Desert Island Tricks
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Desert Island Tricks
Kev G
Today, we welcome Kev G from the Refraktor Project, who shares his journey with Collin Claus in crafting gimmick-free Rubik's Cube routines. Their upcoming course on Alakazam Unlimited promises to make cube mastery feel less like a puzzle and more like a magical adventure. Imagine the surprise on your audience's faces when a simple Rubik's Cube becomes the star of your magic show. We're bringing you a treasure trove of tricks and stories, showcasing the magic potential hidden within everyday items. You'll hear about a gig where a mini Rubik's Cube wasn't just an opener but also predicted the impossible, and how playful wordplay with Nutella and Ketchup can add a unique twist to your routines.
Personalisation is the key to unforgettable magic, and we're exploring just how to achieve that with adaptations of the 11p trick by James Brown, among others. Listen as we weave personal connections into performances, using elements like a mini Rubik's Cube or a favourite card drawn by my daughter. Tricks like "Child's Play" by Chris Congreaves offer a surefire way to engage younger audiences and ensure your magic speaks to everyone in the room. From captivating family stories to the transformative power of a well-told tale, discover how to turn each performance into a memorable experience.
As we move into special event magic, weddings become the backdrop for enchanting performances. Learn how reserving certain tricks for unique occasions can amplify their impact. We'll share tales of using simple props like Polos and a wine glass to symbolize a couple's bond, creating moments that linger long after the event. Not to be missed, the magic of Rubik's Cube resurfaces as we explore routines that blend skill and surprise, culminating in the innovative work of the Refraktor Project. Whether you're looking to enhance your current repertoire or just starting out, there's something magical waiting for you in this episode.
Kev's Desert Island Tricks:
- Bag 4 Life by Mark Bendell, Gary Jones and Lee Smith
- Childsplay by Chris Congreave
- Nothing but the Truth by Cameron Francis
- Lolli Hero by Steve Rowe
- Re-maxed Isolation by Kieron Johnson
- Linko by Ben Williams
- Cube Cards by Kev G
- Refraktor Project
Book. Close Up by David Stone
Item. Snooker Table
Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
You can just adapt this to anything.
Speaker 2:I did a gig the other week which was a Rubik's Cube focus gig. Instead of the little pot of jam I had a little mini Rubik's Cube and that was a perfect kind of opener then. But then I could go into my cube set. It kind of like made sense. But then the mini Rubik's Cube was also a prediction for later in terms of how it had been mixed up.
Speaker 2:Most recently I spotted this and I was like, oh, this is perfect, which is a little tub of nutella. And I kind of saw that. I was like, oh, that's perfect because it's the perfect size. Everybody knows what this is. But also I kind of thought, how can I adapt my presentation so that it would fit in?
Speaker 2:And because it's got the word teller at the end, I thought, ah well, I could do the whole routine and get to the last bit where it's like, oh, that leaves in my hand. And then if it was, I was doing it to a female, I could go to everybody else, go nutella, like they would know. But then it's kind of like oh, nutella, and I do a similar thing as well with a little pot of. I've got a little pot of heinz ketchup and I do the same thing and I get to the final reveal and I go that leaves in my hand and they'd all kind of look or say something. I go catch up and leap, pause for a second. I say, oh sorry, that's a avoiding slip. And I then reveal go catch up.
Speaker 1:Hello and welcome to another episode of Desert Island Tricks. We have another guest waiting in the wings today. Today's guest is one half of the Refractor Project. Now, if you haven't come across the refractor project, you've probably seen tricks in the past that require no gimmicks with cubes. But what Kev G and Colin Klaus, who is his partner in that project, have done is really found every single nuance that you could possibly come across and combined it into some wonderful routines, some really wonderful moves. I know they have a very cool move that Colin introduced me to, which is a way to make one side of the cube any colour you want from a position in the cube stack, which is really difficult to say without giving anything away. Um, suffice to say if you're a fan of rubik's cube magic, please go to their website, go check it out. It's the best resource, I believe, on the internet for cube magic. Um, but I've already said his name accidentally, even though you've seen it in the title. So so today is Mr Kev G. How are you doing, kev?
Speaker 2:I'm very well, thank you. Thanks for that lovely introduction.
Speaker 1:And we're really lucky at Alakazam because if you are a member of Unlimited, kev G and Colin Klaus are very kind to give us a Rubik's Cube. Course, I think it goes live mid-September I think it's about the 17th of september the first lesson goes out. But there's a weird, because I learned to solve the rubik's cube years ago now, many years ago. I learned from well, originally it was mark elsdon's um dvd many, many years ago. But then I learned the. I learnt the Friedrich method from Cube 3, cube, cube, cube, that one. And I have performed Rubik's Cube magic ever since.
Speaker 1:But lots of magicians. I certainly remember Dave Loosley sitting in his living room and I had a Rubik's Cube and I solved it. And he was like I just don't know how you do that. I said it's actually really easy If I can do it truly, anyone can. He was like no, I just don't know how you do that. I said it's actually really easy If I can do it truly, anyone can. He was like no, I just don't know.
Speaker 1:He said I could put the time in. I said, right, what if I could teach you the whole bottom layer right now? And he's like all right, go on then, we've got time, within maybe 15 minutes. He wasn't solving just one layer, but both of them and, from that point on, absolutely addicted, he'd learned the rest of it by the the next week and just continued it. So your course, though, is really interesting, because you go at it from a magician's perspective. So you're trying to cater for a magician learning how to solve a cube, as opposed to general public just wanting to do it for fun yeah, exactly, and I think you know myself included, I'd learn like the beginner's method and it's.
Speaker 2:And it's one of those things where it's like, oh, now to move on to the next stage, you've just all of these extra things to learn and sometimes you've got to unlearn the things that you've already learned in order to sort of make that step. So, um, what we've done is we've kind of broken that down so that we're teaching you the sort of key things that you need to know to make that step an easy transition, rather than it being like a massive step up to get to the next stage. So we teach you, like, these key things that the other tutorials don't kind of mention because they're not really relevant.
Speaker 2:People who just want to solve a cube, um, and essentially the course is to solve a cube, but whilst you're learning, you are learning the little things that will help you to make you better at solving the cube and just make your life easier when you're performing with it. You know, I saw the Rubik's cube as this kind of like impossible task and it was like, oh, I'm never going to be able to do that, um, until I decided right, I'm, it's going to be my task. I want to. I want to learn how to to solve this cube. And now I would struggle to try and sort of explain exactly what I'm doing with the cube.
Speaker 2:Just because it just becomes muscle memory. Your fingers just do it without you thinking, like like any magic tricks. You perform thousands and hundreds and hundreds of times. It's just, you know, you just go into auto drive mode and you can. You can just do it without thinking about it. And it's similar. For once you've learned how to do the cube. Your hands just do it and you're not really thinking about it. It's just, it just happens yep.
Speaker 1:So if you do want to learn that, uh, check out alakazam unlimited. It will be in the courses section. Like I said, I think it's 17th of September is the first episode. I think there are five episodes that we have in there. I've watched all of them. Even though I know how to solve the Rubik's Cube, I learned an extra move in there, so it helps massively. Just that one little move, even if you know how to solve a Rubik's Cube, can really help speed things up. But, that being said, I've got no idea what your list is going to be. If it's not all going to be Rubik's Cube, then I've got no idea. So did you find it a hard task or easy?
