Woody the magician
Scottish Conjurers Association Close-Up Magic Contest 2012
March the 14th is a day a lot of men celebrate with a steak and some private time with their misses. Not for me though. Oh no, it was off to the magic club to compete in the annual Scottish Conjurers’ Association Close-Up Magic Contest.
What is The Scottish Conjurers Association?
Better known as the SCA, It’s the oldest and biggest magic club in Scotland. It’s been going for 89 years now and has had some of the Uk’s top magicians as members. Most notably I believe Jerry Sadowitz was a member at one point. If you’d like to join the SCA Checkout their new website at: http://www.scamagic.org/
What is the Close-Up Contest?
Well it’s a lot easier to carry a pack of cards than it is to carry the Sawing In Half Illusion…So essentially, everyone in the club performs close-up magic so the contest is of a good standard.
The Story
I’d put my name down for the contest but I didn’t know what to perform. I always like to perform at least 1 new super trick at each contest. And this year’s winner was The Ninja Rings
Ninja Rings
The Linking Rings / Ninja rings are my Nemesis. It’s not the version you’ve probably seen on the TV it’s the small version popular
with the elite magicians in Japan. I’ve been working on this trick for 4 years. It’s so complicated that after a few day’s I always throw it back in the box and a month or 2 later I pick it up and play with it until the point of ultimate frustration at which point I make the decision of where they should be placed: In a box, on Ebay or in the bin.
I’d almost given up on it when I got to see the man who made the miracle famous- Shoot Ogawa. Shoot is a world legend and will be for eternity as he’s simply amazing. So to see him perform anything live is always a treat and an education. And there I was at The Blackpool Magic Convention watching him and I couldn’t believe my eyes for 3 reasons:
- Even though I knew how it was done I was still fooled.
- Shoot Ogawa, the guy who teaches the trick, took 4 attempts to do one of the moves.
- I was on tequila (kidding)
At first I felt cheated that he hadn’t put this in his DVD but then I felt happy because I didn’t feel like such an idiot every time I got the move wrong.
But then I realised something. I’m not Shoot. He’s a magician with a mentor who’s been at it 14 hours a day since he was born. I’m a magical entertainer. So I decided to perform the linking rings my way. I changed the presentation from a demonstration of magic to something more entertaining with a lot of my performing style in it. So I locked myself in the garage with the camcorder and proceeded to practice till my hands couldn’t hold the rings anymore. After 3 days I was happy with it and had scripted the routine and had it on video. Finally finished practicing but was thinking about the contest and didn’t get to bed till 7am
Day Of The Contest
8am: The phone rings…. It’s my business mentor Stephen,
“Just thought I’d give you a call so you’d get up and start practicing”
At this time in the morning I couldn’t make a cup of tea never mind make magic happen. But, by 8:40 I was up and having my first practice session of the day. It was terrible. I couldn’t perform the opening move. Tried it 50 times and only hit it 2 or 3 times. Decided I was too tired so went back to bed.
11am Practice session: I’m even worse! 200 attempts and I’m not even close.
1pm: I’m in a bad mood now so retire to my happy place Facebook. I moan about how crap I am at it and take some words of wisdom from some people on board and try again.
3pm: With a little more self belief I’m hitting it a little more often but I’m considering taking it out of the act as although it’s a really beautiful opener, it isn’t required; But, then I saw this poster of Richard Branson on my friend Jacquie’s wall.
- Calculate the risks and take them
- Believe them
- Enjoy the moment.
I was starting to believe that this poster was sent to find me and I remembered what Stephen Hendry ,the Snooker player, has always said. He’d rather lose walking away from the table knowing he’d went for it rather than playing it safe.
With that in mind it was off to practice one last time, I broke the move down and BOOM. For the first time in 24 hours I got it 5 times in a row. I wasn’t getting it every time but about 60% which I could live with.
