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I was wondering what other interesting "lines" used to approach strangers in order to perform magic. I've been using a limited set (e.g., Have you seen this before? or Do you like magic?, or just work it into their conversation that I overheard). I don't particularly like the last one as it initally feels rude that I had been listening to their conversations.

Anyway, I would like to build a better repetoir of opeing lines. Any suggestions?

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How about "Hey guys, got a second? Wanna see something cool?" or "You know something? I found out something really cool the other day.." and start a patter. Most of mine build on the idea that cards have their own personalities and problems and normally gets a laugh.

If you're down the pub, this one usually works for me "Excuse me. Sorry but I met this bloke the other week and he showed me something really cool. Mind if I show it to you?"

Jay Sankey has an opening line from Best of Jay Sankey which he seems to have thought out very well. He justifies everything he says and at the same time tells the people that he has been asked to do this, that he won't take too long, etc etc. No, I'm not going to quote it.

Kati

I walk up confidently and say something along the lines of "hi' I'm Dave" and I shake a few hands, asking their names as I go around. I then ask if they've seen the magician and they usually say no, before I say something "well it's a good ob that I'm here or you have now"

It sounds corny but it works for me as it's broken the ice and put everyone at ease. I can also pick out who's suited to a particular trick, who's interested and who's not and who's the most likely heckler etc. You'll learn this through experience.

I NEVER just ask "do you wanna see a trick"

i sometimes just stooge around springing cards and doing fancy cuts until someone comes over and asks to see a trick. then you know you've got someone who will be impressed!

But if you're being paid to entertain, a lot of people aren't comfortable to approach you and it's expected that YOU will break the ice.

At some functions people aren't even aware that there's a magician so if you stand in the corner on your own spinning cards then people may think that you're weird.

If you're hired to entertain then that's what you must do and that doesn't include standing about.

i suppose. the just fiddling with cards bit is for when I'm in clubs really.
i've got a gig next month where no one knows there's going to be a magician, yet! so i'll have to get up on stage and introduce myself or something. fortunatly i'll know a lot of people there so it wont be so bad

dat8962 wrote:If you're hired to entertain then that's what you must do and that doesn't include standing about.

Would kind of disagree with that, some of my best entertaining is done when I'm just stylishly loafing, standing about...


Sometimes it pays to have a little break between hops, gives you time to gather your mind and reset those troublesome tricks (or just show off with a few flourishes), as long as you then go and do your job and entertain the next punter, I think a bit of space is ok.
Also it's always a good idea to stop if someones giving a speech at a big dinner.. after all manners maketh the man/woman!

Kati mentioned Sankey.

Something he says in his Sankey Live! DVD is that he never asks a person/group of people if they want to see a trick, as they are not qualified to answer

I don't do anything, I wait until somebody has finished talking or whatever they are doing, then I say, "Hey, do you want to see something?", then I fan the cards and tell them to pick one.

in a rock club last week i was showing a friend some tricks and as i put my packet away he called a girl over and said "do you wanna see some magic?" (presumably he was trying to pull using me as an attraction) she took a step back with a very worried look on her face. it wasn't until i pulled out a deck of cards fanned them and said "magic tricks" that she seemed to get a little less worried. sufficed to say my friend did not get her number!

I don't disagree with you Flash but that's not the point that I was trying to make. Having a small break between tables is fine - what I was trying to say, perhaps not too well was that ultimately you're the one that has to break the ice with the audience and that it's sort of expected.

it's a bit like a band going on stage and not playing anything until someone from the crowd calls out the first request

well dat, I think we're both singing from the same song sheet, just wanted to clarify the tune that's all!

In Sankey Live, he also talks about the break between tables

That DVD is worth it for his comdey lines, not only the magic!

katrielalex wrote: that he won't take too long, etc etc.

I think this is an important point. I've found that, when approaching strangers, sometimes they just want you to leave. So I think it's important that you say something like "just a minute though, my firends are waiting for me". You act as if they have approached you, and you are now doing them a favour. Now they relax and pay you a bit more attention at the start of the trick. Of course once you've blown them away you are in and can stay for as long as you like!

People on the whole, when they hear the words "magic trick", think it's some lame trick they've seen before. So I try to avoid those words. Most of them have never seen any "proper" magic before, so they won't know what you're about until you astonish them.

That's what works for me

I've found that, when approaching strangers, sometimes they just want you to leave. So I think it's important that you say something like "just a minute though, my firends are waiting for me

I would say that if they just want you to leave, you leave. I see what you are saying that they may be willing to tolerate you if they know it is only for a few minutes, but seriously, we do this to entertain them, not so they can tolerate us.