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connor o'connor wrote:I saw a magician called mel mellers the other day and the first five to ten minutes of his set to us (there were abot 8 of us) was talking and entertaining us with jokes asking us questions and generaly relaxing us. I new how 80% of his magic was done, but thinking back it was that first talking bit billing him as an entertainer more than just a magician who was trying to fool us, that made it a fantastic night out.

I've seen Mel in cabaret and, as you say, none of his magic is ground breaking or cutting edge but it's extremely well done and he's a very entertaining guy. To be honest, I really don't mind if I see an act which includes stuff I know about, I just enjoy the performance!

Again as I don't do table stuff only kids I feel I may be talking rubbish, so please put me right if my guesswork is incorrect.

As anyone, even I, could walk into a resturant and do magic it seems impossible to stop bad magicians. However for those of you who do have far greater skills in magic then perhaps if the manager is impressed you should impress upon him to take on only 'qualified' magicians.

I don't belong to the brotherhood of magicians or the magic circle but if I was good enough to join them would I be good enough for resturants?

Do you think it's because we are unregulated?

The down side is that us newer magicians need live practise to hone our skills of stagecraft and presentation to the differing reactions of an audience, where would we go? Then again if the owner took a risk and got rubbish perhaps he would think 'well I should have hired a qualified'

Got me worried that there may be hundreds of kid shows never happening because of me

As gunnakr said.......

I take pride in the fact that I will not perform for anyone....if I am put in a setting that I am not prepared for, comfortable with, or nervous about. For the reasons originally said, I feel that a half-assed job will do more damage than good for both myself and magic as an art/entertainment form!

I would say that in the entire scheme of things that I am maybe a 7 out of 10 with my actual performance techniques, however I feel that I am easily a 10 out of 10 when it comes to being a people person and a personality.

I have done tricks that I did when first started years ago (Bob Longe style items) and get a stunning reaction from specs only because I sold the entire performance and made the effect fun and more enjoyable than it really should have been.

Take pride in your performance and understand that you may very well be establishing someones first opinion of magic......

moodini wrote:As gunnakr said.......

I take pride in the fact that I will not perform for anyone....if I am put in a setting that I am not prepared for, comfortable with, or nervous about. For the reasons originally said, I feel that a half-assed job will do more damage than good for both myself and magic as an art/entertainment form!

I am the same way, and thanks to both you and Gunnar for having that attitude. I wish more magicians felt that way, the art would be much better off if more magicians were like you guys.

To practice i personally work it on my really good friend ( who also loves magic) then we take it to our relatives who we know wont go along telling people. Then we take it to the gullible kids and then to the harder spectators. But if in a resturaunt they want a good magician, they should have tryouts. That or a resume that is given. But if there is a bad magician, just find a new way to do it. Also, if you do it well enough, you could fool them into thinking that there is no way you could have done it that way. Thats just what i think, but i could be wrong.

I think it's difficult to have an effective 'tryout' as a magician, singer or other entertainer. You can cut the mustard in front of one person but fail miserably in front of a number. An offer to do a free evening can help to establish your credentials and I don't see anything wrong with this personally but I know from experience that others may disagree.

Connor wrote:

As anyone, even I, could walk into a resturant and do magic it seems impossible to stop bad magicians

I think that this is true, whether it's in a restaurant or not. The difference is when a bad magician charges money for something that is beyond his ability to deliver and the judge is often the audience - not the magician himself (or herself).

Moodini wrote:

I take pride in the fact that I will not perform for anyone

And there are a number of us who take pride in the fact that we do perform. Each to his own.

dat8962 wrote:Moodini wrote:

I take pride in the fact that I will not perform for anyone

And there are a number of us who take pride in the fact that we do perform. Each to his own.

You only took the first part of my quote.....it said, "I take pride in the fact that I will not perform for anyone....if I am put in a setting that I am not prepared for, comfortable with, or nervous about"

Don't get me wrong.....I do love to perform for anyone, anywhere, anytime, but if I feel that the setting is not condusive for whatever reason, I am not doing myself, magic, and magicians any justice......

This goes along the same lines as only performing routines and effects which you are comfortable with - regardless of what the specs might ask for or insist on seeing. It also has bearing on the place of performance and the audience assembled there. If you aren't happy for some reason then don't carry on. Keep in mind that the performer is, or should be, in control and has the final say in such choices.

You only took the first part of my quote.....it said, "I take pride in the fact that I will not perform for anyone....if I am put in a setting that I am not prepared for, comfortable with, or nervous about"

Stands Corrected