THE PROS AND CONS TO THE WAY I WORK

i don't use an amp.

i don't use a table.

i don't use any fire.

i don't do cups and balls or a straight jacket.

i don't juggle or break dance or play an instrument.

i don't do close up tricks, but all my tricks can be seen close up or far away or surrounded.

i don't need a cart to carry my stuff.

i can walk down the street with NOTHING in my hands, stop build a large crowd and do a show any where.

i can come and go into businesses like any other normal person with out lugging stuff.

i can blend into a crowd if i need too. and just walk away before being confronted by an authority.

i can pass through customs with out being suspected as a street performer comming to work in their country, because i don't have a massive rig to explain. and i don't have to deal with shipping.

i do large parlor effects and a large half circle show ONLY WORKING FROM MY POCKETS . i can do a show 3 mins. - 30 mins. what ever will fit my needs or the needs of the pitch or the customer.

with these methods it is difficult for cops or other authorities to regulate me. this is my main objective. THIS IS MY MAIN OBJECTIVE!

the draw back to my system is it is much more difficult for me to compete with the larger circle shows with amps and huge rigs and $150 and up hats. i can make these hats but not as consistantly as proper circle show guys can.

it's give and take because, i don't have to suffer regulation like those guys and there is ALWAYS a place for me to work. the big amplified circle show spots are drying up in america, there were never many to begin with. so i take a very, very, small cut in pay per show verses the big circle show but i'm always workin, year round, any town, any where.

i do not suck all the fun out of what i do, by doing a commercial show. i try and create original tricks to perform instead of the old stand byes like cups or silk vanish etc. these tricks are great and gaurunteed to be a success by any one.......but that's really the point why i don't do them.

i love the cups and balls it's my favorite street trick and in my opinion there is no better trick for the street....none.

that's why i love the chalenge of not doing it.

i think the great draw to the street is it's fun and chalenging and is a great place to create.

this is the draw to the beginning artist type to come to the street, and to tell this type of individual that he must have a commercial show, can only be described as the rehtoric of a bitter fun hater.

but for the those less artistic beginners who are only interested in MONEY my way of working could be fatal and should be avoided because my way is not a way to make huge hats. a money guy should definately persue a larger rig and a large amplified show for larger hats for more spectacle and delay and hat build.

i'm not saying i'm artsy, i never thought i was, until all the accussations by my critiques. frankly i never thought i was good enough to be artsy. our enemys will even compliment us if they have to, so they can insult us.

your pal jimmy

here's a day at the office, showing a pretty good example of some of the strategies i use.



THIS IS A MINI DOCUMENTARY MY TEACHER DOUG CONN MADE OF ME.

THE LAST HOLD OUT, FOR A FREE MARKET.

The best part of street performing for me is that I am free from regulation by a paying boss.

That's why I prefer working public streets instead of a place that demands insurance, queuing up by lottery, venue directors, schedules and time limits for pitches etc. etc. etc. you know like California.

I prefer crashing festivals instead of going through all the proper channels,

Because proper channels means receiving more nagging and regulations. It also means less time to enjoy what I’m doing and worst of all less opportunity to make more money.

With all that said there has been quite a few times that I hafta bite the bullet and go through these channels to get a special opportunity to get big money.

But my life has been spent looking for ways around this and I feel it has been time well spent.

Uptight people irritate me to my bones, they make my skin crawl, so I will go the distance to frustrate their efforts.

Little brings me more joy then watching an uptight freak tremble with frustration with tears welling up in his eyes, because he can do nothing about me, because he can't figure out a way to ruin the fun for my audience, and finally because people have seen him for what he really is.

It's the little things that make life pleasant.

I believe the street is the last hold out, the final trace of the free market that our grandparents enjoyed way back in the way back.

Before the government started deciding "what's best for us" and "making huge restrictions on us for our own good."


Before giant corporations started stamping out the little guys so they could get every last little bit and to protect their interests in the guise of protecting the "interests of the consumer."

We can thank "big government" and "big business" equally for all the wonder and awe that is the American regulation system. It truly is a massive and useless thing.

