The Pack Horse Problem Pronunciation: (pak'hôrs"), —n. 1. a horse used for carrying goods, freight, supplies, etc. 2. a person who works hard or bears a heavy load of responsibility. 3. a mentalist who feels the need to carry more equipment than he/she will use. The term of ‘Packhorse’ was commonly used in Yorkshire (the region of the UK where I grew up). It was frequently used as a slang term, typically when a husband had the unfortunate job of carrying the shopping bags as his wife stopped at every shop window on the way home. “Tha’s got me as a bloody Packhorse woman.” The ‘Packhorse’ term is one I have coined to describe the Mentalist or Magician who takes far more props to a show than he will actually perform. It is a common mistake and if you stop and think about it for a moment, you will have done this at some point in the past. I know I have! A typical walk around gig might consist of 200 people split into groups of 10, sat around tables having a three course meal. (This is typical of a corporate Christmas party in the UK.) If the performer is booked for two hours, then he will only have on average six minutes with each table. Take into consideration that some tables will be served with their food in the middle of your performance, so you may only have two or three minutes with these tables. Instead of filling your pockets and bag with as many effects and props at you can physically carry, it’s time to re-evaluate just exactly who you are as a performer and what you want to communicate to your audience. The time spent with your groups may be short but not too short so as to not leave an impression. An impression that can either make or break you as a performer; try to keep this in mind each and every time you approach a table. So let me describe to you what I will take to a typical walk around corporate party. • • • •
Business cards A small supply of pens or pencils Some type of impression device or peek wallet A marked deck of playing cards
• A thumb/nail writer (Invisible) • Post-it notes • A billet Index As a list it looks quite heavy, but if you visualise each object on that list and see it on your person, it is anything but. In certain circumstances I will use a range of covert electronic devices that are hidden upon my body. These I don’t really count as props as they are invisible to the audience. As you can see from the list above, it is real bare bones stuff; in fact all the items could easily fit into just one pocket. Let’s take this a little further and discuss the possibilities of carrying this small supply of equipment. Firstly none of the above will raise suspicion to a walk around audience. There have been many, many debates about the use of playing cards in mentalism. I’m not going to go into it here; needless to say I currently use them, but only for 1 or 2 effects at the most.
Business Cards This is an interesting section that needs to be considered if you are to be an effective close-up performer. One of the most important elements for this type of work is a strong business card. It should be clear, concise and have all the relevant contact information but don’t give too much away. Obviously your cards should set the context for you, so ensure it says what you do, don’t waffle though. Mine simply states my name and underneath it the words “Mind Reader”. Why not a “Mentalist”? Well in the UK this term is relatively unknown. If I were to ask the majority of the public they would not know what this is. Although the recent US TV show of the same name now gives a few people an indication of what I can actually do, at present it is not a viable term to use on my business cards, maybe one day that will change. Also, the comedian Alan Partridge is famous in the UK for a sketch where he uses the term ‘mentalist’ as a ‘crazy person’. Hence if you were to call someone a mentalist, the image conjured up in many people’s minds would be someone who is a little mentally unstable. 2
Whilst this may be true of a few performers I have witnessed over the years it is hardly the impression I want to present. Contact details are vital on a business card. Make sure you give your website details and a phone number. Email is optional as if someone is interested in booking you they will be able to get that from your site. You may want to include any testimonials or quotes on your cards. Make sure these are interesting and if you have had the privilege of performing for celebrities ensure their name is clearly visible at the end of the quote. Don’t use unknown names, instead write the name of the company they represent, it looks and sounds so much more impressive and will be remembered by prospective clients. How To Use Your Business Cards This may seem a little unusual for some but bear with me; I don’t like using my business cards as billets. I will not fold them up, or tear them into pieces. It’s disrespectful to the card and weakens their purpose by giving the impression that they are worthless. I want people to treat my business cards with respect as if it is something for them to treasure. When the performance is over and I am gone, it will be the only physical thing left with them and should serve as a lasting reminder of who I am and how to contact me in the future. A tatty half torn card with numbers and words scribbled upon it is not the memory I want them to have. By this I am not saying that we should never use our business cards in effects. Much the opposite, I have purposely designed a section on the back of the card for me to write or draw my participants thoughts on. Notice how I said “for me to write or draw”. The reason why I don’t usually allow my participants to scribble on my card is two-fold. The first being that I can control what goes on there. I certainly don’t want an image of a badly drawn penis or a large dog shit to be an active reminder of my drawing duplication. Drunken participants can be difficult at the best of times. The second reason is that I want to give my card away at the end of each and every performance; hence if I am using a peek wallet to see what my participant has written or drawn I will ensure they use their own business card to jot the thought down. It is natural for me to take their card and place it inside my wallet, once their card is firmly inside my 3
wallet; I can get my peek and take out one of my own business cards on which to replicate their thought. This will then be handed to them to keep as a souvenir. I want to re-emphasise that last paragraph as I feel it is of utmost importance: • • • •
The participant draws or writes a thought on their own card. It is placed in your wallet. You take one of your own cards out (peeking at the same time). Replicate their thought on your card, and give it to them.
By doing this, you not only perform a strong piece of mind reading but you successfully network, you have gained the contact details of someone you have performed well for, whilst at the same time given your details to the person with a correctly revealed thought permanently etched onto the back. Tips On Giving Your Business Cards Out Here are a couple of tips on giving your business cards out. You need to constantly bear in mind that every card given is a direct lead, a lead that could lead to a booking. Therefore everyone is a potential client and needless to say should be treated with respect. If you have performed an effect that utilised your business card, ensure the card is given to them at the end as a “memory” or “souvenir” of your time together. When you do this, always give an extra card and tell them it’s “for a friend” This will do two things, it will potentially get your card in the hands of someone who has never met you or experienced your performances. It also doubles the chances that your card won’t be casually left on the table or lost. A friend of mine, Iain Dunford, has a great subtlety for dealing with audience members who ask him about predicting Lottery numbers. In the UK we tend to get asked this a lot. Participants usually say something along the lines of “Can you tell me the Lotto numbers for Saturday?” or “If you are a Mind reader, why don’t you just win the lottery each week?”
