I Love The Smell of Rider Back's In The Morning!

The obligatory "sorry for not posting for so long" post

2013-07-19T14:46:00.001+01:00

On a whim, I decided to log in to my long since used blogger account today. I was shocked. It seems that I had been getting a load of traffic over the past year or so. I think the success of that came in part from the excellent products I had chosen to review, which in turn, as their popularity became more widespread, brought more visitors to my blog.

I am still very active in magic, and still consider it to be my biggest passion, however, I no longer work at a magic store. Several months ago, I took a career change, and now work as sole techy at www.modernfurnitureandlighting.co.uk

My magical notebooks are filling up again, and it seems as if a good number of people took the time to read what I had to say. Let's hope I can squeeze some time in to kickstart the blog again.
All the best,
Steve
www.modernfurnitureandlighting.co.uk

To The Max By Keiron Johnson

2012-10-17T20:29:00.000+01:00

To The Max by Keiron Johnson arrived with us late last week (and is available here by the way). I had already watched the demonstration video, and was quite excited about it's arrival. After hearing Keiron's claims that the included holder would be able to keep ice ready about your person for up to an hour, I was eagerly looking forward to seeing what kind of James Bond-esque gadget you would receive. After opening the first copy I could get my hands on, my face dropped. What in the name of Vernon's ghost was this? I could not fathom for the life of me, how the included gimmick would stop a block of ice from melting for a minute, never mind an hour! The shop was heaving that day, so it wasn't until I got home that night that I was able to sit down and watch the DVD. I sat and watched the DVD with mouth agape (OK, so not literally, but it sounds better doesn't it?!). I loved both of the routines performed, but I still couldn't believe that the gimmick would leave me with anything other than a soggy pocket, and if I've learnt anything from working at Magicbox it's that there is nothing worse than having a soggy pocket! Unperturbed, I reassured myself that Russ Stevens wouldn't bring out a release that couldn't live up to such wild claims. Luckily I had prepared a couple of blocks of ice in readiness for receiving "To The Max". I popped a block, exactly the same size as a deck of cards, into the gimmick, and the gimmick into my pocket. I waited, and waited, and waited. Not wanting to interfere with the ice, I wished to test the worst case scenario, I sat with the heating on full belt. After an hour, and with no signs of leakage, I took the gimmick from my pocket and inspected the ice. The ice had lost, at most, a quarter of it's mass. The gimmick was cold on the outside, damp on the inside, and my pocket, believe it or not, was spectacularly dry! Hurrah! Keiron Johnson had made me pull an approval face that De Niro himself would be proud of.

Experiment number two took place the next morning. Sure, sitting at home was O.K, but how would this thing fare up whilst I was trying to work in the shop. 9.00am, I pop a fresh block of ice into the gimmick, and the gimmick into my pocket. During the next hour and a half I exerted myself somewhat, carrying boxes in and out of the shop, up and down the ladders a good few times, etc. Whilst I certainly wasn't exercising, I was definitely struggling more than I would be at the average gig. So after an hour and a half, how was the ice faring up? As before, the block had lost no more than a quarter of its mass, the gimmick was a littler damper on the inside, verrrrry slightly damp on the outside, and my pocket remained as dry as a bone. Now things were getting interesting!

I've had a really lucky week, with a great number of different people to test "To The Max" out on. Customers, both experienced and fresh faced beginners have been fried by this. To quote a pal of mine who has also been using this, it really gets as close to "L&L" type reactions as I think you're going to get here on the good shores of Albion. I haven't been doing anything clever and sneaky of my own, rather, performing the titular effect exactly as taught by Keiron. When those first drops of water land on the spectators' hand, you can see the shock on their face. When you let a block of ice follow onto their palm, you can see their mind boggle.

I could go on all night talking about this little gem. Let me just make a few more points clear before I wrap things up. Firstly, if you're expecting a cool little gadget, you're going to be sorely disappointed. However, if you, like me, are a fan of elegantly simple (I love that phrase, I use it a lot, get used to it :D ) solutions to a problem, then you will love this. Keiron details a framework for carrying ice to and from your gigs that makes this a real PRACTICAL effect. I worried about the time frame between loading and melting point. NOT AN ISSUE. Keiron shows you how to carry ice in another item (readily available, fairly cheap) for up to (I haven't tested this yet) 10 hours. Once you arrive at your gig, simply pop a block of ice into your "To The Max" gimmick and off you go.

