Live Show #34. Comments and App Chat

Well, I don't know what happened then. I don't know what happened then. My shorts cut didn't... shorts cut? Short cuts didn't work. Because I'm... I'm all set up weird because I'm away from home. So I've got me laptop and various leads and cables that I don't usually have. And I'm very well lit. I'm very white because the natural light is there and but I hope it's alright. I hope you can see me. I've got like a mic I don't usually use. Tell me if it's too loud. If it's too... it might be a bit loud actually. Let me turn it down. But welcome to Real Magic Reviews. Sorry I wasn't here last week. It was awful because I forgot. I thought I'd put something on saying I wasn't going to do one and I didn't put it on, did I? So I'm sorry if you turned up last week and I wasn't here. I was at a juggling convention arriving that day. Got my clubs out, started juggling, forgot about everything. I wasn't going to be able to do one anyway. But yeah, so my bad. Terrible behavior. No integrity whatsoever, but I apologize for that. If you're watching this in the future, hello. Come and join us at 5 UK time every Thursday, unless I don't turn up, but usually every Thursday. But also like and subscribe if you like it. Check out OnlineMagic.co which is my... I always want to say CardMagicCourse.com because that's what it used to be. OnlineMagic.co. It's not Card Magic Course anymore. We've just uploaded 50-odd videos, 40-odd videos of coin magic and just about to upload another 15-20 on rope magic. So it's expanding as we speak, so to speak. So have a look at that. Importantly, David Williamson is going to be this time, well in an hour this time, next week. David Williamson is our guest. I do live sessions every week for Online Magic and usually it's me, but every month-ish we have guest lecturers and next week is David Williamson, which is going to be amazing, right? Brilliant. Also, another couple of little bits of housekeeping. Can you check out... I always forget to say this. I've started two new social media accounts. Instagram... My words aren't coming out at all. Instagram is SF, as in Steve Faulkner, Online Magic. SF Online Magic at SF Online Magic and the Facebook is the same. It's at Online Magic. Facebook.com forward slash SF Online Magic. So have a look at that. Links will be below and links will also be below. That's what I was going to do. I've got a new course, which is an introduction to card magic. Three really good card magic tricks, easy card magic tricks. I was going to say what they are, but now I'll have a look at it. But importantly, I also teach a little bit on performance and dealing with nerves and practice and all that kind of stuff. So it's a really nice little course. Completely free. The link will be down below if you're a bit more advanced and you want something a bit more of a challenge. I have the Spread Cold course. The links will be down below for that as well. All free. Right. Blimey. Not getting words out. It's because it's really weird. I'm looking at a little screen on my laptop. I haven't got my lovely setup. So bear with me, but I am enjoying it. It's really nice to be here. Gary Edge Lambert. Nice to see you, Gary. Hi, Steve. Just sitting down with a cup of tea getting ready for this. Hope you're good. I'm good. Thank you, JJ Herman. Hi, Steve. How you doing? Dave, how are you doing? Dave Annick. Dave Cook. Got a very good product out, which I'm going to be reviewing soon. But feel free to stick anything in here, Dave. I'll link to it and all that. But yeah, really, it's going to be great. Hey, it flipped out over productions. Have you ever tried Paul Gartner's cups and steel balls? I want to get into the cups and balls and all the routines I've seen. That's my favorite. I love the sound convinces. Yeah, it's absolutely brilliant. I would definitely, definitely, definitely learn the standard cups and balls first, because then you haven't got to deal with that sound issue you're going to have. So learn the standard ones. Hey, Steve, how you doing? Learn the standard ones. I'm talking about talking to myself there on the screen. Steve Brownlee, great chef and magician, just turned up. Learn the standard routine, dive on a routine, whatever. All the standard moves and then adapt it. And then you'll be able to learn the Gartner one a lot more easy. But I just think it's great. And it's just, it is, isn't it? And anything with sound like that, it's like all the, there's that Larry Jennings. Oh, I can't remember what it's called. It's like a kind of coins across in the hands thing. But he's got a lovely little moment where you drop a coin and it clinks and it's, it's a fake clink. And it's, it's playing with all that. I love it. Absolutely love it. Right. So, uh, this today, I'm going to do a couple of comments. We haven't had loads because I put a review out yesterday with a juggling show. You've got to see that show. If you can, if you're near Salisbury in a couple of weeks, it's just brilliant. And so inspiring. You know, I, I'm getting more and more inspired by stuff out of magic at the moment, reading, you know, listening to podcasts, a podcast. So this toy always tell people about, um, the knowledge project is just inspiring in so many ways. It's all people that high performers and their habits and all that kind of thing. Tim Ferriss's podcast, uh, still getting really inspired by magic, of course, but the juggling convention was just very different from the magic convention. I think