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Taking Iain’s subtlety and applying it in the context of giving your business cards will increase the chances of the participant cherishing your card and making sure they don’t misplace it. Here is what you do: at the end of your performance take out one of your business cards and on the back write down a sequence of 6 numbers. Look them in the eye and say: “These are for you.” Hand them the card and allow it to register what the numbers are, if they don’t realise gently prompt them. Then tell them the following: “One thing I’m not allowed to tell you though....is WHEN they will come up, but believe me...they WILL” Iain suggests that it almost becomes a curse, the audience either feel you are taking the piss out of them but find that they will check the Lotto numbers every week just to see if they come up or not. And think about the publicity if they did win? Just make sure that if you play the Lotto, you play the same numbers as those given out! A Small Supply Of Pens Or Pencils Although this may sound obvious, it’s very important to take with you a supply of writing implements. Always plan ahead, one day your pen will run out or someone will lose it; make sure you don’t get caught short by only having the one. It certainly doesn’t look professional asking the booker or host to go off and find some pens for you. With that said, please ensure you are consistent with your choice of writing implement. If you are using a thumb writer that holds lead, don’t for the rest of the effects use a ball point pen. The inconsistency will raise suspicion. If you use a super sharpie then ensure you use regular sharpies in other effects.
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Some Type Of Impression Device Or Peek Wallet In my close-up performances I use both. My regular everyday wallet is the wonderful Stealth Assassin Wallet (SAW) which is in my opinion The best utility wallet for a mentalist. Firstly, the quality of manufacture is superb. I have had mine since the first day it was released and I have never had anything go wrong with it. The second reason is the sheer amount of effects I can use it for. Each SAW offers the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Stealth peek facility SUC peek facility SUC loading facility Billet index system Pocket writing holder Space for other props (ESP cards etc)
At the time of writing this, I cannot envision me changing to any other utility wallet. The current market is flooded with them but none of them can match the SAW in terms of usability. Impression Device The impression device I use for close-up performances is the incredible Skeeter by my good friend John Riggs. This guy is an absolute genius and his creativity never ceases to amaze me. The Skeeter is basically a small acrylic square a little bigger than the standard post-it note pad. On the rear of it is the famous 3M logo of the company that makes Post-its. The Post-it pad fits onto the Skeeter by using its own adhesive and you can gain an excellent impression through several layers of Post-its. Also, you can instantly reset right under the participant’s noses. John describes several peeks and handling tips on his incredible DVD set, Gods with Feet of Clay. For more information on obtaining one of these beautiful props please go and visit John’s website at: http://www.jonsaintgermain.com/skeeter.htm If you are averse to using Post-it notes (which I hope you are openminded enough to reconsider) then John offers a range of impression devices that will suit you. The Baby Hornet is a small version of the now famous Brown Hornet. This can be used with your business cards.
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Marked Playing Cards The Marked Playing cards I use are the wonderful Boris Wild Marked deck. It is a versatile and cheap set printed by the USPCC on the famous Bicycle stock. The reason I use this deck is because the marking system is so easy to read and I can quite easily spot my markings from 6 feet away. The markings can also be seen in a ribbon spread which is an advantage over some other marked decks. Why use a Marked Deck? Well, it’s a personal preference, simple as that. Of course, using a marked deck opens up a whole new world of effects that are clean and hands off, both attributes which enhance the audience’s perception of the mentalist. A magician would and could handle a deck of cards, utilising a range of flourishes, fancy cuts and sleight of hand, but a mentalist should appear very conventional with his physical skills, leaving his mental abilities to shine. I want my shuffles to appear rather haphazard and at times sloppy. I don’t want to be perceived as someone with advanced card skills as it takes away the credibility by somewhat shattering the illusion of a Mind reader. The cards should be merely perceived as a tool for reading thoughts, and since a deck has 52 different thoughts, it should appear to be an ideal tool for such a thing. With this in mind, I will outline the effects I perform using a marked deck for walk around, please bear in mind, I will not perform all of these in a single performance, 2 at the most: • Intuitive Aii (First seen in S.A.D & later in Your Thoughts Are Mine DVD) • Red Sky @ Night (S.A.D) • Psychological Foresight (Your Thoughts Are Mine) • Test Conditions (Explained later) Incidentally, the first effect on that list doesn’t actually require a marked deck but since it is something of a pet effect of mine, I will perform it using my marked one to save me carrying more than one deck, thus eliminating me from falling into the ‘Packhorse’ that I detest so much.
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Thumb/Nail writer My writer of choice is not a manufactured item, it is one I have made myself using the fantastic Pilot Croquis lead holder (see image) It is a chunky lead holder / sketching pencil that comes in a variety of different grades of lead. The grade of choice is an “H” as it is a hard yet visible lead that lasts a very, very long time. Replacement leads can be bought for a couple of Euros. The lead itself is a huge 3mm in thickness which makes it very strong and durable yet highly visible.
