A Magician's Journal-"Technical Dificulties"-Ago15

[Luis Vega]

"Technical Dificulties"
Journal of August 15
By Luis Vega​

Some days ago...

"There...that was the Rage Performance" I say
"I like it!! anyway...I would change that string...well at least before the big performance" my brother suggests
"Are you kidding me? this is fishing line..and a very strong one!! it has never broken before.." I say

The Rage Performance is one of my greatest stage performances, since it includes a dancing cane, fire and awesome juggling...it comes from the concept that Rage can be used for something beautiful...and it has been some months since I was practicing it...

August 9
"Diablos"

Today is the day..although I have presented a full show before, this day is only planned to show the Rage Performance...since this place is awesome and the manager has agreed to show it to the public as a surprise then I feel kinda good that people really don´t expect this...

I decided to practice alone the performance and it goes great...I double check everything, and since this is a cutom-made cane there are somethings that need to be done before...anyway..everything seems ok..

The lights go out...my song starts...and this is it...I am ready...

I quickly climb to the stage..200 people wonder what´s going on...and then they see me turn on the cane...and I start..

The Perfomance it´s composed of 2 phases...the first one if just juggling with a giant fire stick...and it represents the moment when Rage is unstable and I can´t control it...the second phase if the same stick...just floating like a dancing cane...and it represents the moment when I control my rage and I use it for something beautiful...

The first phase goes great!! I just do what I practiced and since the stage it´s big...I can go around and around juggling...the fire looks awesome!!

it´s time to start the second phase...I have their full attention..and the music won´t stop...

"TING!!!"

that was the most terrifying sound I ever heard lately...is the sound of the string breaking...the sound of the whole performance going to waste...I died a little inside when I hear it and feel it...and its broke from the cane and not from the other side..I cannot describe the feeling of the whole second part going to waste...and my whole performance...

But the music won´t stop now...

So I just decide to continu the juggling..but only this time I came down from the stage and juggling near the tables and a table full of ladies cherish me!! and I climb to their table and other...and another..and another...it goes good...although I don´t feel this is the way it should be at least I feel it was a ton of times better that if I suddenly stopped...

Finally the musis stops...honestly this was the longest 3 min song I ever heard in my life...

I just feel like trash inside of me...although the people seems happy, I don´t feel happy...

"So...what happened? I thought you said the cane will levitate" the manager asked
"Yeah...the string broke..I am really sorry" I am so glad the manager was the only one that knew about what was going to happen..
"Oh...bummer....ok..I´ll call you in the next days.." He lies..
"Ok..so see you around" I lie too..

One mistake costs me the change to do more magic in this restaurant...it was my fault...so I deal with it...

Next day...

I still feel a little shaken about what happened last night...but after some thinking I realize that it´s not the end of the world...there is a bunch of restaurants and then something sparks inside my mind...the biggest festival on the town is coming in 3 months..and I would love to perform there in stage..in front of thousands of people...The full Rage Performance....only that..I will make sure to change the string before the show!!!

 

[Austin Fields]

Ouch man, it happens to the best of us. Great advice is to "check, then double check, then check again." You're lucky you were able to recover from a performance standpoint, even though theatrically it never completed.

All I can offer you are some quotes that have helped me through pretty solid mess ups. From very experienced magicians.

My good friend Tom told me "You know, at worst, a group of people you'll never see again are going to walk away thinking that you have messed up. Notice I said nothing about the world's demise."

And Max Maven I believe paraphrased another quote when he said, "Sometimes, confidence comes from having something go horribly wrong, and realizing that you're ok."

I've had an impression pad finale fail 3 times in front of a paying audience to a stage show I'm still performing at. Yeah, it stung every time. I really liked the report of what happened, but I'd love to hear the story of how you were able to recover and come back smarter and better.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

 

[Luis Vega]

Ouch man, it happens to the best of us. Great advice is to "check, then double check, then check again." You're lucky you were able to recover from a performance standpoint, even though theatrically it never completed.

All I can offer you are some quotes that have helped me through pretty solid mess ups. From very experienced magicians.

My good friend Tom told me "You know, at worst, a group of people you'll never see again are going to walk away thinking that you have messed up. Notice I said nothing about the world's demise."

