THE SET SHOW

IF YOU’RE A BEGINNER THE FIRST THING YOU'LL NEED IS A “SET SHOW”!

You need to create a set show and I’ll explain why and what it is, in a minute.

But,

If you’re gonna go out there for the first time there are 3 huge mistakes you wanna avoid.

#1 don’t ask people if they want to see a trick! - just tell them to watch and begin your trick…DON’T ASK!

#2 don’t plan to do a new trick, no matter how good it is! -only begin with tricks that are tried and true, the one you can do in your sleep and have been doing for ever. And do it the old way. NO NEW ADDITIONS TO IT!

#3 only do “improv” after you have a SET SHOW! that’s the real secret to “improv“!



A SET SHOW, is a show that is scripted, memorized, has a beginning, middle, and an end.

It is the same show every time except for the occasional “improv” that seasons it.

I once saw a film of a show done by Gazzo 20 years ago and it was the same show pretty much that he does today.

I’ve talked to old timers who saw Cellini’s show 20 years ago and they described the same show I saw recently.

The list goes on, even and especially to T.V. and stage shows….you think David Blain or Chris Angel aren’t doin a set show?

think again! They are!



For most of my life I did improv magic. I’d look at the people and judge what I thought they should see then I’d reach into my bag pull out the props and do that trick when I was done I’d look at em again and decide which trick was next and on and on…..

I got away with it for a lot of years and made plenty of money, but that’s not gonna work here if you want to make a living or a career or get any better…..

If you want people to watch and pitch like some of those statue guys who don’t do any thing this might work for you but if you want to be any good at this you need a set show. Even the good statues have a set show they do in between standing still.


The way to create this set show is put it together and practice it out on the pitch over and over wether or not somebody stops and watches….you’re like an infomercial.

ONCE YOU HAVE THIS “SET SHOW” YOU HAVE A PERSONAL BELONGING, THAT TAKES CARE OF YOU AND YOU CAN TAKE IT ANYWHERE AND SURVIVE…IT’S YOUR SHOW.

After you have made this set show you will start to see how much it is capable of paying and you’ll we begin making adjustments for it to pay more.

IF YOU LEARN NOTHING FROM ME OR ANY STREET PERFORMER PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS THE MOST IMOPRTANT FOR BEING A PROFFESSIONAL BUSKER!

costuming

YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE RULES BEFORE YOU CAN BREAK THEM.

I’m not suggesting that you have to or even should wear a suit please read this whole post before you start bitching.

when i first became a magician and was learning the rules, the first of course, is always keep it a secret.

and there seemed to be many after that.

one of these is that "as a magician you should always be dressed just a little more formal then your audience."

in the beginning even David Blain was wearing the suit until he created his character to what it is now.

one of the most practical reasons for this, for the -BEGINNER-, is to add credibility to himself so

#1 the people stop

and

#2 they don't give him such a hard time when he sucks.

And

#3 maybe the most important is when you tell them your gonna do magic, do you look like a magician or some body that knows magic? Because if you don’t look like that to them you might have trouble.

Well a suit is a nice generic costume that also gives off a little authority.

My suggestion here is if you havn’t “found” your character you might want to think about this.

Now the most common opinion about this is that you want to look nice, but not so nice they don’t pay you…..ya get it?

Now I’ve seen guys in wizard costumes complete with pointy hats and david copperfield or eve david blain stlye of costumes but the point is YOU GOTTA KNOW THE RULES BEFORE YOU CAN BREAK EM.

Heres some suggestions;

IT SHOULD LOOK PROFFESSIONAL.

The costume should match the character.

It should attract attention. A friend of mine bought a bright yellow suit at one of those suit shops for the distinguished black man down town.

Make sure it’s comfortable and portable.

If you’re a traveller you might want a costume that you wear all the time as your regular clothes even sleep in it till it’s comfortable.

street tuff, child like, and a royal touch.

when your on the street your on stage and every ones watching.

every ones looking for a chink in your armor.

"THE BAD GUYS" are looking to take your spot, your money, and maybe your life, so you want to have a danger element in your persona and you don't want to dress too extravigantly. you need to give off the impression that you could be somewhat dangerous if pushed the wrong way.

a good example of this is of course; Gazzo or Sonny Holliday

THE GOOD AND DESENT TYPE PEOPLE who are probaly gonna tip you are looking at you to see if your a con or a threat in some way, so you need to have a child like disarming side to your persona. it should be saying "i'm a harmless and a good man to harmless and good people, but i don't like bad people."

mimes are a good example of this.


AND EVERYONE is looking at you to see if you truly are what you claim to be...a magician, so you need that royal touch that something that says your of a higher class, a wiseman, a man who could hold himself with proper breeding even when he's wearing rags. a man capable of being a gentleman even if he's not always behaving like one.

a few good examples of this royal touch are of course; Cellini, Eric Evans, Tom Frank, Doc andrews, and Paul Nathan.

you need to have all three of these to some extent, some have more of one then the other but they all have all three at some point.

strangley i've noticed that Danny Hustle has almost all equal parts to this. i think it may be his heavy entertainment background.


stranger yet theres a guy in london named "Pepe" who pushes "child like" and "street tuff" to an extreme that can only be explained as ominous in a clown car wreck sort of way and it's no wonder why he would get the largest crowds of all.

yet he holds himself like a dignitary even in rags. Pepe has been to the best schools of theater and recieved many awards from the hoity toity theater powers that be, but he chose the street as his venue, and rejected the high institution. every now and then they come and give him awards and recognition and he throws them in the trash and says,

"when are you gonna bring money i can't eat these."


here's a tiny clip of him;



a true genius but don't push him the wrong way. it's also no wonder that him and Sonny Holliday hit it off big when they met this last summer in london.

of the three of these i think the royal touch is the most ignored by the performer in the u.s.

when infact it should be on top of the list. this is where we need it most, people think we're bums and cons here.

you can go out there in shorts and a "t" shirt and without a costume,

you can go out there and be loud mouthed rude and demanding money over and over,

and you can disregard the importants or value of our art,

you can do all these things and make alot of money, they'll pay you good, and you'll make big fat hats,

BUT THEY'LL STILL THINK YOUR A BUM WITH A GIMMICK. DON'T FOOL YOURSELF.

so many buskers out there are fooling themselves into thinking they are greats because their hats are always big.

and sure they figured out how to hustle, big deal, so what. they should go into time share sales because theres way more money there for a good hustler.

ask yourself if you made a bigger hat then Cellini,Tom Frank, Eric Evans or Sonny Holliday, would that make you a better magician or even a better busker?

of course not. because these guys have been doin it for years they have forgot more then most people know on the subject.

but there are actually fat heads out there who think their better because of their hats and i'm sure you'll be hearing responces from them here.

