A friend of mine (hmmm ....) is thinking about doing some sets of 15, 20 mn in those dirty strip tease bars for tourists in the hot areas of Paris for exemple, to make people wait fot the next girl to come and continue to stay in the bar and drink during this time.
He's thinking about doing the Slydini's silks knots, some rope trick and prof nightmare, a 8 card brainwave maybe with jumbo cards, and close to the tables some c/s/b transpo or the chips version plus maube a scotch and soda, and the invisible deck involving the audience as and ending.
he' s thinking about charging around 50 dollars for this set that maybe can be done fom strip bar to strip bar and returning in the same ones around later.
any comments or experiences about this?
any suggestion about the tricks?

I don't think the mind-set of this particular audience is going to be open to or impressed by someone tying knots with handkerchiefs or showing a rope trick, do you? I just in-vision lots of things being thrown at him/her? on stage. I could be wrong. I wouldn't know.

Silk to panties

Don't do anything that requires any thinking. Since these types make most of their money selling alcohol, the customers are likely to be at least slightly drunk.

Make the next girl appear, make her clothes disappear ... etc.

I'm thinking this could be a train wreck...people don't go to places like this to watch some dude doin' magic. They want to see naked people....

If your "friend" is wanting to do this tho' I would recomend do stuff that doesn't require the audience to "touch" anything. You don't know where their hands have been (and you don't want to know either).

Visual stuff that they can watch without touching your friends props.

Eewww...I think I need a shower...

I know a maigician who did this once and he said it was not a good experience. Everyone is correc in saying that the patrons are there NOT to see some magic dude - unless it is a naked chick doing magic

My friend said he was heckled and threatened constantly.

Raymond's Review bar in London and the Crazy Horse in Paris are serious strip joints, and use magic acts between the strip acts. Finn Jon used to work in the London club and Gaetan Bloome and Otto Wesselley (and others) in Paris.

I'd suggest the Linking rings to get attention and any other EASY TO WATCH and UNDERSTAND effects.

I actually had a great experience working at a gentlemans club for about a year and a half. However, this was a topless club and they served dinner and had both male and female patrons.

I think it is all about how you structure your entertainment. You also have to have solid material and above all know when to and when not to approach the customers. They key for me was to befriend the girls and make them part of the magic. If they love what you do there is no doubt you will be successful.

If you have an interest in dating any of the women or you can't refrain from drinking, you wont last long.


Kind regards,
Max

I've got quite a few ideas but they don't have anything to do with magic....

Reed McClintock has made a name for himself in this type of enviornment. I suggets you look up all of his stuff and see what he has to say about this enviornment. It is some pretty awesome stuff...

Cheers,

Justin

ps... Extreme burn in reverse... show large bills and make them into a whole bunch of ones...LoL

You can certainly make a lot of dollar bills disappear ... or depending on the quality of the place ... 10's and 20's.

Has he? I know he tried to start working a strip club in Portland but I don't think it worked out...

Maybe he will drop in and comment. Seems like a difficult venue, if I was a patron the last thing I would want to see is card tricks...LOL

The purpose is not at all to have dates with women and my 'friend' doesn't drink a glass of alcohol, never.
Just entertaining some different kind of audience : some shy young people or friends coming to have fun or groups of tourists looking for a 'special' feeling and souvenir in a big city. It can be a way to earn some money and getting better in performing in some places where the 'officials' and usual magicians doesn't enter usually.
I think talking to some owners of this type of strip bar could help to have a better vision on that.
Thanks a lot to all advisers,
Friendly

(to be continued...)
Chronica

One of Lance Burton's first west coast gigs was working between strippers in LA at the Body Shop.

Is your friend an an American? If so, maybe he needs to check out the local scene. Starting with the places Pete mentioned.

I was in a magic bar in Paris once and it was the magician who ended up stripping at the end of his act.
It wasn't a pretty sight, but it was funny.

Hmmm. I worked a strip club in Houston off and on for several years - this was in the early 70s. Once you're on stage you look at the audience so its not much different from any other crowd of mostly men yelling and drinking. It almost doesn't matter what you do. Will you be working with a live band or a drummer??? Your patter doesn't even have to make sense.

-=tabman

I have been @ dantes for almost nine years things are working out. I cut my teeth there. When I started, I was doing technical, not entertaining, I didn't know any better LOL I listened to magicians. It took time to figure out the difference. There are several things one must over come when working in this venue. First the T and A factor. You had better have material that pops and creates an environment on its own to make people want to come and see you. This is tricky as it takes a great deal of trial and error. The secrets reveal themselves to accomplishing this over a fairly short time. I have a corner where people come to me, so I am not walking around. This is definitely the way to work in this venue. I have people at my table for three hours some the whole three hours. Here is a tip to remember is that people are out to be entertained. So as Tabman said they really aren't any different than any other crowd. Plus they have tip money in there pocket and ready to let it go is you wow them. When I get on stage I have a tremendous advantage because one I am a guy and I stand out , they see hooters and pooters but guess what and who they remember. I book a lot of work there usually with the " hey I didn't find you here , is that cool if anyone should ask" From politicians to rock stars, actors husband wives etc. Here is a link to Dante's so you can see the venue.
http://www.myspace.com/dantesportland
as you can see this is a killer venue and we have grown and gotten to become known all over the world. I work on sunday nights during Sinferno. We will on average bring in between 4 and 5 hundred people on any given sunday night. It is allot of fun and the lineup is always great, and you never know who is going to come in. it is great! There is a great deal of money to made in this type venue, you just need to have a particular attitude that you wear, otherwise they are like dogs and sense your fear and will eat you alive.
cheers
Reed

Hey Mumford,

That's right, pre-Vegas, Trop, et al, Lance worked the Body Shop. And it was not the first time he worked a strip club.

He said he had to get their attention immediately, so he was motivated to develop that killer, attention grabbing opening that served him so well.

Worked in every venue.

Johnson

Remember that act with the girl vanishing and reproducing a red hanky from various parts......unfortunately I don't think a guy could pull this routine off...