Speaker 2:I found it fairly easy because my list is my Going out performing. I've got certain effects that just have never left my set. So the things that I've been performing for years and years that just have never found their way out of my set, they've just like kind of like stayed there. So my list is kind of based around those effects that, once I started doing them, I've just never stopped. So there's a bit of a mix of things. There's a couple of Rubik's Cube things in there, but the majority of it is other stuff that maybe you wouldn't necessarily associate with things that I would necessarily do If it's your first time joining us.
Speaker 1:The idea is that we're about to maroon Kev on his own magical island when, when he's there, he's allowed to take eight tricks, or one book and one non-magic item that he uses for magic particulars like, uh, how big the island is, who's there, what audience he has there. All of that is down to kev. We don't mind. It's basically the list of tricks that he could not live without and, with that being said, kev, what did you put in your first position?
Speaker 2:Okay, so my first effect that I'm taking with me is Bag for Life, and this was published on a DVD called the Unknown by Mark Bendel, and it's one of those effects that is really easy to do, but for me it's one of the perfect openers for my set and um on on the on the project there was a routine like a kind of like a one coin routine by lee smith, so my kind of open is based on that. But the key difference is that, um, I don't use a small bag for putting the coins in. So the effect is that you've got two coins in a bag. I use a two pound coin and a penny. But the difference is is that I have my business card. So the width of the bag that I use is the width of my business card.
Speaker 2:So when I go and introduce myself to a table or or a group and I'll kind of introduce myself hey, my name's kev um, whoever's booked me have come out, asked me to come over and kind of introduce myself, um, and I take out of my pocket my business card, all right, so I'm showing them just the business card and you'll see it looks like it's it's in a bag. So I'm showing this to jamie at the moment on the screen and I'll see it looks like it's, it's in a bag. So I'm showing this to jamie at the moment on the screen and I'll say, oh, this is. These are my details. My name is, but um, you're probably wondering why my my card's in a little plastic bag. Um, well, it's because it doubles up so I can carry my change in it. And that's when I reveal that it's, it's got some coins in it. Now, this was perfect during or just after COVID, because when I brought the card out I'd say, oh, you probably wonder why it's a little plastic bag. And I paused for a second to go COVID and I always got a laugh from people. But essentially I've got the two coins in the bag and I asked them to choose any coin they want, either the two pound or the penny. And it's kind of like inbuilt gags into this, because inevitably if you ask a female, they're going to say the two pounds. So you then remove the two pound from the bag and you can then pass this out. Now again, because this has got my business card in. This is a great little giveaway. I'm handing them my business card without kind of going oh, here's my business card, if that makes sense, because they can check this out and they can find this. There's no holes in that bag.
Speaker 2:But then I go into a one coin routine. So I've got the two pounds which I've removed from the bag and I'll say I'll explain how this works. All right, if can you just hold your hand out, like a little table, so I get the participant hold their hand out. I then take the two pound and I push it through my hand and it lands into their hand and like that usually gets like a really big gasp, like oh, what on earth's happened? So that's a lot. I'll show you again.
Speaker 2:So I then take the coin a second time. I then tap it and rub it onto their hand and say this time it just disappears and it jumps down into my pocket. So I go to take it out of my pocket and I say but the weird thing is, I don't understand how that two pound fits in the bag and then it's a jumbo two pound coin. So then in their hand they've got a jumbo two pound coin and they're kind of like that's the perfect opener for me, because I've introduced myself, I've referred to my business card, I've handed out my business card, I've done a couple of quick moments of magic with a two pound coin and then I've left them with this surprise jumbo two pound coin that they've gone. Oh, you know where on earth has this come from?
Speaker 1:um, so that's, that's going into my first spot on the island but I think the gold there is that the fact that you're giving them an impossible object with your business card in, because we all want to find ways that they keep the business card. But I love the idea that they get to keep that and no doubt I can imagine that they're there all night checking that for holes and trying it themselves. I think that's genius, just putting the business card in there yeah, I mean so was.
Speaker 2:I just remembered one instance where I performed this and I'd done the first bit, where the two pounder penetrated through the bag and I handed it out. I said, look, check that out, make sure there's no holes. And inadvertently, when the two pounder penetrated, I'd actually split the seal at the bottom of the bag.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so there was a genuine hole in the bag.
Speaker 2:So then they look at this bugger and it's like, oh yeah, I know how this works. There's a massive hole in the bottom, which was quite funny.
Speaker 3:But yeah, that's only happened the once but it was quite funny and it didn't really affect the rest of the routine, but it made me smile.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's great. How did you get out of it? What was your get out?
Speaker 2:Well, I just kind of made a joke like oh yeah, you got me. But then I could still go into the rest of the routine because it didn't stop me continuing what I was going to do. I could still do that bit. So I still had those moments of magic and it was kind of like that was just like a little gag, yeah, kind of like that was just like a little gag, yeah, it's a great first choice, and it's one that I'll be surprised if it doesn't come up again in in future episodes.
Speaker 2:I'll be very shocked. Can I add in an honorable mention, of course, uh, so this isn't kind of like taking I'm not taking it to the island, but um, kind of like it was a really close call between these two. But the other one that, um, that I do use a lot is the 11p trick by james brown I know that's been mentioned on the podcast before which was on the fancy pot of jam dvd. But I use it with um, I don't use it with a pot of jam. And what I found is, um, there's like other items that you can. You can just adapt this to anything. So I did uh a gig the other week which was a rubik's cube uh focus gig. So instead of the little pot jam I had a little mini rubik's cube and that was a perfect kind of opener. Then I've got produced this little mini rubik's cube, but then I could go into my cube set. It kind of like made sense. But then the mini rubik's cube was also a prediction for later in terms of how it had been mixed up.
Speaker 2:Um, but most recently I picked this up actually from holiday I spotted this and I was like, oh, this is perfect, which is a little tub of nutella, so this is a 25 gram little Nutella. And I kind of thought I was like, oh, that's perfect because it's the perfect size. Everybody knows what this is. But also I kind of thought, how can I adapt my presentation so that it would fit in? And because it's got the word teller at the end, I thought, ah well, I could do the whole routine and get to the last bit where it's like, oh, that leaves in my hand, and then, if it was, I was doing it to a female.
Speaker 2:I could do the whole routine and get to the last bit where it's like, oh, that leaves in my hand. And then, if it was, I was doing it to a female. I could go to everybody else and go Nutella, like they would know. But then it's kind of like, oh, nutella, and I do a similar thing as well with a little pot of. I've got a little pot of Heinz ketchup. So this is what I use for a very long time and I do the same thing and I get to the final reveal I go that leaves in my hand and I'd all kind of look or say something. I go catch up and pause for a second. I say, oh sorry, that's a Freudian slip. And I then reveal go catch up. And it was just sort of a little extra little laugh that I could get in there.
Speaker 1:But something a little different as well. So I just wanted to add that in, because that is another really nice opening effect which is, again, super easy to do but super powerful. It's such a good trick the 11p trick or fancy, fancy a pot of jam. But yeah, I love the idea of those different final loads.
Speaker 2:I think that's really funny usually in these gigs, like they're with a group of friends, so they're all kind of like in that, in that zone of like. They just want to have a bit of fun, they just want a bit of laughs. You know you, they everybody's on the same kind of like wavelength and you can pick up straight away. So, um, those work really well. But just one of the one of the thing that I just popped into paid as well. That I do sometimes is for another reveal. I'll reveal an orange at the end.