MAKING ALOT OF MONEY DOESN'T GIVE YOU CLASS, IT GIVES YOU ALOT OF MONEY.

YOU CAN'T BUY CLASS.

and the people watching you know this, they maybe watching you like they watch a white trash t.v. show every nite at 7pm.

but that doesn't mean they think you or that t.v. show is important to our american community. THEY STILL SEE TRASH. and americans buy alot of trash.

i've seen it go so far that some guys who can't even tie a tie and who look like junkies will call other buskers "bums" because they arn't making hats as big as theirs.

money is important, but you can make money doing any thing.

it's about dignity.

and it's saturday, so if you'll exuse me i gotta put on my clown shoes and grab my horn and go to work.

chasing a pitch

chasing a pitch is where you work a spot for a short time become impatient and move to another spot in the hopes of the grass being greener.

generally this is a bad idea, usually the best thing to do is to find a pitch you know has been reliable in the past and do your work day there, the money might be a trickle, but slow and sure is still sure.

while your chasing a pitch, your losing money.


NOW i began this with "usually" because usually this is the rule, but i assure you not always the rule.

"toot" said, a pitch can make you or break you.

when i work new orleans, i got an old grandma bike i ride around following the movement of the tourists.

the tourists have their own schedule they start out by "cafe du monde" and the river in the morning and work their way into the quarter until nite time they end up on bourban street.

different attractions at different times and i show up before they are letting in or letting out depending.

but i still lose money, so why do i do it? cuz i don't like fighting with the other buskers for time on a pitch or dealing with cops about upstruction because they got familiar with me in one spot. some times i even make more then i would if i secured a spot....alot of times i don't.

if you have a small 5 min. doorway act, {like a one trick sandy} moving every show up and down the sidewalk could be the best.

in a situation like this you can work any where and the cops will have an impossible time catching you in the act and they probably wont get any complaints anyway because your in and out so quick.

but you know if your in a town that sucks it matters little, it would be best to work a reliable spot all day practising if nothing else. but definately keep your ears open for a spot you may not know about and maybe do a little exploring now and then.

busking indoors

you learn a SET SHOW, so it's yours, so where ever you go you have it as a tool to provide for you.

what do you do when you can't street perform as a busker?

what if it's snowing or busking is illegal where you're at or what ever, what do you do?

i worked for years in doors all venues from walk around to stage and was paid.

but busking indoors?

i saw an old street performer's video called "doing magic all the time and anywhere people will watch it."

great tape, sorry the name of the guy escapes me.

this guy's tape really had an impact on me.

you can busk any where you go, heck look at amway....ok maybe a bad example but it's true if you want it, you can make the money and and make the dream happen where ever you are, you just need alot of drive.

cellini told me a story;

him and his wife had got to the hotel she told him they were out of money it was late and snowing, so he told her,"i'll be right back" and he headed to the restaurant in the lobby.

he walked in picked up a glass and a butter knife clanged the glass got everyones attention and began his show. he hatted em at the end went back up to the room and dumped the money on the bed infront of his wife.

they had enough money for thye room and the rest of their needs......that's another reason why he's the master.

remember it's your show it's there to take care of you when you believe in it.

i asked cellini how he gets permission to work and he says he just tells the guy in charge, "hey i'm a travelling magician and i'm gonna entertain your guests" and when the guy asks how much, cellini tells him "nothin!"

after he does his show or shows the guy in charge might ask him to do this on a regular basis on certain nites, thats when cellini would hit him with a fee and stips.

you see it's like a paid audition.

cellini would also keep a book or a log with all of the places that would alow him to busk them and also the places that would pay him.

my friend peter at http://www.buskerscafe.com wrote this;

-Bro. Paul West in his DVD "X Marks the Spot" talks about working indoors. He tells the story of a guitar player that walked into the bar and passed around a half page flyer stateing he was going to play 3 songs and ended with the phrase "No Drinks Just Tips." He did his 10 minute show, passed the hat and walked out to the next bar.

Bro Paul then describes how he did the same thing with just 3 quick magic effects and supported himself just doing several guick 10 to 15 minute shows in different bars per night.-

your lifes work must be sacred

your lifes work must be sacred
as a sidewalk performer i gotta code i live by and even though i fall short in so much of my life i try very hard to stick to this code.

below is an excerpt of an article i found on the internet i'm a huge fan of dashiel hammit the writer of the "Maltese Falcon"

below is a picture of humphrey bogart he played sam spade in the movie version.






This code of behavior — which harks back to the credo of the post-World War I Hemingway code hero — would become part of the standard equipment of later hard-boiled detectives in film. But while later detectives such as Philip Marlowe were capable of feeling compassion and a certain amount of empathy for other human beings, it is Sam Spade's personal code alone that makes him a hero and is, in the end, the source of his redemption. Indeed, the negative aspects of Spade's character make his ultimate sacrifice all the more affecting — despite his cynicism and his somewhat cruel nature, despite his negative feelings toward Archer, and despite his love for Brigid, he is determined to see that Brigid pays the price for murdering his partner, because his personal code demands it.

"When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the detective business. Well, when one of your organization gets killed it's bad business to let the killer get away with it. Bad all around. Bad for every detective, everywhere."

It should be noted that factors originating outside of the film itself also contributed to the effectiveness of Bogart's portrayal of Spade and the audience's appreciation of Spade's ambiguity as a hero. At this point in his career, Bogart had yet to play a genuine hero. He had been a star of the second tier for years, but he was best known for his portrayals of cold- blooded killers and gangsters, often being gunned down in the last reel by the star, such as James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson.

magi in spain, using a silent crowd build, no table. clips and tips

this is typical of european street acts and works wonderfully in the states if you know the tactics. theres alot to learn here in all different aspects of street performing.

when you're watching it, notice none of them are using a table, cups and balls, and little or no cards, and it's all parlor.

heres a buddy of mine named Istvan doin his finale, he has a full length act totally silent even when he hats em. notice the size of his crowd.






heres a guy doin a silent act no table and twards the end they pan the camara over his audience and you should notice how big it is. theres a lot to learn from this clip.




here's that magician i was talking about that made all the girls in the audience cry, but here he's just doin a sidewalk show.



heres another of him doin a more sidewalk work. this one has got a the most beautiful trick done with a book.



but understand i saw his huge circle show when i was there normally he didn't do sidewalk work.


i never used sound equipment till recently with my silent acts but it's made all the difference in the world.

