International Convention

[mrgoat]

Well, I had a great day on Saturday. The 39th International Magic convention and my 39th birthday.

The close up competition was mainly terrible. Alexander Hansford, a young magician, was my highlight. I guess he was about 15 and he did a VERY confident card routine. Early Hollingsworth sort of presentation. Deep voice, long words, great theatrically. Other than that, odd Korean act that came second that I thought was awful. Someone doing a pisstake pretending to be stoned and cool. Hardly did any magic, talked lots. Said whatever lots. Dropped the N bomb on stage. Clearly not aiming to win and was doing it as some kind of joke. I didn't get the joke though. Then the winner. I was *so* astounded this won, I am going to enter next year. I mean. I am not sure what the judges were looking for, but surely this is just appaling?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV62SXXBn-U

That is it. He also did a quasi paul daniels patter "he said you won't, I said I will, and I did. He said you never, I said I will and I did." in a stupid squeeky northern voice. Just dreadful. Doing a bad 3fly that 'climaxes' with the last coin floating across on some thread. AHAHAH! COMEDY! I was embarrassed it was so bad. Then he got my lovely girlfriend on stage and did card to forehead but took what seemed like 6 mintues to do it. Then as she was leaving he did the naff' kiss me on the cheek, AHA I turn round at last minute and kiss you on the lips' thing which I think is always a crap joke that embarrasses your spectator and shows very little respect. Not just cos he snogged my bird.

So far, so meh.

I enjoy disliking performance. I find I can learn as much from a bad act as I can a good one.

Quick sandwich and birthday beers then back for Mr David Ben's lecture. Very thoughtful, very rehearsed. Very interesting. Definitely going to work on the torn and restored cig paper he taught.

Two of the flicking fingers lectured next. I lasted about 15 minutes. It was bad. It was unlucky they followed Mr Ben, who was so slick and professional. They seemed unrehearsed and unprepared. And tbh, it was like they were asked to do it in the morning. They didn't know what to do it about, so wrote some stuff about marketing and branding on a flip chart and tried to showhorn a relationship with that and magic into a presentation. I walked out thinking the bar would be much more fun.

The dealers failed to show me one thing I wanted to buy. Nearly got a book, but aside from that, same old tat as usual.

Quick bite to eat. Then the gala show.

Noel Britten hosted as usual and he is a great MC. Some young brit did a very dull prop act. Appearing canes and so on. Yawn. Derek Hughes, frankly, smashed it. Stunning act. Very funny, very strong magic, very good. Could have watched him all night. Then there was a treat. Tom Noddy. The bubble guy. e was on Daniel's tv show twice i think in the 70s/80s and I have very strong childhood memories of seeing his act. I thought it was spellbinding and very magical. Luckily I had the chance to see it live, and he could still do it. Met him after, charming man.

Second half started with a lady called Romany. I've seen her before and thought it was a comedy act. So so so so so so bad. It's is a lady too old to be doing burlesque, dressed in a burlesque sort of out fit doing more prop magic. She comes on stage to lullaby of birdland and proceeds to pull some expandabing bird cages from her costume around her hips. Not produce. Just pull out of his clothing. It's the most unmagical thing I think I've seen. No misdirection. Just a yank and OOH LOOK A REALLY FUNNY LOOKING CAGE APPEARS! Total crap. She then gets a silk and ties it round her neck and then pulls it through. Yawn. Flash string to necklace. Wow. Original. Slow and dull 2 ring linking ring, which was uinfortunate as A student of Cellini's did *his* 2 ring act earlier in the day which highlighted how bad her one is. Can't even remember what she closed with. So bad. I am 100% sure the only reason she gets any work is because she is a woman. If a guy did an act like that he would get nowhere. I originally thought her act was meant to be funny when I saw it last year. Now I am sure it isn't and she is just dreadful.

I hate mainp acts. But was surprised to find myself really enjoying a young korean guy who did wonderful magic. Johnny Fox did a sword swallowing act which was entertaining, but very 'street magic'. And then the opener came back and did a short hand shadow act which was a really nice way to close the show.

