Damian Hoban was nice enough to allow us to republish his review of the Irish Magic Convention that was held last month in Limerick. Cheers Damien!

Just a quick note to thank everyone involved in the Irish convention on 27-29th March 2009. Next year’s gathering in Belfast will revert to the May bank holiday weekend.

Jon Allen is a World Close Up champion and Gold Star member of the Inner Magic Circle. Opening the Gala show, Jon performed his excellent new routine, The Pain Game. Have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2IxiZeV1h0

Alexander De Cova and Dave Allen brought a mixture of creativity and slack-jawed wonder to the proceedings in Cabaret performance and lecture. Dave’s lecture included elements of Vent/puppetry and was well received by a few kids (yes, real kids – not magicians acting up!) in the audience. Alexander de Cova’s lecture contained some stunning rope and silk magic, in addition to demonstrating to Irish magicians his Beer Game. I’m sure some people, at least, tried to get to grips with this one in the bar afterwards. Especially for those of us from Limerick, he demonstrated his effect called “Stab in the Dark”.

Zane (Joe Swing) treated the audience to fabulous renditions of favourite Rat Pack numbers in addition to performing a few quick magical tricks between numbers. Zane (in addition to Kaymar, Pat Fallon & Paddy Clancy) also ran a dealers stall during the convention. Lecturers Dave Allen, Alexander de Cova, Trevor Lewis & Jon Allen also were selling effects/lecture notes.

John Kimmonds had ‘em rolling in the aisles with his award winning Ventiloquism act. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7ROWHn1OqA. As a finish, he commandeered Cathal Costelloe from the front row of the audience, stuck a half-face vent mask on him and had Cathal conversing in a falsetto voice reminiscent of the great Alan Ball.

Tom Moloney, dressed as a medical doctor (now ye all know why the A&E departments are short staffed) demonstrated his fantastic comedy juggling routine to much applause. Local talent Lorcan Russell (Harpist) and Kevin Prendergast (Irish Dancing) complimented the international flavour of the event with a touch of some traditional Irish arts.

Trevor Lewis, in his capacity as MC, was thoroughly professional and witty in his role and had to endure many references to Wales’ loss to Ireland in the Grand Slam over the course of the weekend.

Both Stage (Saturday night) and Close Up (Sunday afternoon) competitions were held this year. Congratulations to award winners Leon Andersen (Stage competition), Ruth Andrews (Most Promising Young Magician), Daragh McGrath (Gemini Trophy), Eamonn Murphy and Fred Corveneio (Close Up competition) and the Munster Society of Magicians for the team event

Damian Hoban

David Knight is a 33 year old Bristol Born professional magician who has been based in Dublin for the last three years. He is a psychological illusionist and specializes in very natural feeling mental entertainment. He has just launched an international tour and will leave for the UK and beyond at the start of May. David will be premiering the new show “Mind Man” in Dublin before he leaves, this will be happening at Sin nightclub in Dublin on the 25th of April at 7.30pm, tickets are €10 and will be available at the door, or in advance from the venue.

David, if you could provide any piece of advice to an aspiring magician, what would it be?

Try and be original, don’t try and be Keith or Derren. Take from them but deliver in your own style. It is far more important to have an original persona that clever tricks. Magicians forget that they are entertainers first and foremost and I hate to say it but, NO ONE BELIEVES IN MAGIC so you have to offer something more than a well rehearsed trick. The presentation and you yourself are everything.

When you were first getting into magic, and as your own career was developing, what magicians influenced you?

David Copperfield above all, then later Derren Brown who introduced me to the field I now work in and the like of Theo Annemann

Is there any commercially available effects, be it a book, a DVD or a single effect that you rate very highly? Why?

The last one I purchased was a doozy – so I’m not promoting it! Overall I think Menny Lindenfeld’s ‘Hollow’ card effect is wonderful and dreadful businessman though he is, theres much to be said for Jay Sankey. my friend Owen Lean – whom is represented on the site has some great tips and effects in his e-books too and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Do you find that exposure today, be it the likes of the Masked Magician, or more recently, youtube, file sharing etc is having an adverse effect on the art?

