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I just thought I would start this thread as I feel it is the part of performance that is dealt with little but for many I think it is maybe one of the hardest part of performance, the approach.
To approach a bunch of strangersa nd break whatever conversation they are having is something that comes naturally to some whilst others can really struggle with it.

I for example have done a few paid gigs here and there and many pub outings but for me it is the worst aspect of the whole magic thing and something I still haven't got used to.

Are there hardened rules to the approach? Do's and don'ts?

Is it mearly a personality thing as to whether the approach is easy? A bit like some people see nothing in striking up a conversation with a stranger whereas some would see it either as a shyness issue or something they have no reason to do.

Derren Brown covers this extensively in Absolute Magic.

In menu of miracles, James Prince explains that your job as a magician is like a waiter. You approach that table and ask them if they would like to see some magic, the same way a waiter asks if they would like to order, your not there to force a magic show down their throats, and there will always be those who aren't interested. If they they say no you say something like 'fair enough, I'll be over there if you change your mind'. And move on to another table.

Nerves will always be there in these situations, some people can be very rude in their answers and if your paid to be there there's not much you can do about it. Just don't let it stop you, and enjoy the fact that the idiot who told you to f*** off has just missed out on some brilliant magic and will die unfulfilled because of it.

If you 'spring' a deck of cards from one hand to the other then this will usually break the conversation and get their attention turned to you.

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:..., and enjoy the fact that the idiot who told you to f*** off has just missed out on some brilliant magic and will die unfulfilled because of it.

To further impress upon the "idiot" and his/her friends that they

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:just missed out on some brilliant magic

go to the next table and, if they are receptive, do your most amazing, laugh-inducing effects! While that will not change the fact that the "idiot" was rude to you, s/he may get harassed by his/her friends for causing them to miss out on the good time the people at the next table are obviously now having.

David Stone also covers introductions and rejections on his DVD's but better in Close Up which is avaliable from Magicshop.co.uk.
Its a good book all about resturant gigs and how to do them.

Chris Tennant

I find that "Hi - do you like magic?" works well as a starter. Over the last few weeks I found that this has only been responded to negatively once, and that was by a group of drunk Swedish girls who didn't understand English very well!

I'd also say do NOT go up to someone and say the fatal line "Do you want to see a card trick?" as this conjures (haha) up images of the dreaded "embarrassing uncle" and will therefore most likely get an emphatic "NO".

Magic - yes, "card trick" - no. Even if all the magic you then do is with cards!

And make sure the first thing you perform is a short snappy routine with a killer finish, I normally use Lennart Green's "Stolen Cards" as it's visual, easy to follow and pretty much infallible, so no nerves to screw it up. If your first tricks fails you are going to find it hard to win them over so makes sure it's 100%.

I'd also say that it takes three or four good tricks to get them to relax and realise that you know what you're doing. From then on it's plain sailing and that's when I'd start to introduce longer tricks and more risky palms and so on.

End with a killer trick - even if you know loads of great sleights it's hard to beat a well-presented OOTW to be honest. Say thanks, give them your card and on to the next group!

Ooh little addition, if you DO make a mistake during your opening effect, do not panic, people have not seen your stuff before therefore unless you make a thing about it they will not know you have gone wrong, turn a mistake into patter. This is probably stale ideas to most here and I apologise for it however I felt it needed to be said.
I personally open with a semi strong effect that involves as many people as possible, Hermes is good or Sponge Balls and make transpos between people across a table. Gotta get attention? Can always resort to a fire wallet...

Chris Tennant

Kolisar wrote:

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:..., and enjoy the fact that the idiot who told you to f*** off has just missed out on some brilliant magic and will die unfulfilled because of it.

To further impress upon the "idiot" and his/her friends that they

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:just missed out on some brilliant magic

go to the next table and, if they are receptive, do your most amazing, laugh-inducing effects! While that will not change the fact that the "idiot" was rude to you, s/he may get harassed by his/her friends for causing them to miss out on the good time the people at the next table are obviously now having.

In fact, don't stop there. When the 'idiot' leaves, pick his pocket and steal his house keys and chuck em down a drain.

I approach a group or table and pause until a couple of them look at me and break their conversation, then I say, "Hello, I've been paid to provide entertainment, would you like me to entertain you for a few minutes ?"

The approach is def. the hardest part of any routine. I can practise for hours nay days on a routine and have it all blown out the water with one word......NO!

My city has this thing called ALIVE AFTER 5 every thursday where some crappy beach music band plays in the town square and all the people come out and have a good old time. Having just started magic last year, I quickly found the best opener for me, being that I only use cards is to introduce myself, maybe tag one of them if I've included tagged into my act, and whlile they are trying to figure out why I'm talking to them ask "So you guys like poker?" And then go into my routine.

The most important thing I've learned is that in a situation like that or say a mall, you have to find people who are simply there to socialize and have a good time. I once had the misfortune of trying to do magic for a young couple walking through my local mall only to find out, in a rather rude manner involving many swear words that they were running late for work at one of the stores in aformentioned mall and were NOT interested in magic.

So people who look busy = dont bother
people who are just chilling out and having a good time = GO FOR IT

The funny thing is I have no problem with walking up to anyone or chatting to strangers, my problem is my lack of skill/confidence in magic.
I just shake and go all stupid..

Being a naturally shy kind of guy, this used to be the area that I really struggled with when I first started performing professionally. However I am now completely hardened to it and approach groups of people without a second thought. My intro tends to be a simple "Hello, my name is Paul and I'm the magician tonight. Would you like to see some magic?" Unless of course I'm employed as a reader!

When I first began, anyone saying "no" would crush me but these days I couldn't care less. I simply say, "Oh that's a shame because you would have been amazed," and walk away. And then, as has been stated before, make sure the people on the next table get a show to remember while the sour faced ones on the next table can only watch in envy.

I remember a Christmas party I worked at last year. One table turned me away. I went to the next table, did some mind-reading and then proceeded to read some palms. I heard the girl on the next table who had said "no" earlier being chastised by her friend for turning me away. "Well I didn't know it was that kind of magic did I?" she said.

My personal stumbling block has never been the introduction per se but the actually approach itself.
If a group is pointed out to me and someone says "Do magic for them" I can relatively easily go up and get things started without too many whimpers, loss of bowel control, gnashing of the teeth etc.
My thing is actually picking a group out amongst a throng of revellers. Most I end up mentally discounting groups for an unknown rational reason which can often lead to me wandering around aimlessly looking for a right group.
Luckily an attack of the wanders hasn't affected me during any paid work but it does pop it's head up from time to time when friends who have organised club nights or gallery open night ask me to come along and do some bits and pieces and I get free entry, drink etc.

Very odd it is

Oh yes - the odd wandering! I used to think that was just me, but was recently at Magic Circle HQ and one of the close-up guys there during the reception drinky poohs was, I noticed, embarking on wanderings of his own from time to time. Nice to see it happens to the best of us.

I was by myself and was desperate to see some close-up. He kept looking at me and then I could see him mentally discarding me, which was a shame because I would have been most appreciative.

As for which groups to approach - why, the girls of course.

Seriously though, the groups that we mentally discard but then are forced to wander over to when it becomes apparent there's no one else left to entertain and there's still 30 minutes left of the booking often turn out to be the best - groups of drunken lads that you earlier shuddered at the thought of approaching turn out to be good lads who think you're the bees knees, that kind of thing. Doesn't happen all the time of course and often drunken lads are indeed just a bunch of arses, but when it does happen it makes one wonder. What about exactly I have no idea, but wonder all the same.