Absolute highlight for me was later. I told my ladyfriend it owuld be a roomful of magicians all keen to show her a trick as she is pretty and a layperson. So she went up to people asking. And they all obliged. She loved it. Then at about 1.30am she asked David Ben, not knowing who he was. I was a little taken a back, as I would never have agreed to her asking HIM cos he is all elite and stuff! However, he obliged charmingly, did two brilliant tricks for her, and then we had a little chat about the famous Bish/cull thread which was eye opening to say the least.

All in all a brilliant day, great way to spend my birthday. Wish I had the nerve to go to Richard Wiseman and tell him how brilliant I think he is, but I always dislike interrupting 'famous' people to fawn over them.

[IrishMagicNews]

Re Romany,

To be fair, I along with another working pro were booked for a Christmas corporate gig a few years back. For some reason Romany was also on the gig. To say she smashed it would be to put it weakly. Her energy was superb and she certainly made me look at the way I entertain at tables.

Brendan

[AJM]

Was just browsing the Grand Illusions website for some Crimbo inspiration after reading Damian's post and came across some Tom Noddy clips.....

Tom Noddy

[mrgoat]

Nice find AJM.

Making me smile like a kid all over again.

[Richard Kaufman]

How did it go with the special surprise guest on Sunday? The unique fellow who was the recipient of The David Berglas Award?

[Richard Kaufman]

... Juan Tamariz!

[Ian Kendall]

Alex is 16, and terrifyingly good. He's one of the international members of the Nine of Diamonds, and a couple of years ago I got to introduce him to a bunch of people at Blackpool as 'the Future'. Happy to say it's turning out that way.

Ian

[mrgoat]

@ Mr K - I didn't stay for the Sunday, so sadly cannot tell you.
@ Ian - He was brilliant. I was blown away. And his scripts are really good too. I assume he has mentors, as he was 'too good' to have created that character and script on his own at that age. Do you know who teaches him?

[Ian Kendall]

Alex is pretty much self taught. He has spent a lot of time with Eireann in Cambridge, but what you see is what you get. He won the close up at Blackpool this year, and again at the IBM.

Watch that young man, he's going to be huge.

[Francesca Moffet]

I was very disappointed I missed Im this year but I will DEFINITELY be going next year as it's the 40th convention.

...and neither Hell nor high water or even work will prevent me from missing it next year.

[Baph]

Yes, the 40th will have a lot of surprises.... as well as Max Maven and Eugene Burger... and the Berglas award for promoting Berglas will surely take it up a notch..

it'll be a fun event.... and it'll be a whole week of events surrounding it... I'll be there behind the followspot (or in the bar) as usual!

Jon

[Richard Kaufman]

Did anyone mention who else is being booked in addition to Max and Eugene?

[Baph]

Richard,

There are a few names, but until they are confirmed nothing more can be said... These are the two that Noel released from stage.

Also - I meant the Berglas award for promoting Magic... not as I wrote "for promoting Berglas". It's been a long week.

Jon

[mrgoat]

Mr K the one thing that was mentioned was that there would be a whole week of events preceeding the 40th convention, including one man shows, etc. So anyone thinking of coming next year should book up for the week by the sound of things.

[Paul Gordon]

I went on the Sunday (of Ron's Day). But, met a bunch of cardmen friends at 10am and ended up in the pub over the bridge doing stuff until midnight. So, aside from having a good laugh with Wayne Dobson and Paul Roberts...I missed the whole bloody thing! Twit!

PG

[IrishMagicNews]

Richard,

According to Magic Convention Guide David Williamson is also booked.

http://bit.ly/fXdx8E

Brendan

[Matthew Field]

For those who would like to read my take on the International Magic Convention, my write-up, with some photos, is on MagicWeek, www.magicweek.co.uk.

Matt Field

[CraigMitchell]

Thanks for the report Matt - really enjoyed it !

[Glenn Bishop]

a little chat about the famous Bish/cull thread which was eye opening to say the least.

Interesting - I did not know that thread was famous.

However in my opinion if a magician likes to do gambling magic as part of their act and they have not explored the use of the punch using the second deal. - And my system well?

It is very cool to have the work in only 4 or eight cards and be able to run up a hand on the fly - anytime. Working with no set up in the way of a stacked deck. And being able to do that anytime in a formal magic show once the work is in - is very cool.