notice with each one of these guys they gotta small amp HIDDEN from view yet they change music as they need for each routine it doesn't hafta be preset.

notice the type of music they are using, notice the simplisity of the tricks mostly stuff common to all of us, BUT DONE ORIGINALLY.

i've also seen guys just bring a small boom box for smaller shows.

heres another guy in spain, notice the music he's playing in the back ground.

notice he can do the routine with the belongings on his person no table no nothin.just his skill. the people appreciate this and will show it by paying.

he never says a word he lets his skill speak or itself.





heres one last one of my friend Istvan rememeber he does all this silent.




here's another

where's our community on the web

well if you're interested in reading the blogs i've posted here in a forum where they have been commented and critisized by real life performers i would suggest you go to the buskerscafe american here's the link

http://buskerscafe.com/

also try

performers.net

or

buskercentral.com

or try

themagiccafe.com go to the sidewalk shuffle section.

your first time busking, what to say to the people?

when you finally decide to go and do it,what to say to the people?

the big question.

cellini discusses this in length.

i would suggest this;

you have 3 tricks you always do already,

i would start here because you already have the patter and you have memorized the moves which is crucial to creating and delivering patter.

need something to say just start saying the patter and dive into the tricks.

also talk about where you learned the trick, where it was begun originally and its place through history. the beauty, mystery and or upsurdity of it.

tell the people your name the name of your show what tricks you'll be doing and how long it is.

tell the people where you learned it or if you put it together yourself and what it was designed for.

but most of all relax and mentally record what hecklers have said and either use it for future material or try and think of it as constructive critism if you can find the patience.

in the u.s. what size show do i need to survive?

first of all, i will say in europe it didn't seem to matter. it was so good there, a close up card act could feed you.

i heard in other places it similar.

but here in the u.s. different story fellahs.

the sidewalk show or door way act is perfect for the single guy butif you live in the u.s. and got a family to support the sidewalk doorway show ain't gonna work for you, get it out of your head...we've all tryed.

don't get me wrong you can make money but not enough.

your gonna need to do a circle show or at the very least a half circle show...sorry.

i know i call myself a sidewalk magician, thats because i love the doorway act, the sidewalk all of it, i do.

but in this country you can't support a family with it, the side walk ain't big enough and people arn't cultured enough to tip that high consistantly.

if somebody tells you different it's because they're still in the mode of thinking they can make it work i know cuz i was that guy for many years on the sidewalk. but it's simply not true.

the argument that you bang out 2 or 3 shows and make the same as 1 circle show is a myth, it don't work that way.

first of all your puttin out more energy then he is and you can only do so much inna day and the numbers have alot of different ways of not workin out money wise.

now if you book yourself in festivals you might be able to pull it off but it's gonna be up hill all the way.

if you wanna barely scrape by get bigger into a half cirlce or parlor show.

but,

IF YOU WANNA MAKE THE BIG MONEY LEARN A CIRCLE SHOW.

IF YOU WANNA GET EVERYBODY OFF YOUR BACK ABOUT A REAL JOB LEARN A CIRCLE SHOW

bright and shiny vs. bright and shiny

your props should be big bright and colorful, like red, yellow, white, etc.

for instance your silk vanish should be one of these colors instead of lets say a black silk. and you should use the biggest silk and t.t. you can and if your doing the color change at the end you should use a much large silk then the silk vanish and it should be a brighter color for impact.

when you produce, a good judge is wether a bad video camera can pick it up from a distance.

now of course this is going to make it harder to manipulate and thats the point the audience realizes this.


NOW THE VERSUS IS IMPORTANT,

alot of guys going on the street for the first time think they are museum curators and keep all their props clean and unscratched....this is upsurd.


you are a street performer your tools should be durable AND SHOULD BE USED TO DEATH BY YOU.

when ever i see a guy with a set of cups that are clean undented and emaculate and he is afraid to hit them, i know he just came outdoors.

if your gonna be a street guy be a street guy!

don't get me wrong you don't wanna be a bum but you wanna have a perfect feel for your props....how do you treat your tooth brush?

by the time you wear out one of these props you should be well versed with it and its capabilities.

you should always have back up or replacement props for when you've distroyed them, through use or lost them.

look at a constuction guy's tools they look used, he takes care of them but they look used......this adds credability on the street to the audience.

you look like a worker.

but not clean and shiny, not on the street.

clean and shiny might indicate failed indoors and forced to go on the street.

so bang that wand on those cups and make a noise, a loud noise and don't be an uptight freak because thats not fun entertainment.


but try not to look like a bum or a rich guy because people don't like getting close to bums and crack heads would love the opportunity to rob a rich guy. there's a wierd balance there and i'll write about it later.

we need to have faith in our trade!

I think art is expression, further if done properly it is the expression of a community.

and I think it is our obligation as artists to try and do the best job we can to express ourselves.

and think I in the u.s. street performer's scene we are lacking in the quantity of street performers and the quality that a nation with the reputation we have in the world should have.

when I have travelled around I was amazed at what the world was offering in street entertainment...then I came home and reality hit me in the face.

what was the difference?


they had commitment to their art as an expression of their nation.


ironically we americans are known for our gumption, so what happened here?

as entertainers we lost faith in our trade.


evertime a person blindly follows the way of street performing and has complete faith in the way of street performing they have made a living.

the beauty is you sink or swim

like any other business if you do your home work and keep giving it your best shot it can and will work.

"YOU GOTTA BELIEVE IN WHAT YOUR'RE DOIN"

here's one cellini gave me he got it from slydini.

"YOU GOTTA BELIEVE IN WHAT YOUR'RE DOIN"

i believe we're the real thing .

magicians are real and we're it.

merlin was of the same stock.

you see i believe we've always been here only in the beginning, we were royalty.

when the people watch us, in the back of their heads they know this!

and they wait for the confirmation......that is, wether you're good or not!

and if you suck they are upset they fell for an imposter.

we have keyed in on the "secrets" and the BELIEF.

you must believe in what your doing when you do it. if you fail to do this, you're gonna leave a "TELL" for the whole world to see.

being a skeptic is an admiral cause, but their is no room for it during the presentation.

not while the magic is happenning.

you see, "IF YOU BELIEVE IT, THEY HAVE LITTLE OTHER CHOICE, BUT TO BELIEVE IT TOO."

a good mime could demonstrate this more transparently.

playing poker could give you a good feel for it.

here's a good beginners exercise;


when you palm a coin try and believe that you really put it in the hand.

let your subconcious take over concealing the secret moves. let the subconsious understand that's how the mechanic's of real magic works.

and pretty soon if you practice enough over and over you will be doing it with out thinking about it and you could even start moving impromptu and the subconsience will be covering for you.


i think this goes for anything you're doin.

if you believe you could be the best street performer it's possible but if you're just faking it you got no chance.

you see "fake it till you make it" is different than believing you could be the best.

do you wanna settle for just makin it?

the sidewalk or doorway,the half circle,and the circle show definitions.

o.k. here i go stickin my hand in the trick bag.

these definitions are argued and what makes it worse is when some amatuer starts talkin out his ass about it and making a confusing but important discussion even more confusing.

i have alot of experience with the sidewalk and the half circle shows, but not alot with the circle show, but i'll try not to talk out my ass any way.


any way;

IN THE U.S.




