What do you carry around with you?

Jan 22, 2012
418
1
Hey Guys,

Now I know there have been a lot of threads like this but you know new effects always come out and I was wondering what are the top 5 things you have on you at all times? Here's what I usually bring.

1. Deck: It will usually consist of a couple of duplicates and then a regeneration gimmick
2. Three or four rubberbands: With this I could a lot of things like crazy man handcuffs and pixel.
3. iPod touch and headphones: I've been recently carrying this around because I have the card2phone app and iPredict+.
4. Wallet: This has a couple of Fraud bills and Loops by Yigal Mesika. I also do card to wallet regularly.
5. T.K.O. 2.0 OR omni deck: I have this on me 80% since most of wardrobe consist of button-ups so I usually carry that around me because it's awesome. If I don't I have the omni deck because it's killer.



So I basically have most of these on me except for maybe T.K.O. but I usually have these because it's minimal compared to what I used to carry and it only takes up two-three pockets at most.

Yeah so I'm sorry I'm making this thread but I hope you understand because I kind of want to see what a working professional has on them compared to a teenager like me.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
A pen, my pendulum, and a coin purse with a pair of English copper pennies in it. That's it. One of the perks of being a mentalist is freeing up a lot of pocket space.
 
Nov 9, 2012
76
0
England, UK
A standard deck of bikes
Some doubles, some of which have a different coloured back, some have my signature on (for swak) and a folded up card in one of my shoes
4 rubber bands each being different colours, simply for various rubber band effects
Money, coins and £5 notes because if I ever perform an effect and I need to borrow one and do a switch because of it being the least expensive note some spectators are generous enough to give it to you. Although I don't take it because I think my place is to entertain not get paid for what I love.

That's about it for the time being because I am still arranging my "repertoire" of effects as I am just getting use to performing more frequently :D
 
Dec 23, 2010
73
0
Invisible Deck
Standard Bikes with some duplicates and 1 or 2 special gimmicked cards
Balloons for pressure
Rubberbands for Transit or something like that
And my Iphone 5 and Headphones
 
Oct 24, 2008
244
0
Savannah, GA
A pen, my pendulum, and a coin purse with a pair of English copper pennies in it. That's it. One of the perks of being a mentalist is freeing up a lot of pocket space.

Huh! How much material does that get you? Can you fill thirty minutes or an hour, or so? That's pretty interesting.

I assume when you say "pen," you also mean paper or some kind of billet material to go with it?
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
Solid mentalism allows you to fill a lot of time with next to no props. With the pen and bent coin on me I could probably do around half an hour before I started having to dig.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
Huh! How much material does that get you? Can you fill thirty minutes or an hour, or so? That's pretty interesting.

I assume when you say "pen," you also mean paper or some kind of billet material to go with it?

About an hour give or take before I start having to dig through my memory. As for paper, I borrow it whenever I can. Carrying memo pads around when I don't have my messenger bag is a pain. Among other things, I'm working on muscle reading so by this time next year, I might not even need the pendulum.

I've made the decision to go full-time with mentalism, and I'd been a mimimalist for years anyway. This is just pursuing it to the inevitable conclusion.
 

Colin

Elite Member
Jan 25, 2013
152
22
Steerpike what would you suggest for someone interest in learning about pendulum work? I am very intrigued by them but am not sure where to start.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
Steerpike what would you suggest for someone interest in learning about pendulum work? I am very intrigued by them but am not sure where to start.

First I have to ask if you're really interested in learning about bizarre magick and mentalism. The pendulum carries a lot of symbolic weight, so using one requires you to really know what you're doing when it comes to theatrics and performance theory. Otherwise, you risk looking hokey and pretentious.

Not saying this to be difficult, mind. I just don't know much about you right now and I want to know where you stand.
 
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Colin

Elite Member
Jan 25, 2013
152
22
I would say I have a fairly basic knowledge of mentalism at this point and am quite new when it comes to the bizarre. I am interested in the storytelling opportunities I see with bizarre magick and find pendulums fascinating. I have a very rough idea for a ghost story that I would like to tell and think that being able to involve a pendulum would be a great way to add a deeper level of experience for the audience for the tale I would like to tell.

I have zero experience with pendulums so at this point I would be interested in very basic routines to learn how to handle them with the end goal being able to work them into a longer routine involving a couple other effect used to illustrate a story. And I do realize how important performance is when it comes to this style magic, I enjoy telling stories and see bizarre magick as a very interesting way to do that. It is a very different style than I have performed in the past so I have a lot of learning to do.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
That's an encouraging answer. You want to learn.