Let me summarise:

I love this. I will use this. Those people who go that little extra mile to prepare and carry the ice to a gig, are bound to have a true reputation maker on their hands. You need to be wearing sleeves; no issue for me, or any performing magician I know, though I know it might limit some people. This gets fantastic reactions, and I really look forward to using this outside of the shop.

As always, if you have any comments, questions, concerns or criticisms, drop me a comment below.

Best Wishes,
Steve

Woodyland - Disc 4

2012-10-09T22:07:00.002+01:00

Well this is the final report you will be receiving from me on the phenomenal Woodyland. I have been really impressed by this set overall, blown away to be exact. So much material, covering the whole gamut of performing magic with playing cards. I really savoured this final disc, the topic of which, "Stacked Decks", is an element of card magic I hold dear. I have a personal love for the "idea" of stacked decks. The ability to disguise a series of tools inside a seemingly shuffled deck, and exploit those tools if necessary, really appeals to me. Now Woody kicks off with something very interesting, a discussion on the pro's and con's of working with stacked decks. Woody goes a long way to dispelling some common misconceptions about the use of stacked deck work, and offers some valuable insights into taking the fear out of relying on a pre-ordained stack to achieve a particular effect.

Before watching this DVD, I was more than familiar with the popular Si Stebbins stack. What I was unfamiliar with, however, were some of the phenomenal effects made possible by the mathematical properties built into the stack. As Woody spends the first ten minutes laying out the internal connections between each card, each suit, and each value, things slowly started to dawn on me. I started to fall in love with Si Stebbins. I began to forgive it's alternating red-black disfiguring birth-mark and started to see the hidden beauty. I am a big fan of elegant simplicity, reducing something to the most effective form possible. Si Stebbins slowly started to creep into that category for me.

The first effect, "Si Senor", sees Woody open a new deck of cards, give them a quick shuffle, and after laying them out in groups on the table, has a spectator select a card from any of the groups, remember it and then lose it in any one of the other groups. After collecting the piles and shuffling the deck, Woody is able to locate the spectators chosen card. In and of itself, a very fair and impressive trick; nothing too fancy, but bear in mind that when the trick is complete, a fantastic transformation has occurred. The deck that was in new-deck order just moments before this little miracle, now rests in perfect Si Stebbins order; marvelous, no? Ok so you really need a table. Darwin Ortiz, in "At The Card Table", can teach you how to achieve this without a table, but Woody's completes this task under the guise of performing an actual effect. Smashing!

The disc continues with "The Mentalist". This time an effect that with some slight modification can be performed in the hands. I like this a lot; it's now on the "to practice" list. A spectator removes a card sight unseen. They deal cards singly (to the table, your hand, the back of a small puppy, wherever) and you tell them you have the ability to stop them on cards with scarily similar characteristics to their pocketed card. The first card denotes the suit, the second the value. Boom, you're right. I think with a nice little presentation, this could be a killer (and it's real simple!).

Now comes a real killer in the form of "Si Fry". A spectator chooses exactly how many cards they would like you to divine. THEY shuffle the deck. Their named number of cards are dealt to the table, by them. You could be blindfolded, yet you are still able to reveal each and every card that they are holding. This is great. Just great. It is devious in method, and seems truly impossible. The cards are genuinely shuffled by the spectator. Again, I really want to find a nice, neat little plot to wrap this gem up in, and I will slot it straight into my work. I cannot sing highly enough of this. This is currently top of my "get working on this now you idiot!" list. As before, there really isn't a great deal of work required to master this, just find your own style of performing it, routine it a little, and boom, a perfect little gem!

I can't personally think of a use for the next item, "forcing a number (using Si Stebbins)", but I'm sure it will be of use to some out there. Woody details quite perfectly a method for forcing any number on a spectator. I really have no opinion on this either way. It's clever, some will use it, not me. Maybe someday.

After some discussion on the other curiosities hidden with the stack, Woody finishes with a piece of pure genius. "Spelling Routine" has its roots in "Routined Spelling" from his fantastic book. A real perfect way to close a formal close-up show. I am desperately looking for the right situation for me to deem this a worthy effect to learn. It has everything. A good beginning, a solid meaty middle, and a great finale. As with other effects, this isn't going to slot straight into the repertoire of every close-up table hopper. Rather, those fortunate enough to be able to spend intimate time with their audiences, with a table, and with rapt attention, will find a killer piece of close-up magic in "Spelling Routine". For what it's worth, I am usually far from keen on spelling effects. In this case, I can make an exception as there are some real strong magical moments occurring.

