Archive for July 2010
Magician in Spain
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Life updates
31
I’ve spent the last week at a magic bar / diner theatre in Salou, Spain called The House of Illusion. My friend Rodney James Piper, the owner of the venue, invited a small group of professional close-up magicians and mind readers to the theatre for a week and I was lucky enough to be part of the event.
During the week we discussed and created new magic tricks, attended some great variety shows and lectures and spent a lot of time at the fantastic House of Illusion; one of only a few purpose-built magic theatres in the world.
If you are ever in Salou, I urge you to go to see the House of Illusion show. The night starts with some drinks in the bar, which includes performances from two fantastic bar magicians. Next up, you enter the lavish theatre for a full two-hour magic show containing mind reading, illusions, fire eating and some fantastic comedy magic. It’s a popular Salou attraction (this week, two British TV soap stars were there!) and always sells out so be sure to book tickets before you leave the UK.
I got home late last night and am now refreshed ready for a busy week of shows. I’ve also got lots to blog about so normal service will resume from today!
Here’s a small photo of the House of Illusion theatre:
Gloucester Magician Aboard!
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Performances
21
A couple of weekends ago I was invited to perform onboard the King Arthur sailing from Gloucester Docks. The boat sailed along the River Severn while eighty or so guests enjoyed the party put on to celebrate my client’s 70th birthday party.
Close-up magicians often say that close-up magic events tend to blur into one, but I disagree: when you have unique opportunities to perform in different situations and venues, it really makes a show memorable and fun. The boat was full of people of various ages and it was a lot of fun to perform for the guests while the boat was sailing down the Severn.
Here’s a quick message I got from Sue, the lady who had organised me to perform on the boat:
—Sue, Gloucester
Penn & Teller in London
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Life updates
16
I’ve seen Penn & Teller in Las Vegas twice. They have their own theatre at the Rio hotel and perform what I consider to be one of the best magic shows in the world … and believe me, I’ve seen a lot of magic shows!
The show combines magic with political statements, comedy, fire eating, acting and much more. The duo have worked together for years and this really shows. Their magic is completely polished and incredibly fooling; even to the trained eye!
The last time they came to England was when I was eleven years old, so I unfortunately didn’t get to see them. They’re only here for a week and I managed to get tickets, along with a bunch of other close-up magicians and we all had an amazing time. The show was slightly different to the Vegas show, which meant that I got to see some great new pieces.
The duo are only in town until Sunday so if you have the opportunity to see it, I’d really suggest you do!
Bar Magician
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Performance ideas
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About a month ago I performed at big event in a marquee and one thing that really stood out was the bar (as strange as that sounds!). The bar was illuminated with bright lights from underneath the tabletop, which was what made it really stand out. They also had flair bartenders, which is something I always enjoy as it’s a skill a little akin to sleight of hand magic.
I performed a little magic for the bar staff while we were waiting for everyone to arrive and they were all a lot of fun to perform for. That performance has now created an interesting partnership. If you hire LiquidSpirit’s mobile bar for your event, you can also arrange for them to hire me to perform close-up magic behind the bar for the evening.
Bar magic isn’t particularly common in the UK (compared to the USA, for example where it is a lot more common), but it’s a great way to create a really memorable experience for your guests. I stand behind the bar and perform a small show for people as they’re waiting to be served, or as they’re sat at the bar enjoying a cocktail or two. It’s a fun, and unique experience.
Check out LiquidSpirit’s mobile bar hire website for more info.
5 Questions to Ask a Close-Up Magician
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Hiring a magician
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Here are five questions that you should always ask a close-up magician before hiring them:
1. Are you a professional close-up magician and how often do you perform?
2. Have you performed in similar venues and at similar events to mine?
3. Are there any hidden charges?
4. Are your timings flexible in case we need to change the time of your performance last minute?
5. Do you have any feedback from other clients?
I’m a close-up magician, so feel free to ask me any of those questions, and more! You can call or email me and I’d be happy to provide detailed, honest answers to all your questions about hiring me.
Writing For Young Magicians
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Life updates
11
This morning I performed at a show in Gloucester (more info on that in a future post) and have then spent the rest of the day writing my new column in a magic magazine for young magicians.
In 1996 I was invited to be one of the first members of the Young Magician’s Club; the junior initiative of Magic Circle. Now, fourteen years later, I’ve been asked to get involved with the club and write a column for their monthly magazine which is distributed to members throughout the world.
