talkmagic.co.uk

Blackpool 2006

Friday 24th February

Star Lecture by Paul Green – Didn’t go.

International Forum with Stan Allen, Hank Moorehouse, Wayne Dobson and Terry Seabrooke – Didn’t go.

British Magical Close-up Championships – Didn’t go.

Star Lecture by Vallarino – A good lecture on close-up magic, mainly with cards, but there was a few con matrix's. The interpreter was really funny. I thought the teaching could have been a little clearer, but quite useful.

Mainly Mentalism Show –
John Archer – The compere, funny in places, but the two tricks he did seemed quite similar.
Luke Jermay – Excellent, really entertertaining. The chairs trick was great although with the pulse trick, the woman was saying his pulse had stopped, yet was still tapping her hand on her leg…that seems quite erm…unusual.
Patrik Kuffs – One trick, but excellent, and well played out.
Aaron Crow – Wow, laser sighted crossbows, and apples on heads, and he was wearing a hakama…amazing routine. His needle started a bit badly, as he managed to pick the world’s most stupid person ever…following simple instructions, is usually quite simple, I would think.

Star Lecture by Fukai – Only saw the last half, and he wasn’t standing in front of the microphone. Seemed like a few good ideas, but not really my type of magic.

Star Lecture by Patrik Kuffs – Brilliant lecture, a really nice mentalism piece with blank cards and I love the handcuff trick. Great shoes too.

Saturday 25th February

UK Children’s Entertainer of the Year All Winners Show –
Jolly Roger – I didn’t think he was the best kids magician, and I thought he was a bit boring.
Magic Dave – Hilarious and entertaining magic routine with a science theme. The talking duck, was great. Brilliant ideas, and fun to watch.
Mr. Trix – Slightly annoying, and seemed to play up to the magicians crowd a little too much.
Percy Piecrust – A few tricks seemed to drag out a little too long, but funny in places, and an ok act.
Magic Malky – Brilliant yet again, funny and off the cuff. Works the whole audience, and engages both the children and the adults. His tiger in the circus act was simple but hilarious.
Colonel Custard – Some great magic, and great circus skills.

Star Lecture by Chase Curtis – Didn’t go.

Masterclass with Vallarino, Martin Nash, Craig Dickson, Chris Capehart, Paul Green and Michael Ammar – Didn’t go.

“Kidz R Us” Lectures -
Roger Blake (Jolly Roger)
Graham Lee Balloon Workshop
Zyllan Juggling Workshop – Didn’t go.

Star Lecture by Martin Nash – Some good tricks, but he messed half of them up. The Spanish hall seemed to be the hottest room I had ever been in, and I had to leave half way through, because I was feeling very warm, and very tired. I think many others either fell asleep, or left aswell.

Saturday Gala Show –
Well, the first disappointment was the fact that the mystery guest never turned up. Why? The compere was unbelievable unfunny, and (I didn’t hear it) but apparently someone heckled him at the end, which is good good, I think. He made a joke about every act after they had be on, and he didn’t remember any names. He kept having to sneak of stage before he introduced them. Zyllan the juggler was great, with a nice glo-light show. Marc and Alex (seven person illusion show) were brilliant. Johnny Lonn was hilarious (the violin paddle move), and Peter Marvey’s illusion show was stunning, I enjoyed that. I didn’t enjoy his manipulation, as his left hand completely messed it up, but he seemed to get away with it. I think someone should have shouted out, so everyone knew he had messed up. Things would be a lot more interesting that way. I was also quite bored by Victo Voitko’s linking rings.

Sunday 26th February

Star Lecture by Rick Merill – Funny, interesting and entertaining. A nice lecture with some good concepts. I also bought the lecture notes for this lecture and they are really good.

International Close-up Session 1 – Didn’t go.

Star Lecture by Chris Capehart – Didn’t go.

International Close-up Session 2 –
Michael Ammar – Intersting, but I didn’t think the routine was that great, and I never really liked card on ceiling.
Chase Curtis – Original act, but I was sitting slightly to the side and saw everything he did.
Chris Capehart – Nice linking rings routine, and very smooth.
Rick Merill – Annoyingly, he used the same tricks, and same jokes as his lecture, but it was still quite interesting.

Ladies Event – “Winter Colour in your Garden” – Didn’t go.

Star Lecture by Michael Ammar – Didn’t go.

