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newtomagic New user Merion, Pa 78 Posts |
Just got home about half an hour ago from doing magic at a local bar. I had talked to the manager prior and had arranged for me to come in tonight and do "walkaround" magic. The deal was no money but just "a chance" for me to get out there and perform and see what happens from there. I arrived about 930 pm and grabed a beer started talking to 2 guys and off I went. I did about 5 sets for 5 different groups of people. People seemed to really like it and one group bought me a drink. I don't get it, some people treat me like a peice of s*it. I felt like they thought I was a joke, not everybody but some; I guess that just comes with the teritory. So anyway, long story short the later it got the more inebriated people were. Girls started coming in with little crowns on their heads (i guess their 21st birthday) and the more I seemed to get rubbed out of the picture so to speak, and quite honestly I did become some what intimidated to approach people. I also have a summer class at 10 in the morning so I felt I should leave also because I have to get up in the morn. I looked for the manager who said for me to come in and he was nowhere to be found. I plan on calling tomorrow to thank him and ask if I should come back and hopefully if he wants me to come back. All and all I feel that I learned a lot tonight, not about my magic skills as much as I had in the beginning of performing for people I don't know (i know and can perform my tricks for just about anybody now) but about how to market and how to find the right moment to jump in and get people's attention and entertain. My question is again, what do I do now?? I know I can perform (i do need some more material-to entertain one group for longer) my magic but now that I've had this experience of learning when to jump in and how to approach what to open with etc... what do I do from here?? Should I ask the owner to go back, should I go to all the establishments around my area, what do I do??!! I want to perform and I'm not really just happy with "performing" anymore, I believe I've done my time as someone just "freelancing" and I'm good enough to get paid and devoted enough to be worth what I get paid. I still love magic but tonight I saw the ugly side of being a magician that I see a lot of you post about and that is I felt tonight like people traeted me like some loser who wants to show them magic. Not everyone, I had some groups who were genuine with me but some people just acted plain dumb and looked at me with contempt in their eyes. I have gained much respect tonight for all and anyone who does magic for a living and anyone who has dealt with these ignorant folks whom want to make life hard for "the magician guy" who is in this bar alone and is stupid. Im really not that mad, but at times tonight this is how I felt. But back to the reason I am posting tonight, what do you pros or whoever think my next step is now that ive been doing it out for a while and want more; I want to amaze people that want it and for those people who treat me like crap I want to prove to them I'm good. Thanks for reading please respond, where to go for me now??
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Ron Vergilio Special user Murrieta, CA 835 Posts |
It looks like your 'next step" is to invest in Books, DVD's or Courses on Restaurant and Strolling Magic. There are a lot of information you can get to learn the right and wrong way to approach this venue. It will save you a lot of time and error and help you get the knowledge you need.
You are trying to learn things the hard way. Why not find out what the pros already know and learn from their mistakes and what they do to be successful. As you found out, it's not just knowing some tricks and jump in and start performing. -Ron |
pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
One way to avoid being treated like a piece of s*it is to get paid for your time. And make sure people know that you are WORKING. You're not here just for fun, or because you couldn't get a date. At restaurant and bar gigs, I always tell them that I work for the establishment.
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jiayi Veteran user Canada 313 Posts |
First of all, I don't think you should drink while working. Secondly, never work for free, it is a terrible idea. Nobody will take you seriously, even yourself. Imaging you were getting paid big time that night, and some people treated you like S***, would you still feel as bad as now? I had my share of rejections at restaurants, but every time I got turned down, I brushed it away and told myself I am paid to be there and I have to be professional because it is my job. Believe or not, your magic is ready, you just have to look at yourself in a more business/professional way (meaning the way you carry yourself, how you dress, business cards, etc) and see the value in your work. The problem isn't in your magic or you, it is all about business. Take your business(not magic) more seriously, money will follow.