To make the thumb writer, buy yourself a thumb tip, cut off approx 2/3rds from the bottom of the tip and retain the top section (the part with the thumb nail) Place the tip on your thumb and hold onto a business card, as if you are going to thumb write. We are going to do something not usually done in thumb writing and that is to take ergonomics into consideration. The point where the thumb tip makes contact with the business card is the most natural point to have the lead. Mark the spot with a pen dot and carefully drill a small hole through the front of the tip (ensure the drill bit you use is slightly smaller than 3mm) You can then push a small section of the lead into the hole and add a few drops of superglue around the hole on the outside and inside of the thumb tip. This will hold the lead in place securely. Post-it Notes Why on earth do you use Post-it notes Looch? Simple - everyone knows them, they raise no suspicion and you have a hundred performances in your pocket all neatly stacked together ready for you to peel off at any given moment. There have been several interesting uses of Post-it notes in the world of mentalism over the past few years. Most notably Julian (Bev) Moore’s Post Justify book: 8
http://www.outlaw-effects.com/store/the-parlour/post-justify.html Julian has given me permission to discuss a most ingenious working property of Post-it notes. Did you know all Post-it notes have a memory? Believe it or not, they are a smart material and once you know this following secret you will use it. When peeling a note off the pad, you can secretly mark it so you know either to whom it has been given or in which order you peeled a series of notes off the pad. Doing this relies on how you peel the note off the pad. If you grip the Post-it note to be peeled by the bottom right corner it will automatically “curl” the top left edge once peeled. This curl will be remembered when you stick the note flush onto a surface, so when you peel it off the surface once more later in a routine the curl will still be there. Depending on how you peel off the notes determines how they become marked. So if you peel the note from the centre bottom of the note, the whole top edge will curl, whereas if you peel from the bottom left edge, the top right edge will curl. I use this principle when performing close-up, it is the quickest, easiest and most efficient way of marking I have ever come across (previously I used nail-nicking). By utilising this I am able to perform a “Sneak Thief” type routine, where I am able to discern who has produced which drawing. Another quick routine that I will use is it to have three marked Post-its handed out and stuck to table, with a number written on each by one of the participants. The three notes are then mixed up into a new order yet you are able to correctly determine the original 3 digit code. This is a cross between a lie detector routine and a pin code effect. 9
People are generally reluctant to engage in routines where you potentially could reveal any financial information, so instead of revealing any detail in full, leave an element out that’s why using a three digit number is more workable than a four. You could also reveal the date of birth instead. On my DVD Your Thoughts Are Mine I perform one of my pet effects “A Nod to Pocket Watch”, which also uses Post-it notes. If you decide to use another medium instead of Post-its, then I have a walk around, quick-reset variation of “Nod to Pocket Watch” later in these notes. Billet Index At present I believe my LPI (Looch Pocket Index) is one of the only billet indexes available on the market. I was fortunate to come up with a range of designs for simple, durable and workable pocket index systems when I developed the LPI. Many of mentalism’s big names including the President of the PEA own LPIs and I am honoured to have my name associated with such a widely approved product. A decent billet index is invaluable to the modern mentalist. So much can be achieved with one and it opens doors to a range of devastatingly strong walk around pieces. A few of those above sections may read as advertisements for my own products and in all honesty in some way there are, but the underlining reason for mentioning them is because in my performances they are what I use. Developing Sets & Routines In my honest opinion I feel when performing close-up and walk around you should not present a stream of single unrelated effects. Consider your repertoire and mentally link routines together that either share a 10
presentational angle or context. Alter your scripting to piece it all together, but leave exit points so you are able to bring each section to a logical and strong conclusion if a distraction at the table or venue occurs. This could be anything, a speech, food being served, a photograph or even a fight (I have experienced each one!) As an example, if you decide to perform a Psychokinetic routine, make a list of effects that either are psychokinetic in nature or can be adapted into a psychokinetic pseudo premise for example: • • • •
Spoon/fork bending Coin bending Changing the hands on a watch (“PK Time”) Making someone feel something (“PK Touch”, “Real Ghost” or “Electric Touch”) • Moving/knocking over an object Once done, create a mini-set where you can perform several of these effects as part of one organic free flowing demonstration. You must however have ‘exit points’ where you can finish the routine and it appears as if that’s where the logical ending is. You can never prepare enough for walk around work. Expect the unexpected, it may be a cliché but it’s so true. From the list above a typical mini-set could well be the following: • PK Time - the actual moving of the hands is hidden from view, so in effect you are demonstrating an energy that can’t be seen. • PK Touches - that invisible energy used to change the watch can be applied openly and people can feel taps when you are nowhere near them. • Move an Object - maybe using invisible thread or a loop you can now demonstrate the energy affecting an actual object. The participants can see visual proof of the energy’s existence. • Spoon Bend - the ultimate demonstration of the energy at work, the spoon bends visually before breaking. In theory it doesn’t matter where you stop throughout that mini set as each demonstration is a logical one and closure is seen to be gained (in terms of the effect not the minds of the audience). Each effect thereafter serves to heighten their interest but also satisfy their logic/understanding and questions of the phenomenon. 11
Let it flow, be a Jazz Mentalist (Thanks Mr Cassidy!) Make It Visual For many years, performers have complained about the lack of visual mentalism. Well my philosophy has always been if you don’t like something, change it. This rings especially true in the world of close-up mentalism. There are very few standard effects that can be classed as visual. PK effects are the most visual the mentalist can perform but many shy away from them. I don’t know why as I personally love PK work especially spoon and fork bending routines. Other areas of mentalism have different dynamics and thus cannot naturally be visual, for example a book test. For the most part, the book should be seen as secondary to the effect. No one should pay much attention to the book and in a perfect world the use of a book should ideally be forgotten. Although to be honest this is not always possible, let’s not kid ourselves! As a result I have thought about the material I perform and have made a conscious effort to try and incorporate some visual element to the routines. One such example, although developed quite by accident is a standard “Coin in Hand” routine. In its infant state I stood across from one participant and correctly guessed which hand the coin was in three times in a row - hardly a performance piece. By the time it had evolved, I was performing a completely different routine but in essence still the same effect. I had from three to six people stood in a line with their fists outstretched. It had become a light-hearted interrogation piece where I would attempt to determine who was lying and who was telling the truth. It gave me plenty of opportunities to incorporate humour and the actual line of people themselves became the much needed visual element. The line-up became the focal point of the rest for the audience at the event. People would stop what they were doing in the vicinity and observe what we were doing. It generated interest which can only be a good thing for the working mentalist. I suppose what I am trying to say is change your own perception of what makes something visual. Try not to focus on the effect itself but rather the logistics. What can you do to incorporate a visual element? What can make the presentation more visual? What can you incorporate into your routine to generate more interest for outsiders looking in? What will 12
