Saying "Watch" doesn't work for me. Maybe because I'm in the Northeast and if a stranger tells you to do something, well tell them where to go.

So, asking, "Would you like to see some magic," or "Would you like to see a cool card trick" tends to work more for me. I can usually get someone to stop within three attempts.

Hey buddy,
nothing personal,
...and just between you and me:
Why are you performing?

Do you have anything (you find) worth showing anybody?
Seriously.
.
Is there anything you have to 'say' to anybody?

Do you have this deep inner need to be 'noticed'?
A psychlogist would be the answer.

Do you desparately need the 'easy' Lire?
Get a job.,.. there's no shame involved.

All of your questions,.. ".. a table.". ",.. no table.". ",.. what tricks.". ",.. what dvd's."...
I get the feeling,..
I'm not really allowed to say what I feel,..
,but like I said, "Nothing personal."

Honesty, to one's self, is the essential of a good Life.
,..ironically,
also for a good Show.
I think the answers you need, are inside of yourself.
Don't be scared to look.
I've my fingers crossed for you buddy.
gallagher.

"Do you suggest that I insist trying without a table with that structure or your experience suggest too that doing just a table Cups and Balls (and eventually adding something at the beginning) is a way better idea?"
The most versitile way to perform is using tricks without a table being required.Ever tried sitting in a public bus with a folding table? Or walking 1/4 or 1/2 mile with a table hung from your shoulder, or dragged behind you on a suitcase trolley or the like? Using a table is o.k. if you can easily get to your pitch with it. But being free of needing a table is a decided bonus, I reckon.
A performer doesn't NEED to do Cups and Balls.
I'll use your comment DeadMoney " I love cups and balls because they offer a lot of potential for audience interaction...they amplify the personality of the performer..." not to critque you personally, but in a generic way.
The comment can,with street experience, be applied to any prop or act.
All of my current 'Draw" items and Street Show tricks - spirit knot, knot off silk, card find, card trick called Do As I Do, Professor's Nightmare, Classic cut and restored rope are made to involve physical participation of some of the people gathered around me.

Such things as giving a prop for examination, getting the helper to drop the nut on the pavement to check that it is a real nut, stretching ropes to check them, handling and shuffling cards, "receiving the scissors and cutting the rope, waving the hand over a prop and saying "Abracadabra" - These are physical things I get spectators to do.
I also want them to be mentally involved. When I get a helper to tie the knot over my wrist to secure the spirit nut I ask them, What's a magic trick you could do, now?" At least some of the helpers will say, "Make it disappear.' And that's just what they seem to have done when I open both my hands to show that the nut has indeed done what they suggested.

"To amplify the personality of the performer" WEll,this should develop this as time is spent out on the street working whatever trick/illusion you work with.

In my earlier performing days I read of the idea of picking a personality and then using the appropriate tricks for that. I read about it, had a limp try at it, but I think it's better to develop boldness, cheekiness, mannerisms, friendliness, your own ways - physical moves, comments/patter, moving around on your pitch and the like WHILE you are out performing on the streets. I don't mean that you ignore other people's advice or refuse to watch other people performing, but adapt, invent etc. in ways that work for you. You can tell how well your approach is going by the reactions of the audience to what and how you say and do things.
I recall, after performing on the streets part-time for a couple of years, after one busking show, driving home and suddenly I realized {I'd read about it beforehand but but the reality hadn't sunk in] I AM MY SHOW! My show is me. Me. Not particular tricks, but the personality I develop and display on the street.

Going out in public to perform for the first several times can be very embarassing. So many things that you don't know or do. Getting over being scared of people watching you, and the like. After several outings on the street - maybe 10 or 20? - this scared-ness fades and is replaced with the desire to be seen, to be performing to be laughing along with the spectators, seeing the actuality of I AM MY SHOW.

This has been a super interesting thread. I think most of his fear's and problems will be resolved by actually performing multiple times. The first time I ever went out and street performing I was wicked nervious it took me nearly 2 hours of sitting on a bench to set up and perform. Overtime the nervousness will lessen and your show will get better. Expect the first year that your hats will be mediocre to okay. If you a good beginer busker you might even have some great days where you pull in a good amount.. but consitensy will probably not be there. Over time you show will fine tune, your hat lines will get tighter, routines will become more scripted, off the cuff responses and quick witt answers will get better, you will start to think on your feet, Everything will start coming together and you will start having some serious fun and making some serious bucks.

First up deadmoney well done for getting out there and doing it.

When I first busked in 2007 I sucked big ti,e and basically stayed at home and planed should I say bottled it. I then slowly built up my never and hit the streets again. 2010 I notched it up a bit and said iam going to do this and I busted my balls just sticking with the same thing and cracking it hard. Since then things have got better and better for me as a busker and feel almost in control.

Id say get out there again and go for it keep pushing it.

Hi Gallagher,

you are welcome.

I can assure that I could not care less of attention of people. Nor I need self validation...I have already proved myself in life and I know where I stand...about my "desperate" need for money I hope you have more than me but it will surprise me if you have.


Feel free to talk and say whatever you want you are supposed to be a grown man.
You can also PM me if you want

About this:"
Do you have anything (you find) worth showing anybody?"
That's the problem I think I had...but now I have some doubts about it that's why I'm rethinking my act.
But even if I'm not confident in that just for sake of growing I went out today and tried again with the goal of interact with people and explore reality for what it is.

I'm just learning putting myself on the line.

If you do it all the time, you'll learn it all a lot faster, and the more shows you do, the better you'll get. I used to go out and stay from sunup to sundown, even working under awnings during the rain. You might be surprised how much some people like a little entertainment when they're stuck under an awning waiting for the rain to slow down or stop.