As Buskers we are the little viruses chipping away at it little by little.

I’m proud of that.

HOW TO MAKE BIGGER HATS AND A BETTER SHOW

I’ve been getting a lot of responses about how I hat or what Eric taught me to increase my hats.

I am not going to tell you my exact lines or my show’s content, but I am gonna tell you the formula. so that you can build a show that is more original.

Hatting is about selling a product.....You.

In sales there are two sayings: " Always be closing."

and

"Build value and get a receipt."

I believe that you should always be closing, in other words, through out your show you should mention money. But in levels of boldness.

More and more direct as the show progresses. And this should be done through humor to lighten it up and not seem so rude.

Before you start, you can mention that this IS your "REAL JOB."

Then after your first routine, you can say something about how you've been making money like this for a long time.

Your second routine, you get a little more bold and direct like, "at the end of my show I’m gonna hold out my magic hat and ask for money, I know it's a magic hat, cuz every time I do this, abracadabra every body disappears.....Well don't do that! This is how I make my living!"

Proceed with your next routine and hat em again this time, maybe talking about how much you want,

"A buck or 2 I’ll thank you personally, a 5 or a 10 I’ll smile real big, a 20 I’ll jump up and down, a 100......some body gives me a 100 I’m goin home with them!"

Finish up your show and just before you do the finale trick, hat em hard. This is a routine unto it self. You will need to write and memorize this routine it should be as entertaining and as informative as any of your magic routines. You will need to rehearse this!

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO HATTING IS -

BUILDING VALUE IN THE MINDS OF THE SPECTATORS AND GETTING A RECIEPT FROM THEM IN SOME WAY THAT THEY THINK YOU ARE WORTHY.

If your show, your magic, or your personality, sucks, so will your hats!

If you do not get a receipt from the people, they can act as though you are not worthy and not tip you,

But if you get a receipt you can REMIND THEM OF IT AT THE END OF THE SHOW WHEN YOUR EXPECTING MONEY.

For example; you can say, “Remember when I asked you if you were having a good time and we all cheered?”

Or

After you do the finale you can say, “you know I just realized some thing, we all had a good time, we've all been hangin out here laughin and goofin together, there's been twists and turns, but everything came out alright, so don't let me down now, and remember all your donations are tax free!”

This subtle “building value” idea is what Eric Evans taught me to increase my hats.

This single idea is what is scoffed at by many commercial workers with 45 minute shows, but it has allowed me to make incredibly large hats for very close to circle show size hats for only 10-15 minutes of work.

This is about taking the time to make sure you are showing a quality performance and getting the people to agree that is quality.

I hope this helps answer some of the questions.

In short, "ALWAYS BE CLOSING" will make sure you get paid even if your performance isn't that strong.

BUT

"BUILDING VALUE AND GETTING A RECIEPT", touching the people, getting them on your side and ADMITTING PUBLICLY what your doing is worthy......That will make your hats double and triple.

But the big point here is:

"This is the difference between a professional and a commercial busker.

The commercial busker is satisfied with a what he may believe to be a sure thing. He does not see the value in the shows proper entertainment impact.

With this formula your product will be a more marketable product for any venue you choose.

This is about BETTER MONEY, MONEY FOR QUALITY.

SOME GOOD REFERENCE MATERIAL FOR BEGINNERS

REFERENCE BOOKS FOR MAGIC THAT IS PRACTICAL FOR THE STREETS;




“The Tarbell course in magic” volumes 1-8 by. Harlan Tarbell.

“Hugard’s Magic Manual” by. Jean Hugard.

“Now You See It Now You Don’t” by. Bill Tarr.

“Routined Manipulation” Volumes I & II by. Lewis Ganson

“Swami Mantra” by. Sam Dalal.

DVDS;

“Cellini’s Magic That Can be Performed Anywhere”

“The Incomparable ROMAINE: The Monarch Of Manipulators” 2 dvd set
A virtual encyclopedia on manipulation.