One final chapter gives us some great insights into Woody's opinion on the psychological force, before the DVD closes with part four of the ever-revelatory interview.

Overall, I am totally overwhelmed by the sheer amount of material on this set. I really really cannot recommend it highly enough. I've said it before, and I know it sounds trite and clichéd, but there really is something for everyone on here.

And now it's time for me to go back to Disc 1 and start re-watching this brilliant set all over again. Keep an eye-peeled for possible edits to my original posts as I discover new gems :D

As always, if you have any questions, queries, complaints or criticisms, please feel free to drop me a comment below.

Woodyland is still available here at a fantastic price. Order before 3pm and receive free next-working day shipping to the UK Mainland.

Woodyland -Disc 3

2012-09-30T20:41:00.000+01:00

Five routines, two techniques, and a wonderful section focusing solely on Dai Vernon's "Triumph" all come together into one fantastic disc, my personal favourite of the set. The disc kicks off with "Dorset", a fascinating twist on Paul Harris' "Reset" and an all-backs routine. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but this disc does not break tradition, all of the routines are explained impeccably. "The Bumblebees" is, at it's heart, a wild-card routine. Woody, however, has added some great comedy with his choice of music and the artwork used on the cards. It's simple, but great fun to perform, to watch, and has some great moves and subtleties that I feel are unique to Woody's own handling. The "Torn Corner Ambitious Card" is again par for the course. Whilst perhaps not a routine in and of itself, the "Torn Corner Ambitious Card" is an often underutilised principle, that Woody has refined and made a little easier to use. I know I will be sneaking this little gem into my close-up work. "Aces Through Table" was something that, whilst simple, I just overlooked in Woody's book. I loved the control he teaches, however, I couldn't see how "Aces Through Table" would play in the real world. O.K so you need to be seated at a table, but I guarantee the next time the opportunity arises I will jump at the opportunity to use this.The final effect, "Progressive Order", had me baffled. I fell in love with this straight away. Two spectators take a card from the deck. They shuffle the deck, twice. You rapidly thumb through the deck, apparently scanning for the two missing cards. You name the two selected cards. This is where things started to fry me. Even though the deck had been shuffled by two spectators, Woody starts to reveal the ordered nature of the deck. I'm not going to spoil this for you, I want you to enjoy it as I did the first time. I have added this to my list of practice items. Not only is it an excellent effect, it is the perfect demonstration of Woody's earlier theory on effect structure.

The "Techniques" section covers two killer little items. I am fairly cack-handed when it comes to the myriad of in-the-hands false riffle shuffles available. If like me, you have two thumbs that refuse to work together, then Woody's "Covered False Riffle Shuffle" may be the answer. Catch me over the next few weeks, and with a deck in hand, I bet this is what I'll be practising! This section finishes off with the "Gabi Switch". Again, I read this in the book. "Cool", I thought. I watched it on the DVD and I was fried. It's a seated deck switch! It will fool the best of them! I love this!

Excluding part 3 of the fantastic interview, this disc is wrapped-up with a thorough discussion on the correct way to approach Vernon's classic, "Triumph". As someone who uses this regularly, I found Woody's advice invaluable. He even goes on to point out a fabulous piece The Professor included in the original Stars of Magic text, which has often gone unnoticed by it's readers. Again, the next time I launch into "Triumph", I'm going to make a few tweaks thanks to Woody; I have no doubt they will only go toward strengthening the effects already strong reactions.

I don't want to sound like I'm singing about this product for any other reason than I absolutely love all of the material on here. This isn't a sales pitch, I work for Magicbox, and it would be cool if you decide you want to buy it off the back of this, but I swear I'm only interested in sharing just how brilliant Woody's magic is. I have a huge love for the art of magic, and if I can persuade just one person to purchase this set, over wasting a chunk of money on the next piece of marketing hype, then I will seriously rest happier at night! I've wasted a huge chunk of my own money over the years on crap magic that sounds great in the ad copy, but turns out to be tripe, if my opinions can help someone else avoid a piece of tat, then that's the best reward I can ask for.

Onward!