A SIDEWALK OR DOORWAY ACT,

a close up act scripted and played up big.

it usually runs @8-10 mins but some run as long as 15 mins.

the act is done in a small area holding a crowd from @ 1-20 people it's repeated over and over.

hats are generally @ $10 but could be from $1 - $30 depending on the day and the pitch. in a festival of course these numbers would be alot higher.


of course none of this is etched in stone.

the cups and balls by it self alone is ideal but many have had success doing more tricks usually small hand magic tricks.

a sterio typical act would be;

silk vanish, coin routine, card routine [ambitious], rope routine[professors nitemare] and finale w/ cups and balls.

the pace is almost hectic with small bursts of dramatic pauses until the hat is passed the audience is barraged with patter and tricks so they can't think almost hypnotized. usually manic.



A HALF CIRCLE SHOW,

a parlor act scripted and done up big.

it runs from @ 15 - 25 mins.

done in an area holding @ 20-100 people in a half circle edge in front of the performer.

hats are usually @ $35 but run from $15 - $80 depending on the day and the pitch. in a festival of course these numbers would be alot higher.


of course none of this is etched in stone.

typical act could be;

silk vanish, multiple selection card routine, linking rings routine, cut and restored rope routine, cups and balls.

the pace is slowed down from the hectic pace of the sidewalk show but has NO dead time and alot more disscussions about money.




A CIRCLE SHOW;

a stage act scripted and dragged out and done up big.

act runs @ 30mins - 60 mins but is typically 45mins.

done in an area large enough to hold 100- 400 people [i've seen spots that hold a 1000]

the people create an edge around the performer in a large circle...hence the name.


hats are around $100 but can be more then $300 depending on the spot and the day. in a festival of course these numbers would be alot higher.

a typical act could be;

silk vanish, multiple selection card routine, signed bill in lemon/cups and balls routine.

the thing that should be really understood here is that a circle show is very different then the others in that the pace of the show is a much more relaxed and almost dragged out stall for time kinda thing.

theres interaction and getting the people to clap and cheer to help build the crowd bigger.....because you see that is the whole point it's a game to get as many people there to watch and pay you as you can.

the more people, the more money.

the circle show is usually, but not always, a commercial for you to get money in the hat.

the best money making circle show is that in which 35 mins has been spent building a crowd and 10 mins doing a trick at the end to prove your worth.

i have seen circle shows that were pure entertainment for 45mins but saddly they are few and far between.

"IT'S BETTER TO GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING, THEN TO STAY HOME AND PLAN SOMETHING!"

three big mistakes beginner's make on the street;

mistake #1.
asking the people if they wanna see a trick [instead of telling them to watch]

mistake #2.
focusing on the fixing of the slieghts, the flashing,the mechanics and the magic instead of focusing on how to do a street show first.

nobodies gonna watch it any way if you don't got a show thats why they call it a show.[ these are usually the "move monkeys" who are always trying to fool magician's but arn't entertaining]

and #3 the point of interest,

3. sitting at home and planning what your gonna do instead of doing something. it usually that big trick you've never tryed but you know will stop them in their tracks....this is a mistake, stop doing that!

now this is gonna sound crazy and wrong but it's absolutely not.


here it is - "IT'S BETTER TO GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING, THEN TO STAY HOME AND PLAN SOMETHING!"


now i realize you're gonna wanna get a little stucture together before you go out there but the longer you take the less you've done.

you see at home the conditions are perfect and when you go out in the real world, it don't work like that.

staying home will procrastinate you right into a real job..i assure you.

everytime i try and fight this one i lose and every time any body i know trys to fight it they lose.

go to the office your pitch and go out infront of the people and do your practicing and planning out there where you can get some honest feed back instead of torturing your wife over and over with it.

you wanna be great stay on the pitch and work it out!

magic tricks with balls

i use large high bounce balls and a yellow lacrosse ball. in the video on youtube.

i've used every thing.

i'm always on the hunt.

in craft stores i've bought every size woodin balls and eggs and brought them home and painted them.

i've use all the different sizes to see what each can do for me. if their small i can steal 2 etc.

i go to novelty stores, i shop at loftus, any where, toys stores and i buy them and take them home.

fakini's are incredible sonny holliday uses these and mixes with various others balls he gets from toy shops or dollar stores.

the trick for me is to use the largest and brightest i can get away with, for maximum visual effect.


for wooden balls;

i've gone to the craft stores like "michael's" or "jo ann's" and bought every size they go by inches they have 1/4 in - 5 inch whats great is they mark the sizes so you know what your working with infact you can now judge what size other balls are, like rubber balls at the toy store that are'nt sized.


needless to say i have a lot of balls in fact my wife got me large bins to put them in because she didn't like find them laying around.

i wanted to work with every size to see which was best and how to work with other sizes i've painted them red and with diferent colors to "color change" or for surprise productions.

they're simple to paint just go to walmart and get "apple barrel" acrylic paint comes in a little bottle for @ $1the color is called bright red.

the little sponge brushes are 50 cents.

this is why you need a teacher.

your gonna meet guys who tell you, "oh i don't have a teacher cuz i don't need one." don't believe this braggart, this is pure ego.

heres what happenned either they had a teacher who couldn't stand them or they are so full of themselves they think by denying their teacher and their peers that they'll stand out as the best.

but sadly for them this doesn't work. but they try for years some times.

these are the ones who stand on the backs of those they have forgotten....feel sorry for them.

but why do you need a teacher.

because being a magician is more then being an entertainer, a businessman, or a guy who does tricks. in fact those are things you should do after your a magician.

you need some one who's gonna teach you how to be a magician proper, and you need some one qualified who understands just exactly what it is to be a magician proper.

and finally if you want to be the best, you need to know who it is, you need to be better than
[even tho you may never be able to be better then the mentor but at least you'll know the right direction]

if your saying well thats why i went to the street to get away from the rules, i hate to break it to you but this started in the street first then when indoors.

you see nobodys tell you, you have to do any thing we're just saying its nature.

you stop breathing if you want to, but its gonna make life harder.

if you can't find a teacher right now you should at least buy

"the tarbel course in magic volume #1"

and read the first few chapters especially the one on secrets and history.

a slower pitch means more "flash".

if your workin on a spot with very little foot traffic, you need more FLASH!

whats flash - it's stuff that surrounds you to make you look bigger then you are and add credability.

you need to lay a fat heavy colorful rope down as a stage boarder.

a sign with boring print that states MAGIC SHOW and nothing else.

you need to be LOAD and reciting a pitch to the street wether some one is listenning or not.

a table for focus.

lay all the props you can out infront of you in a display showing what you will be working with. don't leave any thing in the bag that doesn't absolutely have to be concealed.

this is flash it catches the eye of the passer by.

and use anything else you can think of.

going from a "real job" to your "lifes work", how to make the leap?

this is the scariest.

and everyone you know is against it.