If you really want to work at restaurants. First of all, you need to have an easy-going cheerful personality. If you don't, google for PUA. If you do, congrats, you are half way there. I suggest you first get the magic menu, read every bit of business tips (the tricks are secondary), then after a month or so, start approaching restaurants, every restaurant(not fastfood) in town and believe me you will get one really quick. I got my first gig with the average paid in town the 2nd week (I had no previous paid gig at all). All I did was acting professional. Getting into restaurants isn't easy, but once you are in, you will be working at least a few months every week. Be persistent and your luck will follow. Cheers! |
Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
I don't think that he did EVERYTHING wrong...
First, let's chat about the FREE NIGHT! This is something that I do and it works with great success. When I'm pitching a new place, I always tell the GM or Owner that I will provide them with a free night of Entertainment. That way, they can check me out to see if it's something that they would be interested in and also gives me the opportunity to check them out. This is also your time to observe them as well. You might find their venue is not a good place for you. After the free night, speak to the GM/Owner and see if they wish to commit and re-establish what your fee is. In all my years in doing this, I have found that if you can get them to agree to let you come out and provide them a free nights worth of entertainment...then you're already "IN!" I have only had 3 restaurants in all my years of doing this turn me down after my free night. With all that said, only YOU and the GM need to know your doing it for free that night. Nobody else needs to know that. Ok...so that's the good news. Now for the bad news... NEVER DRINK before starting your gig! If they offer to buy you a drink during the show, politely decline. Your judgement will become impaired and your talents will be severly diminished. If they insist, tell them you get off at 9pm and if their still around, you would be happy to come over and toast the evening on his dime (tho' I wouldn't do it). To me, your big problem...is confidence and that's something that you cannot teach...you either have it or you don't. We all get shot down. NOT ONE OF US has ever gone thru an entire night and done every table for every person. Some folks hate magic. Some don't want to watch for whatever reason. Some think Magic is just for little kids. Some associate being a Magician with being a clown. Whatever the reason...not everyone will like you. There's no law that says you must perform at every table. Of course, the BEST WAY to go is to NEVER cold approach a table. Have the waitstaff work with you. Only go to tables that WANT to see magic...that way you are never shot down. If the wait staff helps you with this, it could mean more money for them as well. The Restaurant Magic Business is far more then "pick a card!" It's one of the most challenging styles of magic to perform and in many cases...under less than ideal conditions...and I wouldn't trade it for the world! Based on what you told us, I would say that it's not going to work out for you at this place. The GM may have bolted early to avoid the interaction with you. It's usually a good sign that it's a no go! Perhaps not... Keep pluggin' away (sober)... Christopher
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
pepka Inner circle Uh, I'm the one on the right. 5041 Posts |
I'd like to add that yeah, I also though that it's a bad idea to drink while magishing. Regardless if you are getting paid or not. As I tell people all the time who offer me a drink, "No thanks, what I do is hard enough sober." Seriously, I don't have much luck with estimation, perfect faros, mercury folds and classic palms after even one drink. If you want to be treated like a pro, then act like one and don't drink before or during your performance. If you want to be treated like a drunken jerk with a pack of cards, go ahead.
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jjduck New user Chesterfield, Virginia 78 Posts |
Here's a thought. Before performing at a bar or any place of business, ask if you can put up a poster or flyer announcing your upcoming performance. With that done ahead of time people will be aware that you are performing for the establishment and not just freelancing, so to speak. Customers will be more receptive because they will feel that you belong there. Sometimes people feel as if you are invading their space if you just approach them and start doing magic. You have to get to know the signals that people are giving you. If you approach someone and they seem disinterested, you may want to cut your performance short and move on. Once you have a receptive audience the more you can get them involved and enjoying themselves the easier it will be for you to observe other patrons that may have an interest in what you are doing and you can head in that direction next. Don't overstay your welcome, as they say, always leave them wanting more. Another idea is to introduce yourself and engage in a little conversation before you begin any effects. This in itself will give you a feel on whether to proceed or not. I hope this will be of some help to you in your future performances.