grab people’s attention 20 feet away? Take these into account when designing your next close-up routine. Here are some examples to get you thinking: • • • • •
Equivoque using people not objects Chinese whispers style routine Using sticky labels with participants names written on them Sticking a prediction on someone’s back (great for any force!) Creating a line of people
Here is an example of a fast paced and visual opener for use in walk around: S.A.D Opener This effect first saw print in my good friend Alexander Marsh’s book Hybrid Mentalism. It is my opener for close-up and walk around mentalism. I use this because it satisfies my specifications for an opener. It is: • • • • •
Simple and direct (SAD) Very quick (less than 30 seconds) Uses more than one person Sets the context Attracts attention
I walk up to a small group of people, and introduce myself along the lines of: "Hi, my name is Looch and I’m one of the entertainers here today. Are you both having a good time?" "A hypothetical question for you: if someone whom you had never met approached you and told you that on the reverse side of this Post-it note there is a two-digit number printed, and that between you, you would be able to intuit that number, what would you say?" I bring out the Post-it pad from my pocket and hold it with the reverse side facing me. "What is the first number that pops into your mind now?" 13
"Erm... a three" "And you sir... What number comes to your mind?" "A nine." "So here is the important part...Is it a three & a nine or a nine & a three?" Both look at each other and decide. Once an answer has been given continue, "I’m certainly glad you intuited it that way round and not the other way. Look..." Show the Post-it after it has been nail-written, to reveal the chosen number. This is a very useful opener. It is quick, strong and sets the context as to what kind of things they can expect from our time together. It takes less than a minute and draws your participants in, ready for further mystery. In a walk around setting where there are more than two people I will then usually move on to the following effect. This creates a visual element to the performance and helps generate interest from others in the vicinity. What’s In A Name? “It’s interesting being able to discern certain information from people without ever having met them. I want to try something with each of you. Please write your name clearly on one of these Post-it notes. Don’t show me, instead swap your notes with each other a few times and stick them to your chest. It doesn’t matter if you end up with your own name or a different one. I am going to try and deduce your real names by asking a question and observing your responses.” As you say the lines above you have peeled off three Post-it notes from your pad in the way described earlier (Julian Moore’s incredible marking system) and handed a pen to your first participant. Once the participants have written their names, exchanged their notes and stuck them upon their person, you turn back to face them
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“You see when we hear our name called out, every fibre of our being wants to react in some way, and it does, even if you try not to.” The performer looks at each of the participants and randomly peels off the Post-it notes from their chests. He notes the subtle marking and instructs each of the participants to answer “Yes” to the following question: “Is this your name?” The performer shows the Post-it note to each participant in turn and carefully studies their reaction. Through apparently subtle observation the performer successfully sticks the correct post-it onto the correct person. Nod to Pocket Watch – Walk around Version “A Nod to Pocket Watch” was first published in S.A.D (Simple & Direct) Mentalism in 2005. It was inspired by an absolute gem of a routine by Bob Cassidy. The routine later appeared on my DVD, Your Thoughts Are Mine. One slight issue I had with the routine was the logistics. It was a little fiddly performing it in a walk around setting because the reset interrupted the flow of moving from one table to the other. As a result I redesigned aspects of it so it would fit into my walk around repertoire. The following is the version I currently use for walk around work. The strengths being that it uses either your own business cards or blank ones and the reset takes just a few seconds. To prepare, you will need a stack of about twenty of either your own or blank business cards. Take the top card and fold it into quarters, ensure you push all the folds as flat as you can then reopen the card and refold it into quarters in the opposite direction. Once again ensure all folds are pushed flat. When you reopen the card you will notice that the folds have weakened the card and as a result can be folded in either direction with ease. Holding the card in a landscape orientation, write “You Will Name” across the card just above the horizontal half-way fold. Once you have done this give the top right corner a slight bend (dog ear). This will be important during performance. 15
This will be placed on top of your stack of cards but before you do, write on the second business card down the outcome of whatever you want to force in the routine, this could be any of the following: • • • •
A time of day A playing card An ESP symbol The outcome of an equivoque procedure
For the purpose of this explanation I will use the word ‘phone’ as the outcome of an equivoque procedure. This is written across the face of the second card of my stack, the top being the pre-folded & prepared card. Both cards are writing-side upwards, although this is concealed during performance. In performance I will ask one of the participants their thoughts on the theory of ‘Fate Vs Freewill’. Whatever their response I will ask them, “If I asked you to name a country, what would you say?” Whatever their response I will continue with, “Now is that answer a result of your freewill, something you decided upon right then as a result of my question... or could it have been an answer that had been predetermined for you to respond with before you were even born?” The above sets the context for the effect ahead. Apparently nothing has occurred, yet in reality you are already one ahead. Explain that what you are about to attempt will test their freewill. Have the participant remove a series of personal items from their pockets etc, I will usually request 5 items, let’s say these are: • Watch 16
• • • •
Phone Wallet Ring Pen
As these items are placed upon the table, I will look over them and write an apparent prediction on a business card. I then table this card face down and move into my equivoque forcing procedure. In reality what I am really doing is writing their response to my question a minute earlier (the country they named). This is written underneath the already pre-written “You Will Name” card. Using my thumb to lift the dog- eared corner of this card I am able to fold it in half horizontally and remove the second business card down instead (this is the one with ‘phone’ pre-written on it). This is taken as I bring the stack of cards up towards my chest as if to hide what I’ve written from view. Once it has been tabled I will begin the Equivoque procedure with my participant. As they select their first object I casually place the remaining stack of cards on the table. Before I do however, I complete the second fold of the top card so it is now into