I'm going to do a different video on it. It's, it was in some ways better, I think more healthy in some ways, just different. Um, but yeah, just really interesting. Can't wait to the next magic convention, by the way. I'm not saying one's totally better than the other, but, but it's a very different thing, very different feel. And I was trying to imagine a magic convention in that scenario and, and it was, it wouldn't. Yeah. So interesting. But anyway, if you've been to both, I'd love to hear your comments. So yeah, I'm going to look very unprofessional and look at my phone because I, uh, it's where the, I can only work and do it where I am at the moment. I'm away from home, as I mentioned, if you just arrived. So there's quite a funny comment. I liked it. Um, I'll do that in a minute, but let's just open the, the main ones again. I haven't done loads of reviews recently cause Stevie's been a very, very busy boy, but what I wanted to talk about was mental play. All right. And a lot of people have got, um, issues with apps as I used to, I used to have this big thing. There's only four comments on it, but I think they're, they're valid. One from you, Gary, of course. Um, four comments, one from me, uh, and two for me. There's two comments. One of them says, pity not available on Android mate. Two are from me and one's from Gary. Gary, we're going to do your comment. And that's the one I want to talk about. Um, because it made me think it was a great one. So I, well, I read the comment and by the way, I'm not done disagree with you at all. Hi, Steve. I can appreciate how this is clever. This is mental play by the way. And if you haven't watched a mental play review, I loved it. Absolutely loved it. But very valid point. Uh, I can appreciate it. Sorry. I'm just, I'm just in denial. That's it. It's massive now. Clear as you like. I can appreciate how this is clever, but generally apps just don't do it for me. I'd like, I'd like it. I'd like to like it, but see it as technology and not magic. I was at a friend's party recently. This is interesting. And use Cognito a couple of times. I haven't got that yet. Uh, when I basically, I haven't got it. I haven't got it free to review. So that means I haven't got it. When I used it with the peak, it was not question. However, when I used the reveal, which generally I don't because I think it's gimmicky, I did hear words. You've got a clever app. Most likely down to the Neanderthal presentation. Uh, now wherever I put my rude shaped sponge balls. Um, right. So a couple of things there. I totally get what you mean. So when I, when magic apps were, I'll just turn this volume down a bit. When magic apps were on the stock first came on the market, uh, magic corner. Good to see you too. I didn't, the idea of even getting your phone out seemed preposterous to me. The minute you got your phone out, he's got an app. I totally agree. And there is, and I know the things I don't know the answer to because a lot of apps have come away from the app now. Okay. So wiki test, yes, you can get the phone involved at the beginning, but then it isn't involved in the whole presentation. I think that's a bit different. And a lot of that's like that. The stranger things like that, the phone is integral to it. You're using it for something that isn't, Hey, look, the tricks happening here. Look at this video, this screen. And then, so there's kind of, there's a split coming in there. There's apps that are clearly, there's something happening on my phone. Look at my phone. This is happening. And there's, that's where the phone's kind of involved a little bit, but then gets put away. You look at cube Smith, time Smith, all the Smiths, um, Dave Smith used to go to school with, Oh, sorry. I am a bit tired. I think. And I'm like caffeine for three days, which is messing with me. But you know what I mean? Um, die Smith that one as well. This one does happen on the phone and is completely self contained. So the video plays on your phone, all the things play on your phone. So I should not like it. I should be like, no, no, but then my, you know, Mark Kirsten has got to happen on your phone, but they happen on the phone, but they there's stuff happening that makes the spectator think that they're seeing someone on the phone that they're not. So example with men's plates, the other is my YouTube thing. The thing about mental play, and I think this is the same with, with different apps is that yes, it's all contained on the phone, but even if someone thinks it's an app, some of the tricks are so good that they still are like, yeah, even if it's not, I still, how could you have known that? It's that stuff that's going on. And with that, there's, there's things happening that you have to do that. You have to, it's the phone doesn't do it for you. The app doesn't do it for you. You've got to do some stuff and you've got to practice some stuff and you've got to get comfortable with some stuff. And that's all the, the layers that are built into this. So it's a little bit like for me, it's like sleight of hand. You have been at a gig and you do a coin vanish and a complete vanish or something like that. And, and they react to them. Some, somebody says, yeah, I know how it's done mate. Sleight of hand. And they think they've caught you out. And I always say, well, yeah, of course it is. I'm not really magic. And that's fine, but they know it's sleight of hand, but they still can't, the magic is that they kind of know it can be done. And the cups and