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Sorry about the title - trying to avoid confusion with the trick 'Pocket Space'...

Wondering if anyone has any ideas about pocket space when performing at tables and walkaround. I am doing a little charity thing soon and will need to be in a DJ probably. My DJ is quite limited on space in pockets.

I was wondering about increasing available space by wearing some kind of money belt type thing which could discreetly sit around my waist and hold a few extra bits and bobs.

Anyone got any experience of this or ideas for suitable things.

And please, please, please, don't just tell me I only need 1 pack of cards and nothing else. I don't have the skill to entertain folk for that long with 1 pack of cards, though I can think of many folk who would be very able to!

Your thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

pocket management is tricky. Lucky for you it is walkaroud so you only need a few effects. choose a few things that you do well and limit yourself to those items. For example: four coins, deck of cards, IT and silk, sponge balls, perhaps a packet trick and you are set. Two or three effects at each table is plenty. I also carry haunted key on a key ring and pen though anything in my shirt pocket. Just get creative, focus on presentation therefore you can stretch an effect. Always leave them wanting more so don't overdo it.

This is an issue that I have to work on. I find that if I can wear jacket and trousers I have enough pockets. Pocket management in relation to knowing exactly what is where is important but I set myself up with the same things in each pocket every time i perform so am getting well used to my set up.

In the summer however when it is too warm where I work to wear a jacket I have a bigger problem. Like you I do need a good selection of props to entertain. This summer, because the no jacket weather arrived earlier than usual and seems to be going on a bit longer than usual I have taken to wearing a leather bum bag as well as filling my pockets. I was a bit worried about how people would react to this and was pleasantly pleased to find that they just don't.

Now, I know that this is not an option with a DJ. In your position I would load all of my trouser and jacket pockets and keep a bag with your other props in handy to get back to and puick up new stufgf if you want or need to. I always need a base to go back to at any gig. I am lucky in that I have a corridor I can use which is not open to the public at my regular pub gig.

I have found that if there is a band or disco at the event leaving your bag somewhere around them is pretty safe and as fellow performers they will look out for you.

Getting down to what I can pack in a jacket and trousers it goes something like this.

Jacket

Inside left breast pocket - spare deck of cards

Inside right breast pocket - ID and small magic colouring boolk ( in the pub I need a couple of kids tricks) Sharpie

Right Jacket pocket - Nudist deck, one sponge ball, coins for James Browns 11p trick, card to wallet wallet.

Left Jacket pocket - 1 way forcing deck for a prediction stunty trick, old deck of mixed cards for a signed transpo trick

Breast pocket - gimmicked handkerchief for disappering ring trick ( see Mark Wilsons Encyclopedia of Magic)

Right trouser pocket, Silk, coins for hopping halves, sponge carrot ( don't ask!) my regular ungimmicked deck, 2/3rds of Holy Moley

Left trouser pocket - marked deck and gimmicked deck for a trfiumph effect (still working on a cull to do tjhis without the gimmick), sponge balls TT, other 1/3rd of Holy Moley

Back trouser pocket - couple of packet tricks (always carry twisted sister) and a peek wallet.

Apart from finding a dark corner to reset my ID and Triumph I can be self sufficient for a long spell of table hopping with this set up

Now to a "one deck of cards and some sponge balls" magician this will sound like a terrible lot of props. But, it's my way of putting on a close up performance whilst expanding my ungimmicked repertoire so that I can reduce the load. And i am getting repeat bookings with my act.

Last night for a get together of workmates I did go with an ungimmicked deck, an ID, a nudist deck, Twisted Sister and a TT. I got by OK.

Anyway, hope this helps a bit and good luck with the charity do.

I agree not everyone is a 'one deck of cards and a sponge ball' magician. And it is why pocket management is so tricky. I used to try cards to pocket but I never had a free pocket. Now I use card under glass which is much better anyway.

Learn some finger ring magic, doesn't need pockets. Get yourself a topit, (or topit style thing), you don't actually need to use it as a topit but it may help you out with your current problem.

I look at it this way, (and I know it doesn't help at all), I once saw a guy produce two adult macaw parrots, he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and there were no props on the stage. I almost died laughing when he told me where he hid them, but hide them he did. So pocket management should be attainable, despite the fact its a pain in the rear.

As an aside. I was once at an airport picking up Murry Hatfield and Micheal Ammar for a convention. Murray is a Canadian illusionist. Micheal Ammar gets off the plane with a suitcase. Murray, well we waited for an hour at 'special claims' and then had to lug 4 huge illusions throught the airport and squish them into a van. Myself, my father, Micheal, Murray were squished into the van the illusions poking us in all kinds of places. Moving down the higway Michael Ammar says, "And to think, I complain about figuring out where to put my DF card."

If you have to be in a DJ then a cummerbund can solve a lot of problems if you can get somebody with sewing skills to help - you can put a lot of small pockets behind a cummerbund for coins, tt, etc. Imagine it as a dress version of your money belt......
Also you might want to consider that if you carry a wallet with you for card in wallet that it's a great way to sub divide your pocket for small things like elastic bands, the odd packet trick etc. All depends on what you have in you repertoire really, I'd say.

Thanks for all the thoughts. Really helpful. I need to get the old jacket out and start experimenting...

Further to this, my mother in law has done an AMAZING job of adding a couple of extra inside pockets to my waistcoat - so I now have two inside and two outside on waistcoat, the same plus a top pocket on DJ, and obviously 2 trouser pockets. So I'm hoping with careful loading that will be enough...

Have a look at www.cards4magic.co.uk for

The Working Professional's Close-Up Organizer
Adds extra pockets to the inside of any jacket for cards, coins, packet tricks, business cards, TTs, marker pens etc.
Easily moved from jacket to jacket - no permanent installation is necessary.
Price: £15.00

Duz what it sez !