I think the behind the scenes clips of Copperfield’s big end effects on youtube have hammered home the final nails into the coffin of stage illusion. It is dying out and on the whole thats a good thing as everyone is doing the same stuff. Unless you have Copperfield’s budget and time, leave it alone. There are too many acts built around second rate box effects – I should know, I was one of them! On the whole I think the masked magician did a great job in not revealing anything of practical stage use and exposing those who were performing poor standards of predictable rubbish.

How important do you feel membership of an orginization (IBM, Magic Circle etc) is to the career of a magician?

To their career – not at all. To the starting magician, they’re a great resource. remember that they are predominantly social clubs and you should seek many avenues of research to further you art. Areas outside of magic are great for providing original ideas and presentation techniques as other magician’s won’t have stumbled onto them in such vast numbers. Hard to be different if we all learn from the same magic shop or club.

What ‘type’ of magic do you feel most drawn to? What do you
associate yourself with the most? (Mentalism, Grand Illusion, Close-up etc)

I am in the mentalist category but I work regularly in bars and functions as a close up magician. Close up mentalism is the new budding area I am into and with my almost prop-less approach, it is really starting people getting excited about seeing magic again. They’ll never accept it as real and I am going against the grain by offering real world explanations including science and psychology which, although they still don’t understand and are thrilled by, at least they don’t feel that I’m insulting their intelligence.

Over the past few months Ger Kearney and John Casey have been working quietly behind the scenes to bring David to Cork, and the fruits of their labour have finally paid off. David needs no introduction as he is one of the foremost experts in the field of close up and restaurant magic. His most recent book (2005) ‘Close-up: The real secrets of magic” is a best-seller in France and was sold out in less than 15 days after its release. The DVD “The Real Secrets Of Magic” (2006) adapted from this book was nominated Best Magic DVD 2006 by Genii Magazine (US), Magie Magazine (DE) and over 14.000 copies were sold in 13 months. In August 2006, David won the 3rd prize at the World Championships of magic (FISM) in Stockholm, Sweden (Micro-Magic – FISM Award 2006) and was voted in April 2008 the TMW Award for Best Magician 2008

David will present a highly entertaining 2 hour lecture which will have something for everyone, and it is a lecture not to be missed by either the amateur or the professional. As an added bonus David has agreed to a Master class session on Saturday afternoon before the lecture. This will benefit the intermediate to the advanced close up magician, and it will help them to develop their magic skills in an intimate learning environment, with first hand advice from David himself. This Master class has very limited places so as to maximise the learning experience for those involved. To book your place in the master class you must confirm your interest (to the email addresses below) before 6th April.

Lecture price is €15. This includes a tea-coffee reception that starts at 8pm.

The Master class package is €100. This includes the master class, Dinner with David and the lecture. (Please note that the master class starts at 2pm in Cork City).

For more information or to book a place at the master class, contact John Casey or Ger Kearney

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

I think that the subject of this interview requires no introduction. Keith Barry, probably the most well known performer of magic in Ireland today has kindly agreed to take some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for us. Keith has been a major inspiration for so many young Irish magicians, including myself.

Hi Keith, first off, thanks for taking the time to answer these for us. What have you got coming up? Any new TV specials or new tours?

I’m currently on tour at the moment – having great fun. it’s called ‘Keith Barry, Direct from Vegas’ and is the same show which I performed there in Nov last year. This Fri and Sat I’m in Tipperary, all other dates can be found on Keithbarry.com

What advice would you give to any aspiring young magician?

Read as many books as you can and perform for as many people as possible. Also perform as many different varieties of magic as you can – stage, kids, close-up, platform, etc – it will help you become a more rounded performer. Too many young magicians concentrate just on close-up these days – by doing other styles of magic they will become better entertainers.

What magicians have inspired your career the most? Why?

In the beginning Paul Daniels, David Copperfield and Lance Burton were the ones who really inspired me. I watched all of their specials religiously over and over again. In later years it would have to be the great Doc Shiels and Billy McComb. Doc for his insight into mentalism and all things bizarre, and Billy for his insight into being a professional entertainer.

What commercially available effects (books dvds or single effects) do you rate most highly?

I’m a big fan of Sankeys material – especially paperclipped – it never fails to fry an audience. Branded by Tim Trono is also excellent.

How do you think the level of exposure in magic today (youtube, files sharing etc) is affecting magic?

