Desert Island Tricks
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Desert Island Tricks
Steve Dela
Renowned magician Steve Della pulls back the curtain on a lifetime of performances, offering a unique glimpse into his world of magic and mentalism. In this episode you will discover how his passion ignited at just four years old and has remained robust throughout his career, even as his close-up act has stood the test of time for over two decades. Tune in to hear about his unforgettable run-in with magic legend Peter Nardi at the Blackpool Magic Convention which inspired one of his selections and explore the timeless balance between his personal creations and the work of other magic maestros.
Steve unveils the secrets behind the Night Flight deck, his brainchild that marries simplicity with a powerful punch, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. Whether it's the captivating "Mind Mansion" or the ingenious “Stealth Assassin Wallet," Steve underscores the importance of reliable, audience-pleasing effects, shedding light on how these tools have become vital in his performances.
Finally, we delve into the influences that shaped Steve's career, from treasured childhood reads like Ali Bongo's Book of Magic to the practical magic of a well-stocked man bag. Hear how he transitions from traditional magic to commercial mentalism, ensuring his acts are quick, direct, and engaging. This episode promises expert insights that will inspire both budding magicians and seasoned performers alike.
Steve’s Desert Island Tricks:
- Night Flight Deck
- Stealth Assassin Wallet
- Cracker Cards / Symbol
- Will to Read
- All About Eve
- Right Flight Revolution
- Predator Wallet
- ID
Book. Ali Bongo’s Book of Magic
Item. Man Bag
Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
So I was at Blackpool Magic Convention when I was about 16 years old or 15 years old, and in the little dealer hall off to the side was Alakazam and Peter Nardi and me and my dad toodled up along and I think I said, oh hi, Peter.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:Peter goes all right, nice to meet you. And then he says I'll show you something really cool. So Peter Nardi demmed this on me and I was blown away. It took, it took me. I did get to the method in my head eventually, but it took a lot of thinking and peter didn't reveal it and my dad had gone to me oh, that's a good one. Now, when, when my dad says that's a good one to a magic trick, he's he's actually thinking you should buy that, that would be good for your show, right? So I was there and I go to Peter fantastic, which one's that, how much is that? He goes oh, no, we're not selling it, I just wanted to show you. So I couldn't, I couldn't buy it. And I was like gutted and I go oh well, where can I buy it? And then Peter goes oh, you can't buy it, they don't make it anymore. And I was like, oh, unbelievable. So I carried on, had a great blackpool and whatever, but I couldn't get this out of my head.
Speaker 3:Hello and welcome to another episode of Desert Island Tricks. We have Magic Royalty at this point. Everyone knows this man's name Now. I actually was introduced to him in my late teens earlys, maybe a little bit before that actually when he had a dvd set out and I remember watching that dvd set when I was first getting into performing magic and the information on there was invaluable. And even the tiniest little things that I remember from that dvd even in terms of like caring for your hands and people looking at your hands constantly and the fact that people are paying quite a lot of money to look at your hands, so look after them down to introducing yourself with the idea of money and that that attracts attention from different people.
Speaker 3:He put so much work and attention into his performances and if you haven't come across him before, my goodness me, you've been under a rock for many years. His deck of cards is an absolute staple amongst magicians. I have several decks of them in my close-up case and lots of people consider them the best of their kind. Without giving anything away, of course we have Mr Steve Deller. Hello, mr Steve Deller.
Speaker 1:Hello Jamie. How are you doing?
Speaker 3:Very well, good to have you on here at long last.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's lovely to be invited. I'm really, really, I don't know honoured. Yeah, that's the right word. I'm honoured to be here.
Speaker 3:Well, we're honoured to have you because, like I say, you've been in the game for a long time now.
Speaker 1:Gosh, yeah, I time now. Gosh, yeah, I've been. I've been a full-time magician since I was 16, but did my very first show when I was four years old. So, and you know, I'm 37 now, although I hate to admit it, I know I don't look at jamie um, but um, I've done it for so long that it's, it's all I do, it's all I know now and all of the tips and ideas that you put onto that early dvd set.
Speaker 3:Are those still things that you've carried through all these years later?
Speaker 1:100, in fact. My, my close-up act hasn't changed in over 20 years, um, not, not one bit of it. Um, I mean. It's funny, though, because I still buy so much magic, not only because it's a wonderful tax write-off at the end of the year, um, but because I'm fascinated by new magic, and what I do is I use the new stuff that I learn to show family, friends, people down the pub. I'll take that stuff to get to meetings, to get residencies, to get gigs, to do weddings, to do wedding fairs, um, but at the end of the day, when I'm to get gigs to do weddings, to do wedding fairs, but at the end of the day, when I'm hired to do Closer, my act is identical to what was on that DVD set.
Speaker 3:In terms of your list. How did you find putting that together? Because, like you just said, you still consume a lot of magic and you still purchase a lot of magic, so did you find that a lot of your older stuff was on there? Have you put lots of other people's on there? Did you find it really difficult to scale it down?
Speaker 1:um, I did in a way, because I I made my list and, a little bit like santa claus, I was checking it twice and I just kept going over it and I was going, oh god, no, I've missed that off by that creator. And then I was like, well, should I remove one of my effects that I've created? And then I was like no, because I actually do use that one on a daily basis. And then I was thinking, do I put in stuff that's in my close-up repertoire? And I was juggling with it for quite a while, actually, until I've come up with this ultimate list. And, the funniest thing about looking at it all, there's only one thing that you can't get from. Well, actually, you can get it all from alakazam, but there's only one thing on it, I think no two things that are not produced by alakazam. So, uh, it's, it's, and I haven't been paid to do this, this isn't like an alakazam advert, but you guys just sell the best stuff.
