Desert Island Tricks
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Desert Island Tricks
Stranded with a Stranger: Alan Jones
Welcome to this week's stranded stranger Alan Jones! Alan takes us on a mesmerising journey through his extraordinary career. From the moment legendary figures like Tommy Cooper and Paul Daniels ignited his passion, to the serendipitous visit to Davenport's Magic Shop that changed everything, Alan's story is one of inspiration and magic. He shares personal anecdotes about encounters with icons like Eugene Berger, Andy Nyman, and the late Doc Shiels, each leaving an indelible mark on his path towards mentalism and psychic entertainment. Alan reveals the magic behind his everyday tools like the Stealth Assassin and B-Wave, and how he crafts performances that captivate and amaze.
This episode promises not just fascinating insights into the world of magic but also a glimpse into the artistry and innovation behind tools that create lasting memories for spectators. Whether you're a seasoned magician or just curious, this magical journey with Alan is not to be missed.
Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
Thank you for watching. Hello and welcome to another episode of Stranded with a Stranger. This is our mid-episode episode, where you can send in your list to us and we'll get one of these out every Monday. Now if you want to be a part of one of these, please send in your list of eight tricks, one book and one non-magic item that we use for magic to sales at alakazamcouk. In the subject line please put my desert island tricks that way it comes through to me and do, of course, include a little bio about yourself so we can get to know you as well as the reasons for your tricks. With that being said, we do have a new stranded stranger on our alakazam island, and that is alan jones. Alan's given us a really interesting bio. Now I still haven't read onto his list, so I still don't know what he's going to say for his list, but I have read his bio and it's very interesting. So here's what Alan says.
Speaker 1:My grandfather was a Tommy Cooper fan, so I guess I saw a lot of his kind of magic when I was quite young. Seeing Paul Daniels on the Will Tappers and Shunters show was a pivotal moment for me Whilst teaching full-time in London. A particularly troublesome pupil let on that he watched the TV show Illusions, presented by Fergus Roy, of Davenport's Magic. I took a trip to Charing Cross to Davenport to buy a couple of tricks to try to connect with the pupil. I purchased dynamic coins and a couple of other simple tricks. The guy who served me added a copy of the Royal Road to Card Magic to my bag. When I said I didn't want it, he said take it, read it and if you don't like it bring it back. I smiled and as I was leaving he said I'll see you next week. The simple tricks had the desired effect on the pupil. I devoured my freebie and was back in Davenport the following week and paid for my royal road purchasing a packet trick Rainbow Cascade by Terry Rogers to hone my Elmsley count. It had begun.
Speaker 1:I joined the London Society of Magicians, discovered international magic, had great conversations with Martin Macmillan which led to longer chats with Jerry Sadowitz and other magicians who popped by the London Society in Davenport, hosted lectures and as the Society's secretary I was lucky to be involved in the after lecture sessions with folks like Michael Amar, roberto Giobi, john Hatoka, rovi, faye Presto, to name a few. It was a great time. Terry Rogers used to visit the LSM and we would talk frequently about magic. Her partner, val Andrew, was an inspiration when it came to learning about old-time acts. We'd meet up on a regular basis for coffee, cake and magic, terry always having something to share. I was now performing professionally, initially as close-up comedy magician with a sideline in children's entertainment. I was invited as a close-up performer at the Supreme Magic Conventions in London and Western Supermare. They're meeting with Will Ayling, terry Herbert, ken DeCourcy, terry Seabrook and, of course, edwin Reading.
Speaker 1:Eugene Berger's works led me to the world of Bazaar Magic. Entering a Bazaar Magic competition in Birmingham introduced me to Charles Cameron who commented very positively about my act there. I met and had great conversation with Andy Nyman and Richard Wiseman on topics of seances. Living in Cornwall I finally met and had several Ailes sessions with Doc Shills. I attended a masterclass with Paul Daniels. It was a super weekend with a definite slant on the business of magic.
