I'm part of an electronic music duo based in/around Seattle, WA, USA. In order to keep anonymity this is all I will say about it. Because we are mainly hard hitting electronic music (with political subtexts) we attract a large number of "psychonauts". Consequently, we've been thinking about incorporating stage magic with our live shows to simultaneously add artistic subtext through another medium of expression and utterly blow the minds
of anyone watching instead of dancing, freaking out, or enjoying themselves already.
Our fan base is growing steadily and our venues are getting larger and larger (slowly but surely). Eventually, if/when we are established well enough to have a few thousand dollars to spend on some really great props, we want to be armed with ideas of tricks to build or buy.
I should mention that I am a complete newbie when it comes to stage magic.
Some parameters for the magic:
1. There are only two of us on stage at any given time. We can set up our equipment to loop if we need to both participate for the trick to work.
2. There is constant electronic music. There will be no way or time to explain any trick. The tricks will have to be 100% self explanatory.
3. Most of our fans dance throughout our concerts. These illusions are for the few who sit and watch us perform.
I've purchased Mark Wilson's Complete Course and it has given me two ideas for live shows:
- Suspension trick: Having either both dj's suspended in air for part/all of the show. Maybe something like half way through the show we kick out the supports of our DJ equipment at the same time, leaving our turn tables, computer, mixers, etc. levitating for the rest of the show with us?
- Disappearing box: At the end of the show we jump into a box and it tips over to reveal we are not inside of it.
My ideas stop there (limited, I know). Everything else seems to require at least SOME kind of explanation.
So, is this a pipe dream? Will we be forced to only levitate and disappear? Are there other stage illusion "themes" that I can incorporate into a music concert? Is it worth it to set up stage illusions during a dance concert? Feel free to discuss merging music and magic, any stage magic media worth checking out for this purpose, etc.
