As you know, many social events are filled with music blasting.

In those cases, "pick a card" does not go over too well. If you are going to be in a situation where speaking and hearing is very limited, what do you bring with you for your performances?

In reality a "card to impossible location" can be done quite easily and with great affect. Color changes work really well. Heck even though I hate the routines an ACR works in that environment.

The key in ANY props is to avoid story magic when a story can not be told. Stick to visual quick effects that they can see what happens.

The challenge does not lie in the effect or props. It lies in the presentation. It is not unlike performing for an audience that does not predominantly share your language. If you think of it along those lines you will find some very creative ideas.

Danny is spot on!

--And, I agree Chris!!!

KISMIF! (acronym for: KEEP IT SIMPLE - MAKE IT FUN)

I have worked a Corporate Christmas cocktail party in a room lit only by a Christmas tree, and wreaths with colored lights. I strolled for an hour, and, basically did the vanishing lit match in a TT, Coin--Go, and Color Changing Knife.) I did an abbreviated version of my ball routine (Perpetual ball and visible ball thru silk, if I had an especially good group. I used up about 5 match books!

The "classic" silk van. in TT would work also. (use a yellow silk) A brief ring and rope routine would be good, too.

I am having fun experimenting with inflatable characters and have realized that they fit this noisy event situation perfectly. For Halloween I have an air-blown ghost ($20) that appears to be coming from a large pumpkin and is about six feet tall when fully blown up. It deflates into a bundle about the size of a loaf of bread (or perhaps a bunny rabbit). The air fan is battery powered so no cord is needed. I can walk into any crowd in my local park, take a foulard and lower it to the ground turning on the fan and just stand back and watch as this huge "thing" opens up under the cloth, then whip away the cloth and start using the ghost as if it were my assistant. I produce sponge balls from its eyes and do a sponge ball routine, pull silk handkerchiefs from its nostrils and ears, etc. I do a rope penetration with it. All without talking or making a sound. The crowd does all the noise making. But the air-blown ghost is like a huge vacuum the way it draws all attention and shuts down the noise and conversation from whatever to paying attention to my performance. I'm trying to find an appropriate "assistant" to use for Christmas while I work out another routine for the season.

Seems like a lot to pack for a walk around event LOL. Cool idea though!

My plan is to draw the audience to me, since I can no longer get around the way I used to. The Inflatable Ghost does the job. I'm working on making a transformational inflatable for a finish. The Christmas Theme is easy - The Christmas character (right now I'm choosing between a "nutcracker" and a "gingerbread man") will be transformed into a larger Christmas tree. Then both inflatables can be deflated together as I stuff them all into Santa's bag to be carried (by tricycle or cart) to the next location. The Halloween theme is not as easy to find a transformational inflatable that I like. And then I may need to devise a haunted house to cart the two inflatables to the next location. I hope to have a solution before Halloween. You're right, though, it is a lot of work but I think it will be worth it.

I think it is a very creative solution.

What happened to Dannydoyle? Your posts don't sound like the Danny we all know!
Is someone else using your account?

If the music is truly blasting, it's a mistake.
you can ask for the music to be turned down. I've done that and have been thanked.

"Look, none of your guests can even talk to each other. The DJ is NOT the show. Have them turn down the music or I can ask them to do that for you if you wish"


Tricks for loud environments.. think about which ones you could do silently...

Ninja Rings
Ropes (prof nightmare)

both of those are AWESOME for loud gigs.
very visual and entertaining.

I'm with Ambitious card...Linking Rings and Professor's Nightmare (with a few moves from Richard Sander's Fiber Optics DVD).
I bring these two effects with me regardless of the venue...audiences really seem to love these old chestnuts.

Also...when I know that there will be loud music, it's safe to assume that the lights will be dimmed. A quick D'lite routine plays well in this environment as well.

Personally I have a rope around my neck, do rope through neck (silently, of course) then you can pretty much do anything from there since they're hooked. I also love to get a big crowd and do a balloon swallow with them chanting my name. It can get pretty loud and have a great effect on the atmosphere.

Turbo Stick... and Color Changing Knives can do wonders when they can't hear you.

As a Professional Corporate Magician, have done a lot of strolling gigs in noisy enviornments these last couple months.
Danny made great advice earlier, its so true & comes from experience doing literally thousands of show.. I also find short visual effects work very well. I also do a colour change signed card that always works etc
I also do a Mystery Bill Switch to $100 note that always works in noisy enviornments etc..

Click here to view attached image.

Fire wallet, Ambitious card with lots of pantomime, and silk through phone.

D'lites? =P

Flash paper, Ninja rings, rubber bands.

& yeah simple snappy straightforward card tricks, none of the storytelling stuff...

Also consider that at noisy events, you can draw people in by being the quiet thing they MUST hear. You can draw interest. Not easy but used effectively it is a powerful tool.

I have opened tables without saying a word, doing a silent version of this, that, & the other. It works a treat when everyone is buzzing & loud at their table, & I come in without saying a word & bring the silence as they start being confused with the three Jokers, then the three Aces, & by the time I reveal the kicker at the end, there is like an explosion of reaction. That bit of quiet in between chatting & the final reveal is indeed gold.

I've done magic at parties in China (my wife and her 500 closest friends). There are a number of obstacles, but these are top of mind:

* Language barrier
* Chinese people tend to be quiet with strangers
* Chinese people tend not to laugh (until they do)
* Chinese people are uncomfortable with touching
* Chinese men have a machismo thing going on

I always opened with sponge balls picking the most curious young woman in the group. Once the lady winds up with two balls in her hand and shrieks in surprise, the ice is broken. After that, everyone wants to see magic. After that, coin magic with Chinese coins, changing a US bill into a Chinese bill, torn and restored cigarette paper using flash paper in the restoration, ring flight, and most of my walkaround magic worked well. The caveat being that being their friend's Lao Gong helped. I also did magic for children on the street; the kids loved it, but without my wife's intervention, the parents were clearly on edge. Only once did a Ba Ba give me the hairy eyeball when I did a trick for his child.

When performing back in the US, nearly all of my magic is story-based, so China was quite an adjustment.

I've done magic in most of the cities I worked at conventions. One word of caution: Don't do ring flight with a diamond ring in a fancy jewelry store. My mistake while in Paris