And Max Maven I believe paraphrased another quote when he said, "Sometimes, confidence comes from having something go horribly wrong, and realizing that you're ok."

I've had an impression pad finale fail 3 times in front of a paying audience to a stage show I'm still performing at. Yeah, it stung every time. I really liked the report of what happened, but I'd love to hear the story of how you were able to recover and come back smarter and better.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."

Thanks man!! I think I learned my lesson...but I feel happy that I could handle it in a almost imposible situation with dignity...

Rick Everhart and Reality One..I would love to read your inputs!!

 

[RickEverhart]

Hey Luis, wow man....that was painful to even read. You have to understand that props will fail at any given moment and that is a risk that we all face. It could be a lever breaking, an extra load falling out of something prematurely, a magnet dislodging from holding something, etc. I have never used invisible thread in paid performances so I cannot say I have had that happen but I have had props fail on me before in front of paying crowds.

I've been very embarrassed and even wanted to just pack up my show and stop doing magic altogether but you know what man... if we don't get back out there and do what we do best...who will? We are the ones that bring laughter to children and put smiles on the faces of those around us. We are the ones who bring excitement, screams, astonishment! Knowing that we possess the power to do that makes us get back out there and do it.

Del Ray was a very famous magician who most of his act was built around electronics, earlier than others had gone this route. On his final show of his career, everything went wrong electronically and it was said that he left the stage in tears. It happens to everyone Luis.

Heck at the last magic convention I attended, 2 very good experienced magicians had props fail on stage during competitions.
One was Little Man by Paul Harris...the little clay man that moves on his own....there was nothing the magician could do except push the little guy and everyone in the crowd felt his pain man. We've all been there. When you perform enough shows....sometimes s*** happens.

The second act was a knife throwing act and the magic knife pad didn't do what it was supposed to and the performer had to just stand there and say, "Oh man...did you guys really think I was going to throw the knife at him?"

It sucks man. That is the only way to put it but it makes us learn and we double and triple check things now preshow. Even then...things still happen.

Keep your head up man. You are a great magician. I would love for you to put on the show of your life at the big festival!

 

[CasenW]

Hey Luis, wow man....that was painful to even read. You have to understand that props will fail at any given moment and that is a risk that we all face. It could be a lever breaking, an extra load falling out of something prematurely, a magnet dislodging from holding something, etc. I have never used invisible thread in paid performances so I cannot say I have had that happen but I have had props fail on me before in front of paying crowds.

I've been very embarrassed and even wanted to just pack up my show and stop doing magic altogether but you know what man... if we don't get back out there and do what we do best...who will? We are the ones that bring laughter to children and put smiles on the faces of those around us. We are the ones who bring excitement, screams, astonishment! Knowing that we possess the power to do that makes us get back out there and do it.

Del Ray was a very famous magician who most of his act was built around electronics, earlier than others had gone this route. On his final show of his career, everything went wrong electronically and it was said that he left the stage in tears. It happens to everyone Luis.

Heck at the last magic convention I attended, 2 very good experienced magicians had props fail on stage during competitions.
One was Little Man by Paul Harris...the little clay man that moves on his own....there was nothing the magician could do except push the little guy and everyone in the crowd felt his pain man. We've all been there. When you perform enough shows....sometimes s*** happens.

The second act was a knife throwing act and the magic knife pad didn't do what it was supposed to and the performer had to just stand there and say, "Oh man...did you guys really think I was going to throw the knife at him?"

It sucks man. That is the only way to put it but it makes us learn and we double and triple check things now preshow. Even then...things still happen.

Keep your head up man. You are a great magician. I would love for you to put on the show of your life at the big festival!

Man count: 5. hahaha joking

 

[RickEverhart]

That was funny Casen...I guess I never realized how often I was throwing "man" in there.
Also that will help me bump Luis's thread up so hopefully more people will read it and learn a lesson.

 

[Luis Vega]

That was funny Casen...I guess I never realized how often I was throwing "man" in there.
Also that will help me bump Luis's thread up so hopefully more people will read it and learn a lesson.

Thanks man...I realized I always share stories of success and amazingness...but this time I wanted to share this one in order to show magicians here...that failure is part of magic...and it will happen to all of us...and we need to continue working...and yes...IT SUCKED!! as I said before..I died a little inside when I felt the string break!!