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m@t Loyal user London, UK www.MatthewLaskey.com 250 Posts |
I couldn't find a topic where everyone just posts the running order of their act. I thought it would be really interesting to see.
Here is mine at the moment (still under construction.) Its in order: 1) Jumbo "Do as I Do" with comedy patter. (3 mins) 2) Professors Nightmare and other comedy rope tricks. (3 mins) 3) Loosing a spectators signed bill (more comedy)(2 mins) 4) Chop Cup routine (3 mins) 5) Finding the bill in a lemon as the final load, with comedy! (2 mins) 6) Collecting the money! (As much as possible) Total length: approx. 13 mins Any body want to post their act? Ok - fine! I guess no one wants to tell me!!! |
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Rich Cowley New user Orange County, CA 53 Posts |
No need to get snippy, m@t; you asked the question late in the weekend, when most buskers are working, then falling asleep after some long hours...
I made a living on the streets for almost 15 years opening with a six-ring Linking Rings, and closing with a straitjacket. (Yep, just two tricks.) Once in a while, I threw Brainwave or a quick C-n-R Rope in the middle, and sometimes closed with Caveney's Linking Coat Hangers instead of the round rings, just to mix things up a bit. -- The show usually ran 25-30 minutes, with a *lot* of byplay/interaction with the crowd intermixed with the tricks themselves. I've seen a *lot* of street acts, and I've never, ever, ever seen a correlation between the material they chose and the effectiveness of their shows. In other words, it ain't *what* ya do, it's how much of *yourself* you put into the show. -- Try not to think too hard about "which trick is better than which"; try to focus on "how can I frame this trick so nobody else would do it the way *I'm* doing it?" What you wind up with, is material that always carries your signature, and anybody else who copies looks like a poor imitation of *you*. Hope that helps! RC
"Mankind's greatest problem is a perfection of means, and a confusion of ends." - Albert Einstein
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m@t Loyal user London, UK www.MatthewLaskey.com 250 Posts |
Cheers Rich, thanks for your input. Im currently working on a new act and thought it would be interesting to hear what kind of things play on the street for you guys.
Sorry didn't consider the whole sleeping issue! Cheers, M@t |
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ROBERT BLAKE Inner circle 1472 Posts |
My street show contains:
Cigarette routine (warming up). Introducing (not showing yet) Rocky Raccoon. Linking Rings (showing how training Rocky). Rocky Raccoon + Sawing in Half. Rocky's favorite trick a 8 people suspension. (this is just comedy) All I have done is to make Rocky (in my show he is called Rambo)the main theme throughout my show. This way I get them interested and curious to see Rambo. |
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m@t Loyal user London, UK www.MatthewLaskey.com 250 Posts |
Sounds like a fun act Robert. Where abouts are you working?
Im off to the States and Vancouver Canada this summer so I'm hoping to catch some of the magic scene m@t |
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ROBERT BLAKE Inner circle 1472 Posts |
M@t, I am performing at street festivals in Europe, mainly Holland - Germany - Austria and Belgium. Someday I'd like to come to a festival in America or Canada. I hear great things about Hallifax.
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m@t Loyal user London, UK www.MatthewLaskey.com 250 Posts |
I curently live in London occasionaly working Covent Garden. I work restauraunts and bars. PM me if you are ever in London.
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Harry Murphy Inner circle Maryland 5444 Posts |
I try to do short act (10 minute act with 5 minutes, combined, in getting the edge and later turning the tip) to average size groups (25 to 30 but will work a 10 to 15 person edge, hey I will play to a 5 person edge just to get some energy going!). With a good rhythm I can average 7 shows in two hours. I try for a 9 to 10 hour day that includes some comfort breaks and lunch.
As I gather the crowd I tell them what wonders they are going to see, then I show them the wonders (do the act) and I remind what they have seen as I pass the hat. I prefer tricks that are very visual, that play big, whose premise is easily understood (especially important if you have a big crowd, there is a lot of background noise, or if you have a number of non-English speaking folk in the crowd), and can involve several spectators I am a strong believer that you must have a firm, polished, well practiced and rehearsed ACT. I find it very difficult of ad lib or improvise when I don’t know my act cold! As to act, I tend to do ropes, signed-borrowed-bill-to-balloon (thank you Mark Jenest), or occasionally to a lemon, and cups and balls or Benson Bowl or Chop Cup. Add the warm-up, show-off, crowd attracting stuff too and the passing the hat and that’s about it. While this is the core of my street act I also have a sponge ball/rabbit routine and a solid thumb tie (with watch steal) routine that I will also perform when the crowd is real small (say 10 people) and I want to create a bit of excitement and get some attention getting energy going. I might even perform my borrowed, signed, torn and restored bill routine. I know this sounds pretty sterile but there really is a lot of fun stuff interacting with the audience.
The artist formally known as Mumblepeas!
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Scott Xavier Inner circle 3672 Posts |
I am the freak here, I do street mentalism. Am I the first?