balls, they know that you put the melon and the oranges and the funnels under there. They just cannot get their head around how that happened. The coin under the watch. So I think the app thing starting to be a little bit like that. It's starting to be like, well, I know it might be an app, but there's no way it can be because I didn't say anything. I just thought of something and he wrote on a bit of paper. And then you, like you said, you, you stick a center tear in it and it just takes it. The phone's always, it's there because you're showing them a video and how else would you show them a video? You know? So, so I think, and I'm not arguing against you guys. I think it's a really valid point and I'm just sort of playing devil's advocate or you don't feel like that. And I think that's, and there is a bit of that in me as well. When I get the phone out, part of me goes, um, and, and that's it. So it's a, it's a really interesting point. And I think it's just preference. It's like any, any genre of magic. If you feel okay doing it and you feel, and you enjoy doing it regardless of the responses. And I do mean that. I think even if the responses are okay, but you'd love doing it, do it. You don't have to, you know, not every trick has to be a complete mind bender. It can just be something really cool and nice. And that's why I quite like sort of process tricks. Now where they go through a process, they know it's somebody who did the process, but they just can't get their head around that he did it because they did it. And I think, I think that's a big thing. So with apps now, I'm starting to soften to them a lot. I'm starting to enjoy them. I'm starting to like the fact that if I'm got a deck of cards or anything like that, I can get my phone out and do something amazing. And I cannot deny the responses. And like I said, responses on everything. But if you do, do you just want to get response and do something, a decent app, one decent app on your phone is, is great. And, and it does kind of, you know, it's an everyday object. So it kind of is strong because of that. It's strong. It's strength is also his weakness. You know what I mean? It's this phone everybody's got. So everybody knows phones can do amazing things. So if you can still blow them away with their phone, with a phone and that, and or maybe it's happening on their phone, et cetera, or they go to a link on their phone, which you can with mental play, then then it starts becoming something different. So I think that what's happening now, we're developing away from that. And I could always say one of the first magic apps that I saw was the rising card. You know, you code in the card and the card rises a picture of a card. You know, that's, it's fine. Actually one of the first apps I saw was the, um, the Nintendo DS one. Was it on the DS? Yeah. On the DS did the magic made fun, which is great. If somebody fooled me with it, I have no idea. No idea. Are they doing it? That's before before apps, of course. So that's my little getting up on the high horse about apps. Don't disagree. I actually feel the same way. We're all paradoxical, aren't we? I feel the same way, but when I do it, I enjoy doing it. And actually I can see there's more to it. But, um, yeah, like you said, if you, if you mix it with a peak and all that, it's great. And that's, that's the key I think. So feel free to ask any questions on it. Magic corner. Good to see you as well. Check his channel out there. Channel out ZQ. How are you? Hope you're well. Um, and I did forget to mention in the review about mental play. It's not available on Android. Sorry about that. Don't shoot the messenger. Right. Um, a couple of things, uh, not much to say about rollercoaster cause the show that I did that I saw the other day, but, um, just, just think, just as I said, very, very healthy to go and see, um, different kinds of shows, but I am going to, there's a couple of things. Um, Gary again, well, I'd love to have seen that performance of flight of a juggling, but never got beyond four balls. I don't know what it is, but it almost lends itself to a kind of meditation. It absolutely does. Mind and body in one and all that hippie stuff. You're right. And actually I've said this before, I think juggling Rick, I was down on juggling for years and I was down on magic for years actually. And I've realized that they both are really, really complimentary. I love sitting back. For me, there's meditation as well, as I'm sure there were a few sitting with a deck of cards, learning stuff. And just when you get into that flow, it's so wonderful. And of course, you know, your phone goes out. So I'm really trying to kind of put the phone away, practice this stuff. I had a lovely time on the train. I took a train to the convention and I'd end up being on the train for like five hours. No, it was the best five hours I've had in weeks. It was just great. It was just, I just sat there watching this stuff. And the reruns of my Steve Reynolds sessions. Great. So there is that, but it's static, right? It's, it does incorporate the body, of course, but I think we can get a bit like that, like that. So to get up and do something that uses almost like the same mechanism in our brains, but it's more physical, but not over physical because nobody wants, you know, like it's not, I'm not saying you have to all go to the gym for exercise, but doing something that is movement is incredibly important, especially for me, I'm 48 and I'm starting to seize up a little