Best Magical Wishes
Joe
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Adam1975 Special user UK 900 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-05-27 01:28, newtomagic wrote: Interesting real world post...... My gripe is,its so dam hard to read,like a lot of posts on here! Newtomagic,feel free to use paragraphs,and spaces.It makes the text so much easier to read,whenever I see a big lump of text,I tend to switch off and not bother reading,although I didn't this time on yours,but I do see a lot of complaints about this on other forums. Not having a go,your post is thoughtful and from the heart. Just make it easier to read! Ron Vergilio`s post above is an example (to me)of an easy to read post...
Ive upped my standards.Now,up yours!
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Carducci Special user Denver 543 Posts |
First of all, bars are a tough market to start out in, but can be a graduate course in dealing with all types.
Some folks have had a few drinks and are looking for someone to take out their accumulated anger. Other folks are more interested in the other patrons than seeing a 'trick', others still can become quite irked when you proceed to dazzle a young lady who was impervious to their 'charm' as well as all the reasons listed by Christopher and others. You'll also see more hecklers than most other environments. It's also typically a dark, noisy environment which makes it difficult for even the most alert (read: sober) audience to follow a complex trick. If you keep at it with diligence, your material will quickly evolve, your ability to 'read' a group will greatly improve and you'll rock this venue. Also, heed the advice already given on this thread. These guys know their stuff! |
davidpaul$ Inner circle Georgetown, South Carolina 3086 Posts |
Newtomagic,
Great advice above from some real pros. Quite honestly from reading your post, I'd say you are not quite ready. You made many statements that raised some caution flags: Quote: "I don't get it, some people treat me like a piece of s*it." "I felt like they thought I was a joke," "I seemed to get rubbed out of the picture so to speak, and quite honestly I did become some what intimidated to approach people." "(i do need some more material-to entertain one group for longer)" "I felt tonight like people treated me like some loser who wants to show them magic. Not everyone, I had some groups who were genuine with me but some people just acted plain dumb and looked at me with contempt in their eyes" End of quotes. There were more statements you made that concerned me but the above are enough for now. Seriously it all comes down to "people skills". That is what you need to study and learn about. Sure it's important to have the chops to perform some great, jaw dropping magic, B U T, if you are going to feel intimidated and get mad and not have the confidence and skills to deal with people in a fun and entertaining way you are going to have trouble, like you did. As was mentioned above, avail yourself to literature such as material from Jim Pace, Jim Sisti and others. Invest in the Jailhouse DVD set. Read Dale Carnegie's book How To Win Friends and Influence People. People skills are going to be harder for some just because of personal issues and background. It's a good thing to just enjoy people and to "enjoy yourself". Someone once said you can only love another person to the degree that you love yourself....so....what you think and feel about yourself is generally how other people will react to you. Relax...enjoy people...don't take yourself too seriously. Learn to like yourself and learn some "people skills". Your user name is newtomagic so give yourself some time to learn how to swim before going in to the deep end of the pool. Best regards, David Paul
Guilt will betray you before technique betrays you!
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newtomagic New user Merion, Pa 78 Posts |
Sorry bout the messy (no paragraphs, etc..) post. Im not gonna quit, I'm almost motivated to prove to my self I can do this. Thanks for advice.
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Barry Donovan Special user 848 Posts |
Don't quit
just learn more real work skills keep at it, I did and now I'm getting more bookings every month
when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Look at it like this...
NONE OF US were awesome the first few months (or hell...even years) that we did this. It takes time, patience and most importantly...real world experience. NONE OF US are done learning. Every day, we each face a new experience that we didn't have the day before making us stronger as entertainers and stronger as humans. There are days where you will leave your gig feeling like a God! Then there are times when you will leave your gig feeling like dog crap stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe. That's life...and the unfortunate part of our biz. There's no rhyme or reason to it. But the more you work, the thicker skin you'll get and the easier it will be to just knock the dust off and get on with gettin' on. Hang in there... Christopher
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
I don't care how many DVD's you buy, books you read or advice you get THIS IS WHERE YOU WILL START. I am not saying don't try to learn, but know that there is a learning curve.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
Ron Vergilio Special user Murrieta, CA 835 Posts |
That is very true, danny, but it is always good to know what obsticles you will face. Being prepared will help you not get knocked down as often when you know what to expect. Being prepared is being forwarned and it will not be a 'shock' when crap hits you and it will.