A think a card, some magazine tests, a dictionary test, psychokinesis with cards bills and spoons, a mind over matter s.j. escape, and even some block head stuff when I feel like shocking! |
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R2 Special user 935 Posts |
The theme I use is that of a reformed "Street Hustler"
Performing for Free is a part of my probation and the rehabilitation efforts towards goodwill...No more Dark Side turn towards the light! Thus, I expose the hypothetical losses that will befall anyone who dares to play the odds against the "House" (Me) In my sets.... Cups and Apricots..using little apricots (Chabacanes) Four Card Monte....using jumbo cards Choose a number (roulette routine) Pea-can Concentration (single cup, single apricot) Bandido Matrix (personal story of my bank heist jobs with a double cross as the kicker and a jumbo coin production "Big Money") Cut & Restored (exlplains my reformation as good and honest citizen?) I remind them that I no longer pull off these street scams. I have now turned towards properly educating the public against would be "Street Scammers" All proceeds benefit the "Society Against Street Scams" (SASS) as the hat is passed and FREE Fresh Apricots from the lid covered dish...are given away... I enjoy myself more than the audience...Little pressure and it is part of my Community Service after all! |
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Eddini_81976 Inner circle 2183 Posts |
1. Red Hot Mamma (it has a mind reading effect for the second card, and a card to wallet with the second card). 3-5 mins.
2. Deju Vu Deck 2 mins. 3. Scotch & Soda 2 mins. 4. Card to Wallet + Ambitious Card Routine 5- 8 mins. 5. Thumbcuff Escape 3 min. 6. MacDonald's Aces 3-5 mins. Tricks I switch in and out are : 1. Cut n Restored Rope 2. In A Flash (For Nightime) 3. Brainwave As A Mindreading Trick 4. Cards Across 5. X-Ray Box There are others too, but it all depends on if there are kids in the crowd, how big the crowd is, and what tricks of mine that they've seen or not. My set on "average" is probably 10-20 minutes depending on other factors.
"Treat Others As You'd Want To Be Treated" - Jesus Christ
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zombieboy Special user Connecticut, USA 889 Posts |
I pretty much do jazz magic on the streets with a few props.
Rope Rings Cups and balls Card manipulation (Angle proof, I might add) And my act is silent, no music or patter. |
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vernon Special user Scotland 559 Posts |
During Edinburgh Festival, did...
Silver Dollars!?through table... **** rocky routine Thought of card stop (sometimes folded card under pax wristwatch) And Plagerised chop cup But always with the lines thick and fast Vernon |
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m@t Loyal user London, UK www.MatthewLaskey.com 250 Posts |
How was Edinburgh vernon? Anyone else work it? Also does anyone know what Gazzo is up to at the moment?
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whitelephant New user Jerusalem 97 Posts |
The first time I went out I had nothing close to clue! I was ad libbing with all my restauraunt tricks, cards-coins-tip...and the walking on glass I had developed especially for the street. I got a loyal crowd of five to six teenagers and nothing else.
So the next day I dropped my cards/coins, and picked up my devil stix. I made a clock and posted it on a light pole. I sat on the glass which was covered by my banket. About five minutes before my act started if I had spectators I would light a cigerette (I know socially irresponsible) and begin by extiguishing it in my hand. Then I'd address the crowd. I started this here in Israel and my Hebrew is still pretty poor. In broken-tongue I would warn the audience not to try the things I was doing at home. I would uncover the glass, walk on it, recover smash with a frying pan. Then I'd pull a volunteer to walk on my chest while I lay barebacked on the glass. I would then pick up the stix and walk back over the glass thanking everyone and asking for donations. Since then I've added fireballs and razor blades. It comes off a little more freak-show than magic—but I enjoy it.
drink water...
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BroDavid Inner circle America’s North Coast, Ohio 3176 Posts |
I now do a series of card flourishes to start the draw, followed by Paperclipped, when I have a few, and as the pitch grows I go on to some coin things (Coins Across, etc.) and then do Twisted Sisters (jumbo card version) and finish with Rings In Your Face.
BroDavid
If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.
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tboehnlein Inner circle ohio 1787 Posts |
Bro David how was your Big Easy stay?
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BroDavid Inner circle America’s North Coast, Ohio 3176 Posts |
Too cold, and too little foot traffic to really do more than get some practice. Also my wife was a bit impatient with me, the weather, etc and it was tough to get any continuity without being asked to go some place warmer, etc.
I love her dearly, and she was a terrific companion, for all but my busking. And she really is pretty tired of magic anyway, so magic outside in the cold really had no appeal for her. But I learned a lot in NO and my act and attitude were honed by the experience, and I got to meet Kozmo, and spent some time with Harry Anderson, so the trip was definitely a good experience overall. I will simply pick better weather for my next trip there. Thanks for asking. BroDavid
If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.
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Kondini Inner circle 3609 Posts |
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DanielGreenWolf Veteran user Waterbury, CT 363 Posts |
Quote:
On 2003-06-13 06:43, Dr_Zodiac wrote: Sadly good sir, I don't think your the first but you're no freak (at least no more than the rest of us). I do much mentalism in my street act and walk around acts. Contimental, Burger's variation on Positive / Negative, BWave, center tear work just for an example. (using Osterlind's Perfected Center tear. READ ALL ABOUT IT. It should be a must for any mentalist.) May you never win "The Lottery," Daniel GreenWolf |
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