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
Leo Smetsers
When your name appears in someone's phone as "Crazy Leo," there's a story behind it. Leo Smetsers, a Dutch magical phenomenon who's been mystifying audiences for over three decades, brings his boundless energy and innovative thinking to this captivating conversation about the eight tricks he'd take to a desert island.
Leo's selections reveal much about his performance philosophy, especially his signature Three Shell Game, which upends conventional wisdom by ensuring the spectator always wins. "I don't like to win," Leo explains with characteristic generosity. This approach has earned him countless bookings, including one particularly memorable engagement where a client hired him specifically to perform the Shell Game for a bottle of wine.
Throughout the episode, Leo's creative brilliance shines through in descriptions of his original creations. His Flight Case, a miniature wood and aluminium case that allows a borrowed ring to appear inside a sealed teabag, demonstrates his dedication to crafting impossible moments with everyday objects. His Card in Mind routine, which he performs at every table, creates such a powerful impression that, as Leo puts it, "after you do Card in Mind, you don't have to do any card trick anymore because they think, 'Oh, he knows everything about cards.'"
Perhaps most refreshing is Leo's perspective on sharing magical knowledge. When asked what he would banish from the magic industry, he immediately identifies ego: "I don't like magicians that talk about 'I'm so good.'" Instead, Leo advocates for open collaboration and mutual support. As someone who identifies as dyslexic, he's developed a highly visual approach to magic that he sees not as a limitation but as a tremendous creative advantage, ”one of the best things in my life."
Whether you're a seasoned performer or simply curious about the mind behind some of magic's most ingenious creations, this conversation offers valuable insights into crafting meaningful experiences that audiences remember long after the performance ends. And if you're inspired to learn more? Leo's advice is simple: don't email, FaceTime him directly. True to his generous nature, he's always ready to share.
Leo’s Desert Island Tricks:
- Card in Mind
- Three Shell Game
- Turbo Stick
- Totally Nuts
- Leo’s Diary
- Button Tray
- Remarkable
- Flight Case
Banishment. Ego
Book. Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic
Item. Pen
Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
I was with Peter Nardi from Alakazam in a restaurant in Blackburn, a Chinese restaurant. Sometimes we drink a whiskey, peter and I together, and I did with a Chinese guy. I go stand up. Peter said, hey, do a trick. So I put three cards in the pocket of the Chinese guy and Peter gave the answers. The whole restaurant was laughing and the guy don't know anything. But then on the end I steal out the cards again.
Speaker 3:So they are in the front pocket and on the end when I'm ready to one of the nicest and most crazy people I've ever met, in magic In fact. His name in my phone is Crazy Leo and quite often I have friends in my car. His name will come up when he rings and it says Crazy Leo and my friends say who's Crazy Leo? And I say just wait, wait two minutes and it'll all make sense. And by the end of the phone call they understand why he is so funny.
Speaker 3:Now, if you've never come across his creations, we've actually had several of his creations mentioned in other people's list, specifically a certain kind of paddle that has come up several times in other people's lists. His props are absolutely phenomenal. I own several of them. If you're a fan of the three shell game, you will never, ever find someone as good as Leo Schmetzer's. If you get the chance to have an education from him and have a masterclass, jump at it, because he really is absolutely phenomenal. He's got incredible chop cup routines. He's got incredible props, card to impossible locations, tables, literally anything you can think of. He makes these incredible luxury props. So today's guest, of course, is the crazy Leo Schmetz. Hello, leo.
Speaker 1:Good morning.
Speaker 3:England. How are you Very well. How are you?
Speaker 1:Holland, good mate yeah nice.
Speaker 3:This is the first podcast I've ever started and it sounds like we're at Eurovision. Hello England, good. So how did you find putting your list together?
Speaker 1:They asked me to look at my best eight tricks and people that know me. When I go to a table, like table hopping, I do lots, lots of tricks. I have a drawer with me and I think I have more than 50 tricks always with me, always. So when somebody reacts I can take the trick or reaction from the spectator. That's, for me, important. I see musicians walking around with a deck of cards and three or four tricks in their pockets, but for me it's important when I get the reaction about counting or about numbers or about somebody's job, I can react with a trick and that's why I have my special suitcase always with me and in that a lot of beautiful tricks.
Speaker 3:Well, you do close-up parlor, stand-up trade shows. You sort of do a good mix of every kind of genre 75, 80% tape-ropping.
Speaker 1:I do this on fairs, a lot of fairs weddings. Holland is not like England because I know in England you have every wedding you have a musician, but sometimes you have, I think in a year maybe five, I think in a year maybe five, but I do every week around four, five gigs in Holland Every week for this year, for 30 years old. So, yeah, I like to perform and I do some stage performance. I work now on a crazy trick for stage for myself, not to sell it, but I find something new. I work for six weeks now, every day on this trick because I think this is the best trick I ever created for myself. So that's all kind of things I do on the moment. Yeah, I have a lot of beautiful tricks, but I do a lot of table hopping.
Speaker 3:So your list? Does it reflect more the table hop inside or the stand up side?
Speaker 1:I think it's more some tricks I do on stage and on tape mocking. Let's say my diary. I have a small diary that I sell. My diary trick is one of my best tricks that I ever have on tape mocking, but I can do the same trick on stage because I make a very huge big diary. Yeah, so I make the combination of it.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I reckon this is going to be a good mix of close-up, maybe some gambling stuff, because we know that you're a big fan of your gambling routines.
Speaker 1:People that love me know that I love gambling stuff. I'm one of my favorites.
Speaker 3:So, if this is your first time listening, the idea is that we're about to maroon Leo on his very own desert island. When he's there, he's allowed to take eight tricks banish one item, take one book and one non-magic item that he uses for magic particulars. Who's there? What's there? I'm sure there's lots of interesting things on Leo's magical island, but we'll leave that in his imagination. So we're going to go to his island now and find out. Leo, what did you put in position number one?
Speaker 1:Card in mind, because card in mind is, for me, the strongest thing I have in card magic. Every time I do card in mind and I have in card magic every table I do card and mind and I do it not once, I do it three, four times. Yeah, card and mind is crazy. You know you can do card wicks, but after you do card and mind you don't have to do any card wick anymore because they think, oh, he knows everything about cards. I do this for 30 years. For me this is the strongest effect I have in card magic for years. And I do it quick because you know me, I'm a quick musician, I don't work slow, I don't have long stories, I do boom, boom, boom, boom. And when I come out of the table I say, okay, take a card and spread it out on my deck. They look at the card and then it's in my pocket or I put it in the spectator's pocket or I put it under a glass or anywhere. And this is so strong a fact that it always stayed with me.
Speaker 1:I was with Peter Nardi from Alakazam and I think you know him in a restaurant in Blackburn, in Chinese Westmont, and sometimes we drink a whiskey, peter and I together and I did with a Chinese guy. I go stand up, peter said, hey, leo, do a trick. Peter liked my whistle because I have a very strong whistle. And then he said, hey, do a trick. Peter liked my whistle because I have a very strong whistle. And then he said, hey, do a trick with this guy. So I put three cards in the pocket of the Chinese guy and Peter gave the answers. And that was so crazy. The whole restaurant was laughing and the guy don't know anything, don't understand. But then on the end I steal out the cards again, so they are in the front pocket and on the end, when I'm ready, you steal out the cards and he know nothing and everybody is laughing and yeah, there's a crazy effect. God of mind is it's, yeah, strong. So you know you can force a card, but it's strong, but you expect it to take one in your mind.
Speaker 3:It's so, so good.
Speaker 3:So the first thing I want to say is this is my favorite of your card tricks and Harry Nardi knows this because Harry showed it to me and absolutely blew my mind with it, and then I asked him to teach me it, and then last year, when we had you over, we you taught me it as well, and it's such a good trick and I've seen you perform it live. Um, and putting the card into someone's pocket is the best. So the idea is it's basically a thought of card trick. So leo spreads the deck and has someone think of one of the cards that they're seeing and and then, once they've seen one, he closes up the deck. He asks them a couple of questions, um, and hits it right every time. So is this black, is this red? Um, and then he reveals what the card is and when they look down, it's in their breast pocket. So he actually has a brilliant way of loading it into their breast pocket without them realising, which is such a funny moment when they look down and see it. It's brilliant.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's strong, very strong.
Speaker 3:It is, and I believe if people want to learn that, it's on your Unlimited Lecture. I think that was one of the ones that you saw.
Speaker 1:It's on a lecture too. It's a small version. You know how I am. When people want to know it, they can always FaceTime me and I tell them, because I share magic and I like to share magic. I did a tour last month in Germany and every week I get some German people. Now Can you tell me this? Can you tell me that? Can you tell me that? I like it. You know, I like French magic, french, you know, and I think magic will be more sharing, because when I do a trick and you do a trick, the same trick. It's completely different because your way of moving, your way of working is completely different than mine. So that's why you have the same trick. It's a card of mine, but you do it. It's a card of mine, but I don't do it. It's completely different.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, it's a great trick and a great one to open up your list. So what did you put in your second position, Leo? Well, I always do every table. It's my three shell game. Yeah, excellent.
Speaker 1:The three shell game I create in 1995, 1996. And I do this for more than 30 years now. The first set I make for myself. We make 10 different sets but then for the testing which one is the best. But people know that my Grishel game is only one in my box. This is Richie Sanders' idea, not mine, because I had a Grishel game before. Richie was in my home and he said why you make a box around it and everything is included, box, and you use the top of the box to put it over, because before I have a shop cap to put over. But yeah, my Tricel game is three caps, especially made and the inside that the ball coming quick out of the cap.
Speaker 1:You can steal it easy. My way of stealing is complete, complete, different than anyone else, because I saw the 3-shell game and you put your fountain to the back, but my one is from the left to the right, it's complete auto grip. That's why I have on top the rubber bands on every 3-shell game. And one thing that I always do I like, I don't like to win. One of the spectators always wins and this is the funniest things I ever create, I think, how I do it, how I control the, the, the man that holds my uh trchelle game, that plays with me. That's very important to do this. So let's start from beginning, because you want to know how it's what I do and how it's done. So I start to open the box and then I take out the three small cups. The bottom part of the box I put in my pocket and the top part I put on the table, or I give to the small cups, the bottom part of the box I put in my pocket and the top part I put on the table, or I give to the spectator. Then I ask somebody from along the table, and most of that is the guy that I think, oh, he's going to book me. This guy has money and he can book me.
Speaker 1:Or the guy that give the party and he always brings a bottle of wine, because I'm normally 80%, I pray for a bottle of wine. When I pray for the father and son, I pray for the car washing, the duty desk, all kinds of these things, but normally with two people I pray for a bottle of wine and then I take a spectator that's standing near me in his arm and then at the moment I put my right finger on the first cup, I said this is one. I tap his foot and then I put cup number two, tap number two, tap number three. So he knows when I say one he must say one, when I say two, two. So he is always winning.
Speaker 1:And then they said, oh, what's the price of the wine? But I asked it to the guy that sits down, not that's 10 to win. And most of the time they say a high price because they think they're going to win and they say 10, 15 euro bottle. I said, okay, let's play 10, 15 euro bottle. So then I gave him the cup in his hand and said put it on top, where you think that the ball is.
Speaker 1:And on that moment I said Gerard, kaj, when he take three, he cannot take three, he must take every time another cup. So he understand, because then we start again and I always start in one. Why, I don't know, but cup one is always, but the spectator always thinks it's in cup three. So I'm always sure 99% they put on three. And then I tap one title on his foot and then he said oh, it's what I said. Okay, you got a bottle of wine for 15 euros from this guy. And then I showed the other cups. Then I do it with another one other times and I put him in three, because now this spectator will think, oh, we changed it, so we put him in another cup, and really there's a lot of times happening that he take another cup. Then I took the foot off the spectator and he said three. I said, oh, this is 30 euros, it's going quick. Then I do it for the third time and then I put it in one again, so he's, for me, never coming into it. And then I said maybe it's too much cup, because in that moment he has three bottles of wine. I said maybe it's too much cup, for in that moment he has three bottles of wine. He said maybe it's too much cup for you, sir. So I take two cups, I put one away and then I said to him when you listen to my voice you can hear where the ball is. But we pray for double or nothing, or a box or six bottles or nothing. And then I do the pre-showll game and I steal it away and I said is it this one or that, that, that that one? Very loud, so I pointed at myself is it this one or that, that that one? And he always put on top of that that that one. And I said, okay, you lost a bottle of wine because of this one. And then I said to the spectator give me three bottles too. And you don't believe it, but I have stories about this.
Speaker 1:I get bookings a lot, a lot from this. I have somebody booked me in the south of Holland, let's say seven, eight years back, and I come to there and I think, oh, it's a festival because I was blooms back. And I come to there and I think, oh, it's a festival because there was blooms going up. And I come and I said to the lady on the desk. I said I mean it was not a song, a musician. Oh, you're sitting down on table number one. No, no, no, no, sorry, it was a dinner. I said no, no, no, no, I'm the musician, I come to you. I said no, you're sitting down on table number one. He said no. He said you don't understand it.
Speaker 1:Can you ask the guy that arranged the party that is coming to me? And he's come to God. I recognize this guy. I said hey, leo, you're sitting on my table. You don't have to change your clothes. He said but I must do magic. No, no, no. First we eat. After the eating, we have only one guy. You must pay the trichel game for a special bottle of wine and the only thing you have to know is I must win six bottles of wine of this guy and then you can go home. And that's what that was. It brings me a lot. The way I perform it, the way I bring it, the way I I create it is a very, very, very strong effect, and I give a lot of lectures in this, master classes in this well, if three shell game wasn't on your list, I would have been surprised because I've never seen anyone do it nearly as good as you.
Speaker 3:And when you came over last year and gave the masterclass, just seeing how smoothly you handle it and all of the little touches you have, like the tapping of the foot to get them on side, all of those things just show how long you've been doing it.
