A Magician´s Journal - "4 Gigs...One Day...100 Percent Attitude!"
"4 Gigs...One Day...100 Percent Attitude!...."
Journal of Dec 6
By Luis Vega
Each gig is different from other...I have learned that, while you can work you show around that, every one has its one unique traits... so when you have a gig in a day, you can prepare it from sometime before...and learn from it.. this means this day is going to be really helpful...
I booked 4 gigs in the same day from some weeks ago, I have been preparing mentally for this day... since I have never had 4 gigs in a day, and one of them is out of town...
I start the day by going to do crossfit to relax and be on shape, I go to the firm where I work as an architect and finish somethings... the first gig is at 2:00 and by now is 12:00... as I said before, each one of this gigs is different so I have to tackle them accordingly...is going to be a long day...
1:30
I prepare all the stuff I´ll need for the day, since the first gig is a small party and the client ask me to do a relaxed show instead of my full show, since it´s for some students and the client (their teacher) didn´t have enough money to pay for my full show...but he is a friend of my brother so I booked it... while I am not charging my full fee, I decided to actually go relaxed, so I dress like a normal day and prepare a small show, but I feel it will be a good chance to test a new routine for my theater show... so I take "Accomplice" my take on a Confabulation routine... I get everything I need for the rest of the shows in the car like my suit and all the magic stuff and go to the gig..I still have sometime to get to the gig...
2:30
Ok...I am oficially lost... I haven´t found the place yet... so I call the client and he answers, he tells me that the place (which I´ll call Mordor) is passing some trees.... daduck?!! how is that supposed to help me!!
I search without success and since I was suppose to start at 2:30, I am thinking to cancel this gig and go to the next one, which is in the next city..at least I´ll get early to the next one...
Suddenly the client calls me and he tells me he´ll wait for me in a gas station near... and since he is already there...I decided to go ahead and do the show anyway... so I head to the gas station and I found him...we go to Mordor and I get ready really quick...
The audience is composed by young people around 18 - 22 years and they seem like nice people, Mordor is having a barbecue, so everyone is having a good time... I start the show and at first everyone is a little bit unattentive...but after my opener and introduction, everyone is paying attention... the show takes place inside a little house in Mordor and it a little bit intimate... to finish this show I do my accomplice routine, and it seems they have never seen mentalism before...but when an spectator reads the prediction...everybody freaks out...
The client is very happy... and he pays me accordingly, and he offers me to stay and have something to eat.. I would since I am starving...But I need to be in another place..like..NOW!!!
4:30
Again...I have no idea where the gig is, since this city is new to me... fortunately I call the event planner and he gives me instructions right away... I found him in a gas station and he tells me to follow him... so we go to the place that is in the middle of nowhere in a factory where the company is having their christmas party... I arrive and I start to change outside the car since I am supposed to start in 15 min... suddenly I hear a voice - "you can´t change here...go to the bathrooms" I turn around and see a security guard, but he looks like drugged or something, So I just ignore him!!! and continue changing...he insists and I ignore him harder!!
5:00
I am ready and when I head to the party, a person asks me "are you the Magician?" and I comply.. he is the client and he tells me to follow him... we go behind a stage and tells me he want me to do a quick introduction for the people in the stage... wait a minute.. this is supposed to be a table-hoping gig... and I tell him that, and he tells me that he doesn´t want me to do a show...just something in the stage for around 2-3 min...
I decide to do it, since this is a new client and I want to be re-hired sometime in the future... so I take my iphone and go with the DJ and ask him to put the music I need...he conects the iphone and then suddenly I hear somebody introducing me to the crowd...everyone cheers and so...
The routine I am about to do is some card manipulation and cigarrete manipulation...I tell the DJ to play the music...and then nothing...I make sure the play button is on and still nothing!!!...I really don´t have time to get angry... So I tell him to put whatever song he likes since everyone is waiting for me on stage...
I salute the crowd, take out a deck of cards...and then..I hear it... the song is "Saturday Night Fever"... WHAT THE HELL!!!... it doesn´t matter now, since I am on stage and the show must go on... after this I am pretty sure I am going to kill somebody!!
But the crowd seems to respond very well!! and I invite them to the casino night and everyone just follows me to the casino... then I do some table hoping with people that are not playing blackjack and so...it is a good audience!
6:30
After the hour has passed a person calls me, and it turns out he is really the client (the other dude seemed to be his sidekick) and he tells me that if I can do some magic for the people in the kitchen...I glady agree!! and go there and rock the kitchen!!... then I glance at a plate of food (pork meat and so)since they seems to be packing it to take away since the dinner is over by now I am thinking on stealing it!! I am so hungry!! so I go get my bag and when I return the client tells me "oh!! you must be hungry!! here, take a plate or 2 of this food!!"...NICE!! I didn´t have to steal it after all!!