Speaker 1:My work started to take on a more mental and storytelling flavor. I had the opportunity to attend mystery school masterclasses with the late Eugene Berger and Jeff McBride. I was invited to open their show when they came to Cornwall. I'd now call myself a partly retired professional focusing on mentalism, psychic and seance entertainment. I also consult on magic projects, the latest being Matrix Reimagined show, which is currently touring. I know some of the names above may not be recognised by younger magicians, but they are legends and their work is highly recommended. Wow, what an incredible career and journey you had, and it's so interesting that it was that troublesome student which actually led you to the world of magic and where you are now, the likes of Eugene Berger, learning obviously from Andy Nyman. You know the people that you said, doc Shills as well. They're all absolute legends in the world of bizarre magic, so I'm really interested to see how you go now. Is it going to be just mentalism? Is it going to be some bizarre magic in there? I do not know. This could go either way, so let's find out what Alan has put in his positions.
Speaker 1:Number one Stealth Assassin Not an effect, but my EDC In conjunction with some billets. The Assassin is peerless. Drawing dupes are one of my favourite routines, but I also use billets to kickstart a Q&A type effect. I have all versions of the Assassin and the latest is amazing. As an aside note, I still use Peter's Mindspire wallet, which is fantastic. Wow, excellent first choice. Going in there with the big ones. Yes, mindspire is coming back as well. We do have a new Mindspire coming out, so keep an eye out. But the Assassin really is wonderful. I wonder if it is just drawing dupes that you would do if I had to force you. If I was devil's advocate like I normally am, I was to force you to do one, would it be the drawing dupes or would it be that Q&A effect? But, alan, that's a great choice.
Speaker 1:Let's go to number two. Alan has put B-Wave in my Assassin, thus my ED edc. Max maven's fantastic effect, heavily influenced by eugene burger's presentation and timing. Great choice. Super that you're almost building a little act inside your wallet. So I wonder if we're going to have more in there. And using eugene burger's presentation excellent choice as well. Eugene always has such a unique way of presenting these different tricks.
Speaker 1:That brings us to number three Iceberg by Daniel Dorian Johnson. A brilliant idea, an A-can effect. I have simplified Daniel's method somewhat, not as elegant, but uses one card, so it fits in my assassin. Again, building a little act here with your assassin, which is a great shout. It all just fits in one place. I'm not aware of iceberg, so I will be checking it out, but I'm sure it's brilliant. It does bring us on to your next choice, which is oracle card by hector, a credit size card, prompt for readings, zodiac and birthday revelations An excellent tool in my assassin. I'm starting to see a little pattern emerging here. Excellent choice. Yep, oracle card is a wonderful effect. There was many years ago a spat of these sort of one-card tricks which came out lots of different mind reading effects that literally just was a credit card sized card that you popped out your wallet and it did a load of different things. So, yeah, great choice.
Speaker 1:And that brings us on to your fifth choice, which is hotline by lewis laval, another tool for giving personality-focused readings In brackets in my assassin. Excellent Another one. Do you know what Louis Lavelle's stuff is always so well thought through, he's got some really wonderful effects. If you're into mind reading and you're into mysticism, then do check out Louis's stuff. It's always brilliant.
Speaker 1:Next on his list, alan has put a pack of cards DMC or Nightflights which are stacked. Use them for my take on Luke Jermay's cartomancy as well as for ESP style matchup effects and readings. I'm not adverse to the occasional card trick either. Do you know what We've had either. Do you know what? We've had dmc and I think we've had night flights before. They're both phenomenal decks of cards. Of course, dmc elites by dmc the magician and phil smith, who is the designer, and night flights there from steve della. Both excellent choices.
