Hi!
My first time out hit giant ego hard, the bigger it they are the harder they fall I guess. So let me start from the beginning

It was at a market I woke up early and got to the market, set up my table, I had a great spot I think, it was not next to all the stalls but inside the market where are the people were, close to all the Café and everything, I had nothing no wall against my back which I heard is a bad thing but I don't think will affect alot. I put up my table and wrote on a paper "Magic show". I wrote "When: A little sooner" as a joke but It got a bad effect as they really thought sooner so I marked it over.

So after sitting a while and catching some courage I went to my table and started shouting magic show, please come here, watch this magic show etc etc. Weird thing was that people got surprise by my shouting and said "wow" took a step back when they went past me, I even tried talking to specific persons, "Come and see this magic show" they chuckled looked down the floor as they shaked their heads finding it a bit hilarious. Swedish people are very shy, that I know but come on. Should I have done a Jimmy thing and put something on the floor and spending 5 minutes talking about it instead? I managed to gather no one and when I watched out it felt quite empty of people, like they had disappeared. After that short shout I didn't dare to do it again, what happened was that some kids got interested and I did some improvised card magic, catching the attention of children I felt like a babysitter. Than a band started playing and from that point I didn't do anything for 6 hours just waiting. In the end I bought a blow whistle which I never got the opportunity to use or more accurate never seized the opportunity.

What I had planned to do was a card show and a generell show which I would switch back and forth but I never managed to get an audience bigger than 5-7 children and they it wasn't exactly fun to show them some effects. With just 5 children should I have started my real show for just them?
If anybode asks, no I never did use any hatlines, not like I didn't dare but more that I didn't get a chance, kids don't pay right?
If you ask me how much I earned it was about 2.5 dollars which a friend gave me


My only question is
Where did I go wrong with the gathering/crowd pulling?!

Ill get my next big chance in the late August, want to be able to have tried it once and know how it feels to decide my future fate in entertaining the streets.

Hi There
I would suggest an indoor market might seem to be a safe bet but there are going to be a lot of distractions in any ones mind. They are normally there for a reason i.e. shop.

Find a good pitch in a place without established busking history is an art in its self.
I disagree I don't think you need your back to a wall for a start off, you may have to because a pitch dictates that but it does not have to be so.

A busy place is not nessarly the best place.
If you have not already, I suggest you develop a joy to people watch it is my favorite pass time I can spend hours just watching.
If I am thinking of working an unworked pitch then I will ask.
What are most doing?
Shopping, Lunch breaks, how many shopping bags are folk carrying in every ten folk. Often the best places are the qwiter parts of town, places where people slow down. You will see it in their pace. You will slow down just being there. Now ask what are they doing?
Window shopping, eating ice cream, chilling, people watching, are there less shopping bags than around the corner.

Look out for qwalerty traffic not busy traffic, if you're a street trader you want busy as a street performer that is not neccely the case. Qwalerty is better than qwanterty.

The build will be slower hear, the audience perhaps smaller but your hats will be bigger because the energy will be better.

To develop this you have to go out and slog it as often as you can. You have to develop a thick skin. Shaking heads is all part of it. The most confusing part of a street show can be the crowd build. Folk don't understand what you are trying to do even if you spell it out. Push through and keep on keeping on as often as possible it's the only way.
Mario

A couple things you probably laerned:

Gathering kids to start is a double-edged sword; it's easy do draw kids but once you do.... your show is a kid's show. Not good if you want money or respect from adults.

A lot of people (myself included) hate shouting.

You'll do better next time, for sure. Chalk it up to experience.

Hey Gaddy, good to see you here!

I was actually going to post a topic similar to this. I went out today (second time out) and... We'll call it a "learning experience" (I've got a lot of those to come, I tell ya).

Over the course of two hours I stopped exactly two people, in a busy area. I think the traffic was mostly commuter traffic, with people in a hurry to get somewhere. Oh well, I got two hours to practice! I might have set a record for number of silk vanishes in a two-hour period...

But then, just getting out there and doing something is helping me get over my "Crowd Shyness" so it's all good.

Frank- you don't like shouting, and you don't seem to like stopping kids. What else would you recommend for stopping people?

So far my biggest success has been rolling a linking ring towards someone, and when they bring it over, trade them for a rope (almost before they know what's happening), ask them to check it out, and jump into Ring on Rope/ Professors Nightmare/ Assorted rope goodness.

I'm trying to work in a Multiple Selection routine to bring the crowd in closer, but as of yet, I haven't had enough of a crowd to try it out.

-Butts McCracken

Don't be discouraged, building your crowd (i.e. getting the first group stopped)can be the hardest part. I have found that if you approach it a lot like restaurant workers do, and not necessarily ask them if they want to see a magic show, it works very well for me. The classic example is the color changing knife... Hey Sir did you lose a pen knife?? And before they know it they are watching and laughing and your crowd is building.

To be clear I don't ever actually do the Color Changing knives, but I do use the idea.... See what you can come up with on the same lines and we'll compare notes.

Youv'e already done the hardest part. You put yourself out there, and now your trying to learn from the experience. That is invaluable!

"Qwalerty" advice and I think one of the major keys to unlock the treasure chest. Many will miss it.

Hi, Okamis and Butts. In New Zealand, we say "Good on you for trying." Fact is, both of you have taken action and got out to perform. Mario's advice about studying what's happening with the people is sound. I do magic and balloons, and for the balloons aspect my major indicator of how well I expect to do for income for a session is to watch the people to notice how many children [they love balloons, want them, and bring the parents over with the money] are around.
Jimmy reckons that when you start out doing Street Magic you're going to suck. Some folk reckon it takes a year or so on the street to really get things right. There's a whole lot of things to find out about and apply. Do we ever stop working and improving getting people to stop, watch, and pay at our Magic Shows?
Bit by bit you'll add to your street skills, so keep on going out and learning.