"toot" told me years ago he saw sheridan working new york and he watched him over and over on breaks from his job..til one day he decided thats what he was gonna do with his life, the problem was he knew very little magic.

what did he do?

he went home to his roommate and told em the situation.

he suggested to the room mate that he should sponsor him for a few months....support him.

the roommate agreed if he would support the roommate for the three months after that.

so toot worked 8-16 hrs a day to learn.

ate, breathed, and crapped, street performing.

he was in a hurry cuz he knew 3 months flys by.

he did it, and the rest is history.

your gonna need time to go to school....the school of street performing.

and your gonna need 100% focus to save time.

will everything work out....no.

will your wife and family get angry....yes, they already do.

will she leave you?

in this country the odds are good she will, so be careful, DON'T TAKE HER FOR GRANTED AND ASSUME EVERY THINGS FINE,time to pay attention to your marriage. make sure she feels secure. and prove to her she is.

people will tell you they're supportive and they arn't, why?

not because they are bad people, its because they know you....your an artest and you got problems. face it, learn to embrace it, things will go along smoother.

your not normal, your here reading this!

your smart, too smart thats the problem. wake up! this is a bad thing! you'd be better off if you could be content working a brain dead job that pays.



when should you take this time off and make the leap?

the key is to not put it off.

i would suggest, just before the beginning of the season[summer months].better hats.

3 months might not be long enough it took me almost a year.

and you might want to practice through winter to be ready for summer.

why so long?

1.you need street[stage] time under your belt

2.you need a show that pays

3.you need to know how to find pitches to do that show.

i've heard some great success stories from a bunch of guys over the years so i know their out there.

kozmo got a great one.

if you make the leap DON'T PANIC! YOU'RE GOING TO BE MAKING MONEY THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT!...my friend dante told me this just before i went to europe the first time...i was terrified but this calmed me down and it turned out to be true.

a day at the office

when i go to the pitch i get settled in and make my self at home, i plan to stay there awhile. that becomes my territory, my spot, my office.

this does a few things first of all it puts me in the mind set that, wether the people stop to see me or not i'm at work for the day and i'll keep workin wether they stop or not.

the other thing it does is i can better defend myself in my own office. wether it be crack heads or hecklers.....thats my office not theirs.

four obligations of the magi worth noting.

four obligations of the magi worth noting.

1. KEEP THE SECRETS

2. PRACTICE TIL PERFECT

3. TEACH IF A STUDENT IS WORTHY

4. PROTECT THE LAYMAN FROM CHARLATANS

how to get a teacher.

i always meet some guy with ego problems who thinks he's a renegade and who says,

"i don't have a teacher i don't need one, i invented everything i do, i'm just that good."

then he shows me his ambitious card routine, assuming i've never seen one before.

this happens alot.

once it even happenned with a scotch and soda, you know who you are!

so if you ain't gotta teacher here somes suggestions.

let magicians you respect know your looking for one.

find a guy who has a teacher or has had one. try and get him to teach you or get his teacher if you can.

masters are obligated to help if they see some one with, LEGITIMATE INTEREST AND TALENT.

that means you gotta nag day after day after day and you gotta be able to show him something,some thing good.

most masters are reluctant to be a teacher, thats how you spot one.

when you get a teacher, time to suck up pay attention and don't try and teach him because after awhile it will get on his nerves and he'll try and shed you.

if he needs some thing give it to him. you need to take care of your teachers.

YOU CAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE TEACHER DEPENDING ON THE VENUE YOUR LEARNING.

if your some where this isn't possible buy tarbell vol. 1 devour the first few chapters about our tradition and then buy the rest as you go along.

if your renegade loner who doen't play well with others heres what sonny holliday did, he wanted to be the best in the world so he knew he'd have to find the best and learn from him because that would be the only person he respected, that was cellini.

you'll have to find who ever it is you respect for your type of work.

a tip from doc andrews on how to find a proper teacher.

this is a picture of doc andrews on the pitch in new orleans in jackson square.

this is copy and pasted from the buskers cafe i thought it was so good i'd put it here.

this is what dwayne andrews said. i call it the doc andrews perscription;



"The price you will pay is putting away some of your misbeliefs. and sacrificing a little ego on the alter to the quest of knowlegde

How to know a good teacher from a bad one when you are new to Magic.

First, you do the looking, find those you respect and enjoy; or just want to be better than. If you dont want formal training like the Chavez School of Clones, then watch from a distance-PAY ATTENTION- to everything they do. The best way to become successful is to find successful persons and emulate them. You can probably figure out why they do what they do after some amount of study then remove the negative habits and pecularities you dont want to have stick with you and you will become better. Next if you are considering actually studying with someone, Think About This--How do they treat you personally, If he treats you poorly he is thinking more of his own ego and not the student, or the Profession. These people will constantly seek others to spew their misbeliefs apon.
Second listen to your gut instinct, and dont turn off your brain just because someone may know more than you or has a known name. A real Mentor will look at all questions with a realistic approach, because he realizes he has a lot to learn or relearn from his own answers, not just turn them down out of hand. It sometimes codifys our own rational to ask a question from a different angle than our norm.
Next before considering anyone for this most estemed position think to yourself; is this who I would like to become: Because a student will follow in the masters footsteps.

When you do find someone you RESPECT pay attention to their personality and habits as well as their magic - there is a lot to learn from simple oberservation- this is the other gift a real mentor has to offer. Not just about your double lift but about approach, personality, and motivation and a myriad of things he may never think to explain. Each of these conspire to create the whole performer. Maybe this is why the other magician asked you to watch his act. He could have known you two werent a good fit or wanted you to be able to decide for yourself ( I am giving him the benifit of the doubt here ).