Speaker 2:But prior to that effect I'll have done an effect where they've selected a card and I tear off the corner and eat the corner and when I eat it people will look at me and what you're doing. I was like, oh, you've never eaten a card before. I say it's nice, it tastes a little bit like orange, and then I'll leave that kind of lingering. They'll have the card they can look after. Then later on I'll do the 11p trick, but this time I'll produce an orange. Okay, you can keep that. And then it'll be a little callback saying, oh, um, you've still got your card. And then they'll kind of remember I said, oh, it tastes like orange, and they'll go open the orange and then obviously the the corner that matches the card is in the orange. That's again just like another way to use that effect to link in with something else yeah, superb, really, really great ideas and a really strong opening trick and honorable mention.
Speaker 1:Uh, so that brings us on to your second position. So what's in your second place?
Speaker 2:so, again, I said, these were effects that I've done and have never left my set and this one has been mentioned before by the creator as well which is Child's Play by Chris Congreaves and this one, for me, is perfect because I've got my daughter she's 10 now but the thing about this effect is that you can link it into your personal life and I definitely recommend anybody who has got a young child that you can use this effect is that you can link it into your personal life and I definitely recommend anybody who has got a young child that you can use this effect. Now, the way that I do this is that I use the executive wallet. So this was put out years ago by world magic shop and I think it's based on roy roth kind of like, designed and put up by david penn, and, and the nice thing about this is that I can put a really nice big photo of my daughter in there. So you've got this really nice big photo. So what I'll do is, when I'm performing, I'll say, um, my daughter's actually into magic. In fact, I've got a photograph over here and I show them a part of the photograph which they can see her face, um, and I say, oh she, um, we came up with a trick together and I said to her that I'd I'd do this, uh, this evening. So, um, it's a card trick, um, so I take out the deck of cards and I get them to select the card.
Speaker 2:So somebody somebody selected the card and then I'll say, oh, can you just choose somebody else for me? So they choose someone else on the table and I say, okay, I just want you to think of any card you want in the deck, so we don't get the same card randomly. I ask the person what color their card was and then I'll say, right, any card which is a different color. So they choose that card and I'll say you're joking. No way, this is weird because I don't know if you noticed, but, like, when I showed you the photograph of my daughter, I didn't show you all of the photographs. Did anybody else meant to see that? Right, and, and I'll go right, can you open? I don't want to touch this, but can you take the photograph out? So I'll open my wallet and I'll get someone else to take the photograph out. So they'll take the photograph out, my daughter. The wallet then goes on the table.
Speaker 2:I'm completely hands-free, and they'll see, it's a photograph of my daughter holding a playing card. But I'll point out this isn't a normal playing card. This is one that she actually drew for me. This photo was a few years ago, actually, during lockdown, and we decided to make our own deck of cards, um, but the one that she's holding holding and like, don't critique her artwork because, um, she's not the best. But I don't tell her that, um, you'll see, this is the, it's the four, four spades, right, and then I might get a reaction by that from the person who's um initially taken a card. I said what was the card that you chose? And I said four of spades. I thought that was weird. And then I've got this nice position where I've got this kind of like photo pose where I'm holding up the photo and and the card, um, and I said but the thing is, my, um, my daughter didn't just draw one card. She, she do it, did a whole deck of cards for me.
Speaker 2:And at the end of the day she came up to me and says daddy, can you look after my favorite card for me? You'll never guess what it was. And I'll kind of like pause and look at the person that said the card and let's say they said the queen of hearts right, I'm gonna say the queen of hearts, yeah, which is. And I say the Queen of Hearts, yeah, which is weird. And I was kind of like, leave it there for a second to linger and I go oh, I can see you're a bit skeptical. You probably don't believe me. You think, oh, that's a lovely story, kept right.
Speaker 2:But the thing is, about a week later we went out to a family do around the grandparents and said oh, daddy, can you show everybody my favorite card? Um, she gave me and um, twice, I I totally forgotten about it. I left it at home, um, and she had a meltdown. Um, there were tears, um, it was. It was a nightmare. I felt awful. So I made sure. From that day, I always made sure that I kept it safe. Now, inside of my wallet you'll see that I've actually got this other compartment, and inside that compartment I've got another little wallet, one of those wallets you might have your driving license in or whatever. This is where I keep it, not just any card Annabelle's favourite card which is named after my daughter, and I pull it out and then turn it over and say this is the one that she actually gave me that day and it's the one that's drawn of the playing card that they just saw and selected.
Speaker 2:And I think that is just for me. It's got those kind of elements where people get to know me, a little bit of kind of like, shared, a true um, and you've got this amazing moment of like how on earth is that possible? And it's not just the playing card, it's the drawn playing card and I think, yeah, I just love it and and I've always done it and people do generally genuinely say, oh is, is that actually your daughter? Do you know? I mean, sometimes they, because they think our magicians, they just like making up, and I know that, yeah, that's genuinely a true story. Sometimes I don't even have to get my phone out and show them like photos and stuff, um, but when they like, when they think it's like that's a, you know, that's the true story. I think it just makes it way stronger.
Speaker 2:Um, and then an honorable mention just to add on to the end of that is this is a perfect transition, then, for me to go into extreme burn, which I also have in the same wallet and I use steve rose kids notes, and because this links into the same thing. And I'll go. My daughter doesn't just um, she doesn't just um, make me cartridge, she also makes me money. Um, and these, uh, these are her, uh, 20 pound notes. So I'll get these out and show her 20 pound notes, um, um, and then, and then again I can go into like another story and I was like, oh, my daughter's always asking me to buy this, buy that, I'll buy sweets. So, um, she, she gave up. So I said I didn't have any money to do that. So she made me, um, some notes and said, oh, you know, daddy, can we, can we go shopping now? So I kind of like, all right.
Speaker 2:So we went to like the we've got a little corner shop in my village. So, um, I said, oh, we can go to the corner shop and you can get some sweets or whatever. So I went into the corner shop and, um, I went in there and I saw the guy by the counter and I said, oh, and I kind of like flashed up the notes and said, oh, you know, we're just gave him a little wink, we're just doing some, some shopping. But I don't think he sort of caught on, because my daughter, she got the sweet. She put them on the counter and I went up and I was like, oh, I'm just paying with, with, with money. And the shopkeeper was like, like deadpan face, oh, I can't accept that. But it was all right because even though it wasn't, you know, I thought it was a bit out of order, it wasn't playing along, but obviously, because I do magic, it wasn't a problem because all I had to do was take them and I just gave them a little flick and they turned into real £20 notes and I just paid with those. And that is extreme. Burn is an unbelievable, unbelievable effect.
Speaker 2:But I um having like that link that I can, so I can do this job independently. If I just want a quick trick, but adding it on the end of the previous routine, um, that kind of just makes sense to me, um, and I always change them back because because a it resets them. But also, once I've done that, sometimes it's like because people aren't expecting it, it's too quick, and they're like what, what? What just happened? So then I will say but like, I don't like to, I don't like to flash all this, this cash around because, uh, I don't know what. I don't know what any of you are like maybe, like when I'm going out to my car later, you might follow me or whatever. So I always like to go incognito and then, because I've done like a fairly quick change, I'll say like this time I'll do it slowly and this time I'll just change them back super slowly. When they're like burn. You know they're looking at you this time and they can't see a thing. And then when you display the notes again, I think it's brilliant.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that connection between both of those routines, the idea of having the kids' cards and then into the kids' notes. I think that's yeah, excellent, really really really good. Even changing it back sort of makes sense as well, because you could use the whole. You know those notes mean more to me than money, if I'm entirely honest, and then you can change it back as well, because you could use the whole. You know that those, those notes mean more to me the money, if I'm entirely honest, and then you can change it back as well. So, yeah, I think that's great. That's a really good honorable mention. It's also both tricks that you've chosen so far. You've cleverly routined an extra trick onto the back of it, even when you're talking about the 11p trick with the callback to the orange, uh. So you can sort of see how your worker's mind is putting all of these things together to make a little set. We've got Bag for Life so far and Child's Play. So what's in your third position?
