If Gazzo went to just three loads, he would probably still need a pouch due to the large size of the loads.

You can take one of your moms old purses and cut off the straps and cut holes for a belt to run through it and make a servicable pouch for nothing.

Ronnie

I did this in tailored leather, but get a large brass ring (the sort they use for macrame) bend it to an oval big enough to confortably put your hand through and sew (by hand if necessary) a very circle of cloth (or a tailored one)onto that with a belt loop and you've got something to keep your gear in. The cups etc. go in it and you put it on your belt with a loop (in your case of cloth). It's not as good as if it's done in leather as it will silhouette loads but a busy design/heavy cloth may counter this. The brass ring keeps the entrance stiff and easy to get into.

Anyway raid your mum's clothing scraps (with permission) do careful mockup in paper first (always before you cut and test ito out with loads and your hand), a night of sewing and an instant and cheap gibeciere.

Good luck. Anything you want know PM me.

Thanks for the ideas!

Today I did a 3 Load routine with Lemons out of my pocket and it worked fairly well. I'm going to look into getting a cheap tool pouch, but if not, my pockets will work. I plan on picking up both of Ammar's Complete Cups and Balls DVD's so I should be all set! Once againt thanks.

Adam

If you are planning to do cups and balls on the streets then Ammar's routine is not suitable in my opinion. It is a great routine but it is not for the streets. I suggest Cellini stuff all Gazzo.
Mario

I'm with Mario on this one. On the street it is a Looooooooong way from the back pocket to the cup.

Remember on the street your audience will be in a circle or at least a horseshoe, that bad line of site on the left will be magnified like nobody's business.

On the street my opinion is you really need to load from the front with total cover and STRONG misdirection if you want to fool everyone.

I just did a private show this weekend for ten people. I used Bertram/Miller cups and loaded small peaches from my left front pocket as a final load. I wouldn't do that on the street.

For Fatal, I would invest my money in something other than Ammar's DVDs on the topic if you want to do the cups and balls on the street. Dai Vernon's routine, Gazzo's Cups and balls book, and Bob Read's Penultimate cups and balls are a much better value for the street in my opinion. Gazzo's work being the most appropriate for the street venue.

Also remember, Gazzo's routine does not need to end with the melon. I know when Gazzo works a smaller private gig he produces three oranges, gets the check, and goes home early.

The melon is a WOW finish for 300 spectators on the street. In a private setting going through the rest of that routine with all the bits and business and then popping three oranges right under their noses blows them right out of the water.

Like I said, I did the routine with small peaches. In my opinion Pete Biro is right on the money when he said it is the change that kills them not the size.

Best,

Dan-

P.S. the most important thing in getting that flat out floored reaction is not in what you do during this routine it is what you don't do. It is all in the pauses, or pauses for aplauses as my old man used to say.

In Gazzo's routine when he does it on the street there is at least several seconds between that last orange and the melon. Time being relative, to you on stage that pause will feel like a life time but, to your audience it is just enough time for that tension to develop so you can wonk them like a sledgehammer.

Greetings and Salutations,

I think part of the question dealt with pouches and not being in a position to buy a Gazzo at this point. May I suggest a nail apron from a hardware store, or a waiter/waitress apron from a restaurant supply store. Simply cut the seam forming the divided pocket into one large pocket and keep working your way up. I started with the nail apron, got the waiter apron, then tried my hand at making a poachers pouch and ended up buying what I wanted.

The same holds true with cups. Bill will be able to steer you to what you need to get started.

I'll agree that you will be well-served by studying Gazzo's and Cellini's routines, which are variations of Vernon's. Ammar's first dvd is a study in basics -- you can get that from Gazzo or Cellini, with some Gazzo and Cellini spins, derivatives, and addtions. I'll pick this rare instance to disagree with Danny -- to a degree -- and say go with the second Ammar dvd, which is very good at showing a goodly number of alternative moves.

That's my $.02 (USD) worth. YMMV.

Good luck, and don't get too deep into your cups.