Magic Contest time
As it’s a contest and magicians are pretty picky I decided to make a new set of ropes so they are super clean, polish the shoes, press the suit and it’s off to the contest. They’re not magic ropes, just really nice silky rope but you need to glue the ends so the ends don’t fray. After turning the house upside down looking for glue, it was off to the shops only to discover nobody was selling any. So after a few detours it was off to the club. I got there and discovered I was on 4th which gave me just enough time to glue the ropes and have a last practice with the rings. Managed to hit the move I’d been struggling with 2 times in a row so all happy J
Please welcome to the stage – Woody
I’ll be honest, I was sh***ing it. The 3 acts on before me had all done really well and no one had made a mistake. I on the other hand hadn’t done my act without mistakes J
Woody is my magic character, this might sound arrogant but…I was born to perform magic, when I’m in character I feel like I’m one with the universe. The rings were brought out and the opening move…BOOM! First time I hit it. Was very happy. Most the jokes went well and then came to the second danger bit. The bit Shoot Ogawa, the legend of the rings got wrong 4 times. First attempt I missed it. The way I’ve set it up I can actually disguise that and make it out as if I’ve missed it on purpose the first 2 times. Second attempt: I hit it! Pfew. All happy. Continued with the ropes and some audience interaction and all went well. Finished with a big applause
In the second half 2 new club members got up and both did really well. I have to admit, I thought one of them was the favourite for the trophy, then the next act came on and did even better. The general feeling in the room was, “I wouldn’t like to be a judge right now” as there really was very little between the top 5. When this happens, small details like, who had the shiniest shoes comes into play. I was happy I’d used clean ropes J. My thinking was, that they had performed without any mistakes but although I’d made 3 minor mistakes I had more entertainment in my routines and a stronger performing character…plus unbeknown to the others…I’d been praying for the last 5 minutes. So I also had God on my side.
The Results.
The guy who I thought would win came 3rd so took a bit of the pressure off.
The Spanish guy’s name was announced next. As he was my main competitor I was not more confident but by no means would I have been betting myself for the win. Out came my name as first place.
I walked up and was tempted to hug the trophy but decided against it. Walked off and gave the judges a big hug which looking back on it…probably wasn’t my best idea as people will no doubt think it was a fix and walking off someone said, why don’t you kiss them, so I saw a guy on the front row and decided to plant one on his cheek which got a big laugh.
Took the trophy home and went to my happy place – Facebook. At the time of writing this my update got 89 likes – which I believe is a record for me.
Final thoughts.
This is the 4th time I’ve won this contest and they all meant different things. The first was special because it was the first time I’d won it. The second was special because so few people defend their title. The 3rd was special because no one had ever won it 3 years in a row.
However, this one is probably the most special. I hadn’t prepared or performed very well at the last 2 contests and deep down I was wondering if I’d maybe lost something. Also, the standard at the club has really improved and this year’s contest was the toughest by far.
Also I’m now only the second person to ever win the cup 4 times. Not bad when you consider the clubs being going for 89 years. The only other person who has done this was the guy to hand me the trophy, who’s not only a great magician he’s a friend of mine as well. So that makes it all the more special.
Magic Show In Feb 2012
Howdy, would you like to come see me perform some magic? Last year I decided to open up a wee variety night called Enterteasement. It’s a combination of magic, burlesque & comedy. It allows me to try out some new routines jokes etc and it also allows me to work with some of the best entertainers in Glasgow.
The next show is Friday 24th February and it’s in The Pony on Bath Street. The Pony was voted best cocktail bar last year I think so it’s a nice wee modern place. Tickets can be purchased via an online booking system called Event Brite. It takes Paypal as the credit card charges were a little too pricey.
It’s a fantastic bill. I managed to Secure 3 top comedians most notably Scottish Comedian of the Year 2009 John Gavin but to be honest the other 2 are just as good it was a toss of a 3 way coin to decide who would be comepere, headline and Middle Spot. I also have a Dundee Burlesque troupe coming through. I asked these girls to send me a video and one of their routines had me literally jumping up and down shouting. “I need these guys they’re amazing!!”