bit, you know? So if I don't move, I really, really feel it. So in that way, and then the head, heart and gut thing, like the, your mind, your body, your, your, um, emotions are all linked. So if you move, it makes you feel better, make you think more positively, you know, I'm totally, totally, you know, I'm living proof of that. You know, if I don't do that movement, I start getting depressed basically. So, so I think it's for some people, it's just a great thing. It's great. And now, you know, when I learned to juggle, I had a book and I was trying to work it out and then I had to find people, you know, a bit like magic. Um, and now there's some just wonderful, uh, stuff on, I'm trying to think of the, the woman online that does trainer. Oh, train the tries. Yeah. I think brilliant tutorials. Yeah. I think that's, no, it's not. Is it Taylor tries? Yeah. I think anyway. There you go. Um, but have a look at that. You'll find that she's got loads of great stuff on there. Um, Greg Bradburn. I really enjoyed this. I was a semi-professional magician and juggler in the mid eighties. I'm 55 years old and recently started doing magic again for grandkids, which is great. I may pull out my old props and see what I can still do. There's a really well, I hadn't juggled for years and when, and this is not, this is, it could be a metaphor for your magic as well. Like, you know, certain bits of magic you sometimes, if you don't do them for a while, you almost feel like it's too late and you're going to lose it. And you realize when you get the props out again, whether it's cards, coins, uh, ropes, you know, as I did, I've looked at some rope stuff for the first time in a long time for the course I'm doing just, and you kind of forget, it just all comes back. And it, and even if it doesn't straight away, that process of it coming back is I think really, really pleasing and enjoyable. Just, just love it. We, there's so much we kind of dismiss and go, Oh, it's too late to get into that. And I think, you know, I learned the beat box two years ago and I'm 48, so it's never too late. It might look ridiculous doing it, but that's a different thing. Anton, who I hung out with at the convention, marvelous gentleman. I saw the show twice at the British juggling convention. It was that good. If I could see it again, I'd definitely go. Sadly I'm working next time he's in the UK, but I do recommend anybody to go and see it regardless of whether you're a juggler, performer, magician, it's a great show for everybody. And Robert said ball is lovely. Check his channel out. Always great content. So yeah, so go see that basically and go see everything and then, and go see bad shows as well. I'm not this brilliant one. I always say it's, I learned probably more from bad show. I get inspired by good shows and learn loads from bad shows. But there's that. Then you might think that of my show, if you saw that. I know I'm doing a show in Sheffield with John Archer, John Archer's headlining and Tom Elliott. And if you're in the UK, come see that 26th of next month, May. That's it. Learn juggling. He says JJ Herman. Absolutely. You should. It's a glorious thing. Right. I did say I had a nice comment. This is a comment from, uh, that came up the other day. I love these ones. Uh, this one says this one, this one's from Johnny Demon, D E E M A N. Johnny says, this is way back on my vending machine review by Sands Mines a couple of years ago. Probably. I'm listening. I'm listening to the sky. It's meant to be this guys. I'm listening to this guys. It's meant to be, but I think he said it and he hasn't written it. And it says the skies, as in the sky is the limit. I'm listening to the skies video. What the heck is he talking about? This guy is all over the place, not making sense. And it's, there's, um, there's no, there's no commas or, or anything in it. I'm listening to the skies video. What the heck is he talking about? This guy is all over the place. Not making sense. Now. I'm not saying I did. I'm going to like that one. I'm not saying I disagree. I just love stuff like that. It really tickles me just like properly. It's not happy about it at all. And I'm sorry. I don't make much sense. I'm a bit of a waffler. It's an acquired taste, I believe. Uh, there you go. So, um, do, I'm going to go in a minute. Do please have a look at my Instagrams. Obviously it's quite old places at the moment because I've just started it. My plan is to close them all down and just have that. So S F online magic. That's not, and I'm definitely trying not to just go, Hey, buy my course. It's actually little like mini blogs on there about practice and stuff, but trying to make stuff a value rather than just, you know, do that thing of, Oh, I've got to post once a day, whatever it is. And, and, uh, and anything you want, any questions you have that you'd like me to answer, do ask me anything. And I'd love to, love to help out. So that's that. Thanks very much. I'm going to press the wrong button in a minute. It's all going to go wrong and it's going to be a really messy ending, but that's okay. Do go and have a look at online magic.co as well. Just go and have a look at it and sign up for the bloggy stuff. And I won't spam you. I promise, promise, promise, promise. Right. Then. Um, I think that's it. Let me press the right button. No, it didn't work last time. I'm going to have to do it with my actual mouse. Am I right? If the logo is going to come up now, please like and subscribe. See you later. Have a great one.