Joe in KC

The pouch I use is not all that large and still holds a grapefruit, 4 oranges, and some small items.

You can get a pouch that will suit your needs, though not very good quality, at any hardware store. It might not look that great or last that long but it will be something to help you decide what you really need.

I don't have a lot of time right now to read all the posts on this subject completely BUT....it's a long way from your pockets to your cup...so take your cup to your pocket...reduces angle problems...now loading from your back pocket would be a problem that way.....but from your front pocket its cup to pocket not load to cup...
koz

You got it tedb... also there are slight variations/diff. methods, I can second that, I just wouldn't call it *cup to pocket*, but I would call it *cup to load*.
But basically you are 100% correct.

More about this moved to the Secret Session section...

For me the loads are great but the jumbo load is what kills 'em.

I use Cellini's bit with the magic hat. Sunny Holiday on "The Art Of...#1" used the patter (but interestingly enough never produces anything from his hat at the end). They see it empty at the beginning and a grapefruit drops out of it at the end.

It's just a touch challenging but the challenge and the revelation are so far apart that they're forgotten all about it by that time.

The reaction to that single piece of fruit is huge.
Do it!
Do it!

When Ammar does his own routine, he doesn't load from his back pocket. He loads from his sport coat pocket. On Ammar's dvds on the cups and balls, he doesn't teach his routine. He does teach Vernon's routine. In teaching Vernon's routine, Ammar loads from his back pocket cause that's how the professor did it. The dvds are mostly a collection of all the moves and sequences with a bunch of theory and some history thrown in by Bob Read. In Ammar's cups and balls book, he does teach his own routine as well as Vernon's I believe. I found an item at Staples that would make a great mid-sized pouch. It's designed to be a sort of pouch that attaches to the back of a car seat. All you'd have to do is sew some belt loops on it and you'd be good to go. I'd say it's about Cellini pouch size. It's made of black nylon duck and is stiffened so the loads wouldn't show.
Good luck!

Jim

I forgot to mention, but about 20 years ago I was using a photo gadget bag for carrying the cups/loads, etc.

Pete, once again, you prove to me that I am following in the footsteps of greatness. When I do trade shows, I work out of a professional photographer's bag as well! The new ones have inside walls that are held in place by Velcro and, as such, are completely adjustable. With these moveable walls, your cups and balls, loads, cards, and all of the sundry other goodies are easily found, are thoroughly protected and the bags wear like chainmail armor (but weight only a fraction - and are water resistant, too - chainmail is NOT).

Thanks once again for proving that I am not completely crazy in my choice of grips!

Lee Darrow, C.H.

I was trying to point out how strong a hat load can be for the routine.
I wouldn't skip it for the world.

Hey Adam,

I have a black cloth 3 pocket pouch that I don't use anymore. You can have it if you want. If you PM me your address, I'll send it to you.

Joe

I think I was tired at the time Jim.

Basically I really like the hat load. The timing and the reaction
are superb. I will admit that it took me several tries to figure out
the exact second to drop the load out of the hat.

I don't wear a hat either except for this routine. I put it on at the beginning
when I say, "...and I use one other thing most magicians don't use. A magic hat"
and I show them the inside of the hat.

Fatal:

I have PM'ed you some ideas.

In my neck of the woods (Down Under), we have wicker fishing baskets, some of which have a flat back lid and fit onto a belt so you can keep bait in them while you're surf fishing. I've always looked at them and thought they'd probably be a reasonable (and renfaire looking ) gibeciere. I guess it all depends on what you're going for look-wise.

Checking out the fishing shops may pay too...

For four lemons, you do not need a Gazzo Pouch, those are meant for holding 6 oranges and a melon. The pouch I have is the one Frank Starsini sells, the Poacher's Pouch (SP?). It is half the price, and doesn't seem that odd to me. Besides you're not just doing cups and balls, you're doing other tricks too, where do you store those? I can store a whole act in my pouch, and it is about half the size of Gazzo's.