time I learn a new slight I try to find a way of working it in, and therefore practising the ambitious card becomes a way of practising all my slights as well as learning a set routine with many moves, or learning to freestyle and think quickly. I am thinking of learning 'Cups and balls' as well also as a way of learning other slights and just something to practise with and improve me skill set, even if I never perform with it. I will probably pick a set up next time i'm in London, as I've seen some lovly copper sets, perfect for hitting a seam punk convention with :)
I have finally got to 'International Magic' in London. An interesting little shop and reminded me of my childhood with it's large selection of jokes and tricks. However it is mainly a magic shop and whilst the effects they had were fewer in number than 'Davenports' they did have a large selection of books. I was tempted by 'Guy Hollingworth's Drawing Room Deceptions' . The very helpful store keeper did point out that it is a very advanced book (but it does look very pretty) he therefore recommended 'Dave Cambell's Legacy, incredible close up' . He showed me a letter from an American magician who bought the book singing it's praises. One can only hope he is an honourable man who did not write the letter himself. Ultimately I bought neither book but a DVD intended for Harvey. There is a series of DVDs called 'Worlds Greatest Magic by the World's Greatest Magicians'. They have a DVD for every effect you can imagine, eg 'Ambitious Card', 'Professor's Nightmare" etc. This volume involves 'The Secrets of Story Telling decks". It's no secret that Harvey's amazing tricks use story telling as a huge element and he does a superb job. This DVD should hopefully give him even more tricks that use his greatest skill, that of holding the attention of an audience and lifting them away from where they are.
Overall 'International Magic is slightly more hassle to get to (a 10 minute walk from Chancery Lane tube station ) than 'Davenports' (which is AT Charring Cross Station) and it lacks the solemn refined feel of Davenports, BUT the staff are VERY helpful and it is still worth visiting.
I have finally got to 'International Magic' in London. An interesting little shop and reminded me of my childhood with it's large selection of jokes and tricks. However it is mainly a magic shop and whilst the effects they had were fewer in number than 'Davenports' they did have a large selection of books. I was tempted by 'Guy Hollingworth's Drawing Room Deceptions' . The very helpful store keeper did point out that it is a very advanced book (but it does look very pretty) he therefore recommended 'Dave Cambell's Legacy, incredible close up' . He showed me a letter from an American magician who bought the book singing it's praises. One can only hope he is an honourable man who did not write the letter himself. Ultimately I bought neither book but a DVD intended for Harvey. There is a series of DVDs called 'Worlds Greatest Magic by the World's Greatest Magicians'. They have a DVD for every effect you can imagine, eg 'Ambitious Card', 'Professor's Nightmare" etc. This volume involves 'The Secrets of Story Telling decks". It's no secret that Harvey's amazing tricks use story telling as a huge element and he does a superb job. This DVD should hopefully give him even more tricks that use his greatest skill, that of holding the attention of an audience and lifting them away from where they are.
Overall 'International Magic is slightly more hassle to get to (a 10 minute walk from Chancery Lane tube station ) than 'Davenports' (which is AT Charring Cross Station) and it lacks the solemn refined feel of Davenports, BUT the staff are VERY helpful and it is still worth visiting.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
phobos and demos
For the last 2 weeks I've been working on my current repertoire and performance style. I'm working through Wayne Dobson's book(let) and am intreagied by a silk vanish and a new version of Do as I do. I've also learnt how to perfom the "Crushed and empty restorn can" effect. i hope to use it in the wild come Friday.
There is the opportunity to perfrom some young person magic at te colchester free festivale. TO this end I found an very nice effect by Guy Hollingworth known as "Once upon a time". I was initally going to wait untill a trip to London in a few weeks to pick this little gem up, however I've sinece learnt that whilst many magic shops list the produst, when questioned about the trick in envarable ends up being out of stock or no longer available. INdeed the trick is available on Davenports AND international Magic's site, but when I rung them neither caan get hold of it. With this in mind i was happy tosee a direct link from Guy Hollingworth's own site to another webshop with the effect in stock. I looked into the site and the company are not a magic shop they are an agency providing performers. I rung thewm up and they confirmed the product is there waiting to be dispatched. Even though the effect is rather old and here is no reason to believe they will be out of stock any time soon I suddenly found myself in the grip of Fear and terror and promptly ordered it. With luck it will be here tomorrow, intime to show Harvey.
