Hi all,i am going to amsterdam at the end of april to perfom on the streets for the first time.there will be abourt 3/4 milliom people walking through the square over night,and I find the first few tricks,i get very shaky,but once the first few are over with,i'm off.i just got the elevator,wow what a piece of equipment,and I am trying to perfect it to take too.i was wondering if anyone knows of any other magicians who will be there for that time.i would like to meet up,get some feedback and exchange notes etc.being from uk its hard to get to meet us magicians.i have to cut down and only take the ones I can execute perfectly,but I still have 2 suitcases full of magic to take.i have to go through site to get a few tips,approaching for the first trick is what I need help on,how do I do this,what if somebody doesn't want to see a trick,and most importantly,what do I say when approaching them?
many thanks for the best site out there!:o)

You are going to have such fun!

Go to the “Side Walk Shuffle” section and check out the threads there. There are discussions on how to structure your act, how to gather a tip/crowd, how to turn a tip (ask for money), and the like.

Of course that is if you want to perform a street magic show.

If you plan to do walk around magic, i.e., walk up to a couple of strangers and foist your magic on them (a la David Blaine) then check out the discussions in this section that address your questions directly (several times over) and also really check out the “Table Hoppers and Party Strollers” section of the café. There are threads talking about approach and tricks to use. There is already a text book of information addressing your questions on those threads. The fun is in the search.

In general, you don’t need two suitcases of tricks!

A good stand-up, busking, magic show can be had with four or five (or less!)tricks.

You should be able to do walk-around, guerrilla type of magic with just a few props. Heck about half your tricks will come from one deck of cards! The rest will come from a few props like coins, maybe a paddle (knife), maybe a set of sponge balls, a couple of dice, and a gimmick or two (say a TT and a coin shell). Add a length of rope or string and borrow a finger ring and you have taken your magic to the next level.

I recently worked the lobby of a convention center that was hosting a coin show (yes I am a nerd coin collector). I arrived almost two hours before the doors opened (my misreading the advertisement), as did over 100 other folks. So I took the opportunity to do some walk-a-round (David Blaine style) magic.

In the glove box of my car I had a deck of cards, four silver dollars (and a gimmick that you have), an Italian silk pocket-handkerchief, and a length of velvet cord.I got my props, and hit the crowd.

Twice I got small groups of over 20 people enjoying a fairly long set of magic. I mainly worked the crowds performing two or three tricks at a time and moving on. Even after the doors finally opened to let us in several people wanted to stand outside and see a few more things. I complied for another half an hour then went inside myself to work on my Morgan Collection.

I did get a Starbucks(jumbo mocha)and a Crispy Cream glazed donut out of all of that! I did not pitch for money and did not accept the few tips offered (security was watching and I didn’t know which way they would jump if I did!).

So leave the two suitcases at home, figure out the absolute best stuff you do (and that you know cold) and go have a ton of fun! I wish I were going. I haven’t been to Amsterdam since the 80’s and it was a great place to perform then!

Good Luck! But more than luck, enjoy yourself!

Thanks for that harry,it'll be pasted and saved...valued too!i have emailed a few tv stations in the hope they might do a little cover,thats why I want to minimise things,trouble is,i have too many good tricks that I enjoy doing...rocket bottle I am trying to perfect for restuarants.i have to get to that impromptu stage,like yourself being able to take other non magical items and making them magical,thats why I like to play with peoples notes,morphing them,floating in different ways etc.i also am taking my table hopping book(fulves),for back up and reference at night.5 days I am there for,and I am planning to return in nov.i wish I could patter enough to rely on a few tricks,one day,hopefully soon.thats why I chose dam to learn to find my character.next time you are there,let me know! I would love to seee a master first hand,get feedback onmy own stuff too.

thank you very much for much needed info,anymore you have,i'm all ears.these are very informative,as when I was reading,i was thinking,yes of course,it never dawned on me before,how you can use anyday items.i do have a book and film on this subject and it will be on shortly now:o)

have a magic weekend!
regards
jezza