I am interested in this trick. Anyone got a video on the internet of them performing it? I would prefer to see visually before buying it as most do.

Thank you
James Blaxall
Buster Juggler

Here is a site you can enjoy and see it performed as well as a ton of other stuff that's neat to see. Martin has a great site and is to be commended for it. Enjoy.

Snidini

http://www.martinsmagic.com

I believe good deliberate facial expressions are crucial for this effect to be funny, not to mention good acting and posture.

Cheers,
naturalturn
http://www.raywongmagic.com

Snidini, thank you so much for that post. I hadn't seen that site and it has really helped.

a.

Thank you as well Snidini! I've added it to my favourites too.

Ray

The vanishing bandana is a great trick, but it was really hard for me to watch Martin's Magic crap site blow that trick to hell. He needs to take some acting lessons.

Awesome website! Thanks, Snidini.

But Yikes! That was the worst performance of that trick I've ever seen. The guy was a good actor in delivering one line though, it was the line in which he said he just received the box and hadn't ever performed the trick before! Wow, I believed him.

Well I am going to voice an opinion regarding the Bandana Trick...

The trick has sucked ever since Copperfield did it.

Just my opinion of course...

But I bet you I have seen 12 different performers do that trick. It is old, and stupid, and just an observation, but generally the people performing that trick are HACKS!!!

You know why?

Because professionals that are naturally funny can come up with other ways to make people laugh rather than play a tape and then act like a dork.

Now occasionally you will see someone who IS a good actor with great facial expressions, and tight comedic timing do the thing and they will blow the roof off the house, but not necessarily because the routine is a work of brilliance, no, not by a long shot, but because the performer can most likely make ANYTHING FUNNY!!! i.e. this guy I saw do it on a Carnival Cruise ship, recently, the guy wasn't even a magician, he was a great juggler!

But all of what I have just said aside, if you don't care about being original, and the thought of your audience of laypeople laughing at hack, off-the-shelf crap is okay with you, please don't let anything that I have said stop you.

Loathing that trick,
The duck

I think the same could be said about any effect. As a magician, you are actually an actor playing a magician. If you are not likable, funny, entertaining, or talented in entertaining...you will not be successful as a magician or any type of SHOW BUSINESS. The Vanishing Bandana has been around a long time and if performed correctly, entertains A LOT! It's only been around so long because it does work.

Some people can tell a story, any story, and make it entertaining. Others have problems talking to the drive-through speakers.

Are you a natural entertainer?? Do you have a quick wit??? Are patient? Do you like kids? Are you relaxed talking in front of large crowds???

If you answered yes to all the above, you would make a great magician!! You could entertain with a paper sack and a 1/2 a deck of cards and a TT for a full set. The props you use can be ANYTHING, as long as it's presented in an entertaining way.

Musicman, are you correcting me or reinforcing my argument?

The Banana is OVERDONE!!!

Of course I am an audience member who enjoys watching clever original stuff, and I just cringe when I see that banana rear its ugly yellow peel in a show that people have paid good money for.

Now if you are looking to do it at a Blue and Gold or a Bat mitzvah, PARTY ON WAYNE!!!

I am actually saying your argument could be applied to anything a magician uses. My point was it's not the actual trick that is MOST important. It's the presentation.

If your presentation of the Vanishing Bandana is relying on the gimmick or the effect, it just reinforces your argument and I agree with you. However, by saying that the Vanishing Bandana routine should be scrapped because so many peope do it... I disagree. If you are going to do it, or any other commercial well known trick, personalize it. Make it entertaining.

Maybe I should clarify a little. Professional wrestling is fake. Most, if not all fans (which I am not), enjoy watching it anyway. It entertains them. Magic is much the same thing. They know it's fake. My point is some people should not be in magic. They are NOT performers, entertainers. However, anyone can buy these magic tricks and present them any way they want. Your argument could be applied to every known magic trick out there. Don't use silks, they are overdone. Don't use TTs, they are overused. Don't do the Magic Coloring Book, it's in every clown's bag.

My point? Present ALL your magic with style and presentaion skills. To quote myself, "You could entertain with a paper sack and a 1/2 a deck of cards and a TT for a full set. The props you use can be ANYTHING, as long as it's presented in an entertaining way".

That's my opinion, take it or leave it as you please. It's not busting you or saying you are wrong to have your opinion. I just want performing magicians to understand it's not the props that will make or break your show. It's YOU, and how you do it.

I agree with everything you say, except with you want to give the banana a pass, if a talented performer chooses to do it. It they are talented in all the way you list, they should be able to come up with something other than the stupid banana audiotape.

Here is the bottom line...

And I know this happens.