So I’ll be opening the show with 20 minutes of a new routine and then I get to sit back and enjoy the show and mingle with the guests.
If you want to come checkout http://www.enterteasement.com/ or go to http://feb24pony-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=2 to buy tickets.
Can You Make My Belly Disappear?
Can you make my belly disappear?
It’s one of those questions magicians get asked a lot it’s up there with;
1) Can you make my wife disappear?
2) What do you think of Dynamo?
3) How did you get into magic?
4) Can I be your Debbie McGhee?
And my personal favourite… “Do you know Harry Potter?”
However, my answer to the ‘Can You Make My Belly Disappear?’ has always been. “If I could do that I’d start with my own”. However, it’s true…I have actually managed to make my belly disappear…well some of it anyway and I have to say it’s been easier than expected and dare I say fun? Let me explain; it’s my 30th in April and at New Years I decided that I wanted to be a healthy weight for my birthday. So I started running but I managed to pull my hamstring and no I can’t “magic it better” and that’s when it hit me I needed something else, something special I needed a magic assistant…well two to be exact. So I’ve enlisted the services of Jen & Elle – 2 female Personal Trainers from Forward Fitness Glasgow and I’ve been taking their Pilates classes out in the west end of Glasgow and WOW. I’ve done Pilates before but nothing like this. It’s friggin amazing and it’s a full body workout as well as a good laugh. So yeah it’s unfortunate that I can’t do my running as of yet but I’ve lost 8lb this month and the girls have taken good care of me. Also, my magic shows as of recent times have been going amazingly well and at these shows I keep getting asked if I’m single which I can only conclude means that I’m wearing way to much aftershave (that joke got 19 likes on my facebook so I thought I’d throw it in_
So I’m not going to give you all weekly updates on how my health is going because who knows I could give up next week and then I’d feel stupid. However, I have a funny feeling I won’t. I have a feeling that I’ll actually stick with what I’m doing and lose some weight in the process. Here are my secrets
1) Eat when you’re hungry
2) Eat whatever you want
3) Stop when you’re full
4) Go to pilates classes at http://www.forwardfitnessglasgow.com/pilates/
I was going to do this for charity but I’ve decided to be totally selfish and do it for myself. I’m hoping to lose another 8-10lb in Feb and the same again in March. Wish me luck folks!!
Magicians In Scotland Like Dynamo
Magician in Scotland like Dynamo
“Are there any magicians in Scotland like Dynamo?d How Does Dynamo put the mobile phone in the bottle? These are 2 questions that I get asked every night at the moment and they’ve got me thinking about my own magic career and the perception that the public have on not just magicians but entertainers in general. The thought is that the cream will always rise to the top and that Dynamo is heads and shoulders above the rest of us because he actually has magical powers. Both of which are not the case and when I try to describe my thoughts on TV Magicians I’m often looked at with a kind of…”aren’t you just jealous?”
Performing Magic on TV
Be honest, if someone slightly weird looking approached you in the street and started staring at you intensely how would you feel? I know I’d be freaked out and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone; however, picture the same scene, a weird looking guy approaches you but this time there’s a TV cameras and a sound boom and god knows what else. The first thing to go through your head is probably –“ I’m going to be on TV” and the second thought is – “hey there’s that guy off the telly” Now I will add, as far as I’m aware, there are no camera tricks on his show.
The Last I was asked to perform magic on TV to demonstrate if magic could attract girls. Now believe it or not I’ve written a small book on the psychology of approaching groups but all my experience and knowledge could be thrown out the window when you approach with a camera crew behind you…and I’m not even famous. The girls were happily enjoying their lunch so this situation would normally take two minutes of introduction & rapport building to provide the girls with a pleasurable magic experience (not that type of experience for my normal readers) However, the lights were on, the camera was on and as soon as I approached the girls were more than happy to be on camera.