Also if you wouldnt want to have a late dinner with someone, dont look to them as a role model. because you will end up spending a great amount of time together.

We differ from Magicians in that we focus on the actual entertainment of the people in front of us. Not just the latest slieght on some website. This is a very important point here, and the main reason we dislike other "MAGICIANS" but seem to get along well together. We are focused on being ENTERTAINERS, This is a major difference. I dont know about you, but I feel a passion I dont experience anywhere else, when I step on stage and know the audience is paying ( or will pay ) good money to watch me perform. And by God I had better do it right. At this point I am not just playing the part of a magician I AM THE MAGICIAN.

Zig Ziggler told me, if you will help other people get what they need, They will help you get what you need. When our esteemed peers notice us contributing to the Artform they love, and see us trying to make a better Act, or create a more magical persona or environment by helping others, they will step in at that point to do what they can for you.
You may learn from them in an instant or in years. It depends how much you need to really learn from that person.
And remember, I could be totally mistaken.
I hope this adds in some way to the discussion "

Oscar Wilde said, " We are all lying in the gutter but some of us are looking to the stars."


_________________
Dwayne Andrew
Professional Entertainer

the job of the teacher

i'm not gonna get this one completely right i know, so if theres input from experinced teachers even better.

before one can be a teacher one MUST BE QUALIFIED TO TEACH.

the job of the teacher is to;

1.make the student better then him.
[even if it means holding back information]

2.to be loyal to the student in all things.

3.to be patient.

4.to teach the student the traditions of magic[keeping secrets,science, and respect for better magicians etc.]

5.provide a venue for the student to work.

and heres an important one, there is two prominant methods of instruction,

one is to tear down the student in an attempt to chalenge him. i think this is destructive.

the other is,

to build him up like he's a superman and the student will just assume he can do any thing....this is the method i think is best as long as you arn't afraid to give him honest criticism when its needed.

theres a bunch more i know these just stick out in my head right now.

what are some good sidewalk rigs to get started?

heres some rig ideas.

doctors bag or tool bag that opens like a doctors bag.

20 ft. of heavy THICK but soft nylon rope so the wind can't blow it.

sign that ONLY SAYS just 2 words only nothing else! just the words in black and white real big and plain not fancy.....MAGIC SHOW....but no other words. the sign should fit in your bag without folding and should have velcro on the back and velcro on the bag so that it will stick to the side of the bag. you can make it out of poster board clear tape and a black felt marker.

sign unnecessary out side of U.S.

a 11- 12 inch drum stick saw of sharp end so it looks like an unpainted wand. this is your noise maker,slight prop,and may have to go into the ribs of a violent aggressive person....you know your magic wand.


so theres your flash {stuff to make the people interested and mark your territory}

sidewalk routine suggestion;

silk vanish

coins and jumbo

deck of cards

rope trick like professors nitemare or some rope work as a finale to your little 8-10 min act.


what ever tricks you decide the real trick is.


don't bring any thing but whats in your show.

not extra tricks, not nothing.

in reality you don't even need that flash, no bag, no nothin, just keep those things in your pocket and stop out on a sidewalk and go to work.

oh and by the way don't bring any other tricks but whats in your show every time you perform it. and yes i know i said that all ready but this is the hardest for a magician to understand about street performing...pack small play big...not pack rat just to be sure.

remember at first your tryin to learn a set show, not trying to amaze them. you need to rely on the set show to get good enough to do its job on its own.


if you got a table;

silk vanish

coins or cards

cups and balls.

if your not doin cups and balls ask yourself why in gods name am i draggin this table around all the time when all i'd have to do is improvise like a real entertainer.

you really only need a table for the cups and there is cellini students in switzerland right now who do it on the ground....not to mention india.where they street performed for thousands of years.

and what other entertainers in show business use a table and how about t.v. magicians do they use one?

the job of the student

eric evans said,
"be a suitable student. For it is my belief that if you're a suitable student, the world working the way it does, a teacher/mentor will appear--its up to you as the student to see the opportunity and sieze it."

danny hustle said;

"I believe mentoring works. I also believe that you need to be a good student. The type of person who doesn't know what to take his hands off his ears and put them over his mouth should NEVER try and find a mentor. To be a good student you need to be humble, and know when to listen, even if deep down you might not agree with your teacher, right now. For a guy who grew up in the street and almost every person I grew up with now dead or in prison I can say in all honesty that the reason I am still here has been my ability to check my ego, shut up, and listen. You have to achieve a level of trust in your mentor that is wholly unnatural to most people. That mentor has the responsibility of never betraying that trust.

That being said, (and Jimmy will know what I am talking about) having a bad mentor can ruin you. You really need to know when it is time to cut the strings and follow a different path.

I am humbly thankful to all of the people that have mentored me in my lifetime, several of them are members of this very forum.

I should also like to give you my definition of what a mentor is. A mentor first is a friend, a true friend. This friend shares his faith, hope, and experience, with you because he has a great desire for no reason outside of his friendship to see you succeed. "

"Choose your mentors as wisely as they choose their students. "



one thing i'd like to add is that you need to take care of your teacher if he needs somethin get it for him cause if he's good its for your best interest.

if he's bad and you've helped him you've done it because your taking the high ground...and people see that.

stop a child stop the world [cellini]

cellini is famous for this saying.

yet i always hear these hacks [who do 1 corprate show in 4 months]say "oh, i don't do kids shows"

well guess what neither do we, thats not the point.

this the same problem i've talking about in all my posts, alot of magi are not flexable enough or a stong enough performers to perform for all crowds at the same time. but instead of admitting this they say "oh, i'm better then that".......misguided ego .



if a child is watching you, no one is afraid of you and most will think its indearing and will stop.

without a child your scary, creepy,insane or boring, and very few will just stop and give you a chance. remember you want as big a crowd as you can get.

a hobbiest says "i don't do kid shows"

a pro says "i do shows"

wanna work every day doin what you love, get over it!

the hobbiest is a dreamer but he doesn't live the dream the pro does

my vision for buskers in the u.s.

i see a time when;

cities are proud of their buskers and advertise them in tourist info. to bring more prosperiety to the city. and other cities are lookin for away to get buskers for them selves

a city, a mall, or private business will pay you 50 a day to entertain and hat the people.

people walking down the street will see you from afar and say, "honey get the kids theres another one, he's a magician hurry up, before we miss something!"

kids start out their careers as entertainers, on the street, and are getting paid to practice enough to support themselves. and by the time they get older are working in great venues.

a time when;

you've made a carreer out of it and got a big house, nice cars, etc.

buskers turn down prepaid work cuz they can't afford the time off from busking the street or indoor venues.

big busker supply stores in every major city because busking is such a large industry.

where young guys say they're buskers to get girls, but who have never busked before.

a place where the girl isn't worried about dating a busker because he's a broke dreamer who couldn't provide for her.because it would be common knowledge that he could.

crazy?

i'm dreaming?

i need medication

that will never happen?


