Tony Black (real name Anthony Galvin) is a hypnotist and mind-reader based in Munster, but who performs throughout the country. His hypnosis show is a good deal wilder, and less structured, than most, with a heavy emphasis on comedy. Often he opens the show with one of his mind-reading routines, such as Russian Roulette with exploding toilets.
Tony has been performing magic for twenty five years, and hypnosis for fifteen. His show has brought him all over Ireland, as well as three tours of the middle-east, and a summer as the only hypnotist on the Greek isle of Kos.
As a magician he has spent twelve winter seasons in Lapland, three summers on the high seas, and been arrested twice for driving while blindfolded. His book Teach Yourself Magic has sold extensively in Britain and America. He also briefly held the world record for the longest public lecture (62 hours 15 minutes).

Tony, thanks for taking the time to talk to us a bit. Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about Hypnosis. What is it to you?

There’s a lot of academic debate about what hypnosis is. The truth is that it doesn’t matter. For practical purposes it is a state of hyper-suggestability, in which a person will lose their inhibitations and follow the directions of the hypnotist while they are on the stage. Personally I believe it is a state of social compliance rather than trance – they know what they are doing and go along for the craic. But I could be wrong. I base my induction on this. Rather than trying to put my volunteers into a trance I work on getting them to do what I tell them. I want my induction to be as fast as possible, so it doesn’t slow the show down.
I have come up with what I think is a unique approach for difficult groups – small gatherings, or stuffy businessmen, or awkward weddings, etc. I don’t bother with an induction, and don’t mention hypnosis. The show is presented as a gameshow on the theme of suggestibility. Yet without any induction the volunteers do everything I ask, right down to the Full Monte at the end.

What books or videos would you recommend to somebody who wanted to start preforming as a hypnotist or mind reader?

As a neophyte hypnotist the most useful book I found was Eddie Burke’s Professional Secrets of Stage and Cabaret Hypnotism, available through his website, www.mreenterprises.co.uk. Eddie is a veteran British performer who released many of his cherished routines when he retired. His book on the Question and Answer act contains all you will ever need to know about the strongest routine in mentalism. His People Sticker Routine is also pure gold.
Mastering Hypnosis from Trickshop.com is quite good, and David Knight also has a very good book out on the subject. But I would avoid Ormond McGill’s Complete Encyclopedia of Stage Hypnotism, which is full of waffle, hopelessly out of date, and over-rated.
On mentalism anything by Larry Becker or Lee Earle will be practical and useful. Lee Earle has a great DVD on the Question and Answer act, and another on the Centre Tear, both of which are essential viewing. Richard Osterland’s DVDs are very good on technique, but I would not copy his presentation. Corrinda’s 13 Steps to Mentalism is a cornucopia of great ideas. Max Maven and Banachek are also worth studying. Banachek’s Psychological Subtlieties is brilliant, as is his Psychokenetic Touches.
I believe every mentalist should be a good cold reader. To begin with, try the works of Joe Riding, Then move on to The Full Facts on Cold Reading by Ian Rowlands. That’s all you will ever need.

Can you tell us a bit more about your mind reading act?

My mind-reading act is completely propless. There are no zenner cards, no sealed boxes with predictions, no bend cutlery. A real mind-reader would not bother with such buffonery, and neither do I. You should be able to do a complete mind-reading act with nothing more than a whiteboard and marker, and some slips of paper.
I open with a Bank Night routine, which shows the audience (or so they believe) that I can use my words to influence their thoughts. Tests become progressively more difficult and impressive. The idea is not to strain credibility. I get them to accept that I can influence their thoughts, and pick up on some of their thoughts. Then, step by step, I up the ante. During the hour I will pick three people at random and tell them their star signs, teach everyone how to recite the alphabet backwards, etc. I love Andrew Mayne’s Social Distortion – a powerful routine. I end with a Question and Answer segment, in which they put their questions on slips of paper, which are left in a bowl on the stage. Without touching the bowl I scan their minds and reveal several of their questions. It’s a very powerful closer. Quentin Reynolds used to end his psychic game show with this, and he did it brilliantly. Derren Browne featured it on his show Night of Wonders (as The Oracle Act). It is pure dynamite.
Occasionally I will end the show with a hypnosis segment instead.

The likes of Derren brown has attracted an awful lot of people into the field of mentalism, with a seemingly large quantity of younger performers. Something that I have often heard bandied about is the fact that a younger (as in younger than 25-30) will almost always be less successful as the audience may not be able to take them seriously. Do you put weight to this theory? Why?

You need a certain something to be a successful mentalist, but that something does not come with age; it comes with stage craft. Young performers can be very successful, as long as they are themselves, rather than trying to ape older performers. The most important thing is to be completely sincere. I believe that we should be looking at the television psychics – people like Derek Ackorah, Jon Edwards, etc. They are charletons and unscrupelous scumbags, but they manage to convince the public that they can read minds and tap into unknown gifts. Imagine having that effect on an audience, but doing it in an ethical manner. My ultimate aim is to walk on a stage with absolutely nothing and be as convincing as those television guys.
Interestingly Max Maven has just released a set of DVDs called Nothing, and that is what he uses. He does an hour of very strong (and entertaining) mentalism with nothing more than what you would find in the average hotel room. Brilliant, and highly recommended.

How do you feel about people mixing mentalism with other magic or hypnosis?

I think that if you mix mentalism with magic you might as well put a big sign on your back saying Fake. Your mentalism will be put down to trickery, and will lose all it’s emotional impact. I am aware that many performers will disagree with me on this, but they are wrong. If you are billing yourself as a magician you can throw in a mental effect. It’s just another trick, and a change of pace. But if you are billing yourself as a mentalist, then the magic cannot be part of that performance.
I often perform for groups who know I am a magician (I get around a bit). I get over the awkwardness by doing a magic trick at the very beginning – I either swallow a balloon or do the torn and restored newspaper. Then I pause, stare at the audience, and tell them that what they saw was a magic trick. It’s the last magic trick you’ll see tonight, I tell them. By acknowledging the problem and pushing it to one side I can get on with the mentalism show. I have openly told them that I am putting aside my magic for the hour, and they accept that. I am no longer a magician in their eyes.

Have you got any parting words for any budding mentalists or hypnotists?

The most important thing to remember as a mentalist or a hypnotist is that you are selling yourself. It is your personality and people skills that will make or break your show. These are the skills you need to work on. Paul McKenna was the most successful (in terms of income and exposure) stage hypnotist of all time. He began as a radio DJ, so his presentation skills and delivery were smooth, sophisticated and professional. That gave his show an edge.
At a masterclass a number of years ago Jeff McBride told us that the most important thing he would recommend to all magicians was to join Toastmasters International, and learn how to speak properly in front of an audience. I have been in that organisation twenty years, and the benefits are enormous.
Don’t copy other performers. Study their techniques and learn from them, but make your presentations your own.
Read as much as you can, and not just about mentalism and hypnosis. A DVD is easier, but a book contains so much more information, so make the effort.
Finally, focus on your goal, the show you dream of putting on. But don’t forget the little steps that bring you to that goal. A lot of performers think they are ready for the big time, but they don’t want to do the small soulless shows that get them there. They forget the paperwork, the boring and expensive advertising work, the mail shots that get no response.
That said, it’s a great life. You meet interesting people and see a bit of the world. You are your own boss. And in a recession entertainers make serious money. So to anyone thinking of embarking on this life, I would just like to wish them the best of luck. Do it right and success will follow.

If you want to book Tony, you can contact him through his Website or on 087 7504321