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quarters. I do this by turning the stack of cards over and into my palm, resulting in the now quartered card being underneath the stack, on my palm. (See images right) I can now cop the folded card as my other hand takes the stack almost in a Biddle style grip and tables it. The folded card can be pocketed or loaded into a window envelope, or wallet such as a Stealth Assassin. It may also be used in conjunction with an Ostin clip that has been in full view the entire time. The remainder of the Equivoque procedure is played out and the card is turned over by the participant to show the prediction of the Phone to be correct. The effect appears to be over, as the participant takes in that you have apparently pre-empted his choice of objects in advance, the performer brings forth the other prediction in the form of his wallet/envelope/clip etc. The prediction is opened and unfolded and the words are read aloud, “You will name (insert relevant country).” “Nod to Pocket Watch” is an extremely strong strolling routine that has in my experience with it brought about a very excited response from those who have witnessed it. It can be adapted to suit any presentational angle that you wish and can be something of a reputation maker. 18
Memories The following is a long established effect of mine that draws its inspiration from Alain Nu’s “Animalogic”, and Richard Busch’s “21ST Century Imagery”. Recently I have been made aware that it shares similarities to Scott Grossberg’s “Mindcast”. For a long time I us to performed Busch’s “21st Century Imagery” from Peek Performances but using my own version of the cards. These were hand drawn and looked quite interesting but they lacked any depth and, as an effect, were only just scratching the surface of what could be achieved. I then developed a version that had 6 sets of cards that had 36 options on them, each option specifically chosen to trigger a memory from the participant’s mind. Each trigger word was generic, in that all of us would have had some sort of personal experience with each of the 36 words. For example the word ‘Birthday’ will create a visual image in our mind; it may be quite generic, a birthday cake for example. From that we can take it deeper and introduce personal experiences and memories into it. For example, at my tenth birthday party I had all my friends with me and I had a football-shaped birthday cake with my team’s logo on it. The routine that follows is one I have used for the last four years for walk around mentalism; it is simple, strong and visual. I have, however, recently realised a different direction that I can take this effect in, and as a result have decided to take the necessary steps to accomplish something even bigger with this idea. Stay tuned for the marketed and utterly impossible version of Memories but for now please enjoy an effect that I have held close to my heart and entertained audiences with all over the UK. The performer discusses how memories are our mental ability to store, retain and recall information. We all have them and they are individual to each of us. Even though at times we may share a generic experience, the details are always unique to us. Six postcard size cards are shown with s different ‘trigger words’ printed upon them, thirty-six in total. The cards are given to the participant to look through and mentally decide upon a word that will assist in triggering a memory. 19
The participant confirms she has a word locked inside her head and the cards are mixed, they are then flipped over to reveal a series of 36 images on the backs. For each ‘trigger word’ there is a related image, for example the word ‘birthday’ has the image of a birthday cake. The participant is instructed to look through the cards once more as the performer turns his head. The performer focuses on her image, this forms the starting point from which she is to allow a personal memory of that word and image combined to come to the front of her mind. The cards are mixed and the performer turns back to face her. At this point the performer knows 100% what memory the participant has in their mind. The secret behind this effect lies in a well hidden principle located within the design of the cards. This goes back years and was made popular by Alain Nu in his wonderful “Animalogic” routine. If you look at the ‘trigger word’ side of the six cards, the first letter of the first words are alphabetical: A = Airplane B = Birthday C = Christmas D = Dentist E = Easter F = Fireworks These have a numerical value which is obvious when stated: A=1 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=5 F=6 The cards can be in a cyclical stack as long as they go in alphabetical order, ABCDEF. These cards are given to the participant with the instructions to look at the cards one at a time and silently read the six ‘trigger words’. Once done they are to put the card to the back of the stack and look at the next six words, they continue this process for as 20
long as they wish until they stop at a card which contains a word that they chose. They are to focus upon that word and lock it in their mind. The performer’s head is turned during the above process, and as he reaches forward to take the cards and mixes them, what he really does is to take the front card and move it to the back. This is repeated once more so that two cards have been moved from front to back. The performer briefly turns to face the participant as he hands the cards back to the participant, turning them over to reveal the images. It is at this point the performer silently peeks the first word of the card on the bottom of the stack. The cards are passed to the participant who can freely mix them up before the next stage of the routine and as this is being done the performer mentally figures out the numerical value +2 of the word peeked moments earlier. For example: Airplane = 1 +2 = 3 Birthday = 2 +2 = 4 Christmas = 3 +2 = 5 Dentist = 4 +2 = 6 Easter = 5 +2 = 1 Fireworks = 6 +2 = 2 Remember this is a cyclical stack so as there are only six images or words on each card, the numerical value cannot exceed 6, therefore it goes back to the start and continues from there, e.g. ‘Easter’ = 5 +2 (goes to 6 then back to 1). As an example if the performer peeks the word ‘Dentist’, it has a numerical value of 4 +2 = 6, so the image that the participant has in their mind will appear at the 6th location on one of the cards. It is the simple task of tracking which card the participant looks at in the second phase and later peeking at the 6th location of that card to tell you what memory they are thinking of. I appreciate this sounds complicated, but in reality it is extremely simple indeed. At the end of the second phase where the participant is looking for the image that relates to the word they have locked in thought, the cards can be taken back by the performer with his head still turned and one card from the back of the stack can be brought to the top, the cards 21
can then be tossed on to the table as the participant is focusing on a personal memory that links with the trigger word. The memory will be in the 6th position on the second card down on the table. Once the peek has been made the cards can be haphazardly mixed on the table by the performer as he apparently still looks away. The handling of the cards must be done in a casual, haphazard way; the mixing looking sloppy adds to the deception. Let’s run through an example for clarity. The cards are handed out and the participant looks through them one at a time, deciding on the word, ‘Drunk’ (the second word on the third card). As the performer still faces away he mixes the cards up, in reality he places the third card to the back, then the 4th card also to the back. These cards are flipped over to reveal the images and the performer gives them to the participant. As he does so he makes a mental note of the first word on the bottom card which in our example will be ‘Easter’ (the 5th card). The mental calculation is made (numerical value +2) so in this case E=5+2 = 1 (remember the cyclical stack cannot go over 6). So the image or memory the participant will be thinking of will be at position 1. The participant has been handed the cards with the images facing her, she can freely mix them before she looks for her ‘trigger word’ related image. When she finally finds her image, she focuses on it and as you instruct her to allow the image to relate to an actual real life memory, take the cards back and place a card from the back of the stack to the front and casually toss the cards to the table. The memory will be in the 1st position of the second card down on the table: ‘The drunken man’. Try it out with cards in hand and you will see that if this procedure is followed the method is automatic. It really is much easier than it reads! For a walk around routine it is lovely. The cards easily fit into your jacket pocket and the effect is strong. It opens up the doors to those of you that perform readings as it gives you a definite hit from which to. Finally, the method is so well hidden that it makes it impossible for laymen to reverse engineer, leaving you to focus on the most important part - the presentation. On the next few pages are the template cards for this routine, you will need to glue them back to back to create 6 cards, please ensure you glue the correct cards, they have been paired for easiness. 22