Speaker 2:So this one is a packet trick. Now, I don't do loads of packet tricks, but this one again is one that I just think is it doesn't feel like a a packet trick from like a deck of cards, um, but it's always something again, I have in in the same wallet just for when the moment happens, and that is nothing but the truth, by cameron, francis. And the reason why I love this is that, um, and I don't necessarily go out to specifically perform this, but if the the moment occurs, then I go straight to this because I think the kicker is amazing. So, uh, in my wallet, I say, oh, and look, so they've chosen a card. So someone's chosen the card, and I'll say, look, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna find this card. I actually I've got a lie detector, um, and I go into more and I pull out this um little envelope I thought it's, it's perfect, because this comes flat pack. Um, just come out in japan, um, so let me show you this and I take it out of the envelope and I'll say, oh, you can see there's a, the power, if you can just pop the power button and they press it and I'll just make a silly little sound like. I think this is possibly in this tutorial. Again, it sounds really silly, um, that you make this little sound effect where you go, and. But the audience love it. It's like a ruining joke. They think it's hilarious.
Speaker 2:So with this you're going to ask some questions. So the first question is and you can loyal tell the truth, right, it doesn't matter. So you can loyal tell the truth what's your card, a black card or a red card? And let's say they say it's a black card or a red card, and let's say they say it's a black card, and you go through and you see b, l, a, c, k, and then I'll say boop, um, as if it's like do it, that's doing something, it's silly thing. But and then I give it a second, and at this point you can also ask other audience members. You can say oh, what do you reckon? That's a lie or the truth? So you can get people involved in this. And then you turn over and it then says true, on it, right, um, and say okay, so we've established this is a black card. So it could either be like a, a club or a sp. Don't forget, you can lie or tell the truth. Which one is it?
Speaker 2:And so this starts to become like a little game then, where they're trying to sort of like they're either lying or telling the truth. You obviously you know kind of like what they're doing if they're lying or telling the truth. But it's also a game for everybody else. You can get them to be looking at the person. What do you reckon? What do you reckon?
Speaker 2:So each time you're going through and you're revealing and you're saying either if it's true or if it's a lie, and the cards say true or lie, which looks impossible because you're mixing them each time they say it. And then you get to the final revelation. So let's say it's the queen of space. So you've gone through all these stages where they've lied or tell the truth and say, oh yeah, let me just um the the queen of space, let me just verify this. So you get the cards and you're going to spell out queen of space.
Speaker 2:So q?
Speaker 2:U, e, e, n, o, f, s, p, a, t e s and you press the button to find the time and then when you turn this card over and it's turned into the Queen of Spades, that gets like a crazy reaction, because every time you've been turning cards over it just says draw a lie, but then you've got the kicker and it's like wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 2:That's not the crazy thing. The crazy thing is this is that, in fact, you turn over all of the cards and you then show that they are all the queen of spades. Every single card in your hand that you've had is the queen of spades, and it's like there's no backtrack in there. They're just like that's a kicker moment. Um, so I think this is the yeah, I think this is the perfect packet trip as a worker, just having your wallet because it doesn't look like a deck of cards and you've got this premise where you're getting lots of people involved. It's a fun routine where they're either telling the truth or lying and other people are guessing, but you've got those really killer moments in the routine. I love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a superb trick. Any trick to do with lying and telling the truth really does well with an audience. I think it's almost like a modern-day misconception that if you're a magician you have those powers of deduction to detect body language and all of that good stuff. So anything to do with lying and telling the truth they absolutely love. They think it's just such a commercial routine, isn't it? And I bet that moment changing at the end. Oh my God, I bet the reactions to that are phenomenal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've got video footage of people just losing it at that moment. They're just like what has happened. It's really fun.
Speaker 1:Great and a nice diverse mix so far. So we've got a coin trick into a card trick, but then a card trick but technically a packet trick. So yeah, really good so far. And that takes us to your halfway point, uh, in terms of your trick list. Uh, what's at number four?
Speaker 2:so at number four is lolly hero by steve rowe. Um, and I love this just because it is, it's completely different from anything else. You know, it's not a car trick, it's not a coin trick, it's not tell me it's, it's a lolly trick. Um, and you know, again, honorable mention to Kieran Johnson's Lollipop production which is on his Chaotic DVD, which is fantastic. So you light a bit of paper in your hand and pop, you've got a lollipop which you can give out to people. So that's kind of like a nice intro. And then I love to go into lolly hero.
Speaker 2:Now, um, I use the, the version that requires some preparation. So I'm genuinely eating the lolly um and I think that is the. I think that's the best way to do it. Um, and there's sometimes I might use something like dfb, um, to, to, to get the person selected, or um, I might use some um top trump cards or something like that, depending on who it is or who I'm doing, to do. But the, the moment where they've, they've made that selection. So let's say, for example, it's it's batman and um, you don't know that and you've produced a lolly and you can make this little gag of and this is how Steve presents it that you've got this lolly man and you can make a little cape with the wrapping and it's just another fun little quirky thing you're doing Like it's a joke, and then all the moment goes on. So I'll say something oh, you've heard like a sleight of hand, right, but have you heard of sleight of teeth? And I'll be like what? Like, what are you going on about? I'll say my dentist hates me doing this, but I'm going to do this for you. And you put the lolly in your mouth and the lovely, lovely bit is you can, at various points, you can take the lolly out and you can see there's like bit chunks of the lolly that have started to like disappear and you're genuinely like eating this in your mouth and you can take your time and then you can sort of build this up.
Speaker 2:People are thinking like, what is he doing, what's going on? And it's like, oh, what was the superior? You're sort of build this up. People are thinking, what is he doing, what's going on? And it's like, oh, what was the superhero you're thinking of? They say Batman, for example, and you pull that lolly out of your mouth and show that that lolly is now Batman's head. I think that people just lose it with that. They're looking at it, going what? And you're spinning it and showing it Again. It's another great photo moment where you're here displaying that lolly and yeah, I think it's great and the perfect thing is no one wants to. No one's going to kind of like try and take it off your switch. It's been in your mouth, no one, you know so. So love that effect. I think it's genius. Thinking by Steve. I love all Steve's stuff. He's a great thinker and, yeah, lolly Hero is definitely going with me.
Speaker 1:It's definitely a worker. There's lots and lots of professionals that are out working that routine.
Speaker 2:And I think, if you've got the set and I should have mentioned this before is that I would always just say, oh, name a superhero just to see, because if you get that hit, then you know you're done, um, and they're, they're done. So you're already really far ahead. So, um, yeah, it's a great trick.
Speaker 1:So I used to get um, if, if there was a group of kids on a table, like three or four of them, I would say right, you guys know who superheroes are. Right, after three, call out your favourite superhero. One, two, three. And it gave me the opportunity to mix and match who I was taking out. Nine times out of ten, at least two of them would say one of the superheroes. I wanted them to say so. Then I would go to an adult and I would say right, from one of those two, which one do you want to pick? Of course, at at that point it doesn't matter, because I've got one in each pocket. Um, I'm loaded for for any eventuality.