Woodyland-Disc 2

2012-09-27T21:41:00.000+01:00

If you've been clamoring for explanations, disc 2 is where it all kicks off. Each of the tricks explained on this disc have a core theme in common; they are either interactive or automatic. After explaining his feelings regarding this style of magic, we are presented with the first set of explanations for the interactive tricks, "The Other Half", "Ring Divination", and "The Man With 3 Hands". The first two tricks are excellent. I have been using "The Other Half" since first reading it in "A Book In English". More recently, I used this as part of a routine presented to the Newcastle Magic Circle, for which I was awarded the Maurice Lennox Shield, an award presented each year to the winner of the circle's close-up competition. "The Other Half" is fantastic. It gets everyone involved, it's funny, and it is certainly fooling. What's more, it's super easy to perform! "Ring Divination" was presented here for the first time, and it had me from the minute I realised what was happening. As mentioned earlier, I really don't want to give anything away, but I can see many many people starting to use this. If I'm being totally honest, "The Man With 3 Hands" didn't really excite me that much. As an apparent demonstration on the ability to control cards, I think Woody has far better examples on the set than this. I found it a tad too procedural for my liking. Will it suit someone? Definitely! Will I use it, probably not! But hell, I'm being picky here; this is one 4 minute section I'm not so keen on on a DVD set that runs for over 10 hours, bah, so what! Forget I mentioned it!

The "Automatic" section explains one of my personal favourite routines of Woody's, adding some great subtleties not explained in the book. My personal favourite is Woody's handling of the ACAAN plot, and whilst the routine as taught in "A Book In English" was great, the DVD version has made it something I feel even more comfortable using. Whilst "Australian Poker", "Blessed Poker" and "The Impossible Sum" are all excellent effects, I paid most attention to "Weighing the Cards". As I mentioned in my previous post, this is a plot that really appeals to me. Woody's performance on Disc 1 was excellent, and the explanation reveals some great thinking that elevate this from being a simple trick, into a real crowd-pleaser. I believe I've also mentioned it prior, but "Weighing The Cards" is something that I can really see myself using.

The production quality of the DVD's are excellent. Once again, another top product from Luis de Matos and all the team at Studio 33. Woody's explanations on DVD 2 were very thorough, and share not only the bare methodology, but more importantly, the why behind certain moves, actions and structural choices. As a huge fan of his book, I still found I was absorbing a hell of a lot of new material and ideas from the DVD set. There are some effects in the book that I had shunned as being impractical, and after having seen Woody handle them PROPERLY, I totally revoke my original opinions. In fact, I have started to re-read the book with more vigour, now that I can better visualise some of the routines.

Woodyland-Disc 1

2012-09-27T17:56:00.001+01:00

I really don't know where to begin with this review. I suppose the best course of action is to tackle each disc in turn. I really really wanted to jump ahead and listen to Woody's thoughts on stacked decks, the main content of disc 4, but I managed to resist. Over the course of a week, I have managed to absorb each disc, in order, returning to certain effects as I saw fit. I'll try and structure this as best I can. Without further ado, I give you, disc 1 of 4, "The Live Show".

With the insertion of the first disc, we are immediately presented with an effect for us, the viewer of the disc. This interactive trick is representative of a lot of Woody's material. Woody has us, at home, think of a card from a spread, and arrive at a mentally selected number. Sure enough, the digital Woody, sitting inside your DVD player will (hopefully) divine the exact card you were thinking of, having it arrive at your thought of number. This little piece of interactive magic allows you to get a flavour for Woody's style and type of magic. We then see a group of Portuguese (I assume, due to several references throughout to the difference between the Spanish and Portuguese language) dignitaries take their seat in a very smart, intimate close-up performance area. The aim of Disc 1 is to provide you with a view as to how Woody structures a close-up show; this aim is achieved perfectly. I really admire this style, as it allows me to clearly watch a full show, yet be able to skip ahead when reviewing or refreshing myself with a particular effect. I have witnessed other performers, for whom English is not their native tongue, struggle to deliver a message effectively to an English speaking audience. This is NOT THE CASE with Mr Aragon. His Spanish tone brings those friendly qualities we so admire in his brethren (Tamariz, DaOrtiz, Rioboo, et al), yet does not inhibit an English speakers understanding of the point in question.

The first effect presented to the audience, Woody calls, "Divination Ring" had me grinning. I will use this! Regularly! Without giving too much away, this effect is a perfect opener in any situation whereby you want to grab the attention of a large number of people relatively quickly. With a fantastic self-deprecating denouement, Woody has everyone laughing, whilst simultaneously scratching their heads. This is the type of effect that, once stored away in your memory bank, is sure to save your bacon some day. No props to carry yet you are able to entertain a good sized crowd!

