talkmagic.co.uk

we can't help you with this tom...if you choose to over-think something, then thats your decision...nothing and no one can change that apart from you...sorry.

buy lincoln's sssh it's a secret! dvd...you'll see...and listen to the interviews that'll do you the power of good...

http://www.world-of-magic.co.uk/Shh_The ... i20835.asp

Eshly wrote:Firstly Bmat, yes I think I am subconsciously scared of performing professional. I perform every day for laymen, in pubs, bars, on the street. But the idea of doing anything professionally worries me so much; I can't organise anything.

What if I can't get bookings?
What if I can't tell tickets?
What if people just don't like me?

If any one of these things were to happen to me I'd go into a deep depression for months, and I know you may think I am seeking attention by saying this, but for Manic Depressives that is something we MUST avoid.



Secondly, I'm impressed if you can s***i all that.


Thirdly, read point one again... and please help me. PM me. I've even offered my friend Steve (mentalist who says I need to get off my *rse and do a gig) money to organise a gig for me... but he said no. I'm scared :s


Lawrence I forbid you to reply to this, because this post shows me to be somewhat vulnerable and I don't want you attacking me right now. Another time please.

Tom
xx

I'm not going to try and change you or get you to 'see reason' because I am hoping that will come eventually, with regards to magic, once you start performing often.
I understand where you're coming from. It is never a good idea to predecide what will get you down- I understand that Paranoia is a part of bipolarity, and I am not gonna try and be your therapist. Nor am I going to try to rationalise with someone when they're depressed- been there, done that, and even though nothing actually is worth worrying about in this universe, depression doesn't give a f***.
I have been there myself- and I know what it feels like to want to crawl up into a ball and not exist- it is not nice. But performing has stopped me from getting like that a few times. Perhaps I'd start off rather dull, and then the mood would lighten a bit and I'd get into the swing of things and enjoy myself. I get to see that solitary misery has no useful function, and that being with other people is one of the virtues of life.
Now I force myself to perform when I get a smell of 'the blues'... and it can be quite liberating. Sure there are times when behind the smiling face and the gobby mouth, I am resenting every moment of it- I won't lie, but it is worth it at the end. Look at Stephen Fry: he experiences that same thing, and he certainly hates the build up before a performance and the anxiety...
I just find it interesting how some of the greatest creative minds have come about from that creativity being some form of therapy. Even Derren said that he was a horrible nausiatingly colourful bag of ghastliness and that performing helped him release some of that (something along those lines).. And of course the classic example, that Van Gogh was probably manic-depressive... e.t.c., In fact, I cannot think of one half-sane 'great' mind
Stop calling it a disability. Life is not that serious, and you have a huge advantage in that you can apply your mind to whatever catches your attention- sometimes you're gonna feel s***, that's part of life, and its a price for an ability . Just force yourself to perform- when you're down do stuff youre confident with, you WILL thank yourself for it. Then when you're high as a kite, not giving a f*** then try the more ambitious stuff..

Its not performing that worries me. I've always performed brilliantly, ever since I was a small child. There is something about being the center of attention on stage which makes me high.

My problem is getting to that stage, working up the nerve to get a gig, or hire out a room and sell tickets.

I recently went to see my first Mentalism show live, and it was HORRIBLE... seriously horrible. I won't mention who was performing, but the whole performance made me cringe from start to finish; afterwards everyone knew the methodology exactly and everyone was talking about the singer and not the mentalist, even though the singer was on stage for less than half the time. (she was very funny and talented)

That, and the fact that everyone except a guy and his date in the audiance knew the performer personally... well it doesn't give me high hopes for myself. The performer is 9 years older than me, and had rented out the Live theatre and yet his performance was still horrible and he couldn't get in a "real audiance".


These are the things which make me scared to performer properly. :/

aw don't let chris beard put you off!

tom - calm yourself, relax, deep breathes in through the nose, all the way in (c'mon do it) then slowly out through the mouth...three times...c'mon...do it...

slow down, remember this is supposed to be fun...

imagine you open your fridge and there's a sudden bang - somehow you've been frozen in time for a year...do you know what will happen?

nothing much...

s l o w d o w n....enjoy your studying...the reason why you are feeling this is because there is a part of you that feels you are not ready yet - listen to it...you feel this way for a reason...

you have lots of time with mentalism, and ample opportunities at college/uni wherever you are...take small, dignified steps - set smaller bite-sized challenges you know you can do...build upon each chunk...give yourself time....

and laugh next time you open the fridge and imagine yourself suddenly in stasis for a year...

Eshly wrote:My problem is getting to that stage, working up the nerve to get a gig, or hire out a room and sell tickets.

You're not ready for that. It's obvious. No one goes from nothing to presenting something big. The same applies to news readers through to rock singers.

I mention this for anyone else who feels scared about taking a hobby and turning it into a sell-out West End show. But I don't expect you to listen.

Neither do I expect you to hear me when I say that if you need help with your stage fright, organisational skills (or whatever) seeking answers online from strangers, rather than with your friends and family (and people in clubs), is probably not the best approach.

IAIN wrote:take small, dignified steps - set smaller bite-sized challenges you know you can do...build upon each chunk...give yourself time....

Spot on. Print this out in enormous letters and stick it up in your room. And look at it before you post.