Speaker 2:So there are lots of really clever ways around doing it yeah, and I've got um, so I've got another effect that I do where I have um. This is more of like a stage thing, but I I have broken up Lego that I pour into a bag and then I give it a shake and I tip out a Lego model. Now, when I perform that, I will always look for whoever the oldest person is that I can see and I'll say to them oh, can you name a superhero? And I guarantee you, nine times out of 10, they're going to say the same superhero, um, which is the one that I'm ready to to perform with um. And if you know, if you get that and I do this at my lectures as well and every single time they've said the you know the person, um, that I want them to say and it's kind of just. It makes it just seem so much more impossible, I think. So yeah.
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Speaker 1:Yeah, it's great, really good choice again, another very different routine so far. So we've got sort of one of one of everything going on at the moment, but it does take us over your halfway point. So what's in your fifth position?
Speaker 2:so my fifth position effect is remaxed isolation by Isolation by Kieran Johnson, which is the card in a block of ice. So a signed card in a block of ice and yeah, it's just brilliant, I think, for a card to an impossible location, have it in a block of ice and the fact that you're producing a block of ice, it's like like where? A where's it coming from? B how is it not melted? C how is the card going then? How is it my signed card that I signed a few seconds earlier? I think all of those things, um, just make it a really killer kind of like closing card effects if you're doing like a card set or doing some card tricks.
Speaker 2:I think it's, um, I think it's brilliant and I was first kind of like introduced to kieran is when he released to the max, which was his first ice effect, which again, I did for years absolutely brilliant, which is a production of a block of ice, which is amazing.
Speaker 2:And then, um, he, I saw he had he was releasing this card in ice and I I think I was genuinely the first person to purchase it off him because he listed it on his website, um, and I was like I'm having it straight away and it was. It was, I think it was 150 pounds, I think, initially, when he, when he first kind of like put it for sale and it was obviously a lot of money, I didn't know anything about it but I had to the max and I loved that and I was like this I need this in my life. Um and um, because I think, because I was one of the first people to buy, I think Kieran actually came to my house as well, so he took, he got on a train, came to my house and kind of gave me a little one-on-one session and talked through it and showed me how it worked and whatnot, which was very generous of him, but it was, yeah, it's a brilliant, brilliant effect. Again, it takes a little bit of prep, but I think it's definitely worth it.
Speaker 1:Is it one that you just use at like a top table or for a special person?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean you could do it multiple times and I have done it multiple times before, but now it's usually one. I'll just save for that special table or one group, just maybe because over the years out of laziness, just not wanting to have loads ready to go, so but I think it is one of those special things that you know you don't want to have to. You don't want to be doing it all the time because I think that might lose a little bit of it, whereas you've done it to one table on their list. But yeah, I saw the magician. He came over. They put my card, was in a sealed block of ice. I had to smash open. I think that like that was. That was sort of like generation. Oh, I didn't see that one.
Speaker 1:Oh, so, yes, um, oh yeah, I love it. I think it has to be a spontaneous moment as well. I think if it feels too planned, it would feel more feasible, if that makes sense. I think it's the, it's the randomness of the situation and the timing which will make that feel more magical yeah, definitely, definitely, and that's why I like um having effects where that they feel random.
Speaker 2:so you know certain things where it was just like, oh, this is the perfect moment to do this, and you know, yeah, it always works out really well.
Speaker 1:Another great choice, and that leads us into your second, your sixth, sorry position. What's in your sixth position?
Speaker 2:So in my sixth position, because I do a lot of weddings, so a lot of the gigs I do are weddings, so I'll have a sort of a set, a wedding set that I'll do for the wedding couple, and that consists of numerous different things, but I'm just picking out one which I think has has certain elements that just makes it perfect, which is linko by ben williams, and uh, linko by ben williams is a polo effect and, um, when I got to the wedding couple, I'll say that I've, um, I've brought you a few little gifts, nothing too exciting, don't get, don't get too excited. Um, I've brought you a pack of polos. Not that I think that you need to, uh, freshen up your breasts or anything, but you can. If you want, you can have one to eat. But, um, because polos, uh, I don't know if you've ever thought about it, but polos are kind of, they rep their rings and today you've, you've exchanged rings, um, and also like polos. Well, when they're in the packet there, they've got something missing, they've got a hole in them, right? So, um, look, I'm going to get you to take a polo.
Speaker 2:So I open the packet of polos, so they take a polo each, um, and I want you to to think back to that moment where you first set eyes on each other and there was that. There was that spark, and we're gonna, I'm gonna try and recreate this spark now. Um, I'm gonna have to do this artificially, so what we'll do is um, I'm gonna, I've got this little bit of paper, I'm gonna get you to put your polos in the paper, so they put in, I wrap it up and then, um, and I say, okay, we're just gonna need a lighter. And I just mentioned before I do this, I usually go and find um a clean wine glass and, um, I upturn the wine glass so it makes like an elevated little stage which again everyone can see everything. And then I put the uh, the bundle with the polos on top of the wine glass. I then get a lighter light, light the paper. There's this massive flash of fire which again is perfect.
Speaker 2:If you uh, you've got people, uh, taking photos, or the photographer or even just everybody else around, they see this flash of light, they're like whoa, what's going on here? And then you look back down at the um, at the polos, and the polos are linked together on top of the wine glass. So you've got that first moment, like how on earth has that happened? They've linked together. But then you call back to the packet of polos that you've just taken the polos from and say, but check this out, because if the polos have linked together like this, you take the packet of polos and you just run your thumb over the first o in polo and you visually move that o down and that second o then links to the last o in the polo and you've then got this packet of polos where they've linked on the polo pack as well, and I think that is just.
Speaker 2:It's just a really, really nice effect. You've got that kind of like sentimental thing where you're talking about the rings and the fact that they've changed them and they've come now come together. It was kind of like one fact that they've changed them and and they've come now come together. It's kind of like one um. And then I take the, the polos that I've, that I've that I've just physically linked together and I've got like a little um, a little ring box that I put them in. So that's a nice little giveaway. I let them keep the packet of polos that I've linked as well. Um, and yeah, I, I just love that. I just I just think it's really nice.
Speaker 1:It's a little bit different but also links into the whole wedding theme and the the couple as well yep, another really, really strong choice, and I love the idea of the upturn glass and having it sort of uh, the attention sort of put on the glass for that magic moment. I've never seen it done like that. I think that's really smart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can't remember. Maybe that might have been a Steve Rowe theme. I mentioned that to me and maybe I don't know if I'm giving credit there, but it probably was him because I speak to him a lot and that's kind of a little theme, I said. But another little honourable mention to go with that is the broken and restored glass. So, uh, before I go in, yeah, it's, it's.
Speaker 2:Uh, james just showing me one on screen, I'll show him one as well. Um, this is, this is brilliant, because when I'll go up, that'll be when I pick up the glass and say, oh, can I use this? Or bring it and and the glass will break. It'll make like a thud on the table again. That's like a really nice attention getter. People are like looking, thinking, oh there, he's just, he's justud on the table again.