The show proceeds with a mix of new effects as well as some that have seen print before. Whilst I enjoyed watching the performance of all of these effects, there were two things that stood out as being worth commenting on.

Firstly, Woody first introduces us to his Suite concept. I wish I could talk more about this concept, however, I really believe you should see Woody demonstrate and explain his thoughts. To describe without revealing, I will simply say that Woody gives us a method by which we can summarise a close-up performance, before moving onto our closing effect. This allows you to give your audience a recap of all of the magic you have performed, refreshing, or perhaps "adjusting" their perception of what transpired over the course of your show. I found Woody's full theory on this concept to be fascinating. This is certainly something that I would like to try and incorporate into my own close-up work.

For me, one of the effects that really stood out on this first disc was "Weighing the Cards". I had read Woody's method to this effect in "A Book In English", and was already a fan. Seeing him perform it really cemented for me it's practicality in a close-up environment. To see the effect performed really helped demonstrate how the structure of the routine has been designed to generate the biggest impact possible. Whilst you may choose to perform this close-up at a table, "Weighing the Cards" was clearly designed as more of a parlor piece. I, however, will make sure to master this routine, for those times when you are asked, last minute, to do something on stage for everyone.

Once the show is complete, Woody sits down and gives us his personal opinion on the use of structure and design when bringing together a show. Whether this is a formal parlor type show, a close-up table hopping environment, or informal for friends, Woody has something to share. I found this section to be really useful. The idea of structuring a show around 3 parts is nothing new, yet Woody delivers some fantastic advice to truly maximise the reaction you get from each stage of your, hopefully, structured set.

The bonus section of this first disc starts the first of four interviews with Woody. Again, I really enjoyed these. Woody throws ideas around that I found to be absolute gold, I wonder if he even knows the value of some of these little sentences and quips he makes.

All-in-all, I thought Disc 1 was a fantastic start to the set. I laughed, I was fooled, and I took away some effects that I have no doubt, will make their way into my repertoire.

Onwards to Disc 2.....

p.s. I really think we may have the best price on this set in the UK. Bear in mind this price includes free next working day shipping to the UK Mainland. Click here to read more!

Woodyland-Part One

2012-09-27T14:39:00.000+01:00

So I arrived at work one miserable, wet, day last week to find Dave, one of our regular customers, curled up on the cold-wet pavement outside. Dave's icy fingers were as blue as the deck of Aviators he had fallen asleep clutching. I could have sworn he was snoring to the tune of Rachmaninoff's "Flight of the Bumblebee". No he hadn't been thrown out of his house. I knew Dave was waiting for something special. I reached out to shake him. Waking with a jump he yelled out "ANY CARD IS POSSIBLE!!". Taking Dave into the warmth of our shop, he told me about a strange dream he had had wherein appeared a vision of Ascanio, telling him something special was coming, and he should camp out in front of our shop overnight. Just as Dave finished his cup of tea, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and a bright light appeared outside (well I say appeared, they were the headlights of a UPS van. Don't shoot me for wanting this to sound more theatrical!). The driver, dressed all in beige, dropped off a crate at our door, and vanished into the fog. I saw Dave's eyes cloud over. He pushed me aside. It was like watching the distinguished Dr Jekyll transmogrify into the hulking Mr Hyde. Dave tore the sides off the crate with his bare hands and held aloft his prize that had been lying within. Woodyland was finally here. The ghost of Ascanio had been right!

Dave shot from the shop, leaving behind a Dave shaped cloud of dust. After we managed to get the door back on it's hinges, we placed the remaining copies of Woodyland onto the shelves. The long wait was finally over!This is going to take me some time to fully share all of my thoughts on this DVD set. I am a huge fan of Woody's work and have really enjoyed absorbing all four discs. Over the next few posts, I will share with you my thoughts on this fantastic set.