Speaker 3:So that helped in putting my list together well, I'm hoping that there is at least one al-kazam steve della crossover on that list there of course there is, yeah well, don't.
Speaker 3:No, no more spoilers other than that. So if it's your first time listening, the idea is that we're about to maroon steve on his own desert island. When he's there, he's allowed to take eight tricks, one book and one non-magic item that he uses for magic particulars like who's there, how many people are there, that sort of stuff we do not mind. It's basically steve's ultimate list of tricks. So, with that being said, let's find out what your list is then, steve. So what did you put in your first position?
Speaker 1:my first position, I put the night flight deck. Um, for those that don't know, know, and this is not my own ego, but it's something that I put together, I created, I designed it, but it was illustrated by Aide Gower from Monster Creations and he did a fantastic job. For those that have never heard of the Night Flight deck, without giving too much away, it's essentially a deck of cards that will help you figure out what that card is even without seeing its face. Um, this deck, um, I think I just figured out. We've sold about 6 000 of them now, which is small compared to most companies, but considering I'm a one-man band, it's, it's done rather well and we've got several additions.
Speaker 1:Uh, the thing that, the thing I would definitely take to the desert island with the night flight deck is the plastic version that we do, because, whilst I'm skinny dipping in the sea, um, I'll be there with my playing cards, knowing that I can even use them underwater to impress all the mermaids that swim by.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, we have a cardboard deck, which is more for your card workers, and then we've got a plastic deck, which is made to be pretty indestructible. It was originally made for mentalists. Just because we don't fan, we don't flourish as much, and it's a deck I'm still using my very first one from many, many years ago. Um, and the other thing it's improved over time and the reason it's in my number one spot, not just because it's mine, but because with any deck of cards we can do so much magic and so much mentalism. Um, it's it unlimited, really, what we can do. So putting a deck of cards in first position was always going to be correct for me. But then the fact that this is an M deck, a special deck of cards, it means that it opens up loads of other possibilities, including the other features that are part of the deck.
Speaker 3:It just means I can do lots of stuff regular listeners know that you've just picked a special deck, which means I'm about to be devil's advocate. So when you take your deck of cards to your island, you're only allowed to perform one routine or trick with it. So what would that one routine or trick be with that deck of cards?
Speaker 1:with this deck of cards. It would be super basic. And it's the second thing I do, uh, when I'm performing as a mentalist uh, as opposed to a magician, for, like, if I'm booked purely as a mentalist mind reader and that is, someone takes a card, they look at it, they put it back in the pack and I tell them what it is. It is basic but it is to the point. It gets across what a mentalist slash mind reader does. It's so easy using this pack of cards to do that that I don't have to think too much and the impact is jaw-dropping. The reactions I get from that are incredible. And it's funny because when I think about when you asked me about my set and if it's still the same and that it occurred to me that it is, but every year I try and simplify my magic and mentalism, so I make it more about the performance and less about the method, for sure, but even sometimes less about the effect.
Speaker 3:For me, it's more about the journey and making sure everyone's having a good time, but we've had a few people say just the divination of a playing card as a great almost. Get into the idea of body language reading or whichever process you're going along.
Speaker 1:It's a really great way to get into a set, I think yeah, and the thing is I do do a process, a fake process, with it, um, but I but it's, it's sharp and it's quick, so I don't get them to take a card and I go oh, three of hearts. Obviously no one would do that, or I would say you shouldn't really do that, but I do do the whole. Oh, you know, you, you look this way and that's I said diamond. Therefore, I know it's a diamond and you do that, but it happens at such a rapid pace that people can't believe it. And then you'll get people going oh, can I try? Or can I try, can I try? And now you've got the interest of the entire group, um, which is one of the hardest things about being a magician or a mentalist doing close-up.
Speaker 3:Yeah well, it's a great entry and anyone that hasn't checked them out, they are great. That is what I said was in my close-up case, and they really are. They're just phenomenal. So I'm not surprised at all that you sold that many. I really am not, but that does lead us nicely onto number two. So what did?
Speaker 1:you put in your second spot. Uh, number two is something that I can't, I couldn't live without. I've had it since it was released. Um, I've had every version since it was released and that is peter nardi's stealth assassin wallet.
Speaker 1:Um, that wallet, when it was released, absolute game changer. Um, I can't even remember how long ago it was, but I remember um buying it direct from Peter. I think it was a magic circle dealer day and this would have been when I lived in London. He had just released it. It was for me at the time.
Speaker 1:It was a super expensive thing to be purchasing um, but as I was forging my way in mentalism back then, I thought I need a really good so-and-so wallet. And this wallet ticks every box and it's only, it's only got better each time. I know that the first one didn't have a certain thing in the special place. Gosh, it's hard censoring yourself, isn't it? I'm just realizing it didn't have a thing, and I think it was mark spellman that, uh, I can say, took a, took a stanley blade to his and created an element that was then manufactured into the further wallets. And if I was on a desert island I couldn't live without it, but of course I would have to be allowed a supply of business cards to go with it. Hopefully that's allowed we'll give.
Speaker 3:We've made exceptions. We'll give a lovely exception of that to you as well, um, and you're absolutely right. But I think what's different from that very early one and the ones that we have now is the advancement of technology and the fact that things can be manufactured in different ways now which maybe weren't back then. So things can be better hidden now than they used to be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I am like I said, because I've had every single one. I have the very latest one with the hidden A very, very stuck in place. You can't get to them, you can't get them out, and they have made all the difference. And I tell you what, whoever tested it, they did a very good job. Well, I'm assuming it's Peter, but whoever figured out the strength needed and all of that for that element, they really did the right thing.