Go out and do it every day if you can, for as long as you can.

Good job! Keep it up!

I'm thinking I made a mistake today...

I went out...I was able to do all the act for a person only...and I was at easy trying stopping people...the mistake was that feeling it was an improvement over the first day, because I actually did all the act even if was only for one person, my mind was a little ok for the day and found out false reasoning to not keep going but to go away to the hotel...I should have keep going...

I also got cut in an handling of the coin routine from another person so now I change it...

I don't try to stop people that don't look at the rope and walk near...

Another thing that I don't know if it is wrong is that I don't try to go for a big crowd...I try to start will really just two people and keep it small because I would like to perform for few people only to not have big pressure...

I'm abroad...I have to find a place in my country to perform in loop...

That really depends what type of show you are doing. If you are doing up close card magic it will be harder to build a large crowd. If you decided to go large and linking rings or a routine with large objects your chance of buildign a large crowd would increase.

Naturally the more you do it.. you wil notice your crowd starts to grow. Afte a while you need to learn crowd building techniques. So when a new group comes up but is not a part of the circle.. You need to temporary stop the show and invite them to step closer so they can also watch the magic.

DeadMoney, it's great to see a newbie to street performing getting under way and I wish you all the best. There's lots of advice in the Sidewalk Performers threads, lots of encouragement. You're under way, having done more than getting out for the very first time.

A reminder especially for any performers starting out: Keep those props and moves, as much as possible, up around chest height so people can see what's going on. And be sure to swing the props/cards etc around to the whole semicircle so everybody gets to see what's happening. It's very important that all people get to see what's going on. And that they hear your voice [volume and direction].
If practical in the setting, when you start up make sure the bulk of the people are not blinded by the sun shining into their eyes. Where practical, I like both myself and the audience to be in shadows of trees or the like.
If you can, set up so the breeze will blow your voice out from you to your spectators. Speaking against a wind/breeze isn't sensible.

Henry Hay said that your trick should move at a speed that the slowest person in the group can take in what is going on. That's why some coin moves are not the usuaul way of handling coins. For example, the magician taking the coin in the French Drop is artificial in the sense that very few laymen take a coin in that fashion from one hand to another.
Sponge ball transfer is similar. Who, in real life, holds a ball up at shoulder height and places it into the opposite held-up palm? But to a magician showing off clearly what [seems to] happen it's very important that the public get to see the action.

I just want to thank you all again...I don't respond directly at every post but I really read it all carefully and I'm very glad that there are pro here using their time and experience to encourage me and point me in the right direction.

If you want even better advice I would recommend having someone take a video of your performance on the street and post it here. Some of the advice will seem harsh... but people will honestly want to help. Take everything witha grain of salt, because what works for someone might not work for you. Take the advice that means the most to you and stick with it.

Over time you will develop into having your own original character, persona, and performing style. Stick with and you should develop fast in no time.

This is excellent advice, and I second it. The camera doesn't lie or flatter.

Recording a performance on video can greatly improve things for you, not only because you can see everything that's wrong, but also because you can see what's right. The parts that look right help with confidence, and the parts that look wrong give you something to work on improving.

I'm reworking the act from scratch...

Just a piece of rope on the ground and no cartel with a coin routine as an opener does not work for me...I think there are better way...and I have no confidence in my finale...

Now I'm stuck abroad until 13 at least so if I come up with something meaningful I'll try instantly, I have zero inhibition at this stage and this is a good thing...

I was thinking a new act on the fly considering I have only a rope to set my stage:
1: Balloon Swallowing
2:Professior Nightmare
3:Pressure

But I'm having huge problem with Balloon Swallowing...never done before and putting it down smoothly, with an invented clean up that I'm developing on the fly, it's difficult...I have tried for hours but perhaps it's not a thing I can learn on the fly..

So or I come up with a strong visual opener considering my low level skill and only prop that I can buy on the fly here or I will just regroup at easy as soon I'm back Italy and try again...now I think I know how to get the job done...hopefully

I'm reworking the act from scratch...

Just a piece of rope on the ground and no cartel with a coin routine as an opener does not work for me...I think there are better way...and I have no confidence in my finale...

Now I'm stuck abroad until 13 at least so if I come up with something meaningful I'll try instantly, I have zero inhibition at this stage and this is a good thing...

I was thinking a new act on the fly considering I have only a rope to set my stage:
1: Balloon Swallowing
2:Professior Nightmare
3:Pressure

But I'm having huge problem with Balloon Swallowing...never done before and putting it down smoothly, with an invented clean up that I'm developing on the fly, it's difficult...I have tried for hours but perhaps it's not a thing I can learn on the fly..

So or I come up with a strong visual opener considering my low level skill and only prop that I can buy on the fly here or I will just regroup at easy as soon I'm back Italy and try again...now I think I know how to get the job done...hopefully

Of course things should not be done this way with time constriction but here I'm

I "swallowed" a balloon on Bourbon Street once, just to make a balloon clown friend of mine laugh, and someone walked up and handed me seven dollars out of nowhere. I wasn't even trying.

The whole thing with that effect is to play it for all it's worth, and make people react. It's really easy to do, and you can focus on making people laugh and respond.

As for clean-up, don't worry about it. Wipe your mouth with a hanky or something, and don't overthink it all.

Try to focus more on the entertainment part when doing simple effects. That's what simple effects are for.

That is a great tip!!!

I'll PM you in a minute for just having an opinion on something in particular about it.

Replied to your PM. Hope it helps.