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I was at a mate's 21st birthday last weekend and decided to work the tables for abit of experience, I did a few effects for some people who really enjoyed it and in all honesty it made me feel good about doing things for an audience as there is only so much magic you can show your partner.

As I was working one table a guy spoke up said he said he knew how I was doing my effects and was out to show everyone he was better, being not one to deprive people of a show or a guy a chance to prove his greatness I gave him my cards... just an ordinary deck of bicycles he did a few one handed shuffles (bear in mind I have only been doing sloppy shuffles as this works better for me, as I don't want to be portrayed as a Card manipulator).

He asked someone to pick a card they did he did he got them to put it back into the deck shuffled them up and then revealed a card... Just the card he revealed was the wrong one. I knew the trick he was trying to do and knew what card the spectator picked so I smugly took the deck and showed the spectator there card... The guy who set out to make me look like an idiot was foiled. Just thought I would share this with you.

TLS

Good recovery my man,you put him in his place

I hope you were kind.

I wasn't nasty to him, once he disregarded his own credibility he did enough damage to himself, I simply asked for my bikes back.

TLS

I did a parlour show last Friday and beforehand I got speaking to a guy who claimed to have worked on some effects with or for Derren Brown.

Anyway, after politely listening to him I did a routine for some of the lay people there and used an ID for a prediction which blew him away more than it did with the normal lay people.

Just goes to show that you should take lots of things said to you with a pinch of salt

I ended with my smash and stab routine and after a magician's choice he couldn't hold back by SHOUTING out which cup he thought the spike was under. He was of course right but everyone turned around to look at him and being quick on my feet I managed to change the coasters around making him look even more foolish.

I'm not referring to anyone in particuarly; this is just a general concept. I think if a magican walks around with the concept in their head that they have to prove to the world that magic is real or that they're an incredible position, they're going to be crushed when someone exposes a trick or whatever. But if they walk through the world (and between the tables) with the concept in their head that they're an entertainer (or a similar concept) then it's not going to be a big deal if someone spoils a trick, simply because you've set out to 'entertain' rather than to prove anything.

Anyone else got any suggestions for how to deal with negative responses?

I think that you're right. If you go through life expecting that no-one is ever going to try and reveal, or even spoil something that you've performed then you're going to get frequently upset.

If you can deal with it without resorting to putting the person down then all the better. Otherwise, it's no big deal.

Every now and again we all get found out.

I saw Aldo Colombini deal with a heckler in a wonderful way. The heckler shouted out something to reveal the trick and Aldo looked at him, smiled and said: "Yes! You are absolutely right! You are fantastic!" And then he kept on with his next act and the heckler kept his mouth shut for the rest of the performance.

Aldo did a good thing. There are many things you can say to get a guy like that to calm down. You don't want to be rude, of course.

I would not give a heckler my props - I think you got lucky that time.

The Devil's Tailor wrote:I'm not referring to anyone in particuarly; this is just a general concept. I think if a magican walks around with the concept in their head that they have to prove to the world that magic is real or that they're an incredible position, they're going to be crushed when someone exposes a trick or whatever. But if they walk through the world (and between the tables) with the concept in their head that they're an entertainer (or a similar concept) then it's not going to be a big deal if someone spoils a trick, simply because you've set out to 'entertain' rather than to prove anything.

Absolutely. You're there to entertain, not start a flipping cult.

It's pretty obvious that people who bang on about being believable above all else and insist that certain types of magic or mentalism mustn't be done in certain styles or settings also make it abundantly clear that they're not talking from experience. Unless you're giving it the old "Derek Akorah" for a theatre full of believers in the first place, you're just setting up a solemn situation that's so out of place it's simply not entertaining. Frankly, the best advice comes from getting out and about and attending regional meets to get a range of advice form regular performers - especially about what to do when you die on your bum.

Whenever I get anyone "exposing" my effects during a close up gig, or even if I get someone just guessing at how things are done and I think it's distracting the group, I tend to stop, focus my attention on them and say

"You're not suggesting that I may be achieving these miracles using something other than genuine magical powers are you sir? Heaven forbid that I, a professional magician, should be thought to be cheating..."

That usually does the trick. It's the polite equivalent of saying "You mean I'm not really a wizard? No s*** Sherlock", and tends to make them feel a little silly for pointing it out.

This may sound cheesy, but when you perform magic, you're giving people a gift. If they don't want that gift, that doesn't devalue the gift, or you. If they don't want to enjoy something, that's OK, that's up to them. Give the gift to someone else instead!

I can't remember where I heard this, maybe it's something that a lot of magicians say, but I heard this or something similar some place:
Pooperheckler: "You're using [gimmick or whatever]!"
Magician: "Yes. It's much easier that way."

The way I see it, if pooperhecklers enjoy party-pooping and heckling, that's let them poop and heckle! They'll soon heckle and poop themselves out. We're pros, with tightened belts and stiff upper lips. And long may we reign!

*anthem of some sort blasts from PC speakers*

I agree with most of the stuff on here, it's much better to simply be 'politely sarcastic' than rude. However I can very much understand why this does annoy so many magicians, as it comes down to the old comedians line of 'I don't come down to your job and shout at you.' At the end of the day people know you're deceiving them cause they know that's their job, if someone shouts something at you such as, 'well you're obivously controlling the cards' then it probably suggests more about their intelligence that they would not expect this in a magic show.

And as for random hecklers I think one of the best responses I've heard of is when a heckler called Derren Brown a 'P***k' or something of the sort and he responded, 'Shout out again and I'll make you wet the bed everynight for the rest of your life', the heckler (possibly considering the dry cleaning bill) didn't shout out again.

Sadly, however nice/entertaining/non-confrontational you are, there are still some real tools out there. Well done Tim, and glad things worked out for you.

It's vaguely amusing that the minute someone blurts out claiming to be any sort of authority on the matter and spoiling a trick, they are instantly proving that they have misunderstood what magic is all about and are actually moving away from being a magician rather than towards.

Thats what I thought guys, its best not to give him too much attention as that way its like acknowledgin that he actually has some credibility.

TLS