Jooking back at my origional introduction i've noticed it doesnt say mch really so this is why i have decided to put a little more about my self for anyone who wants to know. Here Goes then.
Born on new years day 1980 in a hospital about half a mile from where i live now in a town called Consett. Lived in a place called Burnopfied up to the age of 19. Went to college doing a GNVQ (Generally, Not, Very, Qualified)
It was once i finished this when i got an apprentiship at a local engineering firm being a CNC lathe opperator (this is a very boring job had to turn a radius on 1500 giant washers once, but my copy of loaded got me through)
This is when my interest in magic was flourished once again, one of my mates had bought the dynamic coins at the magic box in town and as soon as he was about to show me it i rememberd it all again.
My svengali deck when i was about 9years old, playing with my mates, Paul Daniels magic kit more than he did when i was about ten. Geting a minature deck of cards out of an xmas cracker and doing the tricks out of the book when i was about 11. Buying a magic book from a jumble sale and wondering what all of these chemicals you had to put in the water to stop it wetting your hand when you put it in. (Its probably ilegal due to health and safety now)
I had spent about 8 years totaly forgotten about magic untill i saw those dynamic coins. The date now, either 98 or 99 and i took a trip into town and bought Bobos modern coin magic, then decided coins wernt really my think and started with the fantastic Card College series.
At work at the engineering factory while the machine was doing its thing i would show Tony my engineering mentor tricks with a very greassy deck of cards and he woud get upset that he didnt know how it was done and throw spanners to the ground. He He he But he still wanted to see more, i ended up going around the whole factory showing everyone, there was only about 18 people working there!
Then i started my HNC in engineering at necastle college where i would show my college mates new tricks i had learnt, it was a very skint time for me because the Magic box was about a 10 minute walk from college and alot of my money went there, god bless them.
It was after constant visits to the shop when i got to know everyone there and they invited me out for the weekly thursday night P*ss up. The crack is that regulars who go to the shop and the staff go out every thursday and discuss magic and then get slowly inhebiated and pull women with card tricks
Very good magic community centred around the magic box, and very nice people as well
At this time i had moved house to consett (yes with the parents! Still need to save to get a flat of my own!!!) and didnt know many people living here so in he local pub i would do a couple of tricks and got to know people in no time,it was at this stage i was christened MA, or the sunday title "Magic Andy"
2000
This was an excelent year, me and my mate Jonjo went to Malia in Crete,Grece to find work over the summer for a few months, for 2 weeks i was working outside a place called club UK for anyone whos been there before, trying to get peole to come in, (yes i was one of thos anoying touts for about 16 days) at the end of the day it was a job to get buy on.
After this i managed to get a different Job in the old town in an Apartment/Hotell bar it was all a 1 man setup, i was given about 30 minutes tuition of Patricia, the Irish/Greek woman who owned it and left to my own devices. I couldnt belive it i had never worked in a bar before and she gave me a job straight away, i think i may have asked at the right time because she had just decided to open the bar mid way through the season and i was first there, wehey.
All i had to do was serve people drinks when they were milling around waiting to go out and serve them when they got back, only if they were in a fit state, and there was some states comming back.
During this time i was doing magic over the bar to keep the customers happy and made some great friends at the same time, if anyone is going to Malia, check out the hotell Fanourakis in the old town, its the bar in the apartment bit, really small and quiet.
After nearly 3 month working it was time to head home and start college.
At this point i had given up on engineering and redirected my career path into doing music technology (recording studio work/and live sound stuff), i think i only ended up doing engineering because thats all the carrer teaches had on their list for everyone at school. Though the engineering factory wasnt to bad, i did manage to make a couple of very accurate card punches to bunch the angel circul out of bycicles and manufacture some copies for myself, hey if youve got it use it.
2001
My first proper gig came when the landlord was putting on a Valentines meal night in the resteraunt at the rear of the pub and he wanted me to do an hour magic before the comedians were on. I was nervous to start with but after chatting to the people on the first table i just relaxed into it and it was a great experience. The only downfall was my back was aching the following day due to all for the bending down near table to talk to people, does anyone else get the same bother?.
After my first night of table hopping i was asked to do a couple of private partys which was strange going into peoples houses mingiling with people and doing tricks. after this i'v only done firiends weddings which i do as a mate,but i do charge friends of friends a small fee, making sure my backs covered.
Now for about 2 year i havent done any proper gigs, just tricks for laughs for my friends and family. I will start doing the peopler stuff pretty much after i leave college once, i have a set schedule cos for the past year ive been at college and been doing 2 jobs ontop of that aswell, aaaaagh. One jobs working in a computer shop in the Metrocentre, Gateshead and the other i engineer the live sound for bands in the Walkabout Chain of pubs at Durham on thursdays
www.walkabout.eu.com <-- just there
well ive hoped youve found this interesting if youve managed to reach the end, i am fully responsible for any spelling mistakes and typing errors, so if there are any words you dont understand, Email or PM me.
All the best
Andy Coates