You have a lot of newbies, and enthusiasts watching other performs whom do the Banana trick. These newbies here the solid laughs that this overdone trick gets, and the newbie thinks to himself,

"I know how that's done, it's a Devils Hank, that’s easy and I could do it and just listen to the laughter! This routine kills, I should buy it and put it into the show." (End of the newbie/magic enthusiast/hack/unoriginal performer's thoughts)

I come here for research, one-liners, that can be applied to different applications, and to find out what is happening in the magic world.

Now I suppose that I need to keep reminding myself that 95% of Magic Café is Newbies.

There is nothing wrong with it, I guess I just shouldn't try to correct them or educate them with an issue like "Pass on the banana and for the love of god please come up with something different!"

I hear what you are saying and possibly it's worthy of it's own thread.

It amazes me after a show, how many people in the audience have never seen a magic show except on TV. Maybe it's my demograhpics, where I live, but I doubt it. I always wonder how so many poeple over the age of 30 have missed seeing a live performance starring a magician. I just took a poll of 25 people I ran into today at the corperate headquarters for a company I work for. The poll was to see how many people have heard or seen the Vanishing Bandana. Of the 25, not 1 had even heard of it. One person thought they may have seen something like this on TV, but they weren't sure. These are LAYPERSONS...my target audience.

We have an employee appreciation day coming up and they always expect me to do "Something". Many suggested, after my poll, that I should perform the Vanishing bandana trick at this function. (my poll got their curiosity). Well, it really has been done poorly by ALOT of magicians out there...and others think it's been overdone...it's old.
I ask myself....."Self, do you think you could entertain the crowd with this old, overdone routine"?
How about the 1 guy who thinks amybe he saw it on TV 10 or more years ago? Would he enjoy it? I would bet money (ALOT of MONEY!), that I could. I'll bet that it just won't be good, it will be something they talk about long after the routine is over. Something they will even tell 3rd parties about days after they have seen it. I have confidence in the routine, so much that I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. I am an entertainer, a story teller, a clown without the makeup, a comedian, a rebel WITH a cause! My advice to anyone, is to evaluate the props, patter and presentation style you plan to use BEFORE you purchase any routine....including the Vanishing Bandana. There are so many routines that some could claim as "overdone"....don't let it stop you from making it a show-maker. Just make sure your routine is not "vanilla", add in all the fruits and nutz and sauces and put that cherry on top! Again, it's just my opinion.

Ya know what? I bought this trick for a bit of filler in my comedy club set and even now I get people asking me "are you going to do the banana trick". I can't believe how much folks like that stupid trick but they do. It is now a standard part of my show. I'm bored with it but it works so I'm stuck with it. I have a friend who says "whatever works is right". It is hard to argue with logic like that.

booker

You guys are KILLING ME!

Musicman, You make very compelling points, and I am enjoying the debate.

I can imagine that 25 people you ask haven't heard of this trick, HECK you could probably find 25 people who don't know who John Kerry is, or Dick Chenny for that matter.

If you guys are clown or doing small private parties, my issue is not with you.

I have seen too many professional magicians do that crap trick on Cruise lines, and major theaters in major markets, and I guess these are the hacks that I have a problem with.

I will leave it at that.

So Duckster? Any suggestions for other routines?

I agree with you belief that many routines are overdone. Certainly, this one is not as overdone as the dreaded cups and balls or most cards tricks. However, in magic, the magic often speaks for itself. Creating comedy is hard thing to do so some oft for a premade script. However, one could take the theme of that effect and apply it to something else. The theme being one of a magicians' failure and success.

OK, saw a mage do the Bandana last night at the Magic Castle. He is a terrific performer/actor and had a different twist on it (I won't tip)... BUT... the bottom line...

Wife and I took her son to the Castle for his first time as an adult (just turned 21) and had a great dinner and saw two shows. Both excellent.

AFter we got home I asked my stepson what he liked best... (and there was lots of good solid magic) and he said, the Banana trick and the close up guy.

[quote]On 2004-07-30 12:17, duckster wrote:
HECK you could probably find 25 people who don't know who John Kerry is, or Dick Chenny for that matter.

I've heard of them.
Do they do the Bandana trick? And if so, do you have a link to any video footage of them doing it?

Cheers
Billy (tongue firmly in cheek) James

I've only met one (non magician) person who has seen this trick before. He saw Copperfield do it.

Like the colouring book, this is an easy routine that too many people do badly.

At the end of the day. Its easy to do, its funny and it works!

What we - the magic community think of the trick does not matter.

Can you perform it well? If you can it is very funny to a lay audience and has a magical ending.

It may be old, easy to do, but if the customers laugh then your job is done.

Even though it is simple it must be well practiced as the magicians facial expressions and reactions are what sells the very simple effect.

Paula