I need suggestions for a performance

[Albert]

Hey guys,

So all of a sudden, I have another performance on April 1st and I would like some suggestions on what to perform. I have a basic idea, but your contribution would be helpful.

The setting is going to be a crowded (most likely) restaurant/bar with like 40 people in a small area so I want something to be direct, visual, and effective. I don't want to perform all cards because that quickly becomes boring. I'm thinking of doing a sponge ball routine and a cups and ball routine if necessary because they are visual, but I want to go to the restaurant as lightly equipped as possible.

I'm thinking of a few simple card tricks like the ACR, some money tricks (I have audio in mind by Eric Jones, but that may not work if there's a lot of noise) or some bill tricks, and etc... hmmmmm maybe linking cigarettes will be good by Akira Fuji, but I don't smoke :cry:

Anyways, any suggestions will be great. Anything that is visual, not too time-consuming and something that needs little words for people to understand (due to the setting).

Thanks! :D

[Mark]

So you're looking for walk-around stuff right? Because it somewhat reads as if you would be performing everything for all of the 40 people at the same time. I got lost as soon as I read both Akira Fuji's 'Linking Cigarette' and Eric Jones' 'Audio' as both effects require a really different setting. :thinking:

[Albert]

Haha I was getting desperate thinking about what to perform and I guess I just put audio and linking cigarettes in there :D

I've never performed for a crowd of 40 people in a small enclosed space. So any advice would help.

I would be performing for all 40 people at the same time and I would be completely surrounded a complete 180 degrees from the front

[Fruglemonkey]

Recap is a good routine, has A LOT of misdirection in it, and anyone that manages to follow what you're doing will laugh at how you're fooling the others.

Under the watch from "Off the cuff" is good, too.

http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=872

[TheMisdirectingHand]

What about Daniel Garcia's "Pressure"? It doesn't require a lot of talking, and it's pretty visual. Also, literally speaking, a balloon is kind of light! =)

[Albert]

What about Daniel Garcia's "Pressure"? It doesn't require a lot of talking, and it's pretty visual. Also, literally speaking, a balloon is kind of light! =)

Yeah I like pressure, but it's just like "watch the balloon... Wow the phone's inside! It's over... :(" I mean that it's really too short and I don't know how to connect this trick to another to make it smooth. I really want my performance to connect if you know what I mean.


Recap is a good routine, has A LOT of misdirection in it, and anyone that manages to follow what you're doing will laugh at how you're fooling the others.

Under the watch from "Off the cuff" is good, too.

http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=872

I'll definitely check this out.

[Fruglemonkey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csMlFD2ESBI

Recap performance from Off The Cuff.

Also, pressure is generally a really 'iffy' trick. The fact that you just happen to have a balloon on you, removes the impromptu part of the trick, making the audience think that maybe it's a gimmicked balloon. Smarter audiences will also know EXACTLY how it's done, leading to people saying "But... you just pushed it into the balloon...?" It doesn't flow that well, either. =/

BUT! If there's a random balloon lying around, then it's great to do it. "Oh hey, here's something you can do with a normal balloon that always amazes people..."

[TheMisdirectingHand]

Perform the clean-up and have them take it out? It's short, but maybe you can use it as an opener. Have them take out the phone by using the clean-up. It's interaction between you and the audience.

[s13zeTheDay]

First of all, will you have a table? (If yes I have a few further suggestions)
Depending on how impromptu you want it to be, do a rope trick/routine such as grandmother's necklace or knot moving (If I get around to it I'll post an amazing knot moving one I know that's completely impromptu). Also check out revolution #9 by Aaron Fisher in terms of cards. Finally, I think mentalism would be great for this sort of scenario as there are absolutely no angle issues and it plays well to larger groups (if the space isn't TOO noisy).

[Albert]

Great suggestions guys, I'll look into all these rope thingy (I would be glad to see a performance of it! :D) and mentalism tricks.

I think the biggest problem I have is creating a nice flowing routine. I've performed in parties and social settings in other's houses and publicly on stage, but it's my first time in a bar/restaurant setting with a crowd of people in one small place.

I would really appreciate it if you can suggest anything to help me build a powerful routine :D Of course, I'm not saying you should make it for me since that would be cheating :awesome:

[la0o9]

i think the most visual stuffs would be: ropes, jumbo objects( coins, cards, canes), and the linking rubberbands( lots of versions, if you have Link by Nabil Murday, i strongly suggest you use/practice those, they rock) or linking cig would be very good, in a crowd of 40, there's bound to be at least one person with a box of cig, but if you wanna make sure, may be you could ask the waiter to hold on to a box that you brought beforehand.

there's a book on rope stuffs on google books, a simple search will show you( 70 foolproof rope tricks or something like that), i'll give you a link of one of my fave rope tricks, tho a 360 degree audience might be a bit hard... may be you could do it at the end of the room( with your back facing the wall, almost touching it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkGjwaGmYYw

and if you don't know how to do it... i'm pretty sure there's a tutorial on Youtube by ExpertVillage...

[Fruglemonkey]

How long are you performing for? Is it a straight, non-stop performance?

[Albert]

How long are you performing for? Is it a straight, non-stop performance?