Magic is more accessible now than ever before. I don’t think it will hurt magic at all because it’s really only budding magicians who bother to search youtube for the methodology to a trick. Most humans will never go to the bother of trying to find out how a trick is done. Blatant exposure however is not good for magic.

How important do you feel membership of an orginization (IBM, Magic Circle etc) is to the career of a magician?

It really depends on what your expectations are. I can only speak from personal experience. I remember fondly the days when I was a member of the Munster Society – I would travel from Galway with Pat Meaney to many of the meetings and lectures. John Bowden and Pat Meaney were very helpful and took me under their wing. I was also a member of the SIM – Pat Fallon was very helpful to me in those days. I enjoyed being a member of the SIM for quite a few years but then I started travelling abroad for 6-8 months a year so I wasn’t really an active member any more. I did go the odd time when i was back but I found the dynamics had changed and to be quite honest found the whole thing very negative. Even just 3 days ago a member told me of some of the ‘Keith barry bitching’ that goes on – this is one of many occasions i have heard of this. It’s unfortunate but I no longer have any interest in any of the societies – too much negativity and back biting by people who I thought were friends and should know better. I’d rather be at home working or spending time with my family than get involved in that stuff. Enough said.

You recently launched your €10,000 psychic challenge. Has anyone been stupid enough to respond? Do you feel that Irish ‘Psychics’ are in general shut-eye (deluded enough to actually think they are psychic) or open-eye (deliberately lying about it for fun and profit).

No-one has taken up the challenge. I believe we have a mixture of both open and shut eye ‘psychics’ here in Ireland. I think it’s very dangerous for vulnerable people to live their lives by what these so-called psychic advisors tell them. Look at the following Popoff had until Randi exposed him – it really was frightening. I will do my best to educate people on the art of the psychic but at the end of the day most believers will still believe no matter how much information you give them!!!!

There is only one magic shop that I know of in the Republic of Ireland, there may be another in Northern Ireland, but I really don’t know. The only magic shop in the country is ‘The Magic Shop’, which is owned by Paddy Clancy in Limerick. It is a small little costume/magic shop within walking distance of the town center, he does not have a huge range of stock, but it can be a wonderful place if you are either new to magic, or you need specific supplies (Sponges, Flash Paper etc). Paddy is happy to demonstrate anything that he has in stock, and he is a wonderfully plesant guy.

The details of the store are as follows.

The Magic Shop
6 Mallow Street
Limerick
086 2563681
www.magicshoplimerick.com
Link to Map

This is the final of a series of three essays that Owen Lean has graciously allowed us to publish on the site. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have, please comment and tell me what you think. I would now like to formally thank Owen for allowing us to use his three essays, and hopefully we will be seeing more from him here in the future!

Hello! I have loads of money. Seriously I’m absolutely rolling in it, i have cash coming up to my eyeballs. I mean really, just the other day I dropped a 50 Euro note on the ground, I could have bent over and picked it up but i didn’t because I’M ABSOLUTLY LOADED! Yeah, that’s me, the guy who’s made of money, all self made of course, and my house is huge and I have seven cars, twenty gorgeous girlfriends and an Olympic sized swimming pool with a retractile sunroof and waterproof plasma screen at the bottom so i can watch David Blaine specials while I snorkel…

Not very convincing is it?
You see, when someone comes up to you and spends all his time trying to prove something to you, we tend to question it. In fact, the more he tries to prove it, the less we believe him. Let me give that example properly – from my limited 22 years of experience of life on this planet I’ve noticed that the people who constantly talk and boast about how much money they have are usually the people who have no money at all or are very insecure in their wealth and know full well they’re about to lose it all. The same with sex, I used to go to an all boys boarding school, where it was of course customary for the majority of the boys to boast constantly about their sexual conquests, despite the fact everyone knew these people were still sending valentines cards to their own right hand.
But those who really are wealthy? Or those rare cases who were were getting all the action these adolescent morons only dreamed of? They never talk about it, they never mention it, they just KNOW it. They know it and you can tell it about them as soon as you meet them – they don’t need to prove it because they know what they have and they know everyone else should know what they have and even if they don’t – they don’t care.
So where the bloody hell am I going with this? Allow me to elaborate with another example.
Hello. Would you like to see some magic? Here choose a card. You put it back in the deck. I shuffle them, i snap my fingers, and look it comes to the top. I put it back in the middle, snap my fingers and its back on top. Every time I do it your card comes to the top. Amazing isn’t it?