Speaker 1:But I use this wallet on a daily basis. If I'm hired as a mentalist, it's on me. It's part of my A-list routine when I'm mentalisming. I don't do much mentalism when I'm hired as a magician, but this is also the wallet I carry most of the time every day. It's definitely the wallet I will have on me if I'm going out to meet friends, especially if I'm not taking my little man bag with me. I know that in this wallet I can do a 25-minute set, and I know that every part of that set is going to be super strong.
Speaker 1:The other thing, though I use the all the functions of the wallet um, not always together, but I use every single function. But the wallet is also big enough, without being too big, that I use it to store other effects, um, which we'll get into because some of those are actually listed further down my list, um. But if you buy that wallet, it's a whole act. Um, I've gone to get residencies before where that wallet is the only thing I've taken and I've ended up with the residency. So to say that it's paid for itself over and over would be an understatement.
Speaker 3:It's absolutely superb now you have picked a certain kind of wallet, in the same way that you picked a certain kind of deck. Yes, afraid it's time to be devil's advocate again. So because it's like a tool as opposed to a trick, we're going to restrict you down to one effect that you could perform with that. So if you could only perform one effect with that wallet for for forever, what would that one routine be?
Speaker 1:So, yeah, so one effect that I would do with the assassin. It has to be a routine that I call Mind Mansion, right, which is basically I go through a little story with the people. Actually, for any magicians who are listening to this, I will be revealing this routine as part of the upcoming Alakazam assassin session thing that they're doing. Okay, so I'll give you the basics. I go on a journey in someone's mind. It starts with them getting in a limo. They go on a journey, they arrive at a mansion. There's several decisions to make, but ultimately they get to a box. It's the size of a shoebox but it's not a shoe box and it's not made of cardboard. Inside there is an object. Whatever this object is, I want them to think about it in their mind, in fact write it down so we've got proof for later here. I'll store that in there so nobody can see it.
Speaker 1:I then go back over the um the story and I ask them for the details that they would give me. Like you got into a limo, but what color was the limo? We do that, we. We went down a driveway. I said it was either one mile or it was half a mile long. Which was it? They tell me that I say how many stairs were there up to the front door? They tell me that there's a right, a right and a left staircase and I say which one did you go? And what is this box made from? I said it wasn't made of cardboard. What was it made from? And then, after they tell me I look as if I'm doing some kind of calculations At this point I will know what they've chosen and I will say imagine now, reaching into that box, you're taking it out, oh, it's very heavy, it's something that's actually big.
Speaker 1:You've actually shrunk it down to fit inside the box and you've chosen an elephant or something like that side of the box. Um, and you've chosen an elephant or something like that. So, as basic as my, my effect with the night flight is, mind mansion routine is effectively someone thinking of something and me telling them what it is. But what makes it interesting, um, is that people like the journey that they go on, uh, in their mind and by doing that and the way that it's structured.
Speaker 1:I can't say too much on here, but make sure you see the assassin thing when it happens, when I do the secret business, people are actually at that moment thinking and because they're thinking of a question they just asked. I just asked them. Sorry, they're usually looking up and away And're thinking of a question they just asked. I just asked them. Sorry, they're usually looking up and away and, by asking them a question, everyone else in the group is actually also looking at them, waiting for their answer. Um, so if anyone knows how the assassin works and what I'm talking about here, you'll know that that is the perfect time to do your secret move very nice.
Speaker 3:Well, I'm looking forward to um seeing that, and it does lead us to number three. So what did you put in your third position?
Speaker 1:well, okay, so something that lives inside the assassin wallet, right, or lives inside my assassin wallet, I should say. But I couldn't decide between two because and I realize I might get shot for this or whatever happens if you break the rules but, um, I chose two because I do literally switch these in and out of my assassin, depending on where I'm going, who I'm seeing, what I'm doing. Okay, so one was cracker cards, which is a very, very simple effect. It's similar in in a way to b wave or wave. However you pronounce that, um, it's also a little bit like twisted sisters, although it just uses one packet.
Speaker 1:But what this is? It's a really old effect and it's called cracker cards because the very first version of it I had, uh, from a christmas cracker and they were tiny cards. And the effect is you say I've got the four kings from a Christmas cracker, and they were tiny cards. And the effect is you say I've got the four Kings from a pack of cards. In a moment you're going to name one of the Kings, but please bear in mind I've predicted ahead of time which King you're about to name, so do change your mind as many times as you want. They name any King. I spread the four cards. The King they name is is facing upwards, all the others are face down and when I turn it over it's got a different coloured back, thus having predicted it well ahead of time. So that's one effect and that's made with the night flights, which means there's no memory work. It really can be any king named, which is why it's different to Wave, and it's made of plastic, so when it's coming in and out of the wallet you know it's going to last forever. So that's one thing I take out with me.
Speaker 1:But if I know I'm going somewhere where I've done that, because I do that a lot, then I'll put in Symbol by Steve Cook and Alakazam Magic. Now Symbol, oh boy. This effect I fell in love with when I first got it, um, and I've been performing it at least once a week since, since I had it. In fact, I liked it so much that when I was doing a kind of a bigger lecture tour of the uk, um, I wholesaled a bunch of symbols from alakazam in order to sell after my lecture, and it was the only thing I sell at my lectures which I didn't create. So that should tell people how strong that is. For those that don't know, it's sold by Alakazam, created by the amazing genius Steve Cook, and you show six ESP symbols. A number is chosen, one to six. You show what symbol is at that number and it's predicted in an envelope that has been in front of your audience the entire time. It's simple, in effect. It's direct. It seems impossible. It's just one of my favorites to do.