Speaker 2:That's like a really nice attention getter. People are like looking, thinking, oh there, he's just, he's just come to the table, he's just about to start and he's already breaking stuff. Um, and then the fact that you go hold on a second and you, you fix the glass again. It's just one of those little hold on what just happened moments where people are going what, hang on a minute. That just broken and now it's, it's a bit, but I don't really make much of it. It's just kind of like one of those incidental moments that just happens and as a magician you just you fix it and then you carry on um, but it's just a really nice little bit of business yeah, the first time I saw that was I was filming for a friend of mine, dean Levy, and he uses that, and watching the reactions from people was phenomenal.
Speaker 1:As soon as he walked away from the table you would see people still picking up the glass and checking the bottom of it. It's such a lovely moment. It's really, really nice. I urge anyone to to check it out or find someone who performs it and watch them do it, because it's just a lovely moment. It really is. But that does bring us on to your number seven. So what's in your seventh position?
Speaker 2:so I know we've not had any cube related stuff, uh, so far. So number seven is going to be the first effect that I released the Magic Community, which is cube cards and the way that I perform this. So originally I released cube cards which consisted of 24 mixed Rubik's Cube cards and then there was an add-on set which was called Remixed, which was slightly different, but you didn't really have to learn anything new, but I use both of those together when I perform it, so I've essentially got like a full deck of cards. So the way that I do this is that I will have a Rubik's Cube and I'll introduce the Rubik's Cube. I'll ask can anybody solve the cube? And they say, well, every year. I don't know if you know this, but there's competitions where people go to solve the cube and I say, well, every year. I don't know if you know this, but there's uh competitions where people go to to solve the cube and, um, I don't know if you know, but as well as just having like competitions to solve the cube, there's also people who can do it like one-handed, or they do it from memory, blindfolded, and even people that do it with their feet.
Speaker 2:But there's one competition that I was particularly drawn to, which was called re-scramble, and the idea is that you, rather than get into a solved rubik's cube, you would get into a random mix of a rubik's cube. So there's that additional layer of challenge that you it's difficult to practice. Um, and I actually picked up these were cards which were from the sao paulo competition in brazil and, um, these were challenge cards and each of these chart cards, you'll see that there's a different mix of a rubik's cube, and I'll give this deck out and say look, um, you can. Either. You can either look through them, if you want, and pick one out, or you can just randomly choose one. I don't mind, but just make sure that that I don't see and take that card out. I would put it against your chest or on the table and just hand me back the rest of the cards. So they hand me back the rest of the cards and then I'll say, okay, what I want you to do is to have a look at that, and what I like to do is I'd like you to memorize that card. All right, now, this is perfect misdirection, just saying that line oh, I want you to memorize that card because they will be like I'd be like, oh, I've got, I can't do that. Other people will probably laugh on the table thinking, oh, he can't do that, or he'll be staring at it trying to actually do it. Either way, it gives you a perfect moment of misdirection. So they then look at that, say, okay, look, I know that's, that's too difficult, but that's going to be my challenge. So what I would like you to do in a second is I'm going to get you to turn that card around so I can see it and I just want you to count your head I don't know five seconds, because that'll be more of a challenge to me and then put that card face down so I can't see. My challenge is to memorize the pattern on the card and see how close I can get my cube to the card. Okay, cool. So then they turn over the card. I look at it Now.
Speaker 2:Sometimes people will go like one, two, three, four, five, and then put it face down. They'll be like really, really quick, um, but it doesn't really matter, um, because you don't need any more time. But if you do, you go oh, I'm allowed a bit too fast. I want you to count one mississippi, two mississippi, and they can show you again. So they've, they've turned the card face down.
Speaker 2:I then pick up the cube and I start mixing the cube and then I'll pause and have a look and mix it and go I think I'm there and then I'll ask for the card back. I'll turn it around with the cube in my hand and again, you've got this really nice framing around you where you've got it holding up the cube, you've got holding up the card, and they can see that that card matches the mixed cube perfectly. And what's nice is that they kind of think that that's, that's the effect, all right, that's, that's the end of the trick. So, um, I'll then put the cube down, I'll take the card and I'll say but um, like you genuinely could have chose any of any of these, these cards, right, but you chose this one with this specific mix.
Speaker 2:So then I'll pick up this card and, um, I'll say, like, if you just look at this, this cube which is on the card, and I'll give it a little wave, you'll see it just solves. And the cube on the card visually solves OK, and I'll put that down the table. And again, you can do this in any order you want. But then I'll say, but if the card's solved, if I take the cube and if I just give that a little wave, you'll see that also solves. But if the card solved and the cube solved and at this moment it's really nice because what you can do with a card is you can actually just like poke it inside of the cube so on the table you've got the cube with the card sticking out of it. I think it looks quite nice. But then you say but you chose from any of these cards.
Speaker 2:Now if the cube solved and and the card solve, surely all of the cards you chose from the beginning are all solved and you can show all these cards or spread them out on the table. Um, and again you've got that other other sort of like other kicker where some another bit of magic's happening. All the cards have now changed. I think it's just a really nice um, a nice way to do a cube effect that isn't just oh, look at me, I'm just solving the cube, you've got kind of like a reason. But then you've got these additional moments of magic that are unexpected, which is why I really love it and I still do it today, and it's one of the effects which I think a lot of um, a lot of workers do, just because it's not difficult and it allows you to give a story and give you those moments of magic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to big you up here and say that I was probably one of the early adopters of this routine when you first bought it out and I spoke to Colin Klaus about this. Actually, I think it was either this year or last year, colin klaus about this. Actually I think it was um, either this year or last year. I had the original cards and I love that they were getting a little bit aged and looking a little bit more authentic, like I'd had them for years and I'd used them for a long time. But they I used them so much, they were so warped and they were so damaged from quite literally hundreds and hundreds, if not more, at restaurants, weddings it goes down so well. I even had to do the close-up shows at the Magic Circle pre-COVID and I did a Rubik's Cube Act and I had that there.
Speaker 1:It really is such a wonderful routine. It's such a great trick. The cards make absolute sense. It's the perfect structure for a five, six minute rubik's cube act. You can put more things in there if you want. Uh, it's perfect for restaurants. It looks a little bit different. I think it just has everything. I think it's such a wonderful trick thanks, yeah, it's um.
Speaker 2:Yeah, as I say, it's one of the ones that uh sort of close my heart, because it's like the first one that I first effect that I published to the magic community. Um, and it's also how I met Colin Klaus, because he also purchased cue cards. And then, um, I happen to be at the magic circle, which I don't get down to very much, and he came over and kind of introduced himself and said that he got it and that's how we sort of started chatting and and kind of um sort of of the seed of our relationship really.
Speaker 1:Great, excellent choice. But that brings us on to your last item. So what's in your final position?
Speaker 2:My final position is the Refractor Project. Again, this is another of my own releases, but with my partner in crime, colin Klaus, who I just mentioned releases, but with my partner in crime, colin klaus, who I just mentioned um and the reason why I'm putting refractory. Now, obviously there's a ton of different routines within refractory project, but the the core um of it is being able to perform loads of routines and magic with a single rubik's cube. So the the last thing I want to be doing, especially close up, is taking multiple cubes with me to to a gig to be able to do stuff. I want the least amount possible that I've got to take. So just by taking one single Rubik's cube and not having anything else and being able to do a turn, I could just do a whole gig doing different stuff just with a single Rubik's cube, and I think that's the beauty of it. So, yeah, I know you're probably going to ask me, or can you narrow it down to a certain routine or a certain effect? I'm sure you are, but I think, yeah, just the refractor project, um, I think anybody who wants to do cube magic you know I know I'm biased, but I think that's definitely where, uh, like the perfect starting point if you want to get away of away from just going oh, here's, here's a mix cube. Oh, now it's solved. Now you can do that gimmickless.