Allow me to translate this awful piece of bog-standard patter into the subtext behind it:
Hello! I can do magic! Look, I can do magic! See I can do magic! I really can do magic! Yes! Its magic! I can do magic!
Not very convincing is it?
You see, this is the impression that I get about a lot of magic, as magicians we spend almost all of our time trying to PROVE we can do magic. All of the focus of most of our tricks seem to be based around that, and there is nothing convincing about that, not only that but there is nothing even remotely INTERESTING about that either.
Now there are many different reasons we may perform magic, some of us do as part of a comedy show, and our aim is comedy – in my street show this is the case, the show is about the comedy and the magic plays a secondary role to it. Some of us do it in motivational speaking, where again the magic takes a secondary place to something else, in this case the “Look i can do magic” presentation may just work. However the reason I got into magic believe it or not, was because I wanted to do magic! And this is what I try and do when I perform magic close up. Anyone who’s seen me on the street or on the stage will know my show is mainly stand up comedy – but as the few who’ve seen my recent close up performances will know, I’m a different performer.  I’m relaxed, polite and most importantly, I DON’T DO TRICKS. I spent a long time considering this – if you really could do magic, just supposing you really could – you would not spent all your time showing off and trying to prove you could. So what would you do? For me the answer was that I would be someone who told stories, taught lessons and revealed hidden knowledge about the spectators life and the world around him and would be using magic to illustrate it.
The first routine I changed was the ambitious card that I already mentioned – now I no longer talk about the card, I tell them outright at the beginning a card is a meaningless thing, and ask them to make it meaningful by writing there name about it. The routine from then on is no longer about the card, or my ability but about them, I’m not telling them about what I’m doing or what’s happening (after all they have eyes, they can see that) and suddenly i started getting more gasps and reactions then ever before. I will post of video of this some time so you can see what I mean.
A lot of “bizzare” magic tends to lean this way I know, its an area that far too few magicians study, but again there can be a little of the “look I can do magic” flaw in bizzare magic performances. The less you state, the more you imply, and the more powerful it is. The less emphasis you put on the magic, the far more powerful it is, it should look like you are performing something only trivial, something that’s only a glimpse of ones ‘true power’ to use a very pretentious phrase – a brief glimmer, but one that is so powerful, like a gnostic only needs a brief glimpse of the divine spark within him to break free from the Demiurge’s prison, so too a spectator only needs a brief glimpse of magic to break free from the mundane reality that society confines them too.
Isn’t it strange? The way we set our sights so low? I don’t want to be just another magician I don’t want to be Dai Vernon, or Slydini or Ed Marlo. I want to be Simon Magus, Merlin, Mephistopheles and Cthulhu. I want to change the world, raise the dead to life and bring war on the Demiurge one mind at a time. Yes, its an impossible target, one I probably will never obtain, but if I aim that high and miss, what I hit, surely can’t be a bad thing? But then, that’s just the impression that I get.

Joe Daly is the mastermind behind the recent show, Magick Macabre, that ran in the Olympia, Dublin in October and November last year. Joe has kindly agreed to answer some questions…

Hey Joe, let’s kick this shit off! How long have you been involved in magic as a hobby and as a professional?
I have been interested in magic from the age of 6 and turned professional when I left college at 21 so professional now for 11 years.

How did you get started in magic?
I’m afraid to say it was Paul Daniels’ fault! I was on a family holiday in England and he brought me up on stage – I was bitten by the bug ever since.

Now for anyone who hasn’t seen the show can you briefly describe the premise?
The character I play Daemon Cordell was once a very accomplished and successful illusionist. However it was later found out that in order to achieve the perfect illusion he used to kill his assistants. He was sent to an asylum…the show takes over from there.

Are you mad?
Joe Daly is perfectly sane! Daemon eh… not so much…

The show is currently undergoing a rewrite, can you tell us what sort of changes we can expect?
Yes, we will be telling the back story on stage as opposed to in the programme and it will be a lot clearer with tons more magic in it

There’s some seriously heavy names involved in this project, can you tell us a bit more about that and how they were brought on board? (Wes Craven, A Big Magic Name Who Is Currently Secret, John McColgan, etc.
It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Anyone we approached just really loved the premise and the possibilities it afforded. It’s a fun project and very different and that just really attracted them

Magick Macabre’s a bit of a step away from Riverdance, what attracted Riverdream to the show?
I approached John McColgan, the producer of Riverdance. At that stage I had staged my own version of the show and toured it to venues around the country. He saw the video and the presentation pack I sent him. He was just taken by the mixture of horror, magic and comedy that existed in the show and knew it had huge potential. Also I think he was attracted to the fact that I did the whole thing myself and took a considerable financial gamble at 25 years of age.