Speaker 3:Okay. So do I be really mean and make you choose from one of them, or do we skirt the rules the same way that I mean, matt Cluley had absolute disregard for the rules of this podcast in his Right, so do we just let you have it. We'll let you have it. I'll be nice, I'll let you have both.
Speaker 1:I think you have to, because I'd be choosing between either my own effect or one of my very best friends effects and I. I wouldn't want to face steve cook after if. If I'd said mine just I was looking over at my list and I thought I thought I had. But steve cook effects appear twice on this list and that's a testament to how good a thinker he is. The the cleverness of his inventions does make it a joy to perform, because whilst we say we're not in this business just to fool people, it is quite nice knowing that you've got such a solid, a solid item that it will fool people as well as entertain people, and all of of Steve Cook's stuff ticks that box.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think they're both really good choices and I mean we're skirting the rules a little bit, but we'll let you have both of them. But it does bring us to number four. So what did you put in number fourth position Number four is Will to Read.
Speaker 1:This is an effect I've done for many, many years. It's produced by Alakazam. Again, I'm not being sponsored. I did literally just put down my favorite effects for this.
Speaker 1:Um, it's basically a book page and it uses dedico buzzier's free will principle, um, combined with the principle I came up with called the what, where method, which is where you can eliminate having so many predictions, I should say, by using the third place. Gosh, it's hard to say this by using the third place, that an object goes to also be interchangeable. And, yeah, apart from knowing where three objects are placed, and they're predicted in a torn out page which is in full view the entire time. No switches, uh, no, nothing like that. Um, you can also do an impromptu one page book test. So the idea of that is someone picks any word on the page. Um, after a little bit of thinking, I I tell them some of the letters in the word. They confirm these are correct and eventually I tell them the entire word they're thinking of and all the words on the page are different. So it is is quite. They've got hundreds to choose from. Seemingly so it is.
Speaker 1:Uh, is a great effect, and the beauty of it is, it fits in my Assassin wallet. So in my Assassin wallet I've already got Will to Read. I've got either Cracker Cards or Symbol. I've got the functions of the Assassin wallet. So it just makes sense and it's one of those that I always do if I'm hired as a mentalist. It's in my A set. In fact, most of my A-set comes out of the wallet, which is great because when you think about it, you've got things like cracker cards, then you've got your assassin wallet, you've got your symbols, you've got your will to read and at the moment there is a massive EDC magic movement where magicians want everyday carry and I get it. It's something I've been doing since EDC was a word or whatever stood for words. I've always had stuff on me because I believe that's the best way to do business. So when I created Will to Read, I knew that would end up in a lot of people's wallets.
Speaker 3:Well, that leads us very nicely onto a number five. So what did you put in your fifth position?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so All About Eve is basically a book test that I've been doing since I moved to London, so a long, long time ago I think it was like 2006, 2007-ish I used to perform it at the Raymond Review Bar, or the Review Bar it became later known.
Speaker 1:And that's when they used to perform it at the um raymond review bar, or the review bar. It became later known um, and that's what that's when they used to do their magic nights, and it was absolutely fantastic, and so I road tested it there for a good, good year, maybe two years even um, and it it was always my closer and it just it brought the house down. I'd used that alongside a flashback book the flashback principle created by Larry Becker and just combining these two books, it worked really well. It was later when I came to want to release it, but I found out that it had a very similar principle to one that Looch created and, with his kind permission, we were still able to release it. But yeah, that's the element really that makes it different is that you can start saying things about their word before you know what you need to know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I think Looch coined it as the master word principle.
Speaker 1:Master word. Yeah, I think that's right. Yeah, it's a wonderful principle. He was gracious enough to allow me to release mine. Uh, his, his book test is called area and it's it's amazing. I mean, I know all the top pros have a copy of that, so it's uh worth checking out if you can get one. But they're a little bit like uh like diamonds a bit hard to find now yeah, they are both superb book tests, but you're right, all about eve.
Speaker 3:Um, I used to have the mother of all book tests pocket and all about Eve. Those were the two book tests that I used to gig and I used to take them. They used to be just really does make a huge difference when revealing information, and I know that a lot of people have put a lot of thought into ways that you can reveal information before you are required to discover the information yourself without giving anything away, um, and I I really do.
Speaker 1:I think all about eve absolutely hits the mark in every way it's um, also, the thing is so the version that I would take on to the desert island is a version as well, that that I made just for myself, just so it looked, uh, slightly different to all the the other ones. So for years I used the one which has the Final Lie cover on, which is one I designed, and then Ade Gower designed the other two copies, and so I, in my stage show, now use a hardback version, which is just so that if I'm performing at a place like, let's say, it's an actual magic bar and there's always been magicians, it's just so the audience will see a different book, if that makes sense. Um, and that actually reminds me I would like to talk to peter nardi about doing a hardback version, because if I'm doing close-up, I'll walk around with the final line, this little softback book that everyone's got, um, but if I'm on stage, I will, I'll take the hardback one, which is really weird because I've designed a cover for it which is super modern, like really minimalistic, super modern. Um, and no one questions it, because that's the other thing, jamie, um, people are obsessed by going um, oh well, what, what if the audience don't recognize the name of the book Because it's made up, of course.