Speaker 2:But there's a lot of gimmicks. Problem for me is that at a close-up gig, people are going to go I want to have a look at that cube all right, they're going to want to. And if you're going, oh no, you can't see it. They're just going to go, oh, it's a trick cube, and and they might think that anyway, but I will go. You know, genuinely, you can take it, have a look at it, and I'll even like, sort of like pop the center caps on, saying look, there's no tricky buttons or anything. You can mix it up, and I think just having a normal cube allows you to be able to do that, whereas if you've got something else that's required to do it, um, I think that might get you a little bit stuck on some occasions. So, uh, so I'm going for the refract project by myself and colin klaus so you've listened to enough of these.
Speaker 1:Yeah so, but I'm going to give you sort of a leeway. So there are quite a few versions of uh volumes of the refract project out now, so if you could take one that you would recommend to someone starting out and one that's your personal favorite, so which, which ones would you put there?
Speaker 2:so I reckon, for anybody starting out, if somebody's kind of wants to dip their toe into the water and they're they want to get into cube magic and they don't really know where to start, I would wholeheartedly recommend Rotator B, and that's the B stands for beginner. And basically what we did is there's lots of people saying, oh, you know, I don't know where to start, I don't know what to do, and with the refractor project we would probably say start with volume one, but they're kind of like their own independent things at the same time. So what we did is we thought, well, what are some of like the core key techniques or solves or things that would be perfect for beginners to learn, that would allow them to also perform some easy routines, um, that are still really kind of like impactful and and that you would go out and work, and that's kind of what rotator b is. So we we've it's got on there some um, it's got a lot of 446 mix, which you mentioned earlier. It's got the cube card stack, it's got ways to false mixes and ways to like force things, and it's got a few solves on there as well which are easy to do. And then there's some routines as well. So it's kind of like the best bits that we've chosen that would be most suited for beginners. So definitely Rotator B, if you want to start doing some gimmickless cube magic.
Speaker 2:Um, and then for for other volumes. It's really really difficult because each volume is kind of like its own, its own thing. Um, if I was pushed for one, I would probably say volume one, because that was kind of like the, the, where, where it started and where we came up with the four, four, six mix and then the routine that that goes with that, um. But then I'm just going to quickly mention some bits and other volumes. But then volume two is the one which brings in the principle of the three-sided solve. Now Sam Huang, crazy Sam, has recently released a project called Solve, his encyclopedia of solves. Now he learned the three-sided solve from Refractor and that's what half of the solves are based on, and he's just added a few of the elements that have kind of made them look like I, look like different. They're really cool, but he learned it from volume two. Um, so that's, that's a really cool technique.
Speaker 2:And, and I think with refractor is the the fact that you could start doing a routine, let's say on volume one, but then you could go into a routine from volume two or you can link them together and but I think volume three is the one which has got on the matching effect. Now, I love matching effects because that's that's what I would close a routine on, so I do routine and then my final effect would be a matching effect. So the matching effect or the routine is called Parallel Minds on Volume 3, and that's with a single cube. So what's the nice thing about this is that you don't have to have a second cube that you're going to match it with. And what I found is that that makes absolutely no difference, and the fact that the audience don't mix up the cube again, it doesn't. It doesn't make any difference because with the matching effect on volume three, you mix the cube and you just say right, just say stop whenever you want. So they say stop whenever they want, doesn't matter. And then I'll place it in their, their hands and we're all good to go. And even if they say they want to add some more moves, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2:Now the reveal is the bit that I enjoy the most, and again, you could do this in a multitude of ways, so you could have like, uh, like a mini rubik's cube. As I mentioned earlier, I started with like the 11p trick and I had a little mini Rubik's Cube. It could be a callback and I could match it with that. But my personal favourite is the socks reveal, and I have some specially printed socks which have got Rubik's Cubes printed on them. So the way that I present this is that I'll, um, I'll just mix cube, say stop, whenever you want, perfect, and I'll then talk about oh, do you know how many different combinations there are? Have a rubik's cube mix, and they'll probably say no. So then I'll talk about well, to like put it in some kind of context that every different combination of rubik's cube you can cover the world in rubik's cubes, 273 layers high, it's kind of like a mind-boggling amount. It's crazy, right, but we've stopped on on this mix.
Speaker 2:Right now, the chances of this ever existing since the start of time are pretty remote. Um, and if we have a look at this, you'll see that it's kind of different colors. Hold on a minute, no way, this, this is my favorite mixture the rubik's cube. So they'll go oh, of course, um, of course, it is kev, right, and I'll go no, it is um, like I do. You know, I can prove it because before, before I came this evening, I was getting ready and I, yeah, I went over and next to my bed I've got a little chest of drawers and I opened the drawer, right, guess what's in the drawer?
Speaker 2:And they'll always say Rubik's Cube, right. They'll always say that I'll go. No, I'm not a weirdo, it's my socks drawer, it's where I keep my socks. But that always gets a really good laugh and that kind of happened by accident I'm sure, at one point, and then that just stayed in the routine. I say, no, it's my socks drawer. So I put, I put on my favorite socks, and then they're starting to twiggo, all right. And I go look, I show you.
Speaker 2:And this is then when I can I know sometimes if, if there's an opportunity where I can stand on a chair or put my foot on the table or whatever, I'll do that. So it's like elevated. But then I can slowly pull my trouser leg up, take the cube, and they can see that it matches the sock perfectly. Um, on three sides, right. And what I found is that. And on the other side I've got the other three sides. So at that moment they're like well, and what I found is that, and on the other side I've got the other three sides. So at that moment they're like, well, that's crazy. I go, oh, but you're probably thinking, oh, that's only three sides of the cube, careful, what about the other three sides? That's why I had the other three sides printed on the other side of the sock and then I'll show and turn the cube and show that they all match as well and that again, that's just kind of like you get that elevated kick of that, even though it doesn't make any difference that you've got the other three sides. They're just like what? Um, and it's just a really fun kind of like quirky thing that, um, I love doing. I'm gonna carry anything on me because it's just down on my feet the whole time at the gig. Um, and it's just kind of like an anytime anywhere cube match, which is just perfect.
Speaker 2:And then I can then go into my solve, called dispersion, which is a slow motion solve of the cube. So I might have already performed some kind of like visual solves, but now I'm going to do a slow motion where I get them to have a look at the cube and there's like these little Tetris, like pieces that they can see. So there's like three little blue bits. And what I'll do is I go OK, but if you just focus on the three little blue bits, now when I turn the cube, you'll see that it turns into a square and they'll be like what? And then on this side I say, oh, look, I'll show you again, see.
Speaker 2:And then on this side I say, oh, look, I'll show you again. See these two little red bits. Look, when I turn the cube, you'll see I'll get a line. So now I've got a square, and now I've got a line. Guess what happens on this side. And they'll come up with loads of different stuff. And then I'll turn it, I'll go this is where I get a square and a line. And when I get a square line on this side of the cube, or apart from this side where there's the two lines, that tells me I'm really close to getting to a solved cube which looks like that. And then I've solved the cube, it's come around full circle, I'm reset to go again into whatever I want, and they've had loads of kind of things that they can't comprehend and I just love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a really, really good choice. And, looking at your list now, we've had coins, cards, a packet trick lollies, ice linking mints and Rubik's Cube, so it just shows how diverse your set list really must be, and I bet you always have a great variety of publicity shots from photographers as well, all the way through yeah, which which is nice, because I think I always look at both.