I take a quick bite and get in the car again!! to return to my city for the other 2 gigs...it´s an hour trip back home...
8:30
I got a call from the other event planner (I´ll call her Bob!..is shorter than her actual name) from the way home and she tells me that I need to be on the gig by 9:30... Nice!! one hour to go back home, change my clothes and go back to the game...Bob tells me I am suppose to be on stage by 10:30, because the other gig is at 12:00
9:45
After a quick shower, a change of clothes and taking a long poop (not in that order of course!!) I am at the gig... is like a teenage party with lots of parents, I get inside quickly and prepare myself in the kitchen and while getting ready, Bob tells me that the gig is delayed so I am going to be on stage around 11:00...which is not a problem, since the other gig starts at 12:00...
11:30
I am still waiting, since people eats very slow... the show is delayed a lot, Bob is at the brink of collapse from anger...since she is supposed to be on the other gig at 12:00...with me... I am not worried, since by whatever means, I am getting paid...it´s not my fault I am late for the other gig, plus both are from BOB...
I get on stage and I do some of the routines from my theater show...people seems to responde well, but the teenagers ignore me...I am not surprised actually..since from the moment I got there I realized this place is full of "Poor little rich boys" that have no care in the world... in fact the mother of the girl of the party, asks me to magically appear an Iphone 5... and when I pass the girl on stage and appear the Iphone...she is like "meh..." I would have been freaking out if I get an Iphone form my birthday...
12:30
I arrive with Bob at the last gig... to be honest I am really tired and I am not in the mood to perform magic on stage.
When we get there the casino has already started, which means little to no attention on stage...so Bob tells me to do magic in 3 tables with some people in there... in the end I only perform some magic for those tables, since everyone else I playing in the casino and won´t even look at me (I wouldn´t look magic tricks if I can win a huge screen of 40" if I win enough fake money)
It´s very relaxed at the end...and I get paid for a full hour, when actually I perform only 10 min... very nice...
2:30
I arrive home and I prepare to sleep and think that this could very well be my life if I decide to work as a full time magician... while I wonder I fall sleep...
6:30
**** it!! I forgot to take out my suit before sleeping!! so now I have to send it to laundry... whatever...
"4 Gigs...One Day...100 Percent Attitude!...."
Journal of Dec 6
By Luis Vega
Each gig is different from other...I have learned that, while you can work you show around that, every one has its one unique traits... so when you have a gig in a day, you can prepare it from sometime before...and learn from it.. this means this day is going to be really helpful...
I booked 4 gigs in the same day from some weeks ago, I have been preparing mentally for this day... since I have never had 4 gigs in a day, and one of them is out of town...
I start the day by going to do crossfit to relax and be on shape, I go to the firm where I work as an architect and finish somethings... the first gig is at 2:00 and by now is 12:00... as I said before, each one of this gigs is different so I have to tackle them accordingly...is going to be a long day...
1:30
I prepare all the stuff I´ll need for the day, since the first gig is a small party and the client ask me to do a relaxed show instead of my full show, since it´s for some students and the client (their teacher) didn´t have enough money to pay for my full show...but he is a friend of my brother so I booked it... while I am not charging my full fee, I decided to actually go relaxed, so I dress like a normal day and prepare a small show, but I feel it will be a good chance to test a new routine for my theater show... so I take "Accomplice" my take on a Confabulation routine... I get everything I need for the rest of the shows in the car like my suit and all the magic stuff and go to the gig..I still have sometime to get to the gig...
2:30
Ok...I am oficially lost... I haven´t found the place yet... so I call the client and he answers, he tells me that the place (which I´ll call Mordor) is passing some trees.... daduck?!! how is that supposed to help me!!
I search without success and since I was suppose to start at 2:30, I am thinking to cancel this gig and go to the next one, which is in the next city..at least I´ll get early to the next one...
Suddenly the client calls me and he tells me he´ll wait for me in a gas station near... and since he is already there...I decided to go ahead and do the show anyway... so I head to the gas station and I found him...we go to Mordor and I get ready really quick...
The audience is composed by young people around 18 - 22 years and they seem like nice people, Mordor is having a barbecue, so everyone is having a good time... I start the show and at first everyone is a little bit unattentive...but after my opener and introduction, everyone is paying attention... the show takes place inside a little house in Mordor and it a little bit intimate... to finish this show I do my accomplice routine, and it seems they have never seen mentalism before...but when an spectator reads the prediction...everybody freaks out...