What was your favorite illusion in the show?
The Death Drill!!!

And of all time?
Haha the Death Drill!!! (be careful what you wish for eh!)

What advice would you give to any aspiring young magicians?
Develop your own style. There is so much magic out there now on the internet and dvd’s that im am often amazed when I see young guys doing some really cool stuff…the problem is that there are loads of guys doing it…you have to be different. Then ask yourself what do you want out of magic and whatever that is follow it with a vengeance and literally let nothing deter you from it.

Anyone who’s seen your show would agree you have massive charisma and stage prescence when you perform, is this something you’re born with or can it be learned and if so how?
Why thanks you! To be honest it’s a bit of both. Either you have it or you don’t. if you do, no matter how small it might be you can develop it. I was lucky enough to have acting classes, movement classes and even fencing classes to develop to my full potential.

Who would you consider your heroes, both magical and non-magical?
It has to be David Copperfield. 500 shows a year and a living legend. In the non magical world it has to be Michael J Fox. Only after reading his autobiography will you understand.

What commercially available material do you rate most highly?
Love Lossander’s stuff. A gentleman to deal with too.

Any horror stories of gigs?
Of course! I was a kids magician for 15 years! I once arrived at a kids Christmas party, went in to meet the organiser to see where they wanted me and what the set up was…went back to mar car to get my props from the boot…guess what it was empty!!! But I could tell you exactly where in my house they were!!! I had them all set up ready to be loaded in the car from the previous night…went out to the gig the next day and walked right by them!! It was for Statoil who were then in the IFSC. Unbelievably I was able to drive home, get the gear and do the show an hour later. Oh dear!.

How do you feel exposure on youtube and TV is affecting magic today?
Of course I think its terrible. You can find out how anything is done on youtube, it’s so sad. Wanna see how Copperfield made the statue of liberty vanish…look it up. However, this awareness has caused me never to show any newly developed stuff on TV for fear it will be on youtube and some nerd will try and explain how its done and end up being copied badly by some teenager in his garage in Utah!

If you weren’t a magician what would you be doing?
Hmm, I honestly haven’t a clue. I have NEVER had a ‘real’ job.

Can I have a job?
hmmmmmmmmm…

Please?
I’ll have my people call your people!!!

Paul is the chairman of my local IBM ring (Cork), he runs Murder Mystery weekends and preforms professionally as a hypnotist and a magician, you can find more about his services at his website by following any of the links above.

The ‘Southern Brotherhood of Magicians’ is the name of the IBM (International Brotherhood of Magicians) ring that meets in Cork. They normally meet towards the end of the month January-June and September-November, and most of the meetings are held in a Cork city center hotel. To visit the club you will need to be accompanied by another member (This is done to ensure that only people with genuine interest can join), but if you don’t know anyone you can email John Casey, the club secretary and he will sort you out.

There are about 25 magicians on the books there, with 10-15 turning up to each meeting, and the membership consists of a good mix of pro and amateur magicians. Magic societies like the SBM are a great place to connect and network with other Irish magicians. Any magic club can be a great advantage when you are starting out as a magician as it is the perfect place to get advice on landing gigs, your routine, your performance or just on nailing that difficult slight.

There is a minimal membership fee (If I remember correctly it’s 50 euro or so), but that is a small price to pay. The club generally gets two magicians in per year for lectures and the odd time a club member will give a short talk on their area of expertise. In addition to this membership entitles you to attend lectures at other IBM rings around the country (If you are in Cork or Kerry it is often pretty convenient to attend lectures in Limerick and it’s usually possible to scab a lift from another member).

The club is also a great place to find out about charity gigs, which is not only good for the charity, but can also be a wonderful learning experience for a magician who is just trying to break into the pro market. And of course, as you get to know some of the other magicians, there are often opportunities to fill in for some of them for gigs they can not make or need a second body for.