WELL I GOT NEWS FOR YA.

its happening right now all over europe and different parts of the world....

infact some of these things are even happening here in the states with the top pros and festival workers.

but heres where i might be dreaming i'd want it here in the states in mass.

i want it all.

but i'd want the buskers to be good....no great.

instead of hearing,

"he's from europe and thats what they do there so he's gotta be good"

or

"oh that busker is from austalia so he's really good"

or

"he's from japan so he's gotta be good" i'd want people to say that about us.

and i believe thats why our tradition is so important. why we have to remember, why our tradition is important, so we don't suck.

i think pure talent can make this happen here.

after all we just gotta make people like us.

why ain't it like that here people are unfamiliar with us on the street.

instead they are familiar with crack head cons on the street.

or worse yet they are familiar with a street performer who was untalented, rude, and made a fool out of some one in a bad way.

checking out the equipment-clip

escape money and a floater.

this is only food for thought.

if your stuck some where, your roomates throw you out, you get in trouble with law, you get hurt, you get so crapped out you can't work and you need a break,somthin, somthin, what ever.

you need to have "escape money".

now a "floater" is this thing i heard about in europe. its a bank account with @ 10 grand in it, so you can take winters off if you want to.

now i understand most of us don't have that kinda money...it's just food for thought


the trick to both of these is never use a "real job" to make these.

you should get used to having your security in street performing.

you should be relying on street performing to take care of you.

by preparing with a real job, in your head, when times get rough you'll want to turn back to the real job.

like my friend george gilbert says friends are super important in your life as a busker but if you can become independant i think you should.

the magician's den.... your studio/library/office/work shop.

i remember the first time i saw one it was many many years ago.

it was doug conn's.

he had a display rack on the wall, with all the close up props he used, displayed.

his table was directly under it and it all looked like a minuature museum.

if you don't know what i'm talkin about....you should!

if your magician your supposed to have one.

its a space with a full a length mirror, your props, and all the things you need to practice and make your tricks... all your books are there.

you gotta phone in there to book your gigs...you know every thing for your work.

if your living by yourself in an apartment it could be the whole place.

so.

where do street performers keep a den, if they are a homeless travelers?

in there pocket?

sort of, it gets broken up unless you got an rv.

most can fit in a van.

the mirror is the windows on the buildings. you practise outside.

if you have no van, its in your travel bag and rig and can be set up in the hotel room.

with no van the library is being recyled as you buy and read them, you exchange or just get rid of them and by new ones. you can carry the important ones...but you'll get sick of that.


there was a cool magicians den caught on film, in the illussionist. it was his WORK SHOP where he worked on his illussions can you remember it?, and he would practice in his theater.

i dunno anybody got any thoughts on this?

the secret of shy buskers and being in your own world

i've noticed shy people generally are really good at mechanics,sublties and manipulation.

not only that but they are sneeky.

my teacher is like this.

my teacher uses his shyness to his advantage he sucks people into his world. he lures them in when strange things start happenning to him[magic].


heres some tips and then i'll tell you the secret.

set up your pitch so your comfortable enough to be there all day.

lay a fat rope on the ground in a half circle to make your stage [see my posts on "rigs"]

use a sign that only says, "magic show". make sure it's written plain and not fancy, so its completely laedgable.

use lots of flash [stuff you lay out to draw people].

but if you do none of these things heres the secret;

when you work your doin it for you, NOT THEM!

heres the deal do your whole show wether they are watching you or not, because it doesn't matter, because the show is for you, NOT THEM!

you block em out! don't acknowledge them.

if and when you get a crowd acknowledge them in such a way that tells them they may watch you if they are nice. try and do this without telling them directly....or if your feeling confident go ahead and tell em.

working a slow pitch

if your sitting on a spot and there is nobody walking by you, you wanna ask yourself;

"do i have a DAMNED GOOD REASON for working here, instead of a good spot where i know theres alot of foot traffic and money, like quincy market in boston or a buskers festival or what ever.

now unfortunately we've all had those momments in our lives where YES WE DO HAVE A DAMNED GOOD REASON.

case in point i'm in san diego cuz i hafta be here to see my kids.

and there are many more reasons and you all know them.

anyway, what do you do?

first of all make sure your on the best pitch in the town.

secondly change your state of mind about the spot don't expect alot and know you have to roll up your sleeves and go to work. your gonna need to do hours if you wanna make money to leave or what ever. this a job remember.

thirdly be prepared to work all day and into the late nite so you can figure out when the best times are to work this pitch. so you can make a schedual for yourself, this is if you gotta stay in the town for a long time.

and fourth a bad spot is the perfect place to tighten your act. just keep doin it over and over wether they watch you or not. what difference does it make if your forced to be there any way.

when i was in europe people would ask me why i worked so many hours and this is why.

[in europe theres less bad spots]

when the european buskers would come here they'd ask me "why do the people walk by disinterested?"

i believe, if you can make it on a bad spot in america you can make it any where.

but for gads sakes if you can leave....leave!

on the street,never ask anyone if they want to see a trick

let me save you some time.

if you ask some one if they wanna see a trick the answer is NO!

got it?

its NO!

stopping asking that stupid question over and over to the people your imbarrassing us magi.

here it is;

NEVER ASK SOME ONE IF THEY WANT TO SEE SOMETHING!

TELL THEM THEY WANT TO! AND DON'T BE A WUSSIE. they smell fear.

when i started out busking....asking, was the biggest mistake i ever made. i spent all day asking, "would you like to see a trick?"

this is not busking this is begging.

the passer by is inundated with these questions from all sides and he becomes jaded and reactionary.... short story he says no.


what should you say?

"pay attention cuz i'm not doin it again!"

or

"watch this"

or just begin your patter for the trick.

get creative but don't ask.

when you speak, speak very loud, use volume.

the biggest problem i've seen is that people with the best skills are too quiet and people with the worst skills have the biggest mouths.

ideally you should have the best skills with the biggest mouth.

if you can't be loud learn a silent act with alot of energy or costume or both.

this is a flesh issue....you need flash or they don't stop.

when you talk to the peopl talk past the people infront of you and direct your conversation to the person accross the sreet or a half block down...remember your trying to build a crowd.

don't worry about what your saying so much, just say it loud it should be comming from your gut or your gonna go hoarse by the end of the day.

your not necessarily yelling your talkin so the person far away can hear.

i'll be writing about the secrets of shy and withdrawn entertainers later.


here's what curtis frye had to say about it;

"It's hard to explain in print, but here goes. Take in a nice, deep breath through your nose, slightly tense your top-most ab muscles, look at someone you want to hear you, and start talking. Watch that person to see if they can hear you."