What am I trying to say? If you would like a magician like dynamo to perform at your event you have to ask yourself this question?
Do I want the magician to give my guests a demonstration of magic…or do I want my guests to be entertained via magic?
Magician vs Magical Entertainer
For the last 9 years I have asked my clients, “why are you considering hiring a magician” and they’ve always had the same answers,
- We want something different
- We want some entertainment during the break
- I’m just a big kid and I like magic
However, in all my experience I’ve never had one enquiry asking me to make their guests believe in magic or to do a demonstrations of magic.
Am I better or worse than Dynamo?
In all honesty we’re just different performers. I do like his show though and magicians love him because he’s made magic popular again so more bookings for us. So yes Magicians in Scotland do like Dynamo to find out more about him visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamo_(magician)
Magician On The Radio
There’s 3 letters I love more than anything else. BBC. When the BBC call asking for me to perform that wee “I want to be a celebrity” voice in my head get’s louder. The amount of doors it could open, the bragging rights and above all – it makes a great facebook update.
I was asked if I could perform a trick for the McCauley & CO radio listeners on BBC Radio Scotland. Now the tricks I perform are all very visual but I thought “BBC, I can do it”
So I said, “Yes I could do that”
Then BBC Paul said, “And could you teach that trick to the audience at home?”
Even the books I learn magic tricks from have pictures in them but teaching a trick over the radio – that’s a challenge. However, my brain said, “BBC, I can do it”
So I said, “Yes I could do that”
And then he said, “And it will be performed close-up to Fred but also to an audience of 200”
By that point I was in for a penny in for a pound.
So I replied “ No problem”
Then he asked if I could teach a trick to Richard ‘The Challenge Guy’ Now this is something I love doing so I was really looking forward to it.
Choosing tricks to perform on the radio
I’ve heard about 5 magicians perform magic on the radio. All 5 have performed mind-reading and 3 have performed the same trick. Why? Because mindreading works on the radio as it happens in the person’s mind. Whereas magic is more visual. So I decided I would perform a card trick (as requested) but I would perform it in a mind-reading style.
Teaching a trick for the radio
I was told I had an hour with Richard. As Richard has performed lots of challenges and even a good few magic challenges, I didn’t have to worry about him dealing with stage fright or performance issues. So what was my goal? No disrespect to the other tricks that he’d learned but they are what we refer to in the magic business as “Self Working Magic” These are similar to the trick I taught in the original piece. So I had the option of teaching Richard one of these tricks in 10 minutes and play it safe. But that’s not what I wanted. I’ve spoken to a few magicians who have changed careers and I’ve asked them if it was hard to re-learn. They’ve always answered with…”It’s not like learning how to do x shuffle or y move” And this is what I wanted to do with Richard. It was my goal to push him and show how complicated magic can be to learn. So I taught him one of my favourite tricks. If I had 40 minutes I wouldn’t have taught him it but I knew I could teach him it in an hour.
30 minutes in and I wasn’t so sure but by the time we were on the 40 minute mark he had it and the last 20 minutes we polished it up and added some showmanship and presentation.
Showtime – Woody On The Radio
I arrived and met the team which was weird as the co-host was my friends ex-girlfriend and I met 2 comedians I know as well. I then Met Fred McCauley who said it was nice to meet me, I informed him we had met before and I could sense his embarrasement at not remembering my face but I put him at ease by telling him he wouldn’t remember me as it a) it was only a brief encounter b) it was 8 years ago and c) I was dresses as Santa Clause at the time.
When the show started I walked on and started telling my magic story. When It came time for me to teach the trick Fred semed surprised and asked if the Magic Circle would be annoyed and I replied by saying, “Only if you pay your fees”. I’d just received a letter saying mine are due so this got an audience laugh. However after performing my magic and teaching the effect he asked if I could perform some mind-reading. This caught me off gaurd as it wasn’t in the script at all and I’d given away the pack of cards. I did however have a dowsing pendulum with me so I brought that out but to be honest I don’t think it’s the type of trick that works on radio.
