Magician, Entertainer - Brett Sirrell

The first half of Aug was quiet enough,  then suddenly things got busier than expected.  Starting with a 1st Anniversary party waking up my close up magician skills.  Then a Tanx Radio control Tank battle event.  Then on monday more magic at a rather nice wedding at Birtsmorton court.  Working along side Richard Ellis the caricaturist. 

A company relation team building chill out day on Tues,  running tanx again and other entertainment.  Another great day.  Then apart from Saturday close up magic at old Trafford it was street shows and shopping centre entertainment all week.  Trying to wake up audiences of families who just wanted an end to the school holidays.  

Maybe next week i will get some time off!  I may ring Russ Stokes and chat magic with him this week.  Who knows!

David and Gareth - obviously!  This was the booking that came from being in the Horticultural Halls, so those 2 days paid off with at least one job.

Two part day really, firstly mingling with the exhibitors “doing the business”  also a few magic tricks and usual entertainment.  Then later in the after show party with some more “real” magic just dumbed down a bit to suit Gareth Keenan.

The guy who booked us was great, its great to be looked after so well.  His whole family was there in the evening.  They were totally blown away by the act and with my magic, which made it into a good feel factor job as well!

The new coin magic stuff works so well with Gareth,  and his military training!

Working with Tim aka David Brent is always great fun, at times i have to pull my self away so i don’t loose it in laughter.   It works so well and its so easy!  Thanks Tim!!

Hopefully we might get some more work from this show as well!  Who knows!

Still loving the new stuff, i just feel that it takes my magic up a notch.  Where to now?

Just got back from the RSVP show.  I believe the idea of the RSVP show is a trade show for people who organise events or for those in the event business.  Tim and myself were there as suppliers from the event business.  Unfortunately the show organisers seemed to be fun policing us as we happened to “look like” the Ricky Gervais and Mackenzie Crook!  Which was probably understandable but ultimately we are in the event business and i feel that just because we are more extrovert than say plumbers at a plumbing convention, we were harassed as industry suppliers far more than what was necessary! 

Anyway,  it was really interesting to see magicians actually working.  I met what i could only describe as the Good Bad and just out-right ugly!  There were plenty of guys who i had worked with and it was great to see them.  There we also a couple of other magicians that were distinctly, what i thought, average.  Maybe i am just used to seeing what i consider, good working magicians, but to be quite honest i wasn’t really blown away by what i did see.  Its a great shame.  If i wasn’t in the business, would i know the difference? 

If i watch a magic trick, (or even perform one), i like to start from the point that magic is actually a challenge to watch and be entertained with (on its own a magic trick is essentially boring, and choosing a card and finding it essentially pointless)  although presented in the right way it can be so so entertaining.  A couple of guys there i can truly say were entertaining, the rest of the magicians i did see probably reinforced this point.  I wasn’t particularly “entertained”.  So disappointing, but at the same time it just challenges me more to keep raising the standard as best i can and working on stuff that really leaves people jaw dropped!!

ps there was one guy there we  had met on the week before and remembered the coin trick I did! Some of the new stuff i have added to my routines!  Must be good if he remembered it like that!

I think the title sums up this week!  But a magic week at that!

The week started with Tim and Myself at the Promotions and Marketing Exhibition in The Royal Horticultural Halls nr St James Park, London.  mingling as David and Gareth - Office Lookalikes.  The photographer http://www.sosphotos.co.uk took some superb photos.  There is also a great vid of the whole trade show here

Again a great chance for me to work in some new tricks,  which suited Gareth well.  We have already  potentially got a booking from this show, so hopefully we will be at the Stationary and Office Products Show in the business Design Centre in April http://www.sopx.co.uk 

Then from Friday through to Sunday I was working for The WISCM Trust and ChunkyMonki at the outdoor show and exhibition at the NEC.  This went so so well for both WISCM and Chunky Monky,  they had a great trade stand and product it was just great to be working for them as well.  WISCM in summary help educate and give opportunities to young people through outdoor pursuits, and 10% of all chunky Monki profits go to the Trust. 

The magic went really well and i have come up with a new idea for future trade shows if companies are giving out stress balls. The balloons also made such an impact,  every time i met someone from the other stands at lunch, and i mentioned Chunky Monki the immediately said, “you must be the balloon man, magician”  wow! 

One of the people from another stand came over to see me and get a balloon,  by the time they left they had orded 500 units from chunki Monki!  That made my weekend and made me feel worth my fee! and hopefully the deal will come off for them.

Tomorrow  RSVP at the Business Design Centre (BDC) in Islington with Tim!