I can't brag with my experience, but I stopped people by choosing one or two person from group of people and (depending of his/her age) I either:
a)Challenge him/her, works for teens and young adults
or
b)Ask for "young couple" to come forward, when I point at older people

One or two times these won't work but 8 out of 10 stopped and stayed for the rest of the show.

And don't worry, next time you will get them! Hardest part is already behind

I'm a rookie myself. Only out 2 times. Both were to Saturday morning markets. Busy places, but it seemed to me that most there were on a mission and generally couldn't be bothered to stop and watch a show. I'd go back for the practice, but would like to try other places too. Appreciate Mario's advice on looking for the right kind of traffic.

Just got back from day number 3. Definitely a better experience. Out four hours, made enough money for transportation and a night out, so not too shabby. My best shows were definitely when I worked with/played to the kids, and I was able to keep the adults watching too. I guess I don't look like the type they want to leave their kids alone with...

My biggest problem today was keeping a crowd once I built it a bit. My transitions were pretty bad, and my show structure wasn't the greatest. The Flight of the paper balls, which I was closing with, seemed to be the biggest crowd drawing tool. When I hatted the groups after I did that, most just left, as it was the only trick they had seen, and probably didn't feel they got their money worth. So now, the paper balls will be near the beginning of the show, right after the TT silk and sponges, or possibly after some ropes (which did a decent job of pulling people once I already had a group).

I am removing my card stuff for the time being, as I'm just not ready to play it up big. This was probably where I lost most of my crowds.

Now I just need to find a new closer. Currently, the "Artistic Limitation" I set on myself, is "No cups and balls."

Anyway, I learned a lot today, and heading back out tomorrow for another go at the gauntlet!

-Butts McCracken

Hey Man,
It's good that you got out there and tried. I've been busking in Korea the past few months and it's hard to get decent crowds over here. (It probaby doesn't help that I speak very little korean.) I've had some really hot nights and I've had some pretty bad ones too. Just get back out there and try again. And I agree with Mario people watching is a great hobby to have when your out busking.

Keep on trying man!

-Rob
aka Bobert

Know that I think back, I was In an area where people really slowed down, The stalls are next to the place I was, but I was in an open space with benches and an icecream shope and last but not least a Café as mentioned before, many people, mostly elderly, were sitting there and doing nothing. Also a band played there later and they sure did get a great crowd.

Btw Frank, if you are against shouting, how do you gather a crowd, I bought a whistle after the market or the word maybe is fair?

Anyway can I get more concrete exemples how to gather a crowd like Daijou, I did your option B, asked a small group if they wanted to see a show, they laughed, shoke their heads and even looked down the ground while passing by.

Okamis: What you did was the hardes. Going out again. Good!

Listen to Yoda from Star Wars. He knows what he's talking about. "Do or do not, there is no try"

So, don't ask them if they wanna se a magic show. They don't. Why should they? Do!

Hope to see bump into you on the streets some day!

Okamis, there are lots of threads about this. And some great books (Jimmy Talksalot, Cellini, Gazzo, Eric Evans) and DVDs (Cellini, Kozmo, Mario Morris) on the subject. If you don´t have the money, look into Jimmy Talksalot´s blog, it´s a goldmine of information.

Do not ask anyone if they want to see something. Do something that is interesting enough to make people stop and watch. It doesn´t have to be magic. You don´t have to shout. You don´t have to say anything.
Keep everything simple.

Good luck!

HÃ¥kan

:wavey:

Okamis, there are lots of threads about this. And some great books (Jimmy Talksalot, Cellini, Gazzo, Eric Evans) and DVDs (Cellini, Kozmo, Mario Morris) on the subject. If you don´t have the money, look into Jimmy Talksalot´s blog, it´s a goldmine of information.

Do not ask anyone if they want to see something. Do something that is interesting enough to make people stop and watch. It doesn´t have to be magic. You don´t have to shout. You don´t have to say anything.
Keep everything simple.

Good luck!

Hawkan

:wavey:

I find it easier to stop a small group of people. 2 or 3 works fine.

If you have the recent magic menu, I have an article in there that describes a technique I use.

I also might do some hat juggling , linking rings moves or whatever. If I do that, sometimes people just come up and sak what I'm doing.

I appreciate that some are giving their double effort to post here ^^

Anyway My aim here is to succesfully be able to gather a crowd and entertain them and they tipping me, my goal are quite small this summer so I don't feel like putting out money, If I would learn a lot this summer and actually be succesful than maybe next summer I would consider buying those books and dvds to improve myself

Within any field. people pay for there education whether it be textbooks, tuition, paying a tutor, paying for lessons. If you are not willing to sacrifice something. (time, money, etc.) I wonder how much you really want to learn. People find a way when they have a real desire for what they want.

Humans are private, yet curious by nature. As noted above, hit them head on and they'll shy away from you nearly every time. But, do something that draws their curiosity and they're far more likely to stop, watch and join in.

I always start with a set that catches the curiosity of one or two...something as simple as the Miser's Dream with my own special touch and draw. For example: I find countless coins that clang away loudly in a stainless steel pot; but, I also find the occasional egg, orange, feather, pickle, banana and so on behind ears, elbows and ankles. People hear the laughter and move in to see what else I'll find. Once you've planted and properly nurtured the seeds, the crowd will begin to grow.

But, as Ray stated, there is a price that we all paid to learn our craft from the masters. It isn't as much to mimic their successes as it is to learn from their mistakes. Why waste time reinventing the wheel?