“Eccentricks” volumes 1-3 by. Charlie Frye.

Secret Art Of Manipulation {With Jumbo Coins} by. Eric Evans.

Reference books on busking for magicians;


“The Royal Touch” by. Jim Cellini.

“The Dreamers Highway” by. Jim Cellini.

“The Secret Art Of Magic” by. Eric Evans and Nowlin Craver.

“Jeff Sheridan’s Street Magic” by. Edward Claflin and Jeff Sheridan.
A great history book of the streets.

“Street Wise” by. Professor Gizmo.
This is a good book for working the west coast of the U.S.

A GOOD DVD INSTRUCTIONAL ON BUSKING IS;

“The Art Of Street Performing” volumes 1-3 by. Jim Cellini.

So this list of reference materials could be a start, but the fact is there is a huge body of material on the subject and I think it is money well spent if you tried to get your hands on all of it.

FAT HEADS, ART SNOBS, SELL OUTS, THE GREAT ONES, AND THE REST OF US.

FAT HEADS,
there are those who run around telling every body they invented everything they do and that they are the worlds greatest magician, but after they see your show their doin your act. and tellin everybody they were doin it first.

they've been doin magic for a year or two and they tell you they've been doin it forever.

the conversation always revolves around them and when they give you advise they speak from authority but you find out later they were talkin out their ass and it cost you alot of time and money.

they keep tellin you how to be great but their lives are in a shambles.

their always right even when their wrong and they never say "thank you."

this was me in my younger days before i got old and found out i don't know as much as

young people who think they know everything.

ART SNOBBS,

there are those in our community who focus an the mechanics instead of the show. who are consumed with the perfection of a move and perfect magical form, than fun and entertainment.

there are those who will only perform what they want or what they think is good magic, instead of giving the audience what they want or hope for.

the art snobb will starve before he will sell out. he wont bring himself to the fact that we
are providing a product. it is all about him. and his sacred magical family and tradition.

in show business he has focused on the show and little on the business.

the've spent their whole life to be great and they are great but they don't have the money that great men deserve.

they arn't being paid what their worth

if i was a good enough technition i would definately be guilty of this. fortunately for my own humility i am not good enough. unfortunatly i still ain't got any money!


THE SELL OUT,

the sell out thinks to be the best you need to make the biggest hats ergo he thinks he's better then those who make less hats then him. watching a number of street shows will tell you how wrong this is.
a quantity before quality mentality.

you see the sell out can't see the difference from "mozart" and "the back street boys" infact he would defend the back street boys because of their income and popularity...this is assinine of course but tolerated so everybody gets theirs.

the theme,

money, a popular product, simple vulgarity for cheap laughs, and pride in trash,

instead of skill,beauty, perfection and real wit.

their pride in their work is weighed by the money.

loyalty is the enemy because with loyality you need humility.

the sell out takes from the masters and claims it as his own.

you see the ugly truth about the the sellout is they want to look classy but their cheap.

and no amount of money can buy class or greatness.

being a magician takes to much disipline but posing as one don't.

the sell out could never apologize to some one above him for the sake of something greater if he thought he was right....because its about him and him bein right...not the art.
this was me as a pichman and shop owner back when i had money. it was about me and the money not the art.

THE GREAT ONES,

the masters with impecable shows and fat hats which are being copied to this day.

the masters who were like encyclopedias of magic with exstencive knowledge of our art.

the masters who touched so many and told thier students about the ones above them and did things for the ones above them.

the masters who got paid, or at least could support themselves. and when they were critisized during their finacial short commings, took it with humility and didn't feel the need to boast to defend themselves. and continued to provide for their students and family long after their retirement age.

the ones who left a body of work behind.

the masters with the enumerable other qualities i have failed to mention here but made it

necessary to call them masters.

all of these things i have fallin very short in, but they are still goals for all of us i believe.