The UnMemorized Deck by Marcelo Insua

2012-09-17T20:12:00.000+01:00

I really want to love this, but the little Tamariz that keeps popping up on my shoulder tells me to bin it. I'm really unsure. I'll start with a few things I'm not keen on. First of all, I absolutely hate the trailer. What a total waste of time. 1 minute, 29 seconds worth of nothing. If your advert/trailer doesn't provide the customer with at least a basic overview of the product, then don't bother. I know I am being picky here, as this has absolutely nothing to do with the final product, but this is a practice I see becoming increasingly common. It achieves absolutely nothing. I see a trailer like this and I think either the effect is so crap it's not worth showing, or it's so simple a trailer would give away the secret. In this case, neither is applicable, Marcelo has created a solid routine, that I know has fooled some really knowledgeable people. Secondly, I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of a description in the ad copy. I saw Marcelo lecture quite recently, and when we ordered this product, I really couldn't be sure what it was we were ordering. Let me get some more negatives out the way, and I will give you how I would have written the ad copy. I personally found the English dubbing to be a little bit too conversational for my liking. Whilst Marcelo certainly explained everything quite effectively, I thought the English dubbing was far from properly scripted. It felt like the translation we received was a result of Marcelo watching the Spanish performance through once, and explaining it in English as he went. Again, a minor point but I thought it was quite funny that Marcelo picked his daughter to use in the explanation section. The poor girl clearly did not give a toss about sitting through another one of her dad's card tricks. Made me laugh though :) Lastly, whilst I am no expert on the fundamental principle being used here, I personally know of a few more names who should have been credited.

Let me help Marcelo with some ad copy. This, to me, is how it should have read:

The UnMemorized Deck by Marcelo Insua

A group of spectator's assist in helping the magician shuffle a deck of cards. These cards can be borrowed and in any condition, there are NO special cards used at all! After the deck is seemingly mixed, the magician seemingly memorises the position of each and every card in the deck in a ridiculously short time! Having spectators remove and return cards VERY FREELY, he proceeds to name them by simply looking for the cards that no longer fit with his memorised deck! Making conditions even harder for himself, the magician mixes the cards face-up and face-down. One last selection, and he seems to be struggling! What ho! A miraculous turn of events transpires. With the merest snap of his fingers, the deck magically rights itself, with the exception of one card, the final selection! As a final demonstration, the cards are shuffled once more and a spectator is handed a mixed up portion. After freely naming any suit, the magician names each and every card of that suit that now resides within the spectators hand!

O.K. So with all that out of the way, I bet you're thinking what's left to like. Well I'll tell ya! First of all, this is a really easy system to learn. It's going to take hours rather than days to become totally confident with the fundamental idea behind the routine. Secondly, the routine, as I experienced when Marcelo lectured, is really fooling. Thirdly, there really is quite a bit of magic jammed into such a nice little routine.

Let me summarise. I personally don't know when I would use this routine when working. It's something I really will put the time into learning in order to demonstrate it in the shop, and will file away in my mind under "Tricks to fool the lad's at the magic circle (who didn't go to Marcelo's lecture) or for the real arse who insists you do something with their cards". I don't see myself going to this routine regularly as a performance piece. On the flip-side, If I was looking to perform in a more intimate venue, seated at a table perhaps, then I would really give The UnMemorized Deck some serious thought. If you find yourself regularly at a table with a deck of cards in hand this is ideal. I can imagine this going down a storm during the break in a night of poker. It's a great way to create the illusion of fully memorising a deck of cards. Are laypeople likely to appreciate the cleanliness of the selection and returning of their card, I'm not sure. Will it fry those people more familiar with the usual methods used to identify a selected card? Definitely!

Overall, a good solid routine. Didn't knock my socks off as anything revolutionary but I think in the right venue, at the right time, this routine would kill.

Trailer:

The Shaw Control

2012-09-16T12:29:00.002+01:00

I thought it might be of interest to share the videos that I sent to Joshua Jay as a demonstration of my single card control to the bottom of the deck. This control was subsequently published in the September 2012 issue of Magic Magazine.
Performance:

Explanation:

Please do not hesitate to get in touch or comment if you have any questions or criticisms.
Enjoy :)

Thinking the Impossible: The Birth of Amazement Through Subtlety by Ramon Rioboo

2012-09-16T12:19:00.002+01:00

It has been a really great year for lovers of magic books. I realise that there will always be a hefty number of people lacking the time, ability or inclination to sit and read a book on magic, but I know they are undoubtedly missing out on some of the finest magic available. I read a lot. A hellish amount. I've grown to realise that there is a fantastically strong correlation between the quality of a magic book, and how Spanish the author's name sounds.

