August 31, 2020
Here's what you can expect to hear in the September podcast
- If social distancing restrictions continue, will this lead to smaller events, and if so will it have an impact on the size of fees we can command?
- Dave Jones' epic Facebook rant strikes a chord with some and upsets others
- patter acts should sometimes learn when NOT to speak
- why September would be a great time to join E-Club Pro
- when magic was not a good fit for street performance
- the importance of getting yourself in the right frame of mind before a close up show
July 31, 2020
The August round up of magic themed topics contains the following:
- We are all having to get used to different ways of working when entertaining via Zoom
- the top magicians are those who learn how to relax and pause when performing says Christopher Barnes
- why we shouldn't care about what people say about our show
- when having a disaster is actually very lucky
- are digital magic magazines more acceptable than digital books?
- Dani DaOrtiz reverses an old magic adage that says you should never tell the audience in advance what you are going to do
June 30, 2020
A summer collection of advice and opinion which contains the following topics:
- The lockdown aftermath may initially change the tricks that we can do in close up
- Morgan and West contend that the strolling magician has to fight for the attention of his audiences
- enjoy the tale of my brush with the law extracted from E-Club Pro's It Could Only Happen Live
- female magicians have to try that much harder to succeed in magic it seems
- the rise of the podcast shows an increase in the popularity of audio information
- your magic fan base changes as you progress through your magic 'career'
May 31, 2020
These are the topics we get stuck into this time:
- The British Ring online 'Nonvention' seeks to fill the gap left by the cancellation of their regular event
- I reflect on Lance Burton's assertion that performing is like Groundhog Day - you keep repeating the same act until you get it perfect
- redundant phrases and useless messages - a round up of my 'favourites'
- will you be fooled by The Tube Of Wonder?
- blogs are good to do as long as you know who you are writing for
- the question is not whether a printed book is better than a digital one, surely it's the quality of the content that counts
April 30, 2020
'May' I interest you in the following topics?
- Magic steps up and produces a number of projects to keep magicians in lockdown interested
- taking away the 'parachute' helps to raise levels of perseverance for pro magicians
- formulating a sort of magic risk assessment can help in dealing with performance glitches
- learning how to control all aspects of your performance life can pay big dividends
- Richard Young's Magicians' Podcast and Dynamo's Beyond Belief provide some welcome magical distraction
- creativity is better when it is driven by plot more than method
March 31, 2020
Here's a run down of the subjects for April
- What the coronavirus means to us magicians
- do table hopping magicians always have the right to interrupt people and insist that they watch some magic?
- Tony Middleton suggests how you can get a hotel residency, and I wonder whether this is good practice for all entertainers
- we need to lead bookers to the right type of booking conditions, not just accept what they think that they want
- I announce a new Video E-Book Release featuring coins and purses
- there is no substitute for the live performance as a means to refine new magic
February 29, 2020
The discussion topics for March are:
- The pressure of walking around the Blackpool dealers' halls
- I reflect on Simon Caine's assertion that mind readers shouldn't make predictions
- has the CineMental trailer set a new standard for online video dems?
- E-Club Pro is in its 10th year and is a formidable online magic resource
- I present an argument that magic exposure is not only necessary, but is in any case an outmoded concept that's not worth worrying about
- going 'old school' and dealing with all show enquiries by telephone might be an advantage
January 31, 2020
Here is the February line up of topics:
- Reflections on the Session 2020 and anticipating the Blackpool Convention
- how to avoid spectators challenging you when you perform
- are you guilty of using redundant phrases, words or patter in your act?
- a discussion on crediting ideas properly and thoughts on Andi Gladwin's 'open source' concept applied to magic
- Magicseen sets off on its 16th year of publication and goes from strength to strength
- taking a step back to evaluate your act or technique can be very beneficial
December 31, 2019
Your New Year podcast line up covers the following topics:
- I chat about what makes December a unique month for shows
- Ian Brennan learns a lesson regarding lecturing for young magicians which raises some interesting points
- if all magic can be categorised as a puzzle, or as a trick, or as an extraordinary moment, as suggested by Ken Weber in Maximum Entertainment, then should we all be working towards more extraordinary moments?
- let's make 2020 the year in which we commit to supporting a live magic event
- adopting strategies to help with remembering trick sequences gets more important as you get older
- since most modern marketed magic comes with little or no props of any quality or note, what are magic collectors going to be seeking out in a hundred years time?
November 30, 2019
Your festive selection of magic topics for this time are:
- The changing nature of magic conventions means that the most successful and sustainable events are those which are focused in terms of their theme or content
- how do you decide how many tricks to carry when performing strolling magic?
- audio books are a great learning tool for those who say they don't read books any more
- a good performing style or personality can help dictate the type of magic you choose for your act
- the decline of general theatrical agents has removed a quality control mechanism
- manage your bookers' expectations if you want to avoid them being disappointed with you