My column will be a mixture of my experiences as a professional close-up magician and my experiences of being a young magician as by the age of sixteen I had performed on international television specials and had been invited to travel to perform in many countries. I think that these experiences give me an interesting insight into being a young magician and hopefully, will allow me to inspire and excite the next generation of professional close-up magicians!
Las Vegas Magicians – in the UK
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Life updates
9
I’m just about to finish work for the night and tune into Jonathan Ross to watch Las Vegas magic superstars Penn & Teller perform. Then, on Wednesday, along with a group of other professional close-up magicians, I’m going to see the duo perform live at the Hammersmith Apollo.
I’ve seen Penn & Teller perform at their theatre (subtly named The Penn & Teller Theatre) in Las Vegas twice and have come to the conclusion that it’s the best magic show on earth. It’s funny, thought-provoking, entertaining and their magic fools even the best magicians!
There’s also rumour that David Copperfield will be performing in Manchester due to a ticket website listing that he’ll be performing at the Manchester Apollo over November. There are some mixed rumours about this so I’m waiting to hear from some friends close to David to find out how true this is. Last time I was in Vegas, I saw his show at the MGM and thoroughly enjoyed it. A few years before that, I happened to be in Chicago at the same time as David’s show and was taken by a friend of his to see the show and got the opportunity to meet the man himself. It was a great experience and I hope that the rumours of him being in Manchester are true.
Wedding Magician Gloucester
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Hiring a magician
7
Looking for a great way to entertain guests at your wedding? There are hundreds of Gloucester weddings happening every year and I’m always happy to be on hand to create an amazing experience every single time. If you’re getting married in the Cotswolds, Gloucester, Cheltenham or anywhere else in Gloucestershire, I’d love to be part of making your wedding fun and memorable.
Here are a few reasons why I think I’m the perfect choice for a Gloucester wedding magician:
- I live in Gloucester so can easily help out at the last minute.
- I have performed at most of the Gloucester wedding venues and know them (and often their staff) well.
- I have been featured on Gloucestershire radio stations and in Gloucestershire newspapers and websites.
- I have testimonials from many people in Gloucestershire and would be happy to put you in touch with other Gloucester-based couples if you’d like to ask them questions about my performance.
- I am one of a select few professional Gloucester wedding magicians
- I don’t charge travel expenses so am often a little more inexpensive than magicians who have to travel to your wedding in Gloucester.
View my wedding magician or Gloucester magician page for more info!
Lectures for Magicians
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Performances
6
I’ve been lucky enough over the last few years to be able to not only perform close-up magic for a living, but also travel around giving lectures to other magicians at conventions and clubs throughout the US, Europe and the UK. Hhere are just a few examples of the places that I’ve given lectures and performances to magicians:
- MAGIC Live conference, Las Vegas (2004 and 2009)
- The Second Deal conference, Atlanta
- The Session conference, UK
- Portuguese national magician’s conference
- British Magical Society
- Various UK magic clubs
- 15-date tour of American magic clubs (including Chicago, Texas, Indianapolis and more)
These types of events have taken a back seat over the past year while I’ve been writing books and recording DVDs for magicians and concentrating on my career as a professional close-up magician. I’ll be lecturing more often starting in 2011.
Inexpensive Close-Up Magicians
0 Comments | Posted by Andi Gladwin in Hiring a magician
5
Every industry suffers from the same problem: newcomers or people who don’t get much business post crazily low prices on their website in order to attract attention. For example, over the last couple of days I’ve seen a close-up magician who claims to travel anywhere in the country for £99, and another for £149.
The truth is; a good, professional close-up magician will never quote his or her prices on their website (and to be honest, would never charge £99!) and would never have a one-price fits all scheme. In order to give your event the proper attention required (instead of just turning up and doing a few tricks), the magician needs to talk to you personally (over phone or email) to fully understand the event and your requirements before giving a bespoke price to perform at your event.
I have previously hired close-up magicians myself (for corporate events for my old employer and for my own private parties) and I quickly learned that price should only be part of the deciding factor. When hiring a magician, I was looking for someone absolutely astounding, someone memorable and someone who would do the best job possible at the event. That someone would never charge £99!
I normally reply to price enquiry emails within an hour or two if they’re sent on a weekday (weekends and evenings take longer as I’m normally performing), so if you’d like a bespoke, yet competitive quote to hire a close-up magician feel free to get in touch!
