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It's about 45 minutes before my taxi arrives. I'm booted, suited and packed to go and do some walkaround at a birthday party. I've been over my routines, checked and re-checked my pockets, had a quick nap, and now I'm just sat here watching the clock. The hanging about is making me incredibly nervous (parp).

A bit of nerves is a good thing because it'll keep me sharp, but how do others cope with this long dark pre-show of the soul?

Beer of course!

I get my "outfit on" do all the checks , rope, cards sponge balls etc

then look in the mirror and say in my head "i am the worlds gretest magician"

That takes the edge off.

whenever im nervous i just watch t.v

perhaps time team. you'll soon be as bored as a stiff lol.

Yeah that would take the edge off it! a time team Dvd. I am very shy person actually and i get nervous when i have to speak to people in shops and stuff but when i am all fired up for a performace the fear of people is scondry.

Visualization------I close my eyes, and visualize myself going through my routine (in vivid detail) from how the applause will sound, the spec reactions, etc......I imagine the show going off with out a hitch!

I do hear you though.....that is a terrible time!

Wow... it's been a long time since I've had to face that one... I used to just smoke more but I haven't smoked in nearly a year and certainly don't have that option any more...

Drinking booze is not an option for me... it acutally makes me nauscious, so I just get wired on coffee

Just got in. My feet hurt. My voice is a mess. You know the payoff. This was probably the most demanding one yet.

The venue was nice. Big, quiet, and lots of leather sofas. Lots of attentive women of A Certain Age with delightfully kinky things on their minds, and hoping to have "an experience".

<insert boring gig report here. Lots of hot, chapter 5 of m'lovely book dressed as mind reading, Oracle Deck for the birthday girl (Lawrence, I think I owe you money by now), etc.>

Anyway, they loved it. Then they dragged me to a bar, the pointlessly excessive cost of drinks in which left me wondering why people bother to go, and they wouldn't hear of me buying a gargle myself. More mucking about with forces, and coins, etc. More party invites (nice), including one in a pub in Wales (hurrah!)

On the way to the taxi rank (no laid-on drive home for the turn), I met a barmaid mate who normally sees me scruffy and she did a double take! Tee hee.

Oh, and when the taxi driver asked me what I'd been up to and I said I'd gigged some magic, he dropped a few bob off the fare to make a round fiver. Nice!

Job's a good 'un. Me so tired. Me sleep looong time now. Too tired for the cheese on toast I've been craving since 1am.

It's just that bit between knowing you're ready to go and do it and getting to do so that's such a head f**k. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a virgin to gigging, but it never really goes away, does it.

The hanging about is making me incredibly nervous (parp)

I love your use of (parp)