International Close-up Session 3 –
Martin Nash – As boring as the lecture. Maybe it wasn’t the heat. Not my favourite magician.
Craig Dickson – Interesting, magic-eye opener, but can’t really remember much more about it.
Paul Green – Entertaining act, using green cards, and green rope. He did the short-rope, middle-rope, long-rope. Someone always does. I got to sign a card for him, but it wasn’t with a green sharpie.
Jean Pierre Vallarino – The best close-up magician from the sessions, a nice packet trick turning nines into queens and some good four-ace productions. I was watching like a hawk, but couldn’t see anything. Brilliant.

International Gala Show –
The compere was again poor. He said the same joke as the person the night before (about the Mirage dancers) and half of his jokes, I had heard the last time he was the compere. Fukai’s parosol act was nice, but I was very bored by Victor Voitko’s Dancing Rose. Aaron Crow’s act was once again very cool, and he put candle wax over his eyes, and chopped a water melon off a girls head blindfolded. Very cool. Men in Coats were funny. Marc and Alex looked like it would have been a good act, had I not been sitting at the side, and seen everything. The Voitko levitation was very interesting, a bit boring, but it looked very technical and I couldn’t work it out. Peter Marvey was not very interesting tonight. The flying illusion did not look as good as the Copperfield one, I have seen. Jerome Murat was a living statue with a great act. The best act of the night, by far, was Tony Chapek, with his Interactive Media Magic. Magic involving a television, very original, very funny, and ver clever.

The Dealers
I didn’t see the £5,000 worth of flash paper explode, but I imagine it would have been quite funny for everyone except the dealer.
I spent too much again, but I bought some things which I think will be quite useful.
I also managed to get my programme signed in a few places, whilst walking round the dealers halls.

The Ruskin
The place was packed, and it was difficult to move but I managed to speak to a few people. I don’t think I learnt too much whilst there, but I helped a kid with a card trick and saw some other magicians performing.

Overall
An ok weekend but definitely not as good as last year, and I think in the gala shows they must have run out of acts. We saw Peter Marvey four times, Victor Voitko three times, Marc and Alex twice.
I am considering not going next year, but I’ll have to wait for the line-up first. I did not hand in my priority registration form.

I didn’t see the £5,000 worth of flash paper explode, but I imagine it would have been quite funny for everyone except the dealer.

Probably not that funny for the two assistants that got their faces burned.

I for one was extremely disappointed with this convention, to the point where I doubt I will go next year.

To any members of Blackpool Magicians Club - PLEASE PLEASE do NOT book Jupiter ever again. The man is a boring, talentless waste of convention space.

Seriously, as mentioned before, they MUST have been short of acts.

Gary

Are you always rude? Every single post I see you make is insulting someone!

Kati

well, they say that the truth hurts and we're all, or most of us are here to hear of each others opinions

He could have said 'they're great, definately go and see them' and then you'd be well p****d off if you'd shelled out your hard earned readies.

The man is a boring, talentless waste of convention space.

I'd say talent less is a bit harsh.

For a start he stood in front of 1000+ people and performed 99% of his effects perfectly.

Now whether people think that silk productions are appropriate for a show such as this (with 90% of the audience being magicians) is another thing - but I for one can't do half of what he did. I might have a few good card / mentalism routines under my belt - but like him or not, Jupiter could perform silk productions & vanishes to a pretty good standard.

I wont take back what I said as I believe in honesty.

His act was totally illogical. Why come out and start by shooting cards into the audience? That was just pure stupidity. Dangerous and unimpressive.

Then there were all the canes and similar objects that he produced and then put into that plastic bucket he had on the stage, WHY?

Honestly, if you are performing infront of X amount of magicians, I think your act deserves a LOT more thought!

I saw him performing close up last year and had to leave. It was AWFUL.

There areso many GREAT magicians all over the world. It cant be THAT difficult getting a few of them to perform at Blackpool!

Gary

I agree with Gary that Jupiter was by far the most disappointing act, however I do think it a little sad that we focus on the not so good when there are so many great acts that appeared at Blackpool that were fantastic.

Jupiter isn't talentless far from it, he was just not the best choice for any magic convention...

Jerome Murat, Tony Chapek and Men in Coats made it all worthwhile for me and I would happily discuss any of these acts until the cows come home.

Hi!

I would like to get in touch with Mr Jerome Murat. Do you know maybe his contact, or do you know someone who knows it?

Thank you for your help!

Regards

Lili

In the RED corner gary sumpter
in the blue corner jupiter