A gig in two halves

Tonight Darren and I performed close up for a local charity gig. Unlike other charity gigs it was paid, yay!  It had a Tudor theme so Darren and I made our own costumes (and I think we both looked rather dashing) We were commissioned to perform close up magic, both whilst people entered and mingled and at tables.
Lets start with lessons to be learnt. As we should  up I rleiased I didn't have an oder of play. As it happened I managed to get the exact details off another act BUT  I should have had a cope written down of who was doing what when.

Then Darren and I got trapped in a lift. No one heard the alarm (apparently it had been disconnected). I releized  that even though I had my mobile on me I did not have the number of the event manager. As it happened  Darren got the first doors open and I managed to get the second set of doors opened but it made me realize how important it is for me to always have contact details with me  AT the gig.

I had a set deck like the one I used last week, a vanilla deck and "Serial Killer". I realized for the welcoming part of the night I could just use "Wee Wee Mentalist" and "4 card trick" with Darren and so left the set up decks until the second shift (we would have a 20 minute break).

The warm up worked perfectly. People loved the 4 card trick and Wee Wee, I was just moving from group to group performing the same effects, or the Professors Nightmare (with the TARDIS explanation). I performed some colour changes and elastic band magic for a chap in a wheel chair which went down very well.

Then the second part of the night. We went upstairs and unwound for a moment before setting up our decks again. I started working my deck, but realized  the tables were crowded and food was being delivered a lot. I I knew "Out Of this World" would be too long. I resorted to Twilight Angels, Direct Mind Reading, (and ONE use of an Invisible deck). I tended to finish with Ambitious card for the lads

Quite a few people asked for a business card which made me feel good. All the responses were positive, although I now think I need some more short punchy effects.

Then the third part of the 2 part gig. Diner, with the band. I had heard of Blayze, an electric String  quartet. Unfortunately I hadn't seen them, so I didn't recognise them, most embarrassing. They were polite over the dinner and we made small  talk about  gigs and snakes, then they went to watch another act. When one came in I performed a little elastic band  magic casually. IT got her hooked, then I reeled her in with Twilight Angels, Direct Mind Reading, Invisible deck. She called the rest of the band over and Darren and I wowed them. Then our friend performed some Contact juggling for them. they also asked for cards and kept saying how impressed they were. This felt good.

We decided to stay to watch them, delaying our visit to another event (we weren't booked or it as such, the hostess just likes us to be there at some point). Standing in a castle, wearing a doublet and velvet scarf, watching Tudors bathed in electric blue light whilst electric string quartet played some of my favourite music made me released, I've so made the right career choice.

What I learnt

GET, KEEP and Take with me, a complete runnign order.

Keep contact details of the event manager on me at the gig

Rehurse in any new costume, work out if I have enough pockets etc.
Double check it's easy to use the bathroom in said costume (a use of a cumaband was a bad idea)

For gigs where I'm working AROUND dinner I need some short, punch effects without too much talking.

When things  quite down my close and personal magic is VERY powerful

I can be engaging

Contact juggling is beautiful