talkmagic.co.uk

Hello all.

I thought I'd share an experience that I had recently. I met a "Magician" (and I use the term loosely) who turned up from nowhere in my local one night. He was an older guy, around 50, balding, tracksuit bottoms, t-shirt, trainers and had the most grating, cringe-worthy scouse accent I have ever heard. You couldn't help but hear him over everyone else. He was telling everyone who would listen that he was a professional magician (he wasn't) and began doing random effects which, don't get me wrong, were good, but his attitude was one of "Look at me! I can do this and you cant". He was arrogant, rude, loud and tiresome. When he came to me he tried Three Card Monte and I thought "I've got you" and I proceeded to blow him out the water. Not by revealing the method, but finding the ace every time. Chatting to people afterwards, I was congratulated on bringing him down a peg, which appeared, was long overdue. I was just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience with someone like this guy who brings shame on our wonderful art?

In addition to my previous post, I suppose I could have took him to one side and pointed out the error of his ways, but I don't think he would have taken any notice. Besides, he didn't seem interested in anyones opinion but his own. Although he did some nice tricks, he totally destroyed it with his self righteous and big headed attitude.

I had a similar experience and he wasn't even remotely as talented as your guy, though a similar taste in fashion and attitude by the sounds of it.

He had been gegging in on a conversation I was having with some theatre-type friends, about venues for a bit of intimate mental theatre. As loud as possible he started interjecting about what I do, "Here, watch this" he said and rambled off some awful math magic that a 5 year old could backtrack. He didn't do it once, nor twice, but at least half a dozen times, louder and louder to anyone within spitting distance, each time bragging about how brilliant it was. I was happy to nod my congratulations and ignore him but the landlord came over with a mischevious smile and asked if I was 'going to shut him up'.
I called him back to our table, and did a simple 'read' of a thought of 2 digit number using a swami.
"F**k" was his only reply and we didn't hear a word out of him for the rest of the night.

Kai Burton wrote:older guy, around 50, balding, tracksuit bottoms, t-shirt, trainers

That's the image which sprang immediately to mind!

That's him! The prize tool!

Mandrake wrote:

Kai Burton wrote:older guy, around 50, balding, tracksuit bottoms, t-shirt, trainers

That's the image which sprang immediately to mind!

That.... what IS that?! Because of the scouse accent you mentioned I was imagining more like the "Scouse b******s" from Harry Enfield and Chums.

I once did Crazy Man's Handcuffs for a friend as we stood at the bar and the guy next to me instantly declares he can do it better than me (I love rubber band magic, Im pretty good at that trick), saying "Oh that's c*** (not the best), here let me show you how its done!". I don't think he was really a magician, just one of "those" types who like to know-it-all. He takes the bands, tries some elaborate loop system which was really blatantly not going to work. Anyone who knows Crazy Man's knows you don't need to do anything like this. Not remotely.

The he swore, tried again, and the band flicked out and hit the bar girl in the face. Thankfully it didn't hurt her, just startled her, but he was done for the night after that.

I generally don't bother taking them down a peg or anything, in this case I didn't have to either. Nobody really gives a hoot about magic if the guy (or girl) doing it is an a-hole.

It was tremendously funny to see him skulk off though.

Hmmm, do you think it might have been Matt Lucas just 'avin' a larf' ?

To be honest madrake, I was kind of hoping it was one of your holiday snaps or something

It wasn't Kerry Katona's ex, was it? He was saying how he was going to make his fortune as a magician a few months ago.

Ah yes, whatever happened to him? (As if I really care !)

You just described a large majority of magicians out there. I would however handled it differently. I'm not saying better, I am saying differently.

I tend to support other magi in public, it doesn't matter how bad they are I would not have messed up his effect. At best I would not have indulged him. I know it sounds mean but when he came around to me I would have simply said, "no thanks, I don't want to see any magic, but thanks for offering" and I am really stubborn, 'ask my wife' and if he would have insisted I would have been just as insistant that I don't want to see an effect. I may even tell the offending magician that I too am a magician and I'm here to get away from magic.

I know other magicians who would probably be upset with my response. There view would be that magic is a brother/sisterhood and you support other magicians, period. You let him show you an effect and you play along and you be his best audience. Unfortunatly I don't have the stomach for it, which is why I try not to end up in those situations.

alright carm down carm down

How the hell do you screw up 3 card monte. I always figured it was the one thing that even if you KNEW how it was done, you would still get screwed over by it.

I think the main idea of actually beating a guy with 3 card monte is to simply do what Mathew Broddrick did in War Games. "Not play the game." Sounds like he did a really bad job at it.

dat8962 wrote:alright carm down carm down

I'm calm, I also knew my response would come out wrong. I am not trying to say Kai handled it wrong. I'm not sure there is a right or a wrong here. I just would have handled it differently. I'm often too hard on other magicians. Especially when it comes to illusions acts, animal acts, mentalism and anyone who does the dancing cane, or linking rings, (they go on way too long).

It is all good in the hood.

And yes, if the magi in question was any good at a three card monte he should not have been caught out, as there are so many 'outs' in the three card monte.

You make a valid point, bmat.

I suppose in hindsight, I could have handled it a bit differently. I think I acted the way I did is because I can't stand ANYONE with that attitude, let alone a fellow Magician. But to be fair, his Three Card Monte was terrible!