THE REST OF US,

the rest of us are doing the best we can, to do the best we can.

but we gotta lotta obstacles. when we look for those to look up to we find folks like the art snobbs or the sell outs, or nilists or the whiners, or the ignorant with a beliveable story that could cost us alot of time and money.

the rest of us are just tryin to learn and fit in.

the rest of us just wanna be good at what we do and make an honest living like any other worker of any other lifes work.

i'm part of the rest of us.

EUROPE

Cellini said;

“ I don’t know why the artist stays in the U.S., there is nothing here for him.” “ you have to stand on your head and spit nickels to get people to watch you!”

Needless to say I have definitely learned to dance like a monkey and stand on my head and spit nickels.

I am an American sidewalk performer.

But the point that Cellini made is true. EUROPE IS HEAVEN.

I remember my first experience in Europe, I was in Barcelona with 5 bucks in my pocket never been to Europe before. I stuck my bank card in the machine and it ate it…..I was in trouble.

It was getting late so went out to the sidewalk on Las Ramblas with my bag of belongings….I was terrified.

I banged my stick on the crowd and started digging in my bag for my rig I looked up and there was @ 50 people waiting, perfect edge. I started rushing thinking they were gonna leave….I’m an American [it’s hard to stop em here in the U.S.].

I did my show and made well over a hundred 12 min act, more then I had ever made at that time in my career and got a hotel.


a lot of my friends come here from Europe and they all ask the same thing;

“why do the people walk by disinterested?”

And I tell em the Americans are all Homer Simpson, they don’t know what we are doing.

It’s not just Europe that’s an easy place to work it’s a lot of places outside of the U.S.

STREET PERFORMERS ETIQUETTE AND MANNERS.

heres some things that street performers know universally about how one should behave.

these are NOT rules and are bickered about constantly they are sort of like guide lines sort of

1. don't touch another performers stuff unless you ask.

2. the first person on the spot has a right to be there.

3. don't ask some one to watch your rig unless there is a strong established relationship....or this could end bad.

4. never leave your rig anywhere it should be by your side.

5. don't set right on top of some one especially if the are doing something similar eg. performance.

6.if your sharing a spot don't hog turns you get one turn make it good.

7.if your on a big pitch and the acts are 45mins and yours is 15-20 mins ask if you can go twice on your turn to get equal time.

there's a bunch more keep your eyes and ears open for em.

ART,TRADITION,PROFESSIONALISM,AND MONEY,IN THAT ORDER.

Art, tradition, professionalism, perfection, and money,in that order.

If you consider yourself a magician, then you’re an artist and you belong to a tradition whether you like it of not , with expectations from your peers and the laity.

This form of art can only function gracefully if the operator works with perfection in his mind, otherwise it appears clumsy and transparent to the spectator.

Professionalism in character, showmanship, technique, and in the work place, sadly seem to be the most neglected in the world of busking.

Money of course is a need and must be on the list, But should remain at the bottom of the list in it’s proper home. One drives a car from the drivers seat not the roof of the car.

Art, tradition, and professionalism, are absolutely mandatory, because they involve preserving the art so we all can benefit. They are also important because using these three you can still learn and progress so that you can get perfection and money.



For those who do not consider themselves magician yet persist on doing magic in their work on the street and only see the value of making money and cannot see the value of the rest of the list, I would hope at least one day they may have the intellect to understand that PROFESSIONALISM, is and always has been an important part of capitalism.

Professionalism;

do you look professional in your costume of dress and in your character and behavior?

did the people think they saw talent and quality theater at the end of the show when being asked for money?

or did they just think, "that guy was funny and he had alot of audacity for a street guy."

when they approached did they know emediatly that there was a talent infront of them?

or

when they saw you perform magic did they see a huge "tell" that the person infront of them couldn't be a magician because he didn't act or look like a person involved in that sort of funny business.

worst of all did they think you were just an average guy who learned a couple of cheap tricks and were foisting them on the passer by to get money.

did you hound them for money over and over to where it appeared more like a commercial then a show?

was it a "street hustle" or "street theater?"

don't get me wrong i'm not downing the money or hatting the people with strong lines, i love it, i do.

but i love my art to much to cheapin it by making that the main emphasis of my show redunantly.