I'm thinking of performing non-stop for around 30 to 40 min. I found that anything longer usually relieves people's tensions and gets less exciting after that.

i think the most visual stuffs would be: ropes, jumbo objects( coins, cards, canes), and the linking rubberbands( lots of versions, if you have Link by Nabil Murday, i strongly suggest you use/practice those, they rock) or linking cig would be very good, in a crowd of 40, there's bound to be at least one person with a box of cig, but if you wanna make sure, may be you could ask the waiter to hold on to a box that you brought beforehand.

there's a book on rope stuffs on google books, a simple search will show you( 70 foolproof rope tricks or something like that), i'll give you a link of one of my fave rope tricks, tho a 360 degree audience might be a bit hard... may be you could do it at the end of the room( with your back facing the wall, almost touching it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkGjwaGmYYw

and if you don't know how to do it... i'm pretty sure there's a tutorial on Youtube by ExpertVillage...

This is great! I love it. I'll go check on some old books for rope tricks, but do you know where I can specifically learn the knot that he used when he put his hand back?

[la0o9]

he simply untied the knot i think... the secret to the trick involves a bit of prep that you do behind you back before giving the people the "power" to tie you up... and i because i can get to the secret position within 1.5 seconds( the amount of time needed to turn around) from the knotted position( in case you didn't notice, that knot he tied only gets tight when pulled by 2 people, if you pull it from one end it comes undone right away). it'll be easier to imagine if you already know the secret. simply put, he did the start as a convincer, and after he turned around, the knot from the start is already undone, and everything is in position( his wrists+ the secret knot position).

if that wasn't what you were asking... i can send you a PM of the tutorial by expert village, the variation of it he was doing is described above.

[Albert]

he simply untied the knot i think... the secret to the trick involves a bit of prep that you do behind you back before giving the people the "power" to tie you up... and i because i can get to the secret position within 1.5 seconds( the amount of time needed to turn around) from the knotted position( in case you didn't notice, that knot he tied only gets tight when pulled by 2 people, if you pull it from one end it comes undone right away). it'll be easier to imagine if you already know the secret. simply put, he did the start as a convincer, and after he turned around, the knot from the start is already undone, and everything is in position( his wrists+ the secret knot position).

if that wasn't what you were asking... i can send you a PM of the tutorial by expert village, the variation of it he was doing is described above.


Thanks I would really appreciate that. :)

[la0o9]

sent ^^.

[Albert]

I'm thinking of doing cataclysm. What do you think? I think I can get quite a few people involved to, which makes the mentalism that much stronger. I'm thinking of making that my closer.

[LittleLead]

Albert, check out rich ferguson. He has some awesome mentalism effects. Sorry that it took me so long lol. Im on a droid atm

[s13zeTheDay]

Here are the tricks I was talking about. Please note that these performances are admittedly sub-par, they are just to demonstrate the effects (though feel free to give comments anyway). Albert, if you like them, PM me for further discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqhj_35zI_U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJcVM7KFdG4

[Albert]

So I found out that the setting is most likely going to be in a ball room of a hotel. I'm not sure what the size is at the moment but there will be around 50 people.

I've never performed in a ballroom xD But I guess it really isn't much different from other party settings.

I'm planning to get some better, more professional cups and balls, a copper-tipped wand (is it copper?) and a bigger mat. Does anyone know of a good supply shop for this online?

Oh and I've been watching the Manchurian Approach on Hypnosis but haven't had any success with it with my friends the first 2 times. I don't think they took me seriously :cry:

Does anyone perform hypnosis or have any advice for me? I would appreciate it :)

[la0o9]

i'm actually learning covert hypnosis so i can't do anything for you about actual conscious hypnosis( they know you're trying to hypnotize them, while covert hypnosis just means making them do what you want them to very subtly), i think there aren't any ways to hypnotize someone other than covert hypnosis if they don't want to and don't believe that you are a hypnotist.

i suggest magic geek, i think they sell some good stuffs for a nice price:
http://www.magicgeek.com/cups-and-balls-chrome-plated-112.html
http://www.magicgeek.com/metal-tipped-magic-wand-172.html
but idk about the wands... never used them before... but they should be durable...

[Albert]

i'm actually learning covert hypnosis so i can't do anything for you about actual conscious hypnosis( they know you're trying to hypnotize them, while covert hypnosis just means making them do what you want them to very subtly), i think there aren't any ways to hypnotize someone other than covert hypnosis if they don't want to and don't believe that you are a hypnotist.

i suggest magic geek, i think they sell some good stuffs for a nice price:
http://www.magicgeek.com/cups-and-balls-chrome-plated-112.html
http://www.magicgeek.com/metal-tipped-magic-wand-172.html
but idk about the wands... never used them before... but they should be durable...

Thanks for the links.

Yeah, I think the problem is that they don't believe in hypnosis. The Manchurian Approach teaches that you don't have to be covert as long as people are willing to try, so I'm guessing that's the reason.

[la0o9]

Yeah, I think the problem is that they don't believe in hypnosis. The Manchurian Approach teaches that you don't have to be covert as long as people are willing to try, so I'm guessing that's the reason.

friends are like that... they would be thinking "let's act like we want to be hypnotized but thinking that we don't, just to annoy *enter person's name here*"

i think stuffs like mental forces or hypnotism should be tested on people you've had the chance to meet and talk to a few times( less than a close friend, but more than a bystander, somewhere along the line of a classmate should do... but you're in uni so it might be a bit hard...), that will guarantee the most success if you're not too confident.