Besides, if you are aware of the pitfalls it's easier to avoid them. There are those that you cannot avoid so knowing what to do or expect will help you through that bump in the proverbial road. -Ron |
Michael K Loyal user Hazleton, PA 249 Posts |
OK I first have to say that I agree with all of the advice posted above.
Second I have to say that I have only done walk-around stuff twice. Thirdly I don't know if this is exactly the right advice, so please take it with as little or as much salt as needed. I did work in a restaurant as the front-of-the-house manager for a while with a very, very experienced owner. And his advice for something similar to this situation was that if customers want to talk to you, then talk; if they want to be with their friends, be polite but don't intrude more than necessary. And like the con men say "Don't sell to someone who isn't buying." Bars are very tough. My most difficult escape was in a bar during halftime of a Penn State football game (the only time they were screaming at the TVs) and part of the challenge was to find someone sober enough to put me into my straitjacket. Another book I can suggest is Ken Weber's "Maximum Entertainment" because this is a craft where you can never stop learning and improving. Don't quit. Take your frustration and turn it into determination. Polish your art. Hone your craft. Let your passion for what you do shine like the sun when you perform. Michael aka Professor Fountain |
doug brewer V.I.P. 1142 Posts |
A lot of good advice above. I'll make one comment to somewhat soften the experience you had - you picked probably one of the toughest venues to do magic. Bars are a tough, tough, environment, and you need a strong personality and a good satchel of magic to throw at them. Fog of drink, obnoxious people in general, and usually a lot of noise. Better to start earlier in the evening at a bar and finish around 9:00 or 10:00. That's about the time things get noiser anyway.
Here's a bit of advice on introducing yourself. I always tell people immediately I'm the house magician and part of the house hospitality (this let's them know I "work" there). Even on your free night, you should say this. Let them know you're not going to hit them up for money and you're there just to give them a little bit of fun for the night (or something like that). This let's them know your intentions and that there are no expectations of tipping. If you're great, they may tip you anyway, but that's not a concern right now. In fact, when you're just starting out at a place and they start to tip you, I always say "Thank you, but instead of tipping would you mind telling the manager what I great time you had with me? I just started here and I think he would like to know you enjoyed my show!" This works to anchor the managers choice to hire you. Good luck. |
davidpaul$ Inner circle Georgetown, South Carolina 3086 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-05-27 16:45, Ron Vergilio wrote: Well said Ron. Before I started doing restaurant work, I read the popular books by Kirk Charles, Jim Pace, Jim Sisti's Menu series etc. and gained as much knowledge as I could from various sources, but it wasn't until after I worked restaurants for a time that I realized how valuable that time spent reading was. When circumstances occurred I remembered reading about that exact experience. It let me know what I was experiencing was common ground and I felt made the learning curve much easier and enjoyable. You can read about learning how to swim all you want but it's getting in to the water and feeding off what you learned that will propel you and not leave you floundering.
Guilt will betray you before technique betrays you!
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newtomagic New user Merion, Pa 78 Posts |
Wow, really great stuff guys. Your advice has motivated me to learn more and keep at it, last night I was really feeling kinda down about the whole experience.
So tomorrow Im going to call the manager and tell him about my night there and see whats next. I want to feel him out to see what he thought about my performance and go from there. Is calling tomorrow a good idea? |
Jim Pace V.I.P. Portland Oregon 556 Posts |
Newtomagic,
I congratulate your nerve for wanting to start your experience with the hardest place to work as a magician...a bar. If you can do that and get any response as a newbee then you should only work on patience for those who do not like magic. Let them be wrong..."Be Like Water my friend..."- Bruce Lee If your experience has still left you motivated I would suggest that you continue there. If you can get them to enjoy you, everywhere else you perform will feel so good. My 2 cents Jim Pace My 2 cents Jim Pace
"The drum that beats the loudest is always the most hollow."
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