Desert Island Tricks
Each week we invite one of the biggest guests in the world of magic to maroon themselves on a desert island. They are allowed to take with them 8 tricks, 1 book, 1 banishment and 1 non magic item that they use for magic! We discuss their 'can't live without' lists and why those items were chosen.
Episodes are uploaded every Friday and are available via all Podcast service providers!
To find out more about the team behind Desert Island Tricks, please visit: www.alakazam.co.uk
Desert Island Tricks
Stranded with a Stranger: Geoff Weber
Magician Geoff Weber discusses his carefully curated collection in this fascinating deep dive into a professional's most treasured magical tools.
With over 25 years of experience and credits including published effects like X-Finger, Geoff now performs as "the retro magician" with an 80s-themed act packed with nostalgia. His desert island selections reveal both practical wisdom and surprising insights about what makes certain magic effects truly timeless.
From the seemingly simple 3D Sponge Bunnies (which Geoff notes is "only done by beginners and seasoned pros") to his provocative claim that the humble Paper Clipped by Jay Sankey outshines any fancy card-to-box on the market, each choice comes with fascinating justification. Geoff's list spans close-up classics, mentalism, and coins while offering thoughtful commentary on why certain props and methods endure.
Along the way, Geoff shares valuable nuggets like why Joe Rindfleisch's rainbow rubber bands revolutionised his performance of classics like Crazy Man's Handcuffs, and how his Blockbuster Video confabulation integrates mentalism with nostalgic 80s references. He also makes a compelling case for why every magician's deck should include an odd-backed card.
What magic trick does Geoff believe has "exacerbated the problem of cookie-cutter magicians"? Which effect does he feel is his best creation yet has been "overlooked by the magic community"? Listen now to discover the answers and perhaps reconsider which effects would make your own desert island list!
Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
Thank you for watching. Hello and welcome to another episode of Stranded with a Stranger. We have another stranded stranger in our midst today. It is Jeff Weber. Now Jeff has given us a little little bio, so let's get stuck in.
Speaker 1:He says I'm a big fan of making lists, and creating a desert island tricks list sounded like fun. I've been a magician for 25 plus years and have published tricks including X-Finger, the Fifth Assistant and Poor Man's Car Through Window. These days I go by the moniker of the retro magician and have an 80s themed magic act packed with nostalgia, featuring iconic childhood toys, retro technology and 80s music and pop culture references. But this is a relatively recent development in my magic progression, so my list is not 80 centric. My 80s routines are hard to classify into a list like this because they often combine multiple tricks. Well, that's very interesting. Now I remember X Finger, which was, I believe, released with Paper Crane Productions, which was an older production company. That was around many years ago now it seems like a lifetime ago and I remember this trick. So the trick where things could be written on your finger. Essentially, you would shake your hand and then the text would change or transform or make things appear. So it's great to hear from you, jeff, and I'm really interested to see what your top eight tricks are.
Speaker 1:Let's find out what he's put in position one. He says 3d sponge bunnies. He says this was the favorite trick of multiple women in my life, past and present. Eric henning says this one is only done by beginners and seasoned pros. Yeah, that's really interesting. We say that a lot about the sponge balls as well, this idea that some people think it's just for beginners and it is a trick that you tend to pick up in your earlier years. But lots and lots of pros understand the impact and the power of it, so a lot of professionals also use it. I guess it's sort of the same for the thumbtip as well. I guess that's something that we use early doors and then you realize the strength of it in the later years of your professional career and you realize the strength of it. So absolutely a great choice. We've got number two, the ninja rings, he says very versatile, it works, close up, it works stand up, it's fun to practice and there's a surprising depth of skill and moves. I agree absolutely superb. I remember many years ago seeing the Ninja Rings trailer for the first time and realizing that this thing that I'd always seen, growing up with these big rings on stage, could be just as impactful and interesting using these close-up rings, and I think there was a massive, huge amount of people that started getting into the Ninja Rings at that time because it was just such a wonderful routine. So a great, great choice.
Speaker 1:And leads us to number three, which is the rainbow rubber bands. And he says performing crazy man, split slash touch. For the longest time I've made do with the standard crazy man's handcuffs and those tan office rubber bands. Yes, we know all of those, uh, jeff, we know them. I made the switch to joe reinfleisch's bands and they're so much nicer. I wish I'd done it sooner. I agree it sounds like such a tiny thing, the type of rubber bands that you're using, but it's absolutely true. Joe reinfleash's bands are absolutely brilliant. They last longer, they're more elastic, they're easier to manipulate and you can tell when they're about to fray and break, which has been a lifesaver, certainly in some restaurant situations I've had over the years. So that's a great choice. Restaurant situations I've had over the years, so that's a great choice.
Speaker 1:That brings us to number four. We have Swinger Ring UF Grant's version of the ring on string that I love. I have a handling that allows the ring to be tied on the string and the ends of the string tied together. Everything can be examined to verify the knots are secure and legitimate. I then give it to the spectators to hold and it comes apart in their hands. Well, that sounds great. I do not know this one, so I will be checking out to see if I can find a video of this after this. Rather, we have so many different ring-on-string routines. I know this week's episode. Our guest is Ian Bailey and he references a version of Ring on String in his episode as well, which is really interesting.
