|
|
Mac_Stone Inner circle Miami, FL 1420 Posts |
About a year ago I got very interested in busking and was very excited about the whole thing but all that excitement slowly started to dwindle when I realized how busker friendly the city I live in is not. Well now I have my own set of wheels and the freedom to commute to some better pitches and I think I may have found one that's worth the effort. I have to admit I'm not interested in becoming a full-time busker, I'd like to be more in a situation like Danny Hustle is in, he does it because he likes it.
One day I want to be able to work cruise ships and really travel the world, maybe even do some busking along the way. I have family that works for a major cruise line specifically in the talent department which is fantastic the only thing I have to do now is get a solid act and that's where busking comes in. The streets are truly the last venue left where you can be bad, well there are open mic nights too but you can get exponentially more stage time in one day of busking than a month of open mics. So after lots of trial and error I've put together a short commando act that can literally be done anywhere under almost any conditions, can't do magic in the rain, and without a table! I'll describe my set up, the act and how I intend on building a crowd, I hope I can get lots of feedback on this and if you have questions please ask. So the act would basically be two tricks, Technicolor Prediction and Bill in Lemon, with a bunch of gags in between. No table necessary, everything fits in my husky tool bag except for extra lemons which I would keep in a brief case along with all my other necessities that I don't need for the act; food, water, etc. The husky bad would sit on top of the brief case, this way I have eyes on it at all times, in front of it I would have a sign reading "Magic Show" a la Jimmy. I also have a small Harbin style side table, purely for aesthetic reasons, which would go to the right of the husky bag and to the left of it a yoga mat that's folded over and that would be my stage. You're probably wonder what the yoga mat is for, well that has to do with how I'll build my edge. Since I'm not really trying to busk, just work on my material, I figured I would cheat on building my edge and use Don Driver's dollar bill bally. The yoga mat is for my knees. In front of the blue yoga mat I would lay my folded blue Harbin table on top of which rests my blue Dube juggling hat (thanks Kozmo) and with a blow of my whistle that's where I would start my bally. Of course then I would get a kid up and continue with the bally until I square it up, I even wrote an original (I hope) joke I can use with the kid and his folks, Koz or Danny if you're reading this shoot me a PM I'll send you my joke and you tell me if its funny. After I send the kid of I get into the real act, I open up with my take on Steve Spill's Card up a Rubber Chickens *** that uses neither a card nor a rubber chicken, again shoot me a PM and tell me if my gag is funny. After that I go straight into Martin Lewis' Technicolor Prediction, if you've never seen it before here it is: http://www.magikraft.com/video_catalog/tricks_pages/tcp.htm This is the trick I'm not so sure about, I know its a funny trick but I don't know how it will play on the streets. Anyway, I have the two folks reveal the predictions, everyone laughs (hopefully) but I bring the lady holding the final prediction up on "stage" to reveal it so I can transition swiftly into the next part of the act which is balloon gags. She reads the prediction, I collect on the props and into the bag they go as I ask, "Do you like balloon animals? Here you go, make your own!" I plan on doing the classic balloon gags and then end with swallowing it, moving swiftly into the next part, sponge balls. I'll take out a sponge ball and do the classic squeaker bit and then roll right into the first part of Michael Finney's Sponge ball routine ending with the blow off of showing both my hands loaded. After that it's right into the finale with the Bill in Lemon, my own original routine which I wont go into on this forum, although Danny I'd love to chat with you about it. I'm not even sure why I'm posting all this, I guess I feel all giddy and excited again and just feel like sharing. Please leave some feedback, share thoughts, ideas, concerns, and criticisms. |
joe yang Loyal user Florida 296 Posts |
Where you going to work? I'm in the area.
aka Mike Booth
|
Brent McLeod Inner circle 1792 Posts |
Sounds great
The streets are tough Annoying People, Wind, Sun ,Rain, Dust, and that's before you start... Having a personality that people want to stop & see you perform is so Important as well as surround effects however good blocking works wonders for your act Good luck but try a few more effects. 1 thing I do is work festivals outdoors but get paid to perform so it takes the stress of doing a pitch at the end away.. try this it works better and makes a ready crowds etc... Nick Nickolas -a truly world class street act is now working Cruiseships and all that experience is Paying off.. so as you say it can be done Cheers |
HerbLarry Special user Poof! 731 Posts |
Quote:
I figured I would cheat on building my edge and use Don Driver's dollar bill bally. Lighten up on yourself. If you got an edge you didn't cheat. (From another "cheater")
You know why don't act naive.
|
Mac_Stone Inner circle Miami, FL 1420 Posts |
I was hoping this thread would have generated a little more feedback by now, but I understand this part of the forum moves a little slower than the rest.