Speaker 1:And I just say to them I wonder how many books in Waterstones you would know if I showed you the cover of. And people are like, oh, that's a fair point, I probably only know about five. I'm like you have to think how many books there are in the world. You know it's got to be billions now. So I've never, ever worried about it being a book that no one's seen. And if you are that worried about it, have it in a stack of books that have more popular names on them and just pull that one out to do your performance. Don't even think about it. Don't magician's choice. It don't get them to choose a certain book. Just pull it out of a pile yourself. It will look perfectly random.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's very much magician's thinking. When it comes to stuff like that, I think we tend to worry and overthink about whether someone's going to look at the book.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100% agree with you. It's magician's overthinking. It's like when I get people magicians overthinking it's. It's like when I get people, uh, from america saying to me I, I can't use night flights because no one, no one will recognize the back. And I I say to them well, if you live in england and you use normal bicycle cards, no one recognized the backs. But we've, we've still got, you know, a couple of thousand magicians going out every night using, uh, bicycle cards. And guess what? The audience don't care, they don't say anything, no one, no one cares, otherwise we'd all have to go out and use waddington's number ones or something. Um, and also I did. I designed the night flight to look similar should we just say similar to bicycle, not infringing on any of their copyright or trademarks. But let's say, from a distance. If you had sand in your eyes you may not be able to see between the two and you will have sand in your eyes on the island when I perform at gigs, I look at effects that tick these three boxes.
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Speaker 3:Check out now, guys, the liquid forks. So that brings us to number six. And what did you put in your sixth spot?
Speaker 1:okay, this is how I end all of my close-up uh table hopping and walk around performances and that is a ring flight. Absolutely love it. The version I use is ring flight revolution, uh, by dave bonsall over at prop dog, and it's fantastic. I've got the uh bmw key version, so not the generic one, it's. It's a bit smaller, um, it's made to look like a bmw key, uh, and for those that don't know, it's a borrowed ring. You take the ring, it disappears, in my case, in a flash of fire. Uh, there's a bit of by play where they think it's going to end up in a wallet, um, but ultimately I reach into my back pocket, pull out my car keys and, hanging on one of the little hooks on my car keys is that borrowed ring.
Speaker 1:And I think for close-up magic doesn't get much better than that, which is why it had to make my list. In fact, before your concept of the desert island came about, I remember years and years and years ago where I used to go on the magic cafe Not anymore, that's a story for another day. Um, I remember someone saying what's everyone's desert island trick? What's the one trick? You, if you could have to perform and I was at that time was performing ring flights so often? That was my answer. Um, it's just shocking. It's, it's perfect.
Speaker 1:It's the moment that if I'm at a wedding, the the photographers, they want to capture that moment, because when you pull out the keys and the ring is on it, everyone reacts, everyone goes mad. It is. It has 10 times the impact of a card that keeps coming to the top of a pack because this is a borrowed object on keys and I make it look a bit difficult to take the ring off as well, and by doing this, people are just absolutely shocked. And for me, that ends my routine 100% perfectly. I haven't found anything. I haven't found anything better that's practical to end my routine. I mean, yeah, we'd all love the ring to be in the middle of a block of ice or something like that, but for walk around, I make sure that my set the only thing I replace is a bit of flash paper and a new deck of cards, and then I know that that case is ready for gig number two. So ring flight, yeah, definitely that, and I think this version is the best one as well.
Speaker 3:Wasn't that one of the original routines from your DVD as well?
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, it's yeah, basically on the DVD work and play, which I would like to redo that's another reason I need to talk to Peter is basically, I end my routine with the Ring Flight, but during it they think that the ring's going to be in the sealed envelope, but actually in that sealed envelope is the card from earlier. So you've got all this build-up, you get the shock moment and then the ring finally ending up is just superb, even though I say to myself it works wonderfully.
Speaker 3:I wish, I wish I'd been the inventor of ring flight, because that is a good, a good trick yeah, and lots of people have quite rightly stated that ring flight revolution is sort of the creme de la creme when it comes to ring flights.
Speaker 1:Um, in terms of its reliableness well, yeah I do you know if that's a good point, because you do hear horror stories, um, but I've had ring flight revolution since I was 19 maybe, and I've had it serviced once and I must have done hundreds and hundreds of performances and it's it's showing no sign of slowing down. I've actually got a backup one, uh, that I've never used, never had to use it, never opened, it still sealed in the box, because I have a big box of spares at home, which is stuff I couldn't live without, hence why I've still got every assassin I've ever bought as well, just in case I I lose one and need to get another one.
Speaker 3:So yeah, very nice. So that brings us to the tail end of your eight. So what did you put in your seventh spot? Right? This is this is brilliant.
Speaker 1:It's going to annoy. It's going to annoy so many people, though, because you can't get it anymore, and trying to find them is is almost impossible, because everyone who's got one doesn't want to give it up, and that is the predator wallet by r paul wilson. It is, and it's a lovely little story that connects to Alakazam with this as well. So I was at Blackpool Magic Convention with my dad when I was about 16 years old, or 15 years old. He took me to the Blackpool Magic Convention and I was going around all the dealers, and in the little dealer hall off to the side was alakazam, and, uh, peter nardi, me and my dad toodled up along and I I think I'd said, oh hi, peter, I bought an invisible deck off you, like last year or something, and peter goes all right, nice to meet you. And then he he says I'll show you something really cool, and he used the Predator wallet to perform an effect called Psycho Bills, which was created by Max Maven. That routine but annoyingly, it's probably the one reason that people buy the Predator wallet is for the Psycho Bills routine. So Peter Nardi demned this on me and for those that don't know, you think of any playing card, literally any playing card. Peter then said I'm going to bet you money that I can, I can guess your card. And he, he guesses each element. So was it a black card, a club, or was it a this or that? And he gets it completely wrong. He shows there's nothing in the wallet, there's no more bills, and then I say it was five of hearts. And he turns over the first bill. It says five, the next one says of and the next one says hearts. And I was blown away. Um, I couldn't. It took, it took me.