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Test Conditions This is the marked deck effect I listed earlier. It is an extremely strong close-up card effect that relies purely on being able to read the markings in a quick and natural manner. Use whatever marked deck you feel comfortable with (Boris Wild for me). Hand the participant (or multiple participants) the deck to be thoroughly shuffled. No one will ever spot the markings on the Boris Wild deck. They may look obvious to you and I but trust me, I’ve had hundreds if not thousands of people examine my marked decks and I’ve never ever been caught out. Once the deck is shuffled, the performer explains that a traditional magician may use sleight of hand and fancy moves to force a particular card on someone. The deck is spread out onto a table and a participant is instructed to reach forward and slide any card out from the spread but to leave it on the table. The performer at this point asks if the participant would like to change their mind and select a different card. This is to ensure a complete ‘test conditions’ style effect. The performer has at this point gotten his reading of the mark and continues by asking the participant to only look at the cards face when he has turned away 100%. He does so and the card is placed into the participants pocket or a small manila envelope to isolate it from view. The remainder of the deck is gathered up and placed back inside the case which is left on the table. At this point the performer can turn back to reveal the card. The reveal is very much psychological in nature but can be adapted to suit your character and performance style. I will usually have them say the card to themselves 3 times to lock it into their short term memory, from there I will embark on a series of questions related to the identity of the card for example; 1. The card will either be Red, (performer nods) or Black yes? (nods again). There is a slight pause between the statements of the colours, approximately one second. Depending on the participant’s reaction, (they usually nod on the colour of their card) I will say that they nodded on a particular colour, giving it away. In reality, although this is psychologically sound, I try to get them to nod on their correct colour as I already know what card it is. It is just a 35
simple matter of nodding and getting them to nod back at you. 2. The suit is the next detail I want to get, so I will ask them to name the four suits in any order they wish. From experience people pair the suits into colour so a natural response from a layman would be “Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs”. But if they have a card in mind already they will want to try and throw you off the scent. As a result they will mix the colours up, you can make reference to this and they usually smile because it is exactly what they have done. If they are thinking of a Diamond, they may say; “Hearts, Spades, Clubs and Diamonds” Since you know the card you can immediately announce; “Most people would keep the colours together, Hearts and Diamonds, then Clubs and Spades. You’ve split them to try and throw me off; you put Hearts at the start so you have a red card in mind. The fact that you put Diamonds in last means you’re trying to throw me off. It’s a Diamond isn’t it?” It really is about thinking on your feet and making things fit for you. Remember you already know their card so play it up and try and get the participants to slip up! 3. The final question is for the value of the card, I first saw this approach in an old Mind Control special of Derren Brown’s where he performed a card effect on a trio of guys in a working men’s club in London. In essence you are going to ask the participant to count out loud Ace through to King, when the participant counts aloud. You then claim to have heard a discrepancy in their vocal tone and correctly announce the correct value. For an ideal example of this technique being used please go online and listen to an old audio sample of me performing on BBC radio in the UK. The link can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJXUYAMpke0&feature=channe l_page
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Spectator As Mind reader This is a very popular term at the moment, one which the majority of mentalists want to achieve in some way. It certainly isn’t a new concept, it is as old as the hills but there some very nice modern applications and fusion of methods, one of which I will describe below. This is a technique that can be extremely powerful if used sparingly and under specific performance conditions. There is an incredible effect in Barrie Richardson’s Theatre of the Mind entitled “Dollar Divination”. In it Barrie describes two participants trying to “transmit complex information over space and time”. Barrie acts as a mental conduit between the two participants and they are able to sense information that others cannot. Taking this concept and mixing into it elements of Banachek’s “Psychokinetic Touches” I have devised a way to secretly cue participants certain pieces of information so they appear as the Mind reader in an effect. One important element to consider is that the effect you choose to try this technique with is very important. It should be layered so that even if perceptive audience members suspect you are giving the participant help they still cannot fathom how you as the mentalist knew what to transmit to the mind-reading participant. The use of a marked deck is once again perfect for this type of effect. By having a card selected in an utterly fair way ala ‘test conditions’ you can secretly transmit the colour, suit and value to your participant by doing one of the following: If you are seated, you can stealthily tap the participant’s foot at the correct moment. For example: “In a moment you are going to look directly into their eyes and ask them to concentrate upon the colour of their card, we know it’s one of two colours, either a red card or a black card. For whatever reason you will know which it is it will just feel right.” As you say the word “feel” you secretly tap their foot with yours. Continue with: “Now ask them to think of their colour...they are to think “Yes” when you name their colour.” 37
The participant asks “Is it a red card?” and then “Is it a black card?” When they name the correct colour, again secretly tap their foot. They will know they are ‘in on the trick’ but experience shows they will play along, especially if you have chosen the right participant (which I will discuss further in a moment). This process is repeated for each piece of information you want to transmit: Colour, Suit, and then the Value of the card. If you are not seated you can do this by secretly tapping or applying pressure to the shoulder or back of your participant using your hand or finger. I have even performed this with my arm around the participant as an encouraging gesture. It is important to mention the taps are not obvious, they should go unnoticed by everyone, only felt by the participant. Choosing the Right Participant This is fundamental if this technique is to succeed. Use it sparingly and only on certain types of people. I will use it if I am trying to bring different groups of people that don’t know each other together at a function. They are less likely to talk afterwards especially if you put the emphasis on how well your participant as performed throughout the effect. You may even give them a sly wink afterwards as a token of your appreciation. This technique is most successful with people who are not natural leaders within their groups. In each group there is always an Alpha Male or female who the others tend to look to as the leader, even on an unconscious level. By giving the power to a perceived weaker member of the group it makes them feel special and important. They are less likely to “spill the beans” so to speak. I wouldn’t recommend performing this with the Alpha Member of a group as they will nearly always ‘out you’ either in front of you or after you have left. If you want to give the “Spectator as Mindreader” power to an Alpha Member you will have to use a different technique, something a little more invisible perhaps a psychological force. What if they talk afterwards? You have done as much as you can to stop them, you have been respectful, polite and given them ‘the power’, so the odds are they won’t talk. But there are times when they will. What should you say? Simple, emphasise the impossibility of what happened. How could you know their card? It was selected from a shuffled deck whilst you were turned 38