Herb, by cheating I just meant that I wouldn't really have to work at building a crowd like Gazzo and others, the bally seems to just do it on it's own. However during the show I would make it a point to gather more people and keep anyone from leaving. Brent, its funny you should say to try a few more tricks because I actually dropped a routine from my original act thinking the show would be too long. I'm really hoping I can develop that personality that people would WANT to see. I'm sure festivals are great to work but its a little too much work for me actually chasing the festivals around, I like the idea of just being able to head to a pitch on my days off on the weekends. I know guys like Jimmy say that if you're just trying to be a weekend warrior you'll never be any good but you have to start somewhere. Joe, that's my little secret for now. I haven't actually started busking yet, still rehearsing the act. I've also decided to make a few changes to the act. I'm going to drop the first bits with the Technicolor Prediction, I'm just worried that its not visual enough to play on the street. I'm thinking instead of doing a Coin in Bottle and then going into a One Coin routine that ends with a jumbo coin. I figure the coin in bottle would really be great for playing the edges, I can walk around shaking the bottle with the coin inside so everyone can hear and see it. I would also do something similar with my Bill in Lemon routine letting everyone get a feel of the bill before it vanishes. I'm keeping the sponge balls and squeaker because it's *** funny and I know folks on the street will eat it up. More feedback, please. It is much appreciated. |
fireperformer911 Special user 547 Posts |
Forget about writing or performing a bunch of tricks to do on the street. If you are going to start with Bill Bally, do it then finale and hat them. Do this first for a week then add to it. 5 minutes shows first then add to it.
Gazzo builds his edge so he establishes a relationship with his audience, so they will stay and pay. Gazzo could build crowd doing what ever he wants because he is GREAT and has a lot, a lot, a lot of experience. You probably won't listen to this feedback as I would not have when I started but I am a dumb a**!!!! |
HerbLarry Special user Poof! 731 Posts |
I certainly don't want to start a stink. It isn't written anywhere that you have to do anything like anybody. I'm of the mind that it is better if you don't. The object is to connect and only you can do that your way. Start trying to be something you're not and you're in trouble. You want people to stop and give you a shot to work your wonders. It matters not one whit what you do to stop them as long as you keep your pants on and and they stop. Once they are stopped you could tell some jokes & hat 'em or sing songs & hat 'em or do 1/2/3/4 etc. tricks & hat 'em or whatever. It's up to you to trial & error and discover what is what for you. Your not going to find the answer here or in a book or DVD. It's out there, always has been & always will be.
You know why don't act naive.
|
Mac_Stone Inner circle Miami, FL 1420 Posts |
Would Fireperformer happen to be Dallas the fire guy? Anyway, that was something I was wondering about myself but the only thing I worry about is something I read in Mike Caveney's book Wise Guy. He wrote about Harry Anderson's street act that Harry felt that crowds would be more apt to tip if they felt like they saw a show and not just a trick.
I certainly don't want to stretch myself too thin just starting out so I understand that I need to keep it short in the beginning but five minutes doesn't seem like enough for me, I think ten minutes sounds right although to the crowd the bally itself may seem like part of the show. Certainly something I will stew over, perhaps drop the Coin in Bottle and just keep it to the One Coin routine, Sponges, and the Bill in Lemon. The sponges aren't really a routine, no magic just fun. Herb, thanks for leaving some feedback. I know that the only way to really find the answers to my questions is to just get out and do it but I am of the state of mind that if you are not preparing to succeed you are preparing to fail. Your thoughts have not fallen on deaf ears. |
RiffRaff Special user 671 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-02-19 00:10, Mac_Stone wrote: Ha, ha. Now that I think about it, I've never seen those two in the same place at the same time. |
fireperformer911 Special user 547 Posts |
No I am not Dallas I much better looking (ha ha, no really) and Dallas is much more talented. I am sure that by the time Mike Caveney's wrote about Harry Anderson's street act Harry had a lot of experience. 10 minutes on street is longer than you think when starting out. Bill Bally, specs (multiple spectators) signs (sharpie bits up nose etc.) bill (better is spec bill) Bill in lemon or orange kid is holding hat them. But don't listen to me I think I have record for things I have done on street magically that don't work.
|
Mac_Stone Inner circle Miami, FL 1420 Posts |
I've been rehearsing my Bill in Lemon routine and to be honest I'm starting to see things your way FP, that's a good tip btw about having multiple specs sign the bill. That routine alone takes up plenty of time and thanks to Steve Spill its loaded with audience participation. At the moment I'm still partial to keeping the sponge ball bits but maybe that will have to go too, something to try out when I actually hit the streets. Although now that I think about it the idea of doing a street act with only one trick is pretty appealing. I still need more rehearsing but now that spring is here I'm anxious to get out there and work.
