talkmagic.co.uk

Thank you for your thoughts everyone. On reflection, I do believe I was unlucky, however I can also see there were "windows" of opportunity where a more experienced performer in this environment (a group of around 50 people at a cocktail style birthday party) could have at least made things a little easier on themselves. I have learnt from that.

eg. arriving a little earlier to study the "sobriety" of the group would help one thinks.

When I have more time I will study Mark's post about routining a little deeper. I like starting with the magic square. I use it to through a "red herring" out to people, is this (what is to follow) real mind reading? is this someone who studies mathematical probability? is this??? etc. also it directly engauges the audience.

However that's just my opinion so...

Your hints about sobriety made me think. I am not sure if your audiences were sober or not but if the weren't then it all makes sense now. To do mentalism to drunken audiences is the kiss of death. Magic is actually a better option.

Your magic square sounds different than the regular magic square. It sounds like a dreadful opener. Far too complicated. You need to win them over straight away with the ID. Once you have the audience on your side with something straighforward and entertaining like that then you can go on to the boring stuff later. They will put up with the boredom and con themselves that it is good because you have already impressed them with the good stuff.

The opening of your show is absolutely vital since the audience will decide whether to like you or not within the first 30 seconds. Once you start to waffle and go on interminably the way mentalists do then you are done for. And to do that when you first come on is fatal.

The next show you do open with the ID. Your reception will be much improved. Take my word for it. I know these things.

Oh! how relatable i am to problems with spectators. I feel like i have to think through every possible thing that a spectator could do. you just never know what's going to happen. I think a big part of it is covering up problems with humour. Sometimes it is hard to do when you or the spectator makes a major mistake. But once it happens it is all you can do.

I guess you've just got to be ready for problems with spectators. Prepare for the worst. It tends to happen.

To clarify a few points, the "Magic Square" is the Corinda style effect. I opened with it using a patter that asked "am I psychic? a Maths genius? did I a force a pre calculated number on the spec?

I let the spec write the numbers down feeling it was more "amazing" that I was reciting numbers while someone else had the pen.

My feeling was, it would cause people to "think" deeper when I did subsequent effects. Having said that, I would not argue with Mark or Paul about whether or not to lead with it in future, they have far more experience. However it interests me "why?".

I think my biggest mistake was, I did a show a week ago, the setting was more intimate, I did the exact same routines and it went very well, people continued to discuss what happened long after I had finished. I "decided" I would do the exact same "show" even though the situation was quite different. I was wrong to do that.

Spec selection was a combination of bad decision and very bad luck. Of course I tried to qualify the spec's capabilities, I think I mentioned, she said she did soduko every Saturday in the newspaper... her partner told me later, that was true but it took her all day to do it!

Alcohol did play a part and I agree this influences the specs attention span greatly. Mark's comments about magic vs mentalism in this situation make sense. I probably would have been better with a TT.

Paul, you do weddings and similar where booze is around. Do you "adjust" the nature and content of your routine any based on this?

Boby_cat,

I applaud you for being able to get to the heart of the matter and really think about what went right/wrong and what you'd do next time.

I've been to magic club meetings. I've seen how magicians do nothing more than tell each other "you're great", or "hey, great Pass", or "great presentation" just because the moves matched the boring, dull story. All the polite clapping in the world is not going to make any of them better. Year after year, they make the same mistakes in front of other applauding magicians. Yikes!

Here's a question regarding an addition trick:
What about adding up the numbers yourself with someone watching you
and handing them the pad to double-check your work? That would eliminate the addition issue (unless you had your own problem adding).

You could even ask them.. 7+9+2 is... 18. Correct?
Carry the 1.....

Just a thought on the ID.
It's a great trick, but also a great saver. If the spectactor (or yourself) messes up a trick, the ID can get you out of many situations. That's why I save it for last.
But you should also have general backup-plans for expectable problems like people forgetting cards or dropping the deck. (and of course trying to prevent them by having more than one spectactor remember cards or picking people, who seem to know how to handle cards).
Just my opinion.
Yours,
Michael