There is the opportunity to perfrom some young person magic at te colchester free festivale. TO this end I found an very nice effect by Guy Hollingworth known as "Once upon a time". I was initally going to wait untill a trip to London in a few weeks to pick this little gem up, however I've sinece learnt that whilst many magic shops list the produst, when questioned about the trick in envarable ends up being out of stock or no longer available. INdeed the trick is available on Davenports AND international Magic's site, but when I rung them neither caan get hold of it. With this in mind i was happy tosee a direct link from Guy Hollingworth's own site to another webshop with the effect in stock. I looked into the site and the company are not a magic shop they are an agency providing performers. I rung thewm up and they confirmed the product is there waiting to be dispatched. Even though the effect is rather old and here is no reason to believe they will be out of stock any time soon I suddenly found myself in the grip of Fear and terror and promptly ordered it. With luck it will be here tomorrow, intime to show Harvey.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Been a while, new tricks and gig
It's been a while since I blogged magic, but trust me I've been doing plenty. I've worked through the second crash course as well as a few books and this is what I've picked up.
Weighted Aces - Nick Dakin. Nick is a mate from Nottingham who is an amazing magician. I can perform a few slights now but he is far far more fluid than I am (so I'll be practising for a long time before I'm in his league). Weighted Aces is a nice quick trick. performed with only 4 cards, the aces. The spectator believes an ace of spades is placed in his hand and an ace of clubs placed under it, a wave f the hand reveals the clubs have floated through the spade. Th trick is performed again, only this time, both aces have floated up into the magicians hand and been replaced with the red aces.
Reaction- Whilst a quick little trick this is a nice little head scratcher and a nice opener.
Cataclysm -Brian Caswell. Shown to me by Nick. A deck of cards is shown to the spectator. The magician shows on the back of each card that there is a number. These numbers are random and range from 1 to 52. The spectator is asked to name a card, then another then another. The cards are placed on the table and the magician revels a photograph of three cards, face down with the numbers on the back showing. The cards are each turned over to reveal they match the photograph perfectly.
Reaction- I built this trick up a little and talked about how I found the deck and am not sure what it means or how it works. I talk about combination locks and how one day we may find a combination that unlocks time itself. I show the photograph first and make sure that the table is set up JUST like my photo with my hat in it and my glasses, pill bx and the unused bit of the deck (with he right card on the top) in the top right corner. I'm very proud of that little addition because it can throw people off the scent of of the method. The reaction ranges from bafflement and applause right through to "this is scary, your messing with stuff you don't know about, you may end up losing your soul"
Ambitious card - Eluionist Crash Course 2. Not so much a trick unto it'self, more a series of slights used so that a signed card can be placed into the pack and bounce to the top in a variety of ways. Some of these slights can work in the spectators hand. You can either learn a whole routine OR free style using the techniques available to you
Reaction- I approached this trick with a view of zen. It's a way of combining what you know and then just going with what feels good at the time. In karate there is a kata which the head of the biggest federation of the art says if you perform daily then you are a karate master. Ambitious card is simuler, It incorporates so many different slights as well as readying the audience and adjusting what your doing on the fly so much if you do a solid routine every day then your a card magician. I lovely trick that lets the spectator keep the card as a souvenir and one that you can perform with different people in the same group using a series of different reveals (from colour changes to snap changes, simple double lifts to the pop off). Reactions were very positive to each bit of the trick and it was fun to perform, but you have to have your grove on and your wits about you.
Out of this world - Paul Zennon's Street magic. A quite long trick but highly effective. The magician places a red card and a black card on the table face up. He then places 8 cards face down in two piles one in front of each of the cards. He states the purpose of the exercise is to see if you can sort out the cards into red and black. He reveals his cards, often completely wrong. Then he shuffles the cards back into the deck hands it to the specator and invites them to try. The cards are placed face down in the two piles ans when finally revealed it is discovered they have sorted the pack perfectly.
Reaction- I tend to weave a little history lesson into this trick. famously this trick was performed for Winston Churchill during the war. HE insisted on seeing the trick again and again (normally we shouldn't do the same trick for the same audience twice, but come on, it's Winston Churchill, the man with an answer for the question "You and what army"). Reactions are again positive and range from "how do you do that' Right through to 'We did that, with the power of our minds, together, oh my god this is amazing, lets try levitating something". If you THINK someone is going to cause trouble, keep hold of the deck and just put them where they say. Also you can do the same witha group of people.
Weighted Aces - Nick Dakin. Nick is a mate from Nottingham who is an amazing magician. I can perform a few slights now but he is far far more fluid than I am (so I'll be practising for a long time before I'm in his league). Weighted Aces is a nice quick trick. performed with only 4 cards, the aces. The spectator believes an ace of spades is placed in his hand and an ace of clubs placed under it, a wave f the hand reveals the clubs have floated through the spade. Th trick is performed again, only this time, both aces have floated up into the magicians hand and been replaced with the red aces.
Reaction- Whilst a quick little trick this is a nice little head scratcher and a nice opener.
Cataclysm -Brian Caswell. Shown to me by Nick. A deck of cards is shown to the spectator. The magician shows on the back of each card that there is a number. These numbers are random and range from 1 to 52. The spectator is asked to name a card, then another then another. The cards are placed on the table and the magician revels a photograph of three cards, face down with the numbers on the back showing. The cards are each turned over to reveal they match the photograph perfectly.
Reaction- I built this trick up a little and talked about how I found the deck and am not sure what it means or how it works. I talk about combination locks and how one day we may find a combination that unlocks time itself. I show the photograph first and make sure that the table is set up JUST like my photo with my hat in it and my glasses, pill bx and the unused bit of the deck (with he right card on the top) in the top right corner. I'm very proud of that little addition because it can throw people off the scent of of the method. The reaction ranges from bafflement and applause right through to "this is scary, your messing with stuff you don't know about, you may end up losing your soul"
Ambitious card - Eluionist Crash Course 2. Not so much a trick unto it'self, more a series of slights used so that a signed card can be placed into the pack and bounce to the top in a variety of ways. Some of these slights can work in the spectators hand. You can either learn a whole routine OR free style using the techniques available to you
Reaction- I approached this trick with a view of zen. It's a way of combining what you know and then just going with what feels good at the time. In karate there is a kata which the head of the biggest federation of the art says if you perform daily then you are a karate master. Ambitious card is simuler, It incorporates so many different slights as well as readying the audience and adjusting what your doing on the fly so much if you do a solid routine every day then your a card magician. I lovely trick that lets the spectator keep the card as a souvenir and one that you can perform with different people in the same group using a series of different reveals (from colour changes to snap changes, simple double lifts to the pop off). Reactions were very positive to each bit of the trick and it was fun to perform, but you have to have your grove on and your wits about you.
Out of this world - Paul Zennon's Street magic. A quite long trick but highly effective. The magician places a red card and a black card on the table face up. He then places 8 cards face down in two piles one in front of each of the cards. He states the purpose of the exercise is to see if you can sort out the cards into red and black. He reveals his cards, often completely wrong. Then he shuffles the cards back into the deck hands it to the specator and invites them to try. The cards are placed face down in the two piles ans when finally revealed it is discovered they have sorted the pack perfectly.
Reaction- I tend to weave a little history lesson into this trick. famously this trick was performed for Winston Churchill during the war. HE insisted on seeing the trick again and again (normally we shouldn't do the same trick for the same audience twice, but come on, it's Winston Churchill, the man with an answer for the question "You and what army"). Reactions are again positive and range from "how do you do that' Right through to 'We did that, with the power of our minds, together, oh my god this is amazing, lets try levitating something". If you THINK someone is going to cause trouble, keep hold of the deck and just put them where they say. Also you can do the same witha group of people.
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