This week, two opening events for the Yorkshire Building society. First in Stone and then in Evesham. Both went well, magic and balloons plus stilts to create a bit of fun and entertainment.
Photos probably in a local rag!
Also half term.
Sunday, a small but very fun Christening Lunch party at The Kingham plough. A small group of about 20 guests plus 6 children. In a superb pub/restaurant in Kingham in the Cotswolds. The atmosphere was superb, and if i say so myself the magic worked. One of those days where everything seemed to fit in to place. Tricks flowed very naturally and smooth. Also balloons for the children.
This morning i got probably the nicest thank you letters i have received.
Brett - You were absolutely brilliant yesterday. Thank you so much. You kept all of us (of all ages) wonderfully entertained, in such a clever, funny and utterly mind-boggling way. And without in any way interrupting the flow of the party and our conversations. Fantastic! Everyone is now looking for an excuse to have party - just to be able to invite you back! You made a great gathering even more enjoyable and memorable, and Emma and I are huge fans and enormously grateful to you. With best wishes - Mark
PS - As we were leaving, I overheard the young barmaid to whom you gave a balloon flower saying that it was one of the nicest presents anyone had ever given her, and so much better than the real thing! You made all of us feel special.
Saturday David and Gareth launched the office christmas parties at Derby County Foutball club at pride park. Amazing magic, Tim looked Great, Gareth even better. Might even get some footage on their website http://www.dcfc.co.uk Totally amazed a few people with some magic as well.
Straight after that i headed home, repacked the car with Tanx for a freshers party in Loughbourough for a ver slow 3hrs of Tanx radio control tank battles.
Then the following morning up and workig early at the banbury can day as crazy wizards with steve Kaos. http://www.banburycanalday.co.uk/Canal_Day_2009/canal_day_2009.htm
What Fun!
Tues helped open a new branch of the Yorshire Building Society, in a small town in wales. We had the mayor and a local MP. Being such a small town it made a big impact event and stopped the street for a while. I was doing magic, balloons and a bit on stilts.
Saturday in the middle of Bedford town centre making balloon animals. Nice people great balloons and fun spending Saturday afternoon in the middle of Bedford high street.
We were the Policeman on stilts. Mark Russell and myself. Our stick on Victorian moustaches were about to fall off through laughing too much. I got my entertainment from trying to make mark laugh so much he started crying behind his glasses!
The Royal Signals White Helmets did an awesome display which was truly worth the weekend itself. Not so much magic this weekend but great fun.
I have just also set up no www.weddingmagician4u.co.ukafter lots of complaining to the web server to try and get this right its all up and running. Hopefully i will keep adding advice and info for anyone who wants to hire a wedding magician.
I had a great meeting earlier in the week with a potential client for a corporate close up magic job early in September. Did a couple of great tricks which seemed to make an impression. A fun morning with plenty to chat about, so thank you Jez!
Also this week i have edited another video for David and Gareth office lookalikes. Very please with the results!
The end of last week was finished off with 3 days in Gloucester Quays designer shopping outlet opening weekend. We were Divers on stilts, quite a slow start as people didn’t know what to expect
divers on stilts
and i think the people of Gloucester were a bit overwhelmed by designer shops! By the end of the third day we were doing really quite well. I was even getting accurate with the water squirt.
sky Funday at Sywell
Sunday and Monday i had two fundays for supply chain workers for SKY TV. Sunday at Bath racecourse for a “your great event” and Monday at the aviator hotel in Sywell airfield for “Leapfrog events”
Monday a repeat from last year, Victorian Policemen on stilts out side the Royal Courts of Justice, the ones you see on TV often enough. We send off the Lawyers for a 10k walk around London and then welcome them back at The Law Society where they have drinks etc.
A bit of a tough crowd but as i say it was a repeat booking so we were expecting it, they are lawyers after all!
They also book magicians and I did get the magicians to do us some magic for us. Turned out to be an ego building exercise for myself and my magic! London magicians you would have thought might have a bit more charisma or wow factor, but no. Why do magicians have to wear ties with cards on them? Do they really think its enough to get a card chosen then find it again? A colour change that my cat could have done better! On its own its vaguely interesting, maybe to see your mates do this but if you are being hired as a professional magician then surely you are expected to do a little more? At least use a fresh deck of cards that doesn’t look like its been used since the stone ages, signed cards add a little more to the trick and makes it more personal at least. Then maybe do something interesting with the chosen card! Its good to compare other magicians working and the level of magic “out there” being performed, but its rather disappointing to see such a poor standard of magician in the business. If they were plumbers they would very quickly be on BBC rogue traders!
Tomorrow Deep sea divers on stilts, courtesy of Martin Long at www.Larkinabout.net . A new shopping centre in Gloucester.
Last week started with a trip to London, wet up with Jem, Steve Kaos and Mark Russel. Meet and greet magic followed by 10 min stand up spot after dinner. Jem and Steve were on stilts and Mark was juggling, myself performing magic.
Performing close magic with others around me doing juggling and crazy stuff was great. I found the guests expected something a bit more fun than the usual serious expectations of “a serious magician”. This suits me down to a tee. Coming from the same place as the others, i always think the magic should be fun and a little bit silly, of course people know its not magic but if the trick is really baffling then it gives the fun just an added dimension.
After dinner i performed the head chopper illusion for the first time. I built it a few months ago now and i haven’t had a chance to put it in a real situation yet. It really has a strong effect for something so simple, and the routine had everybody clapping and some people with their head in their hands with anticipation! When the cucumbers get chopped its such a cool moment!!
Tanx Radio Control Tank Battle
Wednesday Tanx team building with a money bonanza fun day at Cadburys. They looked great in the sunshine! I did buy some new tents so if need be i can be completely covered now. The buildings are getting a make over as well. So very soon they will be looking like new!
Then on Sunday was a wedding, about 40 people from the daytime. Some magic for the first bit, with balloons later. I think the Bride and Groom wanted an emphasis on the balloons as they ha children and there were a number of children there.
Nice end to the week. Coming up, the last game /corporate magic at old trafford and a repeat from a few years ago.
Ta!
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!