away, only the participant saw the card, you were adamant during the selection process that no one else saw it. The Garden Path Theory Many mentalists, myself included, struggled to decide on their performance character. The cliché is, “Be yourself or a slightly exaggerated version of you” .This may be all well and good but I wasn’t born with the ability to bend silverware, I just enjoy doing it. No amount of pseudo-psychological babble can explain how I can bend the tine of a fork. As a result many ‘Psychological Illusionists’ restrict themselves in the type of material they can perform. If you create the illusion of mind reading through influence and suggestion then fine, but that’s not going to help you move an object with the power of your mind is it? I struggled for a long time to come up with a logical and believable premise as to how I do certain things. I was a psychological entertainer, I could read body language and tiny unconscious signals to get an insight into my participant’s head. The trouble was: how could that explain how I had been able to predict the newspaper headlines live on BBC radio? It wasn’t until I met my now good friend Marc Spelmann that the answer came to me. One evening we were deep in conversation and he told me a story that struck me to my core. It made me question everything about my character and as a result I felt something of an epiphany. I could be reborn and no longer restricted in the material I could present. All I had to do was let go of the constant search to explain everything I do. This is what my friend told me: “Lead them down the garden path, then just as they feel comfortable with you, kick them in the balls.” This was brilliant, think about it for a moment. Give your audience a believable premise. Something they will appreciate and is logical to them, let them think that’s how you do it, sometimes don’t be blatant, just hint and let them make the connection. Lead them down the garden path as Marc says, then just as they feel they understand, flip it on its head and kick them right in the balls. Let me give you an example.
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A few years back when I was performing on the BBC. The host of the Morning show was an extremely sceptical person; she was very antipsychic and believed they should be burnt at the stake. She would however accept the psychological approach to mind reading. I fed her pseudo explanations of body language changes and reading her vocal inflictions and tones in order to tell what playing card she was thinking of and what time from a twenty-four hour period she had in mind. The host was happily presenting the show, taking the phone calls and generally being a little smug as she felt that she understood how I performed and what I was doing during a thought reading sequence. It wasn’t until the finale of the show that I flipped it on its head and messed with her head big time. I had spent the best part of two hours live on air leading her down the proverbial garden path only to land my size 10 boots firmly in between the legs. Days before, I had delivered a sealed envelope to the studio with clear instructions to lock it away safely until the show and not to let anyone tamper with it. This was done and when called for the envelope was brought forward. I explained that so far I had explained the psychological process I go through to get inside my audiences heads, the host agreed and announced that she could now follow what was doing and try to do it herself. I informed her that the process works only up to a point and the really interesting thing was - how I could know three days in advance what she would think on the morning of the show? The host opened the envelope up to reveal a photograph and another smaller sealed envelope. The photograph was of me holding the envelope, in front of me on the table was the same playing card that she had thought of at the start of the show and my watch was set to the exact time she had freely thought about an hour earlier. The host freaked. She looked at the smaller, sealed envelope and opened it, inside was the newspaper headlines from that morning’s tabloid. She really didn’t know what to do or say...live on air, for the first time she was lost for words. I get invited back to perform every year now. So come on, don’t fight the pseudo babble, be believable, gain their trust then kick ‘em in the balls, its great! 40
Chance & Coincidence I would like to spend a few moments discussing the area of chance & coincidence within a mentalism context. Over the last few years I have witnessed many performers not take credit for things which if they had would have created real miracles. There can be times in a performance that stick with us forever; we need to grab those opportunities with both hands or fear letting slip moments of sheer perfection. It can make a massive difference to the way we are perceived as entertainers. As I write this, I am reflecting on a performance a few days ago which to me was one of those moments. The young man that I performed for will remember one detail of that performance for a long time. The detail shouldn’t have even played a part in the routine, but I allowed it to and it subsequently took over as the focal point. If I had not been alert to it I would have passed over it and lost the true essence of what I feel mentalism is all about. I was sat with a young offender in a secure unit where he was serving a sentence. I was talking with him about his life outside, and he was telling me about some of the antics he and his friends used to get up to. I enquired whether those things were reflected upon as good times or regrets, he paused for a few moments and tried to construct a reply that he thought was the right thing to say, I pulled him up about this and he admitted that he was not used to people taking time out to talk with him as a human being. He had been used all his life to being talked at and not to, and wanted to maintain the rapport that we had obviously established. I asked him to reflect back to a memory when he was truly happy and secure and not one that involved crime. His shoulders dropped and his breathing began to slow, he began to truly think back and reflect upon his life and after a while he shook his head and let out a big sigh. “I had a pet once,” was his reply. My heart sank, if that was the best he could come up with the young lad must have led a pretty shit life. I asked him to focus on his pet and to remember a time holding it and playing
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with it. I explained that to help him focus he was to secretly write the name of the pet onto a piece of paper and hold it in his palm. I managed to peek the name of the animal and read the word “Smudge”. Immediately I smiled inside, as when I was a young boy I too had a pet called Smudge. I began to describe my own pet to him as the name had connotations with the same animal, a rabbit. I described the colours I was getting, and was hitting with them well, so continued with my own memory as the description. I explained that I felt Smudge was a soft white rabbit with a brown streak along his back. The young lad’s eyes were widening as I told him that this was very strange because when I was his age I had a white rabbit called Smudge. His mouth dropped and out of it came all manner of expletives. I kept relaxed and continued with my story of Smudge. “I loved Smudge, he was a real character. He used to make weird growling noises, almost like he was trying to talk to us. After a year or so of owning him, we got another white rabbit but this one was smaller, his name was Thumper.” The lad kicked his chair back and stood up in a flash, he ran over to the locked door and began screaming for him to be let out. “How the f**k do you know?!! How?!! F**k off F**k off!!!!” Probably one of the best reactions I have ever had! I was confused at first but remained calm in what could have developed into a pretty volatile situation. After a moment it began to dawn on me that the young lad must have had another rabbit as well as Smudge, this one must also have been called Thumper. An incredible coincidence had occurred, something that could never be planned or set up. I knew these moments don’t come around often, maybe once in a lifetime, so I grabbed at it with both hands and clung on for dear life. The young man believed the story I was recalling from my own childhood was in fact me entering his mind and speaking the words as he was thinking them. I had apparently accomplished what we as mentalists feel is the ultimate goal, that of actually getting inside someone’s mind and reading their thoughts for real. I smiled gently and he broke one out too. He walked over to me and held out his fist, in a 42