Up until six months ago, I had never, sadly, heard of Ramon Rioboo. It wasn't until we procured several copies of "Thinking The Impossible" (available here) that I became aware of this pasteboard powerhouse. Borrowing a copy, I devoured it over the course of one night. I have revisited the book several times now, savouring each and every word, and although cliched, there really is something for everyone in here.

Ramon opens the book by explaining, in great depth and covering some excellent subtleties, some basic tools of his trade. This section includes some fantastic thoughts on how to practice your card magic, an elegantly simple card addition, the good-old (but sadly underused) crimp, the principle of equal piles, as well as a whole host of ideas using "treated cards".

Jumping ahead, I took greatest interest in the chapter titled "No Preparation and Light on Sleights". Opening this chapter, Ramon discusses how best to hide the mathematical nature of sleight-free card tricks. He really does not disappoint. 16 solid effects are then explained in expert detail, covering every nuance and subtlety required in order to squeeze maximum potential out of each one. "In the Bluff", the very first trick in the book, has had me enthralled. I have performed this trick at every opportunity, both for magicians in the shop, and laypeople outside, and have had nothing but fantastic reactions. After changing the presentation to suit me a little bit-more (I may just upload a video of this at some point), I find it fantastic when it leaves knowledgeable magicians stumped, the layfolk love it. I have strong feelings toward all of the tricks in this first chapter, they are ideal as those tricks that sit in the back of your mind until a friend throws you a deck of cards down the pub and asks you to dance. No skill, totally independent of the type of deck you are working with, and real fooling and entertaining magic. This chapter, whilst simple in methodology, delivers effects that will, if Ramon's subtleties are followed, will also fool your magical brethren at your next magic session.

Jumping ahead, the next chapter "With Some Simple Preparation", explains two of my favourite effects in the book. These are real killers, and are probably going to find a home amongst my entry for this years entry in the Newcastle Magic Circle's "Lennox Shield Close-up Competion".

Ramon has a fantastic chapter dedicated to his work with Tamariz's Mnemonica (and other stacks), in in which he details five effects that are sure to appeal to lovers of stack work.

"Duplicates, gimmicks and special cards" has some real killer effects, and whilst I don't think the majority of people will find a home for these in their real-world working repertoire (i.e. table hopping), they are fantastic effects that deserve your attention.

Ramon finishes the book with a chapter on "The Treated Card", which I must admit, I have yet to fully absorb. If these effects follow their predecessors, I am sure they are of the highest caliber.

Once again, this book has confirmed my belief that you can take a solid bet on anything published by "The Hermetic Press", or from any author originating from that part of the world with such an amazing reputation for producing fantastic cardmen.

I highly recommend this book!

Two piles by Dani DaOrtiz

2012-09-13T22:07:00.001+01:00

I love this trick. What a fantastic rhythm and tempo. I love it how he achieves the same fundamental effect with differing methods almost every time. As a big fan of Spanish card magic, and of Dani's work in particular, I'm really pleased with the good press he and his fellow countrymen are receiving recently.

I'm hoping to be able to post my full review of Ramon Riobo's brilliant book, "Thinking The Impossible", sometime this week. I've been performing some of Ramon's work recently in the shop, and it has really been frying people. I may just film a little video of my performance and upload it for all to see.

Woody Aragón

2012-09-11T22:00:00.001+01:00

Bonfire night is always a crazy time for us. As well as magic, our shop also retails fireworks all year round. This year, however, November the 5th is going to be really special. Woody Aragon is visting the Newcastle Magic Circle as a lecturer.

I've been a massive fan of Woody's work ever since we first got his first English published volume in stock. "A Book in English" (available here) is easily in my top-five magic books of all time. I really wish I had a working Men In Black Neuralyzer. I would zap Woody's routines out of my mind, so I could enjoy reading them for the first time again. Woody's magic takes a very healthy dose of subtlety and mixes it with a Spanish portion of clever routining to deliver effects that are guaranteed to fool as well as entertain.

"Maverick", "Routined Spelling", "How to Find Your Other Half", and "The Human Scale" are all real killer effects. Whilst these are my pet favourites, I must admit it was hard to limit this list. There are some fantastic essays in here too. Woody once again proves that you need look no further than Spain if you are looking for the very best in modern, fresh, entertaining card magic.