To get used to pendulums, first you need to get used to using them without the frills of bizarre magick. One of the best resources to start with is a book from Richard Webster's extensive work. I'm not going to say which one specifically, but you'll know it when you see it. I'm asking you to do this digging because if you want to learn more about mentalism, you should totally look into Richard's work because it's ****ing awesome. Everything he publishes has been tested in the crucible of live performance for years.

Docc Hilford also demonstrates a very simple primer on pendulums adapted from Richard Webster in volume 1 of Monster Mentalism. You can also find some material in Max Maven's PRISM, the collected color books of mentalism back when he was still using the Phil Goldstein moniker. Bob Cassidy has also written on the subject, and I believe those texts are still available at Lybrary dot com. And of course there's Banachek's Psychophysiological Thought Reading, but that's more advanced. I made the mistake of buying that years before I was ready for it and am only just coming back to it. I would advise keeping that in reserve until you have more experience.

All of this stuff is very accessible, you just have to know where to look. It doesn't get much press because it doesn't hit any of the buzzwords that are in vogue in marketing right now. And to be perfectly honest, most magicians tend to hate it anyway because there's little to no sleight of hand involved.

One of my favorite pendulum moments was a Halloween party a few years ago. We were doing a tongue-in-cheek seance and the host wanted me to get Cary Grant. I had him take the pendulum and ask "Mr. Grant" if the rumors that he was gay were true. Swing side to side for no, back and forward for yes. With no prompting from me, the pendulum went completely nuts, swinging in random directions. After a moment, I just said in a deadpan voice, "I think he's screwing with us." When you get a moment like that, just run with it and enjoy it.
 

Colin

Elite Member
Jan 25, 2013
152
22
Thank you for that I will look into Richard Webster right away, a quick search returned a pretty obvious choice though I probably would have passed it by on my own because of how it is classified. I wasn't sure if books coming from a publisher like Llewellyn would translate well into the 'for performance and entertainment' field so that is a great tip.

I don't want to completely high-jack this thread so I will say thanks and be off to do some investigating.
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
15
Richard has written a number of books for the shut-eye market. His stuff for magicians is self-published on Deceptionary dot com. Just a heads up.
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
I don't have any set items I tote along though I do have a couple of things I will toss into a pocket if I am in the mood to play around with folks; there are two Pendulums, one being quite unique, a small wood owl developed by Hong Kong performer Stuart Palm. The other is of my own making (I have dozens) but neither are gaffed per ce'.

I have a small antique coin purse in which I carry 4 poker chips from 4 different yesteryear casinos (they're real); a Copper-Silver gaffed coin as well as a real English Penny & American Half-Dollar. On top of that I might have an impression pad of some sort on hand, usually my Butterfly from John Riggs. In addition to this I'll have at least a dozen or more business cards that can be used in a number of amazing ways given their pre-set.

This is a lot of stuff for a mentalist to carry but 90% of exists as a way for me to offer a bit of variety when working with a group; especially those that have seen me work 100% clean, without any gimmicks whatsoever. But let me go a step further here;

The Little Owl Pendulum is one of my favorite pieces because it allows me to give one individual a genuine psychic experience -- the self-realization of their own sensitivity and intuition (apparently). The over-all presentation of this one piece can readily consume over 10 minutes and that's before we do anything with the pendulum itself. When it comes to an improvisational moment it is not common to hold a group for more than maybe 15-20 minutes before you've exhausted them as well as yourself. In this case I've allowed the gathered group to experience something through the emotions and responses of the young lady holding the thick silk purse the owl is in and her ability to discern what's inside the purse (a.k.a. Psychometry). This is a very real thing for one and all and so it pulls them into the performer's web which leads to the pendulum itself. But when you get there you can invite others in the gathered group to participate by showing them how to make a pendulum on the spot using their own finger-ring, a necklace, etc.

Look at how far you can go before needing to change things up . . . the coins & poker chips are part of the pendulum routine which gives me that easy 15-20 minutes. If the crowd has grown and encouragement given, I can move on to a simple Q&A using the business cards or any number of other bits that rely solely on what's in my head such as forcing methods, branching anagrams, suggestion routine, psych forces and a long list of other wonders. . . . for the Mentalist and Magicians alike it is your brain and an understanding of your craft at its most basic level, that permit miracles to abound, NOT a pocket full of junk!
 
Aug 17, 2012
66
0
Being a card magician. All I carry around is a deck of cards. Although I do always have my headphones, IPod and wallet that has been bugged up with effects ready to perform with me. Finally, if I'm feeling adventurous, I carry a sharpie.
I don't carry any extra gimmicks, as my magic allows the spectator to examine anything they want.
 
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