talkmagic.co.uk

Have you never heard of DEBT..... come on sort yourself out.

Now also available from my favourite magic dealer Alakazam here: http://www.alakazam.co.uk/

Thanks guys,

John.

Hi guys,

Luke Jermay has kindly written up his planned routine for STREETWISE which he calls 'The Knowledge'. The routine cleverly uses additional map books which could be from any cities around the world as well as some typical Jermay touches to take it up a level. I will certainly be employing some of these touches to my own routine.

I have decided to include Luke's routine with the instructions I send out for future purchases and I have sent the routine to as many of you who have already purchased. However some may have purchased via Alakazam direct and I don't have your email. If this is the case please contact me with proof of purchase and I will email Luke's routine to you. It's all free don't worry.

Here is a snippet from Luke's introduction to his routine, where he very kindly speaks highly of STREETWISE. (Why else would I post this

"I had first seen John perform his routine during the taping of his second DVD project with Alakazam Magic and was instantly a fan.
One major reason for my fondness for John’s effect stems from the fact that despite the fact the book operates with the mechanical methods we associate with a book test it is not a book test in the perception of those watching. I have in the past written about my general dislike for book tests, so seeing John perform his StreetWise routine was a refreshing experience as it felt like something very removed from the normal run of book tests we see and in the process pretty much removed most of my concerns about classical book test style routines.

StreetWise provides a logical reason for the introduction of a book. In a normal book test we see the performer ask a spectator to ‘think’ of a word, however for some unknown reason they are handed a ‘reference tool’ for this taxing task in the form of a novel. Often we see justifications in performance however I can not imagine that anyone thinks anything other than ‘it’s a trick book’ in my mind the task of thinking of a single word is so simply, so immediately undertaken by everyone in the room and so easy to do without the need for a reference tool of any type that no amount of justification is going to work around this inbuilt conceptual problem with the traditional book test. What John has done with StreetWise is cleverly circumnavigate this problem, he has realized that the nature of a reference tool is at the heart of all book tests – but rarely are they required.

By switching the content of the book in use to a genuine, real and easily accepted reference tool, an A-Z book of street maps, he has in my mind successfully justified the introduction of the book.
The other thing that strikes me about seeing John perform the routine is the fact that while we are seeing methods from the world of book tests at no point does it feel this way. Rather we are seeing an imaginary trip, the focus of the reveal never really being at the street name itself, but rather the focus being framed around this piece of information as John reveals details that seemingly exist only within the mind of the spectator as they take an imagined journey around the streets of London....... "

Regards,

John.

This is becoming more and more tempting every day.....

Any chance you'll be performing this at the Ipswich Show this year?

I could well be persuaded.... I'm closing with it a lot now.

J

Go on, you knows you wants to, my pretty !

Closing with it? How exactly? I see no "big moment" for it to end on. Its a brilliant demonstraition of memory, but theres lots of little moments, no big moment?

Clearly Eshly has never seen John Archer work a room.

I find it astonishing coming from someone who claims to be such a huge Derren Brown fan. He closed with a similar routine at "The Gathering"

Eshly wrote:Closing with it? How exactly? I see no "big moment" for it to end on. Its a brilliant demonstraition of memory, but theres lots of little moments, no big moment?

now tom, before you post a response...try this...

a) deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth...repeat two more times...relax

b) realise how john archer performs and the differences between you and him

c) deep breath again

d) repeat the mantra - oooooh derren, derren...oooooh derren, derren...oooooh derren, derren...oooooh derren, derren...oooooh derren, derren...oooooh derren, derren...

e) respect another person's ability to perform something differently from you....

f) realise that YOU may not be able to use this as YOUR closure - but others may be able to

g) relax about the whole thing

If a magician can end a set by playing classical music on a ukulele in a diminishing spotlight to tumultuous applause then he can most certainly close on a book test of his own devising. That’s what makes John such a talented individual who gives 100% entertainment!

Without going into the idea of what is a closer... Geofrey Durham puts up some very valid arguments for closing on a smaller effect and in effect letting yourself take the final attention....

That aside. Telling two people the exact locations anywhere in the UK that they have freely chosen to go to (or so it seems) is enough for me to close on.

I happily accept that some people may not be able to, or indeed want to close with it. So be it. But please don't try and tell me that I can't.

Cheers,

John

Well Well Well,
ive heard it all now,Eshley trying to give Mr Archer a bit of advice on what a closer should be/contain.
Ive a funny feeling this thread is going to get quite a few replies.
Youve been told John,listen to his advice and im sure you will go far,lol


Deano

I see no reason at all why a book test can't make a brilliant closer, it's all in the presentation after all. Eshly, I think you need to stop and think for a second before saying something like that about someone elses routine that you've never seen, especially someone like John. Have you ever seem the routine performed?

To be honest with you, there's probabaly not any effects that you couldn't close on after a little bit of brain power has been dedicated to it.

On the basis that John's a working professional who would soon know if something were not suitable for his closer, I think we can take it as read that it's a good 'un. Until such time as the routine is seen in the flesh, there's not a great deal more that can be said from a position of actual knowledge.

Interesting that Geoff Durham is mentioned, he's very positive that the performer's face should be in the frame as much as possible and that's what the audiences remember, not the design on the cards or the colour of the sponge balls. John's ukulele closer is exactly that, the spot light gets smaller and smaller until only John's face is lit, and then the light goes out leaving a great retention of memory effect.

deano0010 wrote:Well Well Well,
ive heard it all now,Eshley trying to give Mr Archer a bit of advice on what a closer should be/contain.
Ive a funny feeling this thread is going to get quite a few replies.
Youve been told John,listen to his advice and im sure you will go far,lol


Deano

In fairness Deano, I don't think he was telling me I couldn't rather than perhaps wanting to know how you could close on it. Fair enough question I suppose, though he should really see it first. It is definitely not a series of small revelations. Hopefully when the DVD is available it will be clearer, having said that it is an early performance so still not perfect , I will keep tinkering with it for a long while now. Basically it is a couple of small revelations followed by the reveal that I know where two people have chosen to go in London. It is more than that really as Luke Jermay mentions in his routine. Each to his own.

John