Speaker 1:And that does bring us onto the tail end with number seven. We have tarot cards, not a full deck, but the major arcana and the four aces, used for many routines and readings, but set for my version of lucha maze tarot psychometry. Again, we've had lots of tarot decks popping up. It's lovely to see that lots of people are using these out in the world. Like I say, it's something that's instantly recognizable to most people, I would say, around the world. It definitely bypasses different cultures and different languages. People tend to know what they are just at a glance and it's also something that instantly engages an audience and gets them intrigued. So it's such a great choice. And I'm a huge Luke Jumet fan, so anything by Luke is always going to be phenomenal and tarot psychometry is no different. So it does bring us on to your last item.
Speaker 1:It is the cups and balls, not necessarily to perform but to use as a personal meditation. Practicing slipes helps maintain confidence level and reflecting on sequencing of moves helps in considering staging and timing of effects. The cups and balls as a study offers so much, no matter what your genre of magic. I might add that my cups and balls as a study are for so much, no matter what your genre of magic. I might add that my cups and balls isn't that good, but being on a desert island would allow me time to get better. Going for that 10 000 hours, I think you might end up with that on this island. Also, I don't yet own a sherwoods set. Great, that would be the curveball item, I think in your list. If we look through Stealth, assassin, b-wave, iceberg, akan, oracle, hotline, dmc, but used for lucha, maze, cartomancy and tarot cards, curve, the curveball item is definitely your cups and balls here, and I wonder if you have a bizarre version of cups and balls. That's a great choice. Um, and it does lead us on to your book.
Speaker 1:Now, if you are playing, what does alan have in his non-magic and book position? What are you going to go for? I'll give you two seconds to work it out. Okay, I would have gone for maybe a Eugene Berger book, but let's see what Alan's gone for. Ah, ta Waters' Mind, myth and Magic Excellent. Yeah, it's a great book, it's an actual tome of a book. But there's some really wacky out there ideas in that book. So, yeah, absolutely great choice.
Speaker 1:And for your non-magic item billets and index cards, lots of them, and a sharpie. I know you asked for one, but those come as a pair. Perhaps a better answer would have been stationary. Do you know what? I'll give it to you. You can have billets and you can have that sharpie. I think they will go as a pair. Again, a great choice. Billets are always a must-have for any mentalist, or actually most performers, in fairness, it's always good to have a business card or something to write on. So that's absolutely excellent. And he's finished off by saying nearly all of the above is my edc. I would have had added contactless to the list. Um, as this is something I also carry with me every day, I will let you have that as your little honorable mention. What an excellent, excellent list and what an excellent, excellent list and what an excellent career you must have had with all of those names at the top of your list.
Speaker 1:So let's go back through your list. Alan, we've got the Stealth Assassin, b-wave, iceberg, oracle Card Hotline, a pack of cards, dmc or Knife Lights, tarot cards, cups and Balls. For your book, we've got TA Waters Mind Myth and Magic. For your book, we've got TA Waters' Mind, myth and Magic. And for your non-magic item, your technically two, but we'll say one item, which is Billets and a Sharpie. An excellent, excellent choice. Now, of course, alan, we know everything we need to know about you, so you are a stranger to us, no more. Thank you again, alan, for sending this in and for taking your time to write all of that out and let us know the tricks that we should be looking at Now. Again, if you want one of these episodes, then please do send in your list of eight tricks, one book and one non-magic item, as well as your little bio and why you've chosen those tricks to sales at alakazamcouk. Please include your in the subject line Sorry, my desert island list and of course that will come through to me.
Speaker 1:Now, we're going to be back this Friday with another episode. Before we end this episode, though, I will say we have got a lot of listeners now, so thank you so much. Many of you are religiously listening every single week, but we only have a few reviews. So here is my plea to you please, on whatever platform you're listening to this on, please leave a little review, a five-star review preferably, and just a little comment underneath, because it helps the algorithm pick up on the podcast and send it to more magicians, which is exactly what we want. We want more people to hear this and, hopefully, for it to help more people. So, that being said, we'll see you again this friday. Everyone, have a lovely week and we'll see you again with another episode of stranded with a stranger.
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