"You get louder by pushing more air past your vocal cords, but not by yelling. When you yell, you straighten up and push from your throat, which means you'll go hoarse in no time. When you support your voice with your stomach muscles (actually your diaphragm) and let the air out slowly, you can speak from your chest with a relaxed throat and let everything come out naturally."

"In _The Amateur Magician's Handbook_, Henry Hay recommends trading a show for voice lessons. I think that's great advice."

fighting over a pitch and pitch "owners"

i heard cellinin say once, never fight over a pitch.

lord knows i've tried.

but some times you know !@#$%^&*!

i've had guys set up on top of me, during a show.

i've rolled into town where theres only one pitch and i'm out of money.
and that guy keeps saying "this is my spot, i've been here for 55 years blah blah blah crack head."

or how about that guy that sees you work a pitch that you pioneered and the next day, there he is bright and early and he sits on it all day.

worse yet he's makin small hats because he's got no talent.

so the question begs to be answered what do we do?

well.

usually i bitch alot, but some times i piss and moan.

cellini's got a horror storie about a guy who would sneek up behind you with a brick in the middle of your show and crack you if you were in his spot. i wont ruin the story read it [dreamers highway]

language barriers and comedy in different countries

when i was in spain i did a silent act and spanish act .

i was excited to see how my show would translate, i'm half hispanic.

silent and spanish paid @10 euros.

in english it paid 30-50 euros.

i watched the other acts the story was the same i was disappointed but i was doin shows in english for the remainder of my stay.

in fact i noticed other countries were alright with me doin my stuff in english.

you see over there they have a state launguage but they are educated enough to speak others.....i was embarassed i could only speak some spanish and some english.

with that, it is always a good idea to put some of thier language in your show to at least show your trying and as respect.

some times jokes didn't translate and i tryed new comedy that worked but it didn't work here when i tryed it here.

i noticed different cultures found different things funny.

what size show fits best

when i started learning to busk my friend dante in new orleans was showing me the ropes. he had a large circle show.

i asked dante the question what size show is best.

he told me he likes 45 min circle shows, cuz you only have to build a crowd every 45 mins. not every 8mins.

so whats better?

$- well if your all about the money i would say, definately go do a CIRCLE SHOW [30-45mins.] or be a juggler or a break dancer instead of a magi....no better yet just sell time shares. i think you can see the direction there.

if you want to avoid regulation and be stealthy without carrying a bunch of stuff and if you want the ability to work anywhere any time that would be a SIDEWALK SHOW or a DOORWAY ACT [8-10mins].....

but be prepared to do shows all day back to back, grinding out less in money then those circle acts at the end of the day.


if you want the ability to do both and make mediocre hats do a parlor or half circle show [15-25mins]

and this might leave you confused on your structure and leaves you feeling how good it could be but it always just seems out of reach....sort of the middle class of the these 3. and your still making less at the end of the day then those full circle acts. this happens to be where i'm at, half circle shows and i'm completely unsatisfied.

i wanna go full circle but its hard to find pitches unless i go legit [gad forbid] i don't like regulation.

funny enough this is why dante got out of street performing and went to underground cabaret.

he was sick of walking down the street and people telling him not to set up around them.

i crashed a festival on the thames in london-clip

my most prized picture

this is jimmy talksalot,sonny holliday,studini,eric evans, and toot [riki palmer] with his hands stretched out.

what is a street magician? [cellini]

WHAT IS A STREET MAGICIAN?

when asked this is what cellini says,

"Exactly who or what is a street magician?

In my humble opinion he is a wanderer who believes he is the inheritor of all he surveys.

Someone who goes from place to place with or without a settled route or destination.

He is a boundary crosser; his purpose is to discover new places, meet new people, make new friends and preserve a way of life while perfecting his craft.

He is a person who is both loved and envied for his way of life which appears to the untrained eye as jolly-good, and fancy-free. But in fact it is a life of unremitting toil and unfailing persistence.

He must be willing to stake his future on his ability to persist no matter how hard the going gets. He must have an unshakable faith in himself and in his specialized knowledge to resist all the temptation; to buckle under the weight of society, to refuse to be herded like sheep into a pen and to be told when, where, and how long he can stay.

He is the first Church of the Street Theater and claims the same rights as any religion. To stand on any street corner and gather a crowd. To say and do as he wants whenever he wishes as long as it is within the bounds of propriety and good taste. And lastly, ask for support.

He is adventurous, persistent and courageous. Along with those characteristics, he has the determination to survive, the tongue to persuade, and the hand to execute any mischief called for.

He is a man possessing a touch of the earth with a warm and sincere interest in his fellow human beings. His heart, soul and thoughts are those of a king. He is a man blessed with the Royal Touch."

-- Cellini excerpt from "The Royal Touch"

jimmy talksalot clip in covent garden, london

a busker must travel to be great

a busker must travel to be great.

ooooh,this one always hits a nerve.

the theory on this one covers vast territory and before you make a snap judgement, think it out.

heres a few but not all to ponder.

1. your show needs fresh faces in the audience all the time to make money and get fresh feed back.

2.every pitch is different and has to be learned which gives you serious experience and makes your show air tight.

3.travelling gets you around other performers and shows and teaches you new stuff for your show.

4.A PROPHET IS NEVER ACCEPTED IN HIS OWN NATION. as magi we are supposed to be mysterious and unfamiliar in our ways, exotic if you will.

ever wonder why nick nicholis is in australia

or

cellini in switzerland.

or

gazzo in the u.s.

ever think about it?


with all that said.

my friend patrick has found a spot that he has worked for many years he's home steaded and has supported his family with busking.

you should make it your business to meet the masters

you should make it your business to meet the masters.

when i started i wanted to be the best i could so i knew i was gonna need examples, so i went on the road looking for them.

i'm gonna post the stories about the ones i met when i went on the road to check off my list.


what was my list?


for sidewalk performers

sonny holliday

- and i found out that he was the master at sidewalks and also did circle shows}

tom frank

danny hustle

and i met a bunch on the way and i'm gonna write about it.




for big shows

my list was;

cellini-met

eric evans-met

dante-met

gazzo

nick nicholis

captin keno-met

pepe-met

johnny fox

on the way i met others i never heard of like paul nathan who i found out the hard way is a master also.