Speaker 1:I did get to the method in my head eventually, but it took a lot of thinking and Peter didn't reveal it and my dad had gone to me oh, that's a good one. Now when, when my dad says that's a good one to a magic trick, he's, he's actually thinking you should buy that, that would be good for your show, right? So I was there and I go to Peter fantastic, which one's that? How much is that? He goes oh, no, we're not selling it, I just wanted to show you. So I couldn't, I couldn't buy it. And I was like gutted and I go oh well, where can I buy it? And then Peter goes oh, you can't buy it. And I was like gutted and I go, oh well, where can I buy it? And then Peter goes, oh, you can't buy it, they don't make it anymore. And I was like, oh, unbelievable. So I carried on, had a great black pull and whatever, but I couldn't get this out of my head Now.
Speaker 1:At the time I was also buying Magic magazine and it was a few years later. I'm turning the pages, and it was a few years later. I'm turning the pages and there is a big advert that says are Paul Wilson's creditor wallet available now for the first time in like 10 years or whatever? And it said the price, which was unbelievably high. And it said you know, now they're made by Joe Paupa. Now I'd heard of Joe Paupa because of his paddles and I'd had a few of those things. So I thought this is going to be fantastic.
Speaker 1:So I saved up, I sent to America, I got the Predator wallet and since then it has been in every cabaret show that I have ever done. I will not do a cabaret show without the Predator wallet. I love it so much, even though it's incredibly expensive. I did bought by a backup and the backup I had to buy second hand, although this person barely used it. I don't think they knew the power of it. It was absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 1:Um, I'm still using the very first one. I would never sell it. I would never sell my backup and actually I really hope the predator wallet gets remade because I I mean, I think I'm good for the rest of my life having two, but if they make a brand new one, I, much like the assassin, I will get one of those as well. It's, it's fantastic. So it's after I perform what is my number eight uh thing, which we'll get to in a minute. So I perform the number eight effect. Then after that I will go into predator psycho bills. Um, because they link together in in a special way, and you'll see why when I mentioned my last pick okay, well, that's a nice tease.
Speaker 3:Let's go into it then. So what was in your last spot?
Speaker 1:Okay, the last spot is another Alakazam effect, it's another Steve Cook effect and it is what I start all of my stage mentalism shows with. And that is ID. Id by Steve Cook cook, absolutely fantastic. It's basically a thought of card that's predicted in your wallet and the wallet's on view the whole time. The envelope that's in the wallet is on view the whole time and seemingly, seemingly, I should say they, they can name any card and ultimately that ends up being the card that's in the envelope that's in the wallet. It's fantastic.
Speaker 1:There's been several versions of this um, I even have a version myself which I keep in the assassin using my misindex light cards, um, but steve cook's version is showy. It's perfect for cabaret, even though it's not a massive wallet. The specially made wallet, the special envelopes, the bits you get with it, it's, it's perfect and it works so flawlessly that you can 100 concentrate on your presentation. So I'll start my my mentalism show with with that. So they've ended up naming a card. Let's say it's the jack of spades. I take out the envelope that's been in full view and it's the jack of spades. I take out the envelope that's been in full view and it's the jack of spades. I put it away. I then say out into the audience I go, put your hands up. If you would not have chosen the jack of spades, and almost everyone yeah, pretty much everyone, puts their hands up and I go in fact, you, I'm going to use you. I tell you what. Let's up the stakes. I'm going to bet you money that I can figure out the card that you're going to think of. So from there I go into Predator and Psycho Bells.
Speaker 1:So these two effects I can't live without now. They're superb. They link together beautifully and I hope that our Paul Wilson will redo the Predator wallets. I think there is a call for it. 100, 100.
Speaker 1:But going back to number eight, which is id, um, do stop me if I'm going off on a tangent, it's just, I'm really passionate about this. I love this wallet. So every now and again I see them come up, uh, on secondhand, magic right, and I think twice now I've bought them because people that are selling them, they don't know what they've got. They just don't know what they've got. The effect is so, so strong and the wallet itself is made fantastically. I've got several backups of it, because that is another effect I couldn't be without and to choose it as the opener for my mentalism show. It's a strong effect and it's to the point and it's quick and it's mentalism that's not drawn out or boring by a named card ending up inside a wallet that has been in full view the whole time. Now everyone knows the show's began. Now everyone knows that they're going to see something really special.
Speaker 3:I think as well people who. There's a lot of talk about close-up performers approaching a table with a deck of cards, and this is essentially a card trick without a deck of cards. So it's just clean, it's to the point, there's no sort of cheesiness around it, it's just very, very direct.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's the directness that I love. It's like when I if you consider my three openers. So if I'm doing cabaret or stage, my opener is ID by Steve Cook. If I'm doing magic, walk around it's Extreme Burn. It's quick, it's to the point. If I'm doing close-up mentalism, I start with cracker cards before I then go into doing something with the assassin usually my mind mansion thing. All of my opening effects, I want them to be quick, quick as possible. But I don't like it when magicians do quick effects that catch people off guard. I wouldn't light a bit of paper and produce a deck of cards in the hope that that shocks everyone. The idea is not to be shocked. I don't want my audience to be shocked. I want them to have an understanding of where the rest of the five minutes that they're with me is going to go, if that makes sense.
Speaker 3:So having stuff that is super quick but impactful for me is the most important thing when starting any magic routine well, looking back at your list as well, we've got the night flight deck, stealth, assassin, cracker, card slash symbol, uh will to read all about eve uh ring flight revolution, predator wallet and id. Now, when you look at that, you've only got one magic trick in that entire list. Everything else is mentalism that's a.