Speaker 2:I think, oh, that looks too similar, it's like the same thing. So to have that like variety, I think again that makes you stand out, especially when someone's looking, they're going, oh. Because the question is like, whenever you know someone's thinking about booking you or they might even verbally say, say, oh, what source? Is it just cards you do. But that's what they've got in their head. Oh, a magician card is it? Is it just card stuff? You do? They go, oh, no, well, actually I do stuff with this, this and this. They can look at my photos and they see this like variety of different things. And I think again, that puts you kind of like ahead of thinking, oh, um, you know, they, they do a range of different stuff rather than just, oh, they're just going around doing a few card tricks yeah, very, very true.
Speaker 1:And it brings us to your two curveball items. So you've had eight for your tricks, but you're only allowed one each of these. So if you were to take a book, which book would you take?
Speaker 2:these are the two hardest things. Um, and the book is one that I read a long time ago and I actually took it on holiday with me recently just to reread it, just to like double check and make sure oh, is this, is this the book that I want to choose? Um, and I definitely think that this is the one that I'm going with, which is, uh, david stone's close-up the real secrets of magic um, and this, anybody who wants to do close-up magic or is currently still doing close-up magic I think this just covers everything. It's got everything in there that you could possibly think of wanting to know in relation to closer. There's no tricks in here.
Speaker 2:It's just about you know how like you approach tables, about different situations, and like what you do about bookings if you want to do restaurants, um, like digital, sort of like opening effects, the types of effects all of that stuff is is contained in in this book, so it's it's a little bit of a bible for close-up workers, I think, but also the way that it's written. He's a really funny guy anyway, like he's one of my favorite magicians to to watch and see perform and, and his lectures are hilarious, and that goes like sort of feeds into the book as well. You can tell from his writing style and he injects that personality and that humor into into the way that he writes and, um, it's a really enjoyable read he also years ago.
Speaker 1:I'm not sure if they're still available.
Speaker 1:He had a dvd set, I think it was one or two called the real secrets of of magic, and one of those routines I still do all of these years later because it was so good and I remember it was filmed in like a white studio with um, a makeshift restaurant and it was just him doing his routines and it was so funny, so clever, the routines were really smart, um, and the routine that I took from that dvd set was I use now as an alternate to it's almost like an alternate to an omni deck. So if I didn't have my omni deck on me, that's the closer of my card set that I would use. But he's, he's great and that's a great choice of book and it's massive as well. There's a great choice of book and it's massive as well. There's a lot of information in there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's thick but it's kind of like a really nice, convenient sort of size book as well, where it's not too cumbersome but really funny. As I said, those DVDs, which kind of link closely to the contents in the book, are fantastic as well and they're kind of I thought, oh, I need to dig those out again and give them another sort of rewatch, because again they've got that humour injected in them and that sort of that boy play with the audience and what he's doing and just kind of like taking the mick out of everything as well, which is really fun.
Speaker 1:Good choice. And that brings us on to your item. So what's your non-magic item that you'd use for magic?
Speaker 2:So this has got to be the hardest one, and the reason why I say it is because I think I could go for an easy choice like a mobile phone or something like that. But what's been stuck in my head that I can't, I can't shift. After listening to one of the previous items, uh, someone said and I'm like, oh, that's just such a good thing. And I haven't been able to top it. I haven't been able to think of something that I'd rather rather take, and I know it was kind of a one of those items that you were kind of like, oh, I'll let them have it, which was, uh, leo montia's choice, which was the snooker table. Um, and when he said that I was like, oh, like that, for me that would be, that would be the perfect, the perfect thing.
Speaker 2:Now, but in terms of magic, you can do. You know there's lots of effects where you can do productions of, of, of snooker balls, or you know, even like the effects where you can spread cards around the table and you hit a white ball and it lands on a card, and you could. But I think if I was going to be on a on a desert island, I would want something that was going to like occupy my time and I, I think a snooker table. I could spend absolutely hours on that, because it's one of those things where you're always constantly learning and it's one. It's a skill-based thing as well, isn't it this, this one of those things where you could just spend your lifetime playing in and and you'd never reach like perfection, like a lot of things. But I think the snooker table would. I would just spend hours and hours and hours just by myself on my own, practicing shots, playing balls, and I just enjoy that, aside from the magic. So I felt like I couldn't really choose the same thing as Liam, but I couldn't top it.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'll let you have that. Here's a trick idea for you. Then what if, since you've got your Rubik's Cube there, what if you get the participant to hit the balls into a random formation, but that formation ends up being the colour pattern from?
Speaker 2:the Rubik's Cube, which would be really cool. I love that. That is, yeah, I love that. While it's not an orange, it's not an orange ball, but we'll just have to sidestep that from being on the pattern that we would predict. But, um, I'm sure I can make that work there. You go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, great choice and great list overall, probably one of the most diverse that we've had. Every single trick has its own place and its own theme, uh, and I love how you've linked different routines together as well to sort of show how you do it in performance, which is great. But if people want to find out more about you, about the Refractor Project, where can they go?
Speaker 2:So if you want to find out more about the Refractor Project, you can head over to either rubikscubemagiciancouk and if that's a bit too much of a mouthful, we've also got refractorcouk refractor being spelt with a K and not a C as in like light refraction, so refractor with a K. You'll find us there. Or if you just google Kev G, colin Klaus, I'm sure it will pop up. And then I've also got my own sort of little online store called secretstuffuk, which has got stuff that I lecture and other various items that people can check out. And you can find me on Facebook, kev Gregson. Feel free to drop me a message and if you want to have a chat, I'm always open to having conversations about magic and if people want to book you for a lecture, where can I go for that?
Speaker 2:uh, yeah. So again, they can either contact me directly or on my website, secret stuffuk. There is a contact form on there. That's a pretty new website, so, um, I've set up um, but they can contact me via that. And, uh, yeah, I'd love to do a lecture for your club, though I am a little bit restricted in terms of when I can do the lectures due to, um, my kind of like full-time, uh job as a teacher, which kind of restricts me a little bit, uh, of how far I can travel and where I can go. But if you can get me enjoying my school holidays, that would be ideal.
Speaker 1:Amazing. So there you go, book Kev, for your club. I'm sure it'll be a really, really, really interesting lecture if you have to go by his list, as we've seen here. But thank you again, kev. Thank you for giving us your time and giving us your list. It's been a pleasure.
Speaker 2:I've loved it. I've loved listening to every single episode, um and uh, yeah, thanks, have me on.
Speaker 1:I've really enjoyed it we've also got kev uh, we've got colin booked in as well. So, oh, fantastic, dependent on when these go out, go seek out colin clouse's, because colin's not only just a lovely person, but he's a very, very skilled performer and always has really good insight as well. So do go check that out. But again, thank you very much, kev pleasure. Also, don't forget that kev G and Colin Klaus's course on Rubik's Cube Solving for Magicians is on Unlimited, or certainly will be mid-September, dependent on when this episode goes out, because we are recording these a little bit in advance. And again, please, if you haven't had a chance, whichever platform you're listening to this on, please leave it a review. Let the guests know which your favourite was. Let us know what you enjoy about it. If you want something added, let us know. Also, leave us a review on whatever platform you're on and, with that being said, we will hear from you next week on another episode of Desert Island Tricks.
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