The client is very happy... and he pays me accordingly, and he offers me to stay and have something to eat.. I would since I am starving...But I need to be in another place..like..NOW!!!
4:30
Again...I have no idea where the gig is, since this city is new to me... fortunately I call the event planner and he gives me instructions right away... I found him in a gas station and he tells me to follow him... so we go to the place that is in the middle of nowhere in a factory where the company is having their christmas party... I arrive and I start to change outside the car since I am supposed to start in 15 min... suddenly I hear a voice - "you can´t change here...go to the bathrooms" I turn around and see a security guard, but he looks like drugged or something, So I just ignore him!!! and continue changing...he insists and I ignore him harder!!
5:00
I am ready and when I head to the party, a person asks me "are you the Magician?" and I comply.. he is the client and he tells me to follow him... we go behind a stage and tells me he want me to do a quick introduction for the people in the stage... wait a minute.. this is supposed to be a table-hoping gig... and I tell him that, and he tells me that he doesn´t want me to do a show...just something in the stage for around 2-3 min...
I decide to do it, since this is a new client and I want to be re-hired sometime in the future... so I take my iphone and go with the DJ and ask him to put the music I need...he conects the iphone and then suddenly I hear somebody introducing me to the crowd...everyone cheers and so...
The routine I am about to do is some card manipulation and cigarrete manipulation...I tell the DJ to play the music...and then nothing...I make sure the play button is on and still nothing!!!...I really don´t have time to get angry... So I tell him to put whatever song he likes since everyone is waiting for me on stage...
I salute the crowd, take out a deck of cards...and then..I hear it... the song is "Saturday Night Fever"... WHAT THE HELL!!!... it doesn´t matter now, since I am on stage and the show must go on... after this I am pretty sure I am going to kill somebody!!
But the crowd seems to respond very well!! and I invite them to the casino night and everyone just follows me to the casino... then I do some table hoping with people that are not playing blackjack and so...it is a good audience!
6:30
After the hour has passed a person calls me, and it turns out he is really the client (the other dude seemed to be his sidekick) and he tells me that if I can do some magic for the people in the kitchen...I glady agree!! and go there and rock the kitchen!!... then I glance at a plate of food (pork meat and so)since they seems to be packing it to take away since the dinner is over by now I am thinking on stealing it!! I am so hungry!! so I go get my bag and when I return the client tells me "oh!! you must be hungry!! here, take a plate or 2 of this food!!"...NICE!! I didn´t have to steal it after all!!
I take a quick bite and get in the car again!! to return to my city for the other 2 gigs...it´s an hour trip back home...
8:30
I got a call from the other event planner (I´ll call her Bob!..is shorter than her actual name) from the way home and she tells me that I need to be on the gig by 9:30... Nice!! one hour to go back home, change my clothes and go back to the game...Bob tells me I am suppose to be on stage by 10:30, because the other gig is at 12:00
9:45
After a quick shower, a change of clothes and taking a long poop (not in that order of course!!) I am at the gig... is like a teenage party with lots of parents, I get inside quickly and prepare myself in the kitchen and while getting ready, Bob tells me that the gig is delayed so I am going to be on stage around 11:00...which is not a problem, since the other gig starts at 12:00...
11:30
I am still waiting, since people eats very slow... the show is delayed a lot, Bob is at the brink of collapse from anger...since she is supposed to be on the other gig at 12:00...with me... I am not worried, since by whatever means, I am getting paid...it´s not my fault I am late for the other gig, plus both are from BOB...
I get on stage and I do some of the routines from my theater show...people seems to responde well, but the teenagers ignore me...I am not surprised actually..since from the moment I got there I realized this place is full of "Poor little rich boys" that have no care in the world... in fact the mother of the girl of the party, asks me to magically appear an Iphone 5... and when I pass the girl on stage and appear the Iphone...she is like "meh..." I would have been freaking out if I get an Iphone form my birthday...
12:30
I arrive with Bob at the last gig... to be honest I am really tired and I am not in the mood to perform magic on stage.
When we get there the casino has already started, which means little to no attention on stage...so Bob tells me to do magic in 3 tables with some people in there... in the end I only perform some magic for those tables, since everyone else I playing in the casino and won´t even look at me (I wouldn´t look magic tricks if I can win a huge screen of 40" if I win enough fake money)
It´s very relaxed at the end...and I get paid for a full hour, when actually I perform only 10 min... very nice...
2:30
I arrive home and I prepare to sleep and think that this could very well be my life if I decide to work as a full time magician... while I wonder I fall sleep...
6:30
**** it!! I forgot to take out my suit before sleeping!! so now I have to send it to laundry... whatever...