Speaker 1:That's a very good point. Uh, you'll have to invite me back so we can do just a magic one. Um, no, the reason for this is, um, in over the last few years, I've started and it's going to take a bit more time I've started rebranding as a mentalist. Um, in fact, I'm having a new website built at the moment. All gigs that I'm taking on now are just mentalism, unless they've seen me do magic at their cousin's wedding or something, and then I will just go back with what I usually do. But yeah, it's all because I'm changing, and when I was putting this list together, I realised that most of what I do now is mentalism.
Speaker 3:Yeah well, I think it's a great list regardless. It just goes to show when I think about your work and play DVD set which was quite magic, more like stand up magic related cards, sort of quite commercial pieces. When you look at your list now, it's clear that there has been a progression in the way that you perform. So you've gone from sort of commercial magic to commercial mentalism routines and walk around mentalism yeah, I think.
Speaker 1:yeah, that's a good point, you're 100 correct. Basically I'm as a mentalist, I'm adapting what I've learned doing magic to bring it across into mentalism, especially with close-up, because most mentalists are really boring, like horrifically boring, and they don't see it. And the reason they don't see it is because they only hang out with more mentalists that are really boring and together they can be boring together like they'll just sit there going. Oh, I know that routine was 19 minutes, but god, it was a good one and I'm like oh yeah, I do you work, do you go and do weddings? Do you do corporate events? Because you don't have the time to do your pipe and slippers, kind of sexy mentalism that has a massive routine that draws emotions, that stuff's for stage. When I'm doing close up mentalism, it has to be punchy and it has to be quick and it has to be to the point and it has to be impressive. It has to be punchy and it has to be quick and it has to be to the point and it has to be impressive. When I think about my close up mentalism, I think of myself more in line with the master of comedy mentalism, graham Jolly. So you know I've seen him do close up mentalism and my God, it's fun and everyone's having a good time and everything's quick and he'll even use a prop he's paid a couple of thousand pounds for and that effect he uses it for takes 20 seconds, whereas most mentalists that fall into the boring category they will go. God, I paid two thousand pounds for this. I'm going to milk this. I'm going to, I'm going to do a 10 minute routine and the problem is with a lot of mentalists that I see the payoff just doesn't justify how long it's taken to get there.
Speaker 1:You know there are, of course, exceptions to the rule. I'm definitely I'm. I would describe myself as a commercial mentalist. I'm definitely not the best mentalist, I'm not even up there but what I do is mentalism that I can make a living off and pay my mortgage, um, with. You know, I think I would love to. I think it's a pipe dream for me. I would love to be the mentalist that thinks he's changing lives and and doing all of that kind of stuff and having connections and doing it meaningful and that. But I'm not. I'm commercial. I need to be able to pay my bills at the end of the day, which means I get booked if everyone's having a good time. I don't want to make people think, I don't want people crying at the end of my routines, I want laughter and I want everyone to go away. Going God, I'd book him for my sister's wedding next month or this or that, because all of my work is word of mouth, so if it was a bit droney and a bit boring, I'd never get there.
Speaker 3:Well, that brings us on to your two curveball items. So, are we thinking? Listeners, so people who are maybe following along with what's going on here do we think that this is going to be a mentalism-based book? Do we think it's going to be magic? Do we think it's going to be something that's performance-based? Because I feel like it could go any which way with what we've heard. So, of course, we've given Steve the opportunity to have eight tricks, but now he's only allowed one book and one non-magic item. So what did you go for then? Are are we on the right tracks? Did we go mentalism or did we go theory?
Speaker 1:we didn't, oh gosh, we didn't. We kind of went mentalism, but we went mentalism magic and we went mentalism magic that I would not perform today. Right, so this is an odd one. Now, I don't read books really at all. I've got lots of books because I get given them by people and I do read the books I'm given. So thank you to everyone who's ever gifted me a book. But I've only bought in my life, I would say, five magic books. I'm just not big on reading, which is which is ironic considering I'm writing two books at the moment.
Speaker 1:But this book is, is has a special place in my heart because it got me to love magic and that's why it's the book I would take with me. So not because I want to learn anything from it, but I would take it because I love looking at the pictures. It has a lot of pictures in it. I love the person that wrote it and formatted it and I love the nostalgia of it. It got me, it's got me to where I am now, because if I hadn't loved this book when I was a kid, I wouldn't now, I don't think, still be doing magic or inventing magic, and this book is Ali Bongo's Book of Magic.
Speaker 1:And, for those that don't know, it was written by Ali Bongo, forwarded by Paul Daniels, and it's a kid's magic book. It's for changing the color of water, it's for linking paperclips together. There's a bit in there which teaches you how to make a magical puppet that looks like yourself, how to make a magic wand out of a bit of dowel and some tape, but then it has some fascinating bits. It's got the best magicians from around the world, so it features Chung Ling Su, david Copperfield, doug, henning, siegfried and Roy uh, all all the top ones Sylvan, mr Electric. And it was this book that made me think, gosh, I could be that person. I could make it into a book one day, which is a book of people that are really good at magic, and I loved it. I mean, thinking back now. I will never be in a book like that because my stuff's too commercial, but it was a lovely dream to have, and without the this book and the dreams that came with it, I wouldn't still be in magic yeah, that's really nice.
Speaker 3:We've had a few people come on with books because of the the nostalgic properties of it did. Did you have a favourite trick from the book?
Speaker 1:Yes, I did, and it was it was the apple, no, the block of gold that turned into an apple, I think it was, and it was my first introduction to what a shell is. So it was just, you know, a shell covering an apple, and it was. You know, it's effectively like the vanishing card case it was. It was a fantastic effect and I remember making it up and my mum helping me to put it all together and my dad, like, helped me paint the castle that you had to build with it and stuff it was. It was just fun. It was. It's good memories, good times.
