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I had a nightmare last night that I was getting ready for a gig and I couldn't find my decks.

That got me thinking, however. I'm not superstitious but (why's there always a but?) before every gig I always listen to "Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode at full blast through headphones.

What strange things do you do before you go out to perform (other than, shall we say, dissipating a few nerves in the smallest room)?

For my small theatre show, I type up set lists, type of material preparations, and listen to the Hilliard Ensemble with Jan Gabarak. I also find grooming and getting the suit on are healthy parts of the ritual. Just before the audience enters, I sit on my antique chair, close my eyes, and breathe deeply....

I don't have any particular ritual, but before any show I make a point of loading up, then unloading, then reloading everything so I know that it's in the pocket it's meant to be and I can move on without fumbling. I make sure I have enough time to do this slowly and without rushing. I suppose it helps me to get into the zone.

Take care, Ian

In terms of technical preparation I ensure TWO things.
1. I know EXACTLY where every trick is on me
2) All prepared tricks (ordered decks etc) are properly prepared.

Other practicalities:

1) I always turn up to a venue about 30 minutes before I am to start just to pick up the atmosphere of the place and get into the "zone"
2) I do my damnedest to go to the loo, 1 and 2 (apologies, obvious I know but important !)
3) If I am feeling nervous (not so much these days) then I will have a glass of white wine and then a a few mints to steady my nerves.
4) Although you may be feeling nervous remember that everyone at the venue regards you as a professional, before you do anything, so revel in that feeling.
5) I always start my first trick with brainwave or ID as it is diabiolical and a surefire method that you can't really screw up. As soon as I am about to show their card I ask them to hold their hand out palm up. I look at it, pause, and say "No, the clean one". When they show me the other hand I pause and say "actually, I prefer the first one". Something like this to inject a bit of humour but, subtly, to give you a commanding presence (too strong a description but I hope you get my point). Then I open the pack of cards and use their palm up as an impromptu table.

Incidentally, even if I am doing a two hour show at a wedding, for example, I rarely take more than six tricks. They just get repeated from table to table. Bill thru tube is a great one with the old folk and can easily burn up 5-10 minutes as you build up to the climax, especially around a table where one person holds the hanky, another holds the mini key, another holds the tweezers (to remove the bill) etc.

After each trick is performed spend a few seconds to consciously return the trick to the exact same place that you took it from or else you will be in a mess in a very short time.

OK, enough rambling from me.

i get somewhere early and sit in a corner and balance a ball on my head or something. oh so subtly implying that they could hire me as a juggler too!

the slaughter of a french goat...

or, a polo mint, and a quick sip of ice cold water...then just check my flies and go for it...

Down my drink, kiss the missis, slap her *rse and then off!

I'm classy like that

I always type a list of what I'm going to perform and what I then need. I then use the list as a packing list and where necessary I include spares etc.

The night before I then pack it all into a briefcase and seal it, having checked everything again.

I then seem to always arrive at the venue before remembering that I've forgotten something. Last time it was my wrist watch and the time before it was my cufflinks. I've not yet forgotten anything from the prop list which is the main thing.

I always keep a cheap and simple design pair of cufflinks and ten pounds of change in my car. That way, I will never be caught short of parking change and, as I and dat8962 have done before, I will at least havesome sort of cufflinks to wear !
I also keep a pristine deck of bicycles and a TT in the glove compartment just in case I am stupid enough to forget my small case !

Dear me Shaneking - we must be twins!

You wouldn't believe the amount of gear that I keep in my car for times when I'm parked up while Mrs dat is in Marks & Sparks! Always keeps the traffic wardens amused

My desk at work is also a good hiding place for a TT, a few decks of Bikes, a few ropes, forks and god knows what else.

While I've never actually been paid to do performances, sometimes I do routines for fundraisers. Before I go on, I chug a can of soda, burp as loud as I can (somewhere private, of course), and go on. Calms me down for some reason.