I could start every post about a recent gig with this title really. For now, I wanted to let you all know about a recent booking which was slightly different.

The magic community is built up of around 1,500 Magic Circle members all over the U.K, along with many more who are not, it’s difficult to measure the exact number as there are also many ‘hobbyists’ who love magic, perform for friends but don’t actually go out there and perform for an audience as such. This community is a wonderful place, we all share common interest and passion for magic, we chat online, in person at clubs and conventions, we share ideas and thoughts on magic and it is this that helps grow the art further.

On occasion a booking will come up that just is to large for one magician and so the booker, once decided upon the magician to hire, will entrust that magician to find a suitable team for the event. To give you an idea, one magician can handle up to around 100 guests on their own, for walkaround magic over 2 hours perhaps 150, but certainly for tables more magicians will be required for larger numbers. This firstly ensure that everyone experiences some great magic and also that the performer is at the table for a good amount of time, anything from 5-10 minutes (may not seem a lot but certainly with my style, performing fast and visual magic it really is).

So a recent booking came up, not direct to me but I was lucky enough to be invited to be part of a team to entertain guests at a wonderful event. Now this is where the AMAZING comes in. The venue, which I have performed at before was Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, the room The Great Room (see photos, it’s amazing) and the number of guests around 600. My friend Andy Clockwise contacted me as he thought my style would be perfect for the event and given I had performed at this 5 star hotel before, knew I would make an important part of his team. The team was Andy Clockwise, Me ;), Lee Ferriday, John Bulleid, Lee Bell and Steve White. Looking at that line up, if you have ever seen more than one of us perform, you will understand we are all quite different in the styles we use but we are all fun and entertaining – Andy chose a great team.

So why the PLEASURE, well apart from enjoying what I do every step, this was a particular pleasure given our audience. The event was the Annual Ball for non-other than the The Grand Order of the Water Rats! I know! If, for any reason you are un-aware of the GOWR, please do look them up http://www.gowr.net/ but briefly the Water Rats is an organisation for entertainers around the world and is pretty much a who’s who in the entertainment industry.

Having heard the news of the event I was of course excited but also intrigued as to who would be there. When we arrived we were briefed by Andy on the order of the evening and we were to perform casual stroll-around magic for the drinks reception (which we knew in advance). The drink reception was taking place on the balcony area and so we agreed roughly the sections for each of us to perform. Once guests started to arrive and enjoy their first drink we got to work. ‘Work’ I always laugh internally with that phrase for what I do, because really, it’s not work, it is again a PLEASURE. I must say the guests were all lovely, absolutely lovely. These types of event are always fun, everyone is in a great mood but in particular as most were from the entertainment industry, I got a feeling of enjoyment and respect from them all.

We all weaved our way in and out of group, mingling perfectly and performing mind-blowing magic – the perfect start to an incredible evening. Several people suggested I should myself be on TV (a desire that hasn’t struck me yet) and the focus for me was definitely on having fun yet one comment about one of my effects really struck home. I was performing with a group of 6 people, the finale moment was me carving the shape of Supermans face from a lollypop after one lady described him as her favourite super hero….what she said hit me and made me pause and take the moment in. When I revealed what i had done, the emotions went like this. Gasp, pause, confusion, laughter….she then said “I can’t take it in, I feel all giddy, how on earth have you done that” – now, THAT IS MAGIC!

This is exactly what magic is for me and should be for everyone, it’s more than a puzzle or a moment you can’t explain, it is a feeling. That feeling will stay with you, occasionally you’ll be reminded of the moment and the feeling will come back – for this lady, perhaps now every time she sees or thinks of superman, she will be reminded of what I did with that lollypop, a crazy moment that left her feeling physically giddy.

I hope you liked reading this, I could go on all night long about it to be honest but tune in next time for another blog sometime soon.

😉

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