SO YOU’RE A GOOD MAGICIAN AND YOU WANT TO BE A BUSKER.

YOUR GONNA HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR MIND SET.

Street performing and magic 2 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS!

The first and hardest thing your gonna have to embrace is that IT DOES NOT MATTER IN THE LEAST HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT MAGIC!

Read it again!

Your magic is useless when you first hit the street!

Let that sink in for a moment and don’t blow it off, think about it!


YOUR FIRST JOB IS TO SELL THEM THE IDEA THAT WHAT YOUR DOING IS INTERESTING AND THAT THEY LIKE YOU. Always be closing them on that idea from beginning to end.

Now stop thinking magic and read that again!

Another thing if you’re a good magician this will be the hardest;


YOU ARE GOING TO SUCK!

Not only that but you are going to have to suck to get any good at this.

Infact if your not sucking out there at some or all points your doing something WRONG! LIKE BRAIN WASHING YOUR SELF THAT YOU DON’T SUCK.

As hard as it was to learn magic it should take the same time and effort learning how to street perform.

You will need to engulf yourself in busking info and huge huge huge time on the street…..stage time is what makes you good at busking, not magic.


In short if you want to be a great street magician you will have to put forth the same effort into street performing as you do your magic and I would suggest since your already good at magic FOCUS ON BUSKING.

The next thing you will need is a “set show.”

STREET THEATER VS. STREET HUSTLE.

THIS IS ABOUT PROFFESSIONALISM!

First of all if your goin out there with money in your head your walkin out there with a big sign on your face and the public can smell it a mile away. And it’s gonna be a long hard day for you!

I have seen guys go out and hound, harass, and intimidate every single passer by, tryin to stop them.

The people stop not because they were interested on their own, but because they were blatantly cohersed into it, they were hounded for money over and over and over again and saw little too no entertainment.

This same “busker” would come up to me at the end of the day and tell me he made a $100 and think he was a great street performer because he made all that money.

First of all that ain’t street performing that’s street hustle intimidation pan handling!

Secondly I got news for this “busker” street performers have been known to make a whole lot more then $100 a day and they didn’t have to harass anybody they simply performed and instructed the audience that it was their job and that they expected to be paid.


This is called SERVICES RENDERED!


I’ve seen guys go out and clap and cheer a large audience up then hat them with out ever showing any other skill then building a crowd, no magic, no juggling, no laughs, no nothing! I watched in utter disbelief as the crowd came in and put money in the hat.

I’ve seen them do this three times in a row then I saw an actual performer go up and no one would stop for fear of being duped again……later in the day I also saw a group of performers beat those clap and cheer guys up for it.

AS BUSKER WE ARE NOT PAN HANDLERS, TIMESHARE SALES,BUMS OR STREET CONS.

WE ARE ARTISTS WETHER IT BE PERFORMANCE ARTIST OR ANY OTHER.

LIVIN IN THE 3RD WORKIN IN THE 1ST RUNNIN WITH THE BIG GUNS!

Livin in the 3rd workin in the 1st runnin with the big guns!









This is by no means a rule, merely a lifestyle of the big guns.

So here’s how it works.

You work in 1st world countries on the best pitches and crash all the festivals you can or get booked for pay plus hats. Try and hit the big ones.

You work north of the equator in the summer and jump south of the equator in the winter because down there it is summer and you work the same way down there.

You do this till you save up a floater bank account of about 10 grand.

Once you’ve done this you can vacation in the third world and live off your floater.

If you do this long enough you will be self sufficient and as stable as it can be possible for a busker.

In my travels I have met quite a few fellahs doing this and some live well, very well.

If your needin a wife Asia or Latin America awaits.

STREET TOLERANCE

Since I have been exploring the forums and the internet, I have been exposed to some thing that has just reached it’s boiling point with me.

I have been attacked for smoking, bad spelling, bad font, bad grammar, being tolerant for dumpster diving, have photos of me unshaved, posting to much, not posting enough, HAVING A CRASS SENSE OF HUMUR, being to opinionated, and on and on and on!

