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What have been the funniest / best reactions / compliments you've had?
Have you ever had someone get genuinely totally freaked out by what you're doing despite performing in a very light hearted way? (I mostly do close up card / coin / sponge effects - nothing too serious!) It seems to be girls (and I don't mean to be sexist, but that is what I've observed) - who either get totally freaked out and / or do that thing where they cover their open mouths with their hand and walk away a bit, then walk back over and say something like "this is scaring me now...". It makes me smile because I just cannot understand how performing ACR (or similar tricks) is scary!! Does that mean that they are enjoying it!?

I was working with some disaffected youth a few months back, and the chap said
"Wow - you're like David Blaine" and then he added "except you're not a nob!". Which made me smile.

At a wedding last Saturday a sweet looking 20 something girl approached me after my set, and said "you've restored my faith in magic". Great I thought, must be because my magic went well and she was impressed with 'my great skillness' (as Lennart Green would say.) She continued " You see there's this guy at work who does magic, and his tricks are great but he's a, well, a c***, and so when I think of magic I think of him - but you're not a c*** - so thanks...". Strange to see such a lovely young lady using the 'C' word so freely!! Quite shocking!
And then I actually had the guy at the next table who said "Can you make the wife disappear?" (she was sat next to him and looked like she wanted the ground to open up.) a polite "hu hu hu, no I won't be doing that.." was all I could manage... the scene from David Stone's DVD flashed through my mind where he says "you only have a few seconds to prove that you are without a doubt the best magician they have ever seen, - in their minds you should be able to do anything...".
So what more fun reactions can I expect. Another Wedding this weekend and I'm looking forward to meeting some more people...
Love to hear about reactions you've had...

I do magic in pubs and occasionally I get some seriously strange reactions.

When thumbing through a pack to find their named card, I get to the card and upjog it. occasionally someone (who has not really been paying attention) thinks that is the climax of the trick and starts to applaud.

Sometime I get to the fake climax of an effect, before I can reveal the sucker finish they say "thats C*** [not good]" and walk away. I feel like running after them and saying no, wait, the real punch line is....

I still cannot get used to the expression "F*** off" as an expression of surprise. I think... what? you want me to go away ?

The strangest audience reaction from recent memory was during an evening show at the South Shields convention. A member of the audience from the public show was invited onto the stage to watch a close-up card act and she kept interrupting with phrases like:-

how did you do that?
I like you.
are you gay ?
etc.

I did strolling mentalism at a gig recently. A guy accosted me and the close-up magician afterwards and asked us to show him something. I told him his star sign and did one more effect, where he thought of a card and I told him what it was.
The close-up guy did some impressive finger flicking, and got a great reaction. Then he asked the guy was he not impressed with me.
The guy said: "No - he's a mind-reader, so it's no great surprise that he can read my mind." The guillability of some people amazes me.

TonyB wrote:The guy said: "No - he's a mind-reader, so it's no great surprise that he can read my mind." The guillability of some people amazes me.

sometimes you just can't win...

I agree Disco dude that saying'f*** off' is not generally a good way to express surprise, although obviously a compliment in this instance!!!

People often say "There is no bloody way..." when there blatantly obviously is!

I can't pin down exactly why I chose to spend hours and hours (years of course) perfecting effects, and then go out and perform them. It's not just for the money that's for sure, and I'm not doing it for some kind of attempt to elevate my social status, nor solely for the reactions I get, but I do enjoy the reactions! Marvellous. More stories please!