One very minor criticism I had of the book was some of the little typos and grammatical errors that the proof-readers should really have picked up on. In one instance, a whole paragraph was repeated twice. I understand this criticism really isn't fair, Woody's work is certainly better written than my "Book in Spanish" would be. I have no doubt that these small issues will be fixed in subsequent reprints, of which I am sure there will be many. "A Book in English" is guaranteed to be in demand for a long-time to come.

As a massive fan, I won't have to wait quite so long to get my next Woody fix. We are sitting patiently waiting for his massive 4 DVD set to arrive with our suppliers on the 17th of September. Woodyland is definitely one of my most eagerly anticipated magic products of all-time.

If you already have "A Book in English" I'd love to hear what you think is your favourite effect.

Stay tuned for news on Woodyland.

Joe Monti

2012-09-11T20:03:00.000+01:00

So this weekend I got the chance to hang with a real gentleman. Mr Joe Monti (http://www.joemonti.com/) came to entertain and lecture at the Newcastle Magic Circle. Joe really delivered. If you get the chance, I urge you to catch one of Joe's lectures. The next day, I caught up with Joe at his hotel, and he shared with me some more really insightful views, gathered through years of experience in different aspects of the magic community. I took Joe up to our shop around lunchtime. Graeme and Kris were unable to make the lecture the previous night. Joe practically recreated the whole thing for them in the shop. He repeatedly fried us with some excellent close-up material. This guy is a professional of the highest order.

Just when I thought I had seen it all, Joe kicked me, he kicked me hard, real hard. Let me recap what happened. Bare in mind that what I am about to describe took place EXACTLY as I describe it. I was sober. I tell you this as it transpired. MY deck of cards was on the counter. At NO POINT had Joe touched these. Joe leaned over to me and said "Steve, name a number between 1 and 52". I named my number aloud. Joe was out of reach of my deck. In a tone of voice that said "I am about to break your mind" Joe asked me to name any card. I did. I was expecting some interference. Joe gestured for me to pick up my deck and count to my number. I counted cards from hand to hand. The cards never touched the table, or went ANYWHERE near the miracle man. I stopped at my number. Joe asked me to place the card at my number to the table. He was still NOWHERE near it. Joe kindly asked if I cared to change my mind, and select the card prior or the card following my number. I declined. With a nod of the head Joe insinuated it was time for me to turn over the card. My card.....at my number. I was floored. This was clean. I describe it to you EXACTLY as it transpired. I was prepared to pass this off as a real lucky fluke, however, something wasn't right. Joe, throughout, gave off a confidence that practically screamed "Be ready, your card is gonna be there!". Later that evening, Joe contacted me. He asked me what I thought of the "Freely Unknown Card Killer". I was floored. If this is ever comes to market, you MUST check it out!

JOE: If you are reading this, grab a pen, grab some paper, and in whatever file you use to keep track of your work put my name down. Hell, put it down several times. I want to see this the minute it goes on sale. You broke my mind!

Introduction

2012-09-11T19:09:00.001+01:00

OK. So I have a few things to say. I'll be quite frank, I feel really pretentious creating a "blog". I'm not particularly interested in creating a group of "followers", or even at this point believe that people will be interested in what I have to say. However, I work in an industry that I believe deserves a little more openness and honesty, which is odd for one that thrives so greatly on secrets.

My name is Steve Shaw, and I am a full time member of staff at one of the UK's busiest magic shops; Magicbox (check us out, I think we're cool CLICK HERE). I'm assuming that if you are reading this then you are, more than likely, a magician, or in someway affiliated with our industry.

For the time being, my sole reason for creating this blog is as a way to get my thoughts out there for those customers of ours who do not have the luxury of being able to visit a real "bricks and mortar" magic shop. We see a whole host of magic products released each month, some excellent, some absolutely terrible. I would just like a way to be able to express my personal opinion on some of these products. Please remember, this is just that and no more, MY PERSONAL OPINION. I tell everyone the same, in fact it's kind of a mantra for me in the shop; I get paid EXACTLY the same regardless of whether you buy a single deck of cards or a Losander floating table. I really do care about making sure you do not waste your money on something that sounds like a fantastic miracle, but turns out to be a piece of fluff with a magnet stuck inside. I made some god-awful decisions on what to spend my magic budget on when I was younger, if I can prevent someone else making a similar mistake, or help someone find that hidden gem they would have otherwise overlooked, then I will be happy.

If anyone would like me to post my thoughts on any of our latest products, or something older that has gone overlooked, then feel free to send me an email or leave a comment.

All the best,
Steve