Speaker 1:Um, I've got a few copies of that book now because I like it so much. Uh, one is signed by ali, who sadly is no longer with us. Um, but it's, yeah, I, I kind of will collect as many of those as I can. I've got, I've got the different covers, because it's been released about three times now. Um, it's just superb and I think what I liked about it is that it was illustrated. It was illustrated by Ali himself, um, and it's, it's just fun.
Speaker 1:The whole book is really whimsical, but there's also some fantastic techniques in there, that that you could, I suppose, adapt now. Um, like you know, the old magic calculator where someone thinks of a number, and is it on this card? Is it on this card? Is on that card? Well, there's a basic version in there, using symbols on coasters, and so this book gave me my first introduction to that methodology, and when you go through it you find that there is, there is some gems in there, um, but for me, I just I don't mean to sound simple, but I just love looking at the pictures, especially knowing that they've been drawn by ali as well yeah, I think that's a great great choice, and it does bring us to your item.
Speaker 3:So what did you put in your item position?
Speaker 1:well, I was going to put sunglasses because I I'm scared of sand and I didn't know if this was a sandy beach or a rock beach. Um, I would rather it was a rock beach. I just I can't stand sand. You'll never see, you'll never catch me on a beach. So the fact that I'm marooned here is is annoying enough, as it is okay, um, but my non-magic item is an item I carry almost every day and that would be, um, a man bag. And it's such a cop-out because that man bag is only there with me to carry loads of magic stuff. But I thought as well, you know, especially if I'm marooned on this desert island, I want my stuff to be neat. I'm all about organizing. My cases are always well organized, um, so I needed a place to put my eight items in, and this bag is big enough to carry everything that is on my list.
Speaker 3:Yeah, great, great choice. We've had a few like bags or cases, so, yeah, I think that's fair enough. It's also earlier on, you mentioned EDC. It basically is an EDC bag, really isn't it?
Speaker 1:A hundred percent. Yeah, I mean, one of the things I talk a lot about when I've done interviews and things in the past is I get most. So I don't advertise at all. All my gigs are word of mouth, um, or repeat business, or. But the word of mouth bit can come from people seeing me down in the pub. Now, I, I love to go to the pub. Um, I, I go to several pubs. It's how I end up with residencies I'll talk about that another day um, but basically I carry a set on me, you know. So if I haven't got the bag, then I've just got my assassin. But if I have got my bag, um, either the assassin's in there or I've got a bunch of these effects on me ready to go.
Speaker 1:Because I think having something on you is the best way to get business. I don't mind being in a pub and someone coming up look, you showed my mate a magic trick, is there something you can show me? And I'll usually say something like I don't particularly do magic, I now do things with the mind, but I'm happy to show you something and then I will. I will go into a piece. Ultimately they end up with a business card. I actually usually say look, take a few, give them to a friend if you know anyone having a wedding or a bar mitzvah or a party or whatever, and it's the best way to do business to always have something on you and to always have business cards on you yeah, it's great, great advice, but if people want to find out more about you, steve, where can they go?
Speaker 1:so my normal magic website is stevedellacom and that's della with one l, so de la um. I also own magicukcom, um, but I'm thinking of selling that web address, so do get in touch with me if you want it. Um. Also, my shop is dellashopuk, although most of my stuff you can get from Alakazam, and I encourage you to do so. And then my new website, which isn't ready yet, is being built on dellafun and that will be my mentalism website and I'm going against the grain. I'm going to have my prices on there so that people know exactly what I charge when I go out and do a gig.
Speaker 3:Are you going to be doing any lectures or anything like that soon?
Speaker 1:I'm ready to be booked for lectures. I've got a new lecture together which is all mentalism. So for the first time I'm not teaching my magic set and it's all mentalism. First half most of it's mentalism with cards. Of course, some of it will involve a night flight deck yeah, I'm available for lectures and stuff. And then what the future really holds is I'm moving from where I live in Shropshire to Blackpool sometime this year, which is one of the capitals of entertainment in Britain. There is entertainment in bars seven days a week, even in the off season. So the idea is to move out to Blackpool and try and do more cabaret shows is the idea and just work on that and keep things going with the night flight deck brand and we've got a few bits here and there, and then I need to talk to mr nardi about some bits that can only realistically be released through alakazam um, and I wouldn't go anywhere else because it is a fantastic company.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you so much for your time, Steve. Hopefully people will seek you out and we'll see some cool parlor shows from you soon.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much for having me, Jamie. This has been fantastic.
Speaker 3:And thank you all for listening. Of course we'll be back again next week with our Monday show, which is Stranded with a Stranger Again. If you want to be a part of that, then please send in your list of eight tricks, one book and one non-magic item to sales at alakazamcouk. Include a little bit of a bio about yourself, obviously, your eight tricks, why you chose them, your book and your item, and then we will get one of those recorded for you, Of course we're going to be back again next week with that and our regular episode on a Friday.
Speaker 2:Until then, have a great week, goodbye. Hello guys, I'm here to talk to you about Alakazam Unlimited. This is the best streaming platform in the world, I'm telling you now. With Alakazam Unlimited, you get access to over 150 magic routines. This is video, performances and explanations. We have card magic, coin magic, kids magic rope, magic, mentalism, stage parlor, impromptu. We've got you covered. All of this for the low price of just £4.99 a month, and you can cancel at any time. Perfect, if you've got commitment issues. Yes, I'm talking to you Guys. You are going to absolutely love it. If you haven't joined the platform already, what the heck are you doing? Alakazam Unlimited is a streaming platform that you need to be a part of. Not only that, there is also exclusive content only available on the platform. Check it out now. Alakazamcouk Cheers.