I hate to break this to you, but... you will f*ck up. It might not be your first time, it might not be your second time, but everybody has bad gigs. Even Derren has nights where he wasn't happy (just take a look at his blog). It's part of performing, and you just need to learn to shrug your shoulders and let it slide (taking lessons from it if appropriate)

You don't have to rent out a theatre and perform for people who came to see you specifically. Start small: find an open-mic type night and do it there. That way if things do go wrong it's not such a big deal: once you're off the next person will take over so it won't have ruined everybody's night, and you won't feel like you have to do well because the only people who have came to see you specifically will be your friends/people who know you, which will be a small percentage of the audience

Plus you have the advantages of it being a small crowd (less scary), and if you're not on stage first you have the chance to know what the acoustics, atmosphere, angles, light and sound is like


I would very happily do a few tricks for people at a table. But would I perform to rows and rows of people? Would I hell! It's not stage fright, it's just knowing I'm not at that level. You're just not at that level yet

you are impressed because I can 'predict' William with a swami? That was the only thing that needed predicting. And I may have stuck with Bill because it would be easier. But given that situation I could have also gotten his last name, his age, how many children. Its all in the patter, the presentation. The spectator at that point has no idea an effect is even going on, the spectator would just think I'm trying to get him to relax on the stage or wherever, the act as far as the audience is conserned had not even started yet. So I would have plenty of time to get all kinds of info I could use at that moment, or somewhere else in the show.

I was trying to illustrate it doesn't have to be that hard.

The heart attack thing was a joke, I wouldn't predict that, if it happened my mind would not be on predicting anyting but calling for help.

And you are going to mess up. And if you cannot handle it get out of the business. You say you are already performing for laymen, now just do it for money, once the cash is in the pocket the performing is the same. Oh forget about renting space and selling tickets. Don't even bother, perhaps in a few years, but for now just try to get some jobs in pubs or something.

now, this is the line in the sand for me...

tom - i've been hard on you in the past for many good reasons, and sometimes just to provoke you into thinking things through...but enoughs enough...

don't read this in an angry voice...

you've had people like bob cassidy and greg arce (amongst others) who have tried their best with you, offered you advice - and fair enough, you've decided to ignore most if not all of it...

your choice...

you've had people like us try and help you too, and there comes a point where you have to ask yourself whether you will stop yourself and listen, or continue as you are...it is, afterall - your life, and therefore you should do what you ultimately think is best for you...

we, as human beings are very good at deluding ourselves though - or will make excuses not to do something, to make a choice that seems hard and completely against what we really want to do (giving up smoking for example, "oh, i'll do it next month, or after this next box of 20" ) yet each hard choice is probably the best choice for us...

but we don't want to do it, because it means sacrifice, or going through something we think we don't need to go through...

so, as you have often mentioned, you are intelligent. Make an intelligent, realistic choice. Take on board your positives, and be aware of the negatives. Make a list even, draw up the pros and cons of "you". And work towards a solution. One thing i do know though...

there's no quick fix. Good luck in your choice...i hope you make the best one for you, putting all pride and widely visual dreams you may have. Be honest, realistic and be patient.

Eshly wrote:I recently went to see my first Mentalism show live, and it was HORRIBLE... seriously horrible. I won't mention who was performing, but the whole performance made me cringe from start to finish; afterwards everyone knew the methodology exactly and everyone was talking about the singer and not the mentalist, even though the singer was on stage for less than half the time. (she was very funny and talented)

IAIN wrote:aw don't let chris beard put you off!

Cheers buddy

The best piece of advice I an give you young mr eshly is to go out and die on your feet. I know it doesnlt sound nice but if you go out and die you will, as in the words of mr jean eugen roberts (who i hope doesn't mind me saying this) "realise that it isn't the end of the world". He did a performance the other day at a moments notice on stage whereby every other magician there refused to do it because they were unprepared. Everything went wrong from start to finish...but he learned from it! And he is still performing!

Go out there and die on your feet. Only when you feel what it is like to die can you seperate yourself from that and live!

And I'll have you know Mr Iain I have 2 upcoming stage shows now on the back of the last...one in Swansea in october, and one in Reading next year

The Swansea one is a hired gig, 90 minute stage, so meh

One more thought before I leave this subject. Tom, most mentalist shows are absolutly pathetic, boring garbage, with the same lame predictions, same lame lines, kind of like a magic show but without gaudy props and cheesy outfits. with a few exceptions of course.

I'm in Newcastle. Which pubs can I see you performing in?

You're not going to start out with massive shows. Nobody does that unless they have the right connections in show business. You'll most likely start out doing small shows for things like weddings and small office parties or church gatherings. Work your way up the ladder till you get your confidence to where it needs to be.

nameless wrote:I'm in Newcastle. Which pubs can I see you performing in?

The Dog and Parrot mostly, it has comfy chairs. PM me if you want to meet up.

As for chuch work, I decided long ago never to step foot in church again; not for any strange demonic reason, I just don't fit in there. I end up commenting on the historical inacurracies of the artwork.

I think I must try and do a pub or something, a standup night might be ok. Still worries me though about asking for a place on stage... yikes.

Chill Eshly! You worry about things far too much. Take your time, learn your tade and don't be in such a rush to get out and put on a big stage show. It's not going to happen, well not just yet anyway. You need the experience of performing some paid gigs and it's only by doing those that you'll realise just how ready you are. Oh and don't worry about things going wrong or people rumbling your methods, it's going to happen sooner or later and the more it does happen the better you'll learn to deal with it and laugh it off. I can only think of a handful of gigs that I've done where everything's gone 100% to plan, ok so it's not usually a majot c**k up, usually jsut a litle thing here or there but it doens't matter, you just have to get on with it.