Speaker 1:On to number five, we have Screen Test. I wanted to give a nod to this great trick from Alakazam. Not only is this an amazing piece of mentalism, this is also a key component of my closing blockbuster video confabulation routine, where I reveal a thought-of movie was inside a VHS case that was there from the start. Wow, a blockbuster video confabulation. What I love is that there are some people listening to this, some of our younger listeners, who will have absolutely no idea what blockbuster video is. So that makes me feel old, but it does bring a lovely nostalgia of saturdays going to the video store and hiring out a video. So, absolutely, screen test is such a brilliant, brilliant piece of mentalism, Absolutely great choice.
Speaker 1:This leads us to number six, which is a deck of cards plus an odd backed card. Oh, now everyone knows, if I was talking to jeff right now, there would be devil's advocate. However, he has put some routines in, so he's put in bizarre sequence chicago opener, overkill and heart of the city. Yes, I think that this is another thing. There's so many different versions of chicago opener out there. But having that odd card, I know that a lot of magic decks are made now and printed and lots of companies print their own decks and normally there is like a double backer or a double facer or maybe a blank card in there. But I've always thought it's really strange that they don't just have an odd backed card in there as well, because there are just so many routines that you could do with it. It feels like that should be a standard gaff card in magic decks now. But let me know what you guys think. Maybe, maybe you don't think that that is something that should be in there, or maybe you do. Maybe we can start a movement and get these decks made with an odd back card. But that's a great choice and brings us into the tail end of jeff's eight tricks with shanghai coins.
Speaker 1:With this great coin set from paul richards, I can fool people into thinking I'm a great coin magician. Yes, I watched a video of this earlier. It looks absolutely brilliant. It looks like a great coin set. And I only got into coin sets a few years ago with Alakazam. Funny enough, before I worked for Alakazam, I purchased the Nightshade coin set from Alakazam and that was when I first really understood the strength and the power of a coin set and the fact that it's not really just a trick. It's more of a toolbox. It's a way to explore without worrying about having to get this, that and the other, worrying about what you have and what you don't have. You literally have everything in the coin set ready to go. So coin sets are such a great shell and this one looks absolutely fabulous.
Speaker 1:And it brings us on to Jeff's final trick, which is paperclips, which is a great trick. Whenever I'm tempted to purchase some fancy card to box, I stop and ask myself is this really any better than a humble paperclipped card? The answer is always no. I think that you might be onto something there, jeff. I think the organicness of paper clipped, the fact that it's something that's just lasted and lasted for years and years and so many people perform it. It's so clever, it's so direct, it's so simple and it's a great way to close off your list. It's so simple and it's a great way to close off your list. So let's just go back.
Speaker 1:We started with 3D Sponge Bunnies, ninja Rings, rainbow Rubber Bands Performing Crazy man, split Touch, swinger Ring. We've got Screen Test, a deck of cards, but with an odd backed card, shanghai Coins and Paper Clipped. What a great list of tricks, and you know, some of those we haven't had. Some of them we should have had before. Really, paper clipped is such a great trick. But this does bring us on to Jeff's banishment. Again, I need a little sound effect there. We have got five card box.
Speaker 1:He says it's a fantastic trick that absolutely everyone does, and has exacerbated the problem of the cookie cutter magician. I kind of understand it. It's one of those routines that, yeah, lots of people have done it in lots of different ways. It's a great routine, though, but some people don't like the repetitiveness of certain tricks, and maybe that's what Jeff's issue with this trick is. But that brings us to his book runes world. Rune was a big inspiration and I have been developing my comedy magic, yeah. So I actually started reading this just a few days ago. Uh, after dave loosely's episode, he recommended me get this. He said that I might like some of the sort of quirky out there ideas that are in there. So I picked it up. I'm about a third of the way through it and it really is a phenomenal book. I'm really enjoying it. So I think that's a great, great choice, jeff.
Speaker 1:And does bring us to your last item, which is a ballpoint pen for Xfinger Recapped. He says Xfinger is the best thing I ever came up with, and I feel it's been overlooked by the magic community. Do you know what, jeff? I would say what's old is new again. There's so many incredible magic tricks that were out many years ago that have just been lost to history and maybe it's time for people to rediscover them. So if you've not heard of Xfinger, time for people to rediscover them. So if you've not heard of Xfinger, go check it out. I think it's probably still available for download somewhere. So do go check it out. It's a wonderful trick. It's such a clever idea and it's something that you can do spur of the moment. So, like Jeff said, you have a pen, you can go into it. So absolutely, jeff.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for taking the time to write this list. I think it's a great collection of tricks and, of course, jeff is a stranger to us. No more we know everything we need to know about him and if you want us to know about you as well, please send in your list of eight tricks one banishment, one book, one non-magic item that you use for magic, two sales at alakazamcouk in the subject line. Please put my desert island list that way it comes magic to sales at alakazamcouk in the subject line. Please put my desert island list. That way it comes through to me and I can get one of these recorded for you. Don't forget to put in a bio and, of course, the reasons that you chose those tricks. So, until this week's episode, later on this week I should say we have another episode. I will see you soon. Have a great week, bye-bye.
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