I really appreciate all the feedback on this guys, especially FP. I hope more people will take the time to leave their thoughts. |
MagiCol Special user Dargaville, New Zealand 929 Posts |
OP, Mac-Stone, wrote: "So the act would basically be two tricks, Technicolor Prediction and Bill in Lemon, with a bunch of gags in between."
The best gags/jokes are ones that develop during your show. You can't rehearse these; you have to develop spontaneous replies and actions that come from street experience. Those "spontaneous replies and actions" are related to your personality. For example, I have jokingly publicly proposed to lots of girls aged about 18-25 and only once been told assertively, "NO!" But without assessing the girl and the setting at the time, the proposals would be inappropriate. Spontaneous interaction with people on the street is one of the things that sets you apart from other performers who do likewise, but in their own ways. So, you've got 2 or 3 months, I guess, before the weather suits getting out and busking. that's a long time to sustain a high interest in something you haven't yet done. So maybe you will benefit by putting aside your attention to busking for a month or so, then come back to it. You are likely to have some changes of perspective on your routines by then, and get back into things with vigour. And get out on the street and perform, and find out just what works for you. All the best!
The presentation makes the magic.
|
EVILDAN Inner circle 1279 Posts |
Building an act in theory is great and all, as is practicing. But you'll never know until you get out in the street and do it.
by EVILDAN....
"The Coin Board Book" - moves and routines with the coin panel board. - http://www.lybrary.com/the-coin-board-book-p-827955.html "SLASHER - A Horror Whodunnit" - a bizarre close-up routine based on Bob Neale's "Sole Survivor." PM me for more info. "Zombie Town" - a packet effect about how a small town turned into zombies. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nzJhcoJtyOM |
Mac_Stone Inner circle Miami, FL 1420 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-02-20 05:28, MagiCol wrote: That is usually the way things go for me, I really can't help it. At the moment however I am intensely focused on this, for better or worse. I would say I need about another month or two of rehearsing anyway so I'll be sticking to that for the mean time. Although the weather right now in Florida is beautiful, it may not be busking season yet but I'd say its a good time to go out and log in some flight hours before the season starts. Thanks for all the great advice guys, looking forward to hearing more! |
Stperformer Loyal user 291 Posts |
Hi Mac, I really don't want to dampen your enthusiasm but......to be bluntly honest I believe you'll fall flat in your act.
First using a bally to gather a crowd. Have you ever done this for real? Works fine in some places but in many places the build is difficult and slow. What you have to learn to do is build a crowd one by one and keep them. Difficult but you have to learn it and it will take you a lot of time to learn. A bally will build you a crowd quickly in certain times /places but I'm not sure you have the skills yet to keeep this quick build crowd. And the tricks you have selected (Bill to Lemon, Techniclor cards) are too complicated for you right now on the street. Your going to lose the crowd. Start with something real simple such as vanishing and producing coins. I have no idea on your skill level but a one coin routine can last for 3-4 minutes with tons of oppourtunities for humour, audience participation, talk etc. Like I said keep it simple. Work on the quality of your simple tricks. |
Stperformer Loyal user 291 Posts |
Hey Mac, to illustrate what I'm trying to say.....there's a older chap I knew that use to work a downtown pitch for many years. Technically all he did was a french drop with a coin and a cut & restored rope. That's it. He was foreign, heavily accented and I don't think he had ever been in a magic shop or club in his life. He gathered his crowd by simply vanishing a silver dollar a la French Drop and pulling it out from a kids ear, persons clothing, shopping bag etc.. Once he had a number of people he do a simple cut & restore rope. No fancy displays, moving knots, etc....just cut & restore. From start to end about 15 min. And it worked very well cause it was simple and done very very well.
Bill to Lemon, while a great trick, and can work great on the street, involves a lot of complexities that I think you had better work your way up to. Barclay |
Brent McLeod Inner circle 1792 Posts |
I agree a simple effect will grab a crowd
Something simple & visual always gets 1 or 2 to the table then some cards etc gets them laughing & attracts a crowd of 5-10 then you aim for a bigger audience effect then finish.. Over the years Ive done Bill switch to attract crowds as people love money, Ive pics of upto 50 people in a small area watching a very funny audience interactive Svengali routine ( I Pitch these as well as Professionally I work the trade shows) that Ive honed over thousands of performances.. Ive used Linking Rings, 20th century silks & Diminishing cards all on the street,to very good success.. then the crowd grows on the street which then causes probs so keep it short for the pitch-then start again..... At markets Ive been moved heaps as the crowd blocks the walkway but the organisers are good & realise this.. Getting the first few to the table is the key-Make it fun & amazing.. Cheers |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The side walk shuffle » » Taking an Indoor act Outside (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.05 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |