*sigh*

I had two weeks solid of GREAT gigs and have had the wind taken out me by a few subpar gigs. As the pros will know, it only takes one or two of these babies to make you doubt yourself...

Here are some lowlights.

1) Got called the 'clown man' at a close up gig.
2) Introduced as "Nicholas The Magnificent Magician" in my scam show.
3) Audience member dropped a prop under the table during show and insisted on stopping show to go and get it.
4) Got so very much polite applause.
5) Got busted doing a mercury card fold after TEN YEARS!
6) Titters at my jokes.
7) Handed out no business cards when usually I'd hand out dozens.

I did nothing really wrong, just a series of unfornuate incidents that make me feel a bit down.

*sigh*

Nick: You've been around long enough to know that your entertainment value is EXCELLENT. You wouldn't have made it this far without being a great performer. Perhaps this is one of those speed bumps that we all encounter from time to time which suggests to us that we slow down and take a look at what we're doing from a different angle and maybe make a little change or two in how we do what we do. It's the pain that makes the pleasure that much sweeter and without darkness we can have no appreciation for light. I urge you to look for the learning opportunities that are in front of you and use them to become an even better performer......and one more thing.....don't move to Vegas.....I don't need any more performers of your caliber to compete with. Best wishes....I know you'll come out on top, even if you are "Down Under".

Nicholas,

Hey man, we all have a bad day now and then...

Here's a suggestion though on how to prevent at least one of the things from happening again.

Have a pre-recorded or a pre-printed introduction for the MC or a person in charge to read rather than just "winging it." That way, you know they are not going to think they are being clever and introduce you by something that pops into their mind.

I have used a pre-recorded intro for most shows and for shows in which there's an MC or a live person who insists on doing the introduction - a pre-printed intro for myself. I have done this for over 12 years, ever since someone introduced me like this: "OK everybody, quieten down now... We've got a show for you now... Let's give (small pause here)...Houdini a big round of applause!"

Needless to say I was mortified and a bit rattled for several tricks into the show...


Lyndel

I have such an preprinted introduction which the man decided to ignore!

My worst intro ever was "Now...err..umm....shut up guys....Nick is going to talk to you...so pay attention...........are you coming on or what?"

Nick, I find when I'm having a bad day in my personal life it shows (even if just a little) in my performance. I've been using different techniques for centering myself before getting out of my car at the gig.

I'm not saying that is your problem but it my be something to look into. Also the one bad gig might be hanging around your neck. Remember none of this audience was at that show. You have a clean slate with them.

Edd

Nicholas -

Another great thing to do right now, to boost your self-esteem, is to pull out a big stack of testimonial letters from past customers and read through them.

- Donald

Nick, you have been around long enough to know what we all know. They aren't all winners and when they're not, they take the wind out of our sails.

Sometimes it's our fault, sometimes not. But, instead of the performer's high, we get the bummer show blues. Fortunately, the highs far outweigh the blues and the blues vanish rather quickly.

But this is all old news to you, isn't it.

And for those who don't understand the concept, or who claim never to have experienced the performance induced emotional spectrum, stop performing and find a new hobby, you're giving the rest of us a bad image.

As to introductions, I just tell the person who's going to do it, just get the name right, I'll look after the rest.

Usually the person doing the introductions is way out of the area of expertise and possibly even their comfort zone.

I've tried the typed sheet handed to them and that often gets screwed up. I've tried giving them one or maybe two points to include, and that often gets screwed up. I have no interest in doing a prerecorded intro as that seems a little, well, pretentious for many shows.

So, I've come to realize after thousands of shows that an intro isn't even necessary in most of the shows we do. Get their attention, "Hey something's about to happen over here," or whatever and then do your show. If it's a good show, and it suits the venue, they'll usually watch.

My favourite was 'The wife's arranged a Priscilla bloke to do some tricks. He calls himself 'Desire' and I want you mob to behave yourselves - the missus likes this sort of thing.'

I couldn't stop laughing till about 5 minutes into the show - it was a wonderful show and he was actually a really nice guy - just a little out of his depth having to do the intro (and didn't like wearing his glasses when the mates were around.)

But like Nick I've had runs of bad shows - couldn't discern anything I was doing wrong but PA's misfunction, people are too drunk, the audience is made up of incredibly diverse people, half of them don't speak English etc etc.

Strangely these shows don't seem to happen in isolation - as Nick esperienced you get a run of them all at once - spooky!

Just push on Nick - it'll come good soon - probably today

Destiny

Sounds like a bummer, BUT...

It's much harder when you're just starting out, OR when you're trying to switch from part-time to full-time, OR when you have this kind of experience when working for a new type of audience, OR when you're breaking in a brand new show. That's when a bad experience like this really saps your confidence, because you have no large number of successful experiences to compare it to.

It sounds like at least this one bad experience or set of experiences you describe were just an anomaly in a normally successful performing run.

You ever done several shows in one day, and had one of them just kill, where everything clicks, the audience is interested in being there and with you every step of the way, and then the very next show is exactly the opposite - everyone is sort of just there, luke warm response to everything, etc.?

I can never figure those out. If you could just bottle up the 1st show...

Chris

Nicholas:

Shame on you, and every talentless hack who fails at the altar of Maja!

Now, upon a pyre of blazing Tarbell books and Svengali decks, disembowel yourself with your dullest Needle Thru Arm gaff and do what little you can to atone for your insipid performance. May your ashes, once cool, find rest in the cat litter tray of the nearest REAL Magician, as a reminder to those who would trivialise the dark power of the Art of Deception.

Feel better? Maybe even a LITTLE grin? Good. You know what needs to be done. Now go nail the next audience to the wall.

Leland