Push a 10p into a can of irn-bru. Unbeknown to me at the time, you’re not allowed to say products name’s over the radio but I must have said it 5 times – oops
It was time for Richards performance – we were told we were really short on time and that the piece may be cancelled. However, we were told we had a maximum of 2 minutes. More pressure on Richard so he started the trick and he hit the coin into the can and rather than the coin go in the can the can shot halfway across from the stage – Doh!
Now for those of you who know me will know I’m Mr Back-up so behind Richard, I had a spare can of Irn-bru or as Fred referred to it – “A can of a very popular Scottish fizzy drink”.
Richard continued and performed the trick really well and got a great reaction from the audience. Afterwards Richard said he had performed 900 challenges and this was the one that made him most nervous. So I feel like I’ve done myself proud and whenever Richard talks about his challenges he’ll always talk about how complexities of sleight of hand.
As the link to the radio will die in the middle of December I’m not going to post it but hopefully I’ll have a link up soon.
In conclusion, magic on the radio was fun!!
magic mind reading show Friday October 28th Glasgow
Would you like to see me perform part of my mind reading show? As many of you know I’m a magician & mind-reader; but, I really love live entertainment so I decided to set up my own night called Enterteasement. It’s a mixture of comedy, magic & burlesque. My next show is on Friday the 28th of October in The Admiral on Waterloo Street Glasgow. It’s basically right next to central station. If you’d like to buy tickets for this event you can on http://enterteasement.eventbrite.com or via http://www.woodyallanvarietyacts.co.uk
On the same bill are 3 of the top comedians in Scotland, 3 beautiful burlesque acts and a cheeky surprise finish
Magician in Jumping Jacks Glasgow
If you attended the Glasgow Jumpin Jacks anytime between 2001 – 2004 chances are a really adorable drunken magician would be using his magic to try and chat you up. Ladies, that gentleman was me! Yes it’s true, a venue where I probably got a knock back off every girl in the venue (several times) is now going to be paying me to go in there and flirt with girls. I will be performing close-up magic in Jumping Jacks Every Saturday night in October except Halloween. To see me you have to book a party in there which can be done by visiting http://www.jaksglasgow.com/
My Magic Show’s At The Fringe
That’s right folks, I have a few Edinburgh dates left at this years fringe. I’ll be doing comedy at Rat Ar&&d, Magic and I don’t know what I’m doing at For Chris’ Sake yet as I might be compering.
For Chris’ Sake: Sunday 21st 3 sisters (room with a view) 139 CowgateEH1 1JSFree5pm
There are several comedians in Scotland called Chris and one of them, Chris Stephen, decided to put on an event for Comedians Called Chris. I might be compering this one so lots of stage time.
Rat Ars&d: Friday 26th Rat Arsed 9 Shandwhich place EH2 4RGfree 9 pm
A collection of the up and coming Scottish talent. It’s free so it might be pants, but you could be pleasantly surprised.
Lou Hickey live at Ghillie Dhu: Sunday 28th Ghillie Dhu2 Rutland PlaceEdinburghEH1 2AD£4 8:30 – 11:00pm
I performed at the launch of this and it’s a fantastic wee night. I think the tickets are £4 which is a total bargain. The venue is amazing and they have fantastic acts on. Lou Hickey is pretty famous, she was Scotland’s most Eligible woman and has had Albums in the charts and all that jive. It’s a cracking wee show.
New website now live!!!
Howdy People this is version 4 of my website. For those of you who know don’t know me, mention of the word website turns me from mild mannered magician into The Hulk.
However, the good news is – this is my new site and I’m really happy to say it’s looking quite nice and it’s quite easy to use – if you do spot a problem, please let me know and i’ll remedy it asap
I’m totally in charge of this website and I’ve got some really cool features that I’ll be unleashing in the next few days
Follow me on the web!