Just my opinion.

Cheers!

[Matthew Field]

Also -- International Magic have recently released the 2-disk DVD set of Rene Lavand from the 2009 convention, which includes his lectures from 1992 and 2009, his extraordinary one-man show from 2009 (held in a separate theater) and my interview of El Maestro with Tina Lenert doing the translating. What an honor that was for me.

I'm not commercially involved in the project. More info at www.InternationalMagic.com.

Matt Field

[Glenn Bishop]

famous Bish/cull thread which was eye opening to say the least.

And if I may add - there is no such thing as a "bish cull".

The cull - stacking - methods I talked about are accomplished with my slant on the triumph shuffle. So in the book I wrote and on the 2 DVD's I produced about the cull and stacking methods that I used the triumph shuffle - are called the "triumph cull" and the "triumph stack" and the "triumph cull stack".

Because they all use the "triumph shuffle" to accomplish the technique.


Not the "bish cull"!

Add a marking system to this kind of riffle shuffle technique as I talk about in the book and on the 2 DVD's and it is a cool thing - just like the punch system.

[mrgoat]

famous Bish/cull thread which was eye opening to say the least.

And if I may add - there is no such thing as a "bish cull".

Yes there is. I invented it in your honour. Google "bish cull" and this is the top hit, the bish cull:

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

Just my opinion

Your pal and humble student

Damian
xoxo

PS Happy new year!

[mrgoat]

And here is my work on the Bish Punch Second, something else I invented.

I think Marlo had some work on something similar, but it was never published. I'm sure Mr Maven will know.

Hope you enjoy this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H00vXfl46Ew

[Glenn Bishop]

39th birthday.

All that and 39.

Just my opinion.

[Richard Kaufman]

Cut it out!

[Roger M.]

That's some thoughtful video though!.........Goat should be thanked.

I think Goat just edited that first video in order to change tapes (no funny business took place).........but it gave me a great idea!

Glenn needs to get into some video editing as well..............if he edits out something in the neighborhood of 40-45 of the 70 shuffles required in his punch trick, we'll only have to sit through and watch 25-30 shuffles!

The trick would be way better with only 30 shuffles, and we'd all still have plenty of time to go take a leak and brush our teeth between the beginning and end of Bish'es 10 minute extravaganza of stacking four cards!

Thoughts?

[Richard Kaufman]

I said to cut it out.

[Glenn Bishop]

If I may add - in my promo I say I have been performing professionally for 35 years - that is to say that I was out doing magic professionally when mrgoat was 4 years old.

However I really have been performing magic for more than 35 years professionally - and I have been doing magic for around 47 years.

Speaking as a professional magician that walks the walk and has the track record to back it up - my work stands on it's own no matter what these "trolls" (mrgoat and his pal Roger M) say. I have met some slow company in my time but wow.

(Insert a picture of the space shuttle here)

Just my opinion.

[Glenn Bishop]

Glenn needs to get into some video editing as well..............if he edits out something in the neighborhood of 40-45 of the 70 shuffles required in his punch trick, we'll only have to sit through and watch 25-30 shuffles!

The trick would be way better with only 30 shuffles, and we'd all still have plenty of time to go take a leak and brush our teeth between the beginning and end of Bish'es 10 minute extravaganza of stacking four cards!

Thoughts?

Here is a thought Roger - your post makes me think that you have no idea of what your talking about.

In the video at my web site there are things that I do with the JOG SHUFFLE using the punch. And I use the punch in routines like this one.

http://www.mrhypnotist.org/video/glennb ... dsharp.wmv

And things I do with the TRIUMPH SHUFFLE - a table riffle shuffle. And in the video I cull and stack four aces on the fly from a shuffled deck in only 5 shuffles.

http://www.mrhypnotist.org/video/glennb ... riumph.wmv

And in this video I cull and stack 12 cards in only 8 shuffles.

http://www.mrhypnotist.org/video/glennb ... riumph.wmv

I did publish some riffle shuffle work using the punch on my second DVD and in my book - however I have never posted video of this at my web site.

I hope this clears things up for you.

Cheers!

[Dustin Stinett]

This thread is locked.