These people are not regal or civilized they are tyrants!

This is inhuman intolerant behavior.

When I go on the pitch I meet weekend warrior buskers who are experimenting with the idea of going full time.

they complain about the same and more about me and other full timers. they call the cops on other performers and want permits and zones and venue directors, and on and on and on it goes.


THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT REGAL!

THEY ARE TYRANTS!!!!!!!!





IF YOU WANT TO BE A BUSKER YOU ARE GOING TO NEED TOLERANTS!



IF YOU WANT TO BE A BUSKER YOU ARE GOING TO NEED TOLERANTS!




IF YOU ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW IN YOUR HEAD THAT, “HEY I AM JUST AGAINST THIS ONE THING OR THAT THING” YOU’RE THE INTOLERANT ASS I’M TALKING TO!

The street is the street! It is not the Ritz Carlton gig. IT IS NOT YOUR HOME.

IT IS THE PUBLIC STREET STUPID!

Busking is hard enough with all it’s intricate hurdles, why in gads name would you be wasting your time complaining and trying to fix the area so it feels like your special private place at home.

A REAL BUSKER IS AT HOME ON THE STREET….ANY STREET, ANY WHERE.

YOU DO NOT CHANGE THE PITCH,

YOU CHANGE FOR THE PITCH!


If you want people to like you and watch you and pay you and if you want to appear as a fun person YOU WILL NEED TO LOOSIN UP AND ALOW PEOPLE TO BE THEM SELVES EVEN IF YOU DON’T LIKE THEIR HABITS, FORM OF DRESS, WHAT EVER….DON’T BE AN ASS.


One thing I don’t like is vulgar shows but I DO NOT TELL A SEASONED PRO HOW TO DO HIS SHOW, THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT AND SHOWS A LACK OF RESPECT.

NOW IF YOU THINK RUNNING OUT THE BAD ELEMENT IS GONNA HELP JUST REMEMBER NO MATTER WHAT, THE POWERS THAT BE CONSIDER YOU THE BAD ELEMENT ALSO…..NO MATTER HOW NICE A MANICURE YOU HAVE.


IF YOUR UPTIGHT, WHEN YOU COME TO THE STREET LEAVE YOUR PURSE AT HOME, CUZ EVEN THE BUSKER CHICKS ARE TUFF OUT HERE.


STOP WHINING AND COMPLAINING.

OR STAY INDOORS BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT MORE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUT THERE THEN IF YOUR FRIEND SHAVED TODAY.

THERE’S CRACK HEADS AND WHORES AND BUMS PISSING ON THEM SELVES BEGGING FOR MONEY FROM YOUR AUDIENCE IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR SHOW.

AND WHEN YOU SEE ONE OF US FULL TIME BUSKERS DON’T EXPECT US TO PUT OUT OUR CIGERETTES OR NOT SAY WORDS THAT OFFEND YOU OR WHAT EVER BECAUSE WE ARE THERE TO WORK, MAKE MONEY AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.

WE ARE NOT THERE TO HOLD YOUR HAND BE YOUR MOMMY AND PET YOUR HEAD AND TELL YOU EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE THE WAY YOU WANT IT.


IF THIS IS BOTHERING YOU REMEMBER THERE ARE PEOPLE WAY WORSE THEN ME OUT THERE.

….AND YOU CAN’T FIGHT THE WORLD AND STREET PERFORM AT THE SAME TIME.

AND REMEMBER YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE A MARKED MAN OUT THERE...BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN ON THE STREET.

you can be a gentleman out there,

but not a gentle castrated emasculated neurotic bundle of nerves, because they smell fear, your audience, the bad guys, the cops, everybody.

and you wont make money and you will be marked.

the audience will mark you boring or a hack.

the bad guys will see fresh meat,

the cops will see a hassle that they have to put up with instead of chasing bad guys or eating donuts....and that pisses them off!

this uptight attitude may work for you at the corporate gigs or the back yard show, but this is exactly what you don't want to do busking!