sort of urban youth hand shake, I did the same and he tapped his knuckles with mine. The lad had tears in his eyes and couldn’t stop praising me. I explained that although I was flattered, it wasn’t just me who did it, but it had to be him that played the major role in what just happened, as without him, it couldn’t have happened. He seemed to understand and appreciate this and I led the conversation into the area of him being obviously ‘talented’. I asked him what he liked doing, and what he could see himself being happy doing. He wanted to become a plumber, so I offered to look into some courses available in his area, (I am a qualified teacher, so was well within my rights to offer this). His eyes lit up and felt I had given him a chance. He wasn’t used to being praised but with me seemingly taking an interest in him as a person and not judging him he felt that he could begin to take the steps needed for him to change his life around and start being happy. It is without a doubt my warmest memory of performance. Well? What if I hadn’t taken advantage of this miraculous coincidence? Well nothing, the lad wouldn’t have experienced true magic and I would have failed as a performer. Make sure you stay aware of everything and keep calm, if you do you can take advantage of real moments of magic, these moments will affect everyone, including yourself.
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Endo The final effect I will describe in these lecture notes is something of a work in process. Not the effect itself, as it has been performed dozens of times in the real world and in paid performances but the principle itself is in its infancy in terms of its application to mentalism. When I was a child, I was bought a “Transformers” robot action figure. I loved it and was especially fascinated by the small sticker on its chest that if touched would change colour and show the robots allegiance, either an Autobot or a Decepticon. The material the sticker was made from is used in the design industry and a few years back I came into possession of a sheet of it. I immediately thought of the uses in a mentalism context and since that time I have experimented with it eagerly. In the near future I will be releasing a DVD based around using this material and how you can incorporate it into your performances. We have dozens of effects and routines that use it but for now as a treat and a big thank you to all of you that have invited me to spend time with you in Hamburg, I wish to share with you the principle and how it has been applied to a close-up effect. The performer is armed with a stack of his business cards wrapped in a rubber band and is seated at table with several participants around him. He asks one to focus on a place that he has been to that holds a positive memory for him. This can be a specific location, city or country; he is not restricted in choice. Once he has somewhere in mind, the participant is to call out the names of a total of either four or five countries or cities, with one of them being the one that he is focusing on. The performer writes each one down onto the top card of his stack in a list and hands the stack to the participant. The performer then turns away so he cannot see anyone and instructs the participant to place his finger upon the destination that he has been concentrating upon. As he does this he is told to try and sink back into that memory and allow details to come to him, the sounds, the smells etc. He is to try and bring this memory to life inside his head.
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After a few moments of concentration he is asked to remove his finger and to imagine the entire memory locked in his fingertip. When the participant touches his fingertip to his temple the memory will come back to him. It acts as an anchor and trigger for the memory. The business card with the list on is removed from the stack and slid towards the participant who is asked to place his finger to his temple and once more relive the memory locked inside. With his other hand the participant is given the pen and asked to draw something from his memory on the reverse of the business card and not to show anyone including the performer. The image that the participant draws must be something directly linked to the memory and something that everyone would be familiar with, such as a famous landmark (e.g. Paris = Eiffel Tower, New York = Statue of Liberty etc). Once completed the performer is able to ‘Channel’ into the participant’s mind and recall details of the memory known only to the participant. He finishes by correctly announcing the specific place and landmark in the memory. To perform this, you will need a small stack of business cards, a rubber band, a pen and the special strip of Thermochromic film. The film is the key to the method and if you hold it you will see why. It reacts to heat, by that I mean when you touch it, the film changes and goes through a series of colours. This ranges from: (ROOM TEMP) BLACK-ORANGE-RED-GREEN-BLUE (HOTTEST) Because of the of the range of colours, the determining factor is a mixture of temperature and the elapsed time since the heat was in contact with the film.
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With this in mind the method should now be self-explanatory. You have a strip of the film stuck to the second card down on your stack of business cards. When your participant touches the business card with the list written on it, the heat from their finger will transfer through the card and onto the film. When you later remove the top card from the stack and hand it to the participant to draw on, you can easily peek which part of the film has been affected by the heat and you can mentally match it with the list and hence know which one they touched. The interesting part comes when you ask them to draw a detail of the memory on the back of the business card. Since you know the overall key word of the memory for example “New York” you can take a series of educated guesses around the specific memory, especially when they are 46
told to think about the sounds, sights and smells of the memory. You can begin to describe New York quite easily and reliably. The choice of landmarks really is quite limited, the Statue of Liberty and skyscraper are the top two chosen and if you push your participant into drawing a well known landmark that everyone will recognise, the odds are in your favour to be one of these. They certainly won’t draw a hot dog stall or a yellow taxi. Even if you are unlucky and they do, you still have a 100% hit with the memory. Thermochromic film can be found online for a few pounds/dollars, search google or ebay To Finish Well there you have it, a current and honest snapshot of my mental hard drive when it comes to close-up and walk around mentalism. I want to thank each and every one of you for purchasing these lecture notes and hope you will put the ideas to good use. I don’t want you to take everything I say and apply it directly to yourself without making little changes. It’s the small alterations that will make you appear natural rather than forced. Think about your character and performance material, be logical, consistent and most importantly be you.
Auf wiedersehen Looch August/September 2009
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