August 22nd, 2007 by | Posted in Street Magic, Magic Tips | No Comments »
If you want to start performing magic tricks to strangers in streets bars and clubs, follow these tips and get the most out of every magic performance.
1. Dress Casually
A lot of people will tell you that to come across as a serious magician, you have to dress well. While that is true for restaraunt work, when performing in streets and bars, you want to appear casual. Just a pair of jeans and a shirt or T-shirt is perfect. This way you blend in, looking like the average person will make people expect little from you, which elevates the surprise factor when you do something amazing.
2. Choose Your Spectators
When you start performing regularly in the ‘real world’, you will face a lot of rejection, by rejection I mean people who have no interest in seeing what you do. However, there are measures you can take to decrease this ‘rejection’. Never approach people who look busy, if someone is marching through the street, or in a bar in a deep conversation with their partner, its unlikely they want to be interupted. The next thing my experience has taught me, avoid older people and groups of males, don’t ask me why but old people seem to not want to see magic tricks, and groups of males almost always feel challenged by the fact you know something they don’t, and are prime cadidates for trying to ruin your magic.
3. Play Yourself Down
When I first approach spectators, I always like to act real casual, take everything slow and smoothe. This will make you appear as though your not even trying, which will amaze your spectators even more, that way, they will think, “what could he do if he actually tried”.
4. Learn Your Tricks
This one is pretty obvious but do not perform any trick until you have practiced it well. Although performing is the best practice you will get, make sure you have the mechanics down before you start, there is nothing more embarassing than forgetting what to do next in the middle of a routine.
5. Structure Your Performance
Make sure your routine is well structured, this means that each trick builds on the last, has an extra surprise factor or is just simply more amazing. You don’t want to start your routine with your strongest trick because the rest of your magic will just seem mediocre, build as you go and leave the best to last!
6. No means NO!
If you approach someone and they say they don’t want to see any magic, do not continue to insist, you don’t want to harrass people. Just politely say ‘Ok, thats fine’ and move along, they could be having a bad day and if someone is cheeky to you or insults you it may dent your confidence for the rest of your performance.
7. Get A Tip
The easiest way I find to get a tip is to finish with a trick using money. Borrow some cash from a spectator and use it in your final trick. Often, if you where entertaining, people will tell you to keep the money, or usually, you can just put it in your pocket and say nothing, they usually just let you have it. This is the most hassle free way of getting a tip, because usually, I don’t like to ask for it.
Keep in mind, that there is a lot more to performing in the street than what I have outlined above. But if you follow this advice, you will be sure to make a success out of most of your street magic performances.