Speaker 1:You know, I saw someone, a musician, and everyone has his own line, but I like people to laugh. It was laughing and have fun with each other. I always, when I give lectures, I said 80% of your magic is from when you go to a table and see what kind of public you are or what kind of trick you must do. 20% is magic, but this 20% must be 100. When I come to the table in one second, I see okay, I can this language, I cannot talk about sex or anything else. I'm going to be straight because this and the next table I see in the public oh, this is fun, we go to laugh, we go to have fun. This is, for me, 80% of your performance and 20% is the magic, but this 20% must be 100. The quality of your trick must be top and that's why I do the 3-0 game. Yeah, trick must be top and that's why I do the three shell game.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I agree. I think that's a great choice in at number two and leads us nicely into number three. So what's in your third spot, Leo?
Speaker 1:Richard's called the thermostat, but I call it the paddle. I created this in 2009 and I met Richard in Blackpool. He don't know me and I show him the three shell game in Blackpool and he don't know me and I show him the tree shouting. It's a black pool. And I think one week later or two weeks later, he fly over from Canberra to me and he was in my home for four or five days and he was shocked because he said who's this, who's that? Who make this? That's me. That's me that I make. And then Richard wants to have the rights from the pal and we make a deal together. He make the turbo stick Really well beautiful DVD with his routines on it and his ideas on it.
Speaker 1:The turbo stick is so small and the way I perform it. I work with the shoulder of the spectator. I never show it in my lectures and I never show it in the lecture too, because it's which is the idea of the table stick, but the way I perform it is I work from the left to the right, so I'm starting with three crosses. This crosses enemies' crosses, yes, and to be on the other side, but I do it with the spectator left and on the time there is two away. Then I go to the right and tick on the shoulder of the right guy Do you understand it?
Speaker 1:And in that movement I turn over my paddle and then I come back with three on top and that's so strong. And then I said, okay, let's do it with you. And then all the time I tap on his shoulder, and the moment I tap on his shoulder then I change the paddle Because it's a natural movement, but the pedal is strong. It's a small prop that you can take with you, but you can play it big because I make the jumbo pedal and the jumbo pedal is your seat far away.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so at the head of the podcast I mentioned that there was one that has been on lists before and this is it. So, TurboStick, I didn't want to say at the beginning in case it was in your list, but yeah, this is an absolutely phenomenal trick and a phenomenal routine. I've seen so many people perform it completely differently. It's just one prop, but the amount of ideas that people have come up with with this trick is amazing.
Speaker 1:It's crazy, it's really crazy. You have a lot. It's the only thing that I for me myself. I have only a whiteboard and a pedal and that's it. I don't need other props on the pedal. But you have beautiful, beautiful tricks, but this one you can do again and again and again, and that's what I like. On Magic.
Speaker 3:It's, but this one you can do again, and, again, and again, and that's what I like. On Magic, yeah, it's a great trick and a great choice in at number three. So what did you put in your fourth position, leo?
Speaker 1:Totally nuts, leo's, totally nuts. It's more than a show, you know, but the way I tell about the story, about Rodini and what's happening in this routine is is a lot. I must tell us, because otherwise we talk about one hour about this trick, because this is so beautiful, this is so good, what you can do with this trick. The first thing is this I put a book on a on a table is the size of five euro. Yeah, so they're all papers half the size of five euro. On the back they talk about the spectator. You see it, it's my business card, so they write down the name. Then I talk about Houdini, and the moment I talk about Houdini, I folded the name of the spectator in a small position and I have in my left hand the same thing. I folded the name of the spectator in a small position and I have in my left hand the same thing, the same way folded, and I have a change that is so easy. A child can do this change and it's normal. Then I asked the spectator to put a hand on top of the name, because we go to talk all the time about Houdini.
Speaker 1:On the moment I steal the paper with the name on it. I go to my pocket and it's the bill tube, because it's inside the vault, and I put it on the table. And then I take the three screws out and I tell the people one of this has an the table. And then I take the three screws out and I tell the people one of this has an extra hole. And they come to look and they don't say no, there's no. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I take one of them and then I do a ring routine with the dread and one of the bolts. So there's this three or three thing that I do with it, but all the time he's coming off the rope, all the time. So this is three or three things that I do with it, but all the time he's coming off the rope, all the time. It's a normal ring routine, what you can do with every ring, but I do this with the rope. Then I have in my pocket three curves are exactly the same but they are closed on the top and I have them changing. So I change on the table the open ones to the closed ones and I pray the three shell cake by these closed ones. So again, the only trick is yeah, you can do it five, six, seven minutes, but you can do it separately. You can do the ring routine. You can do it five, six, seven minutes, but you can do it separately. You can do the ring routine, you can do the change in you and you can do the three cell game. But by the end it's so long time that people don't realize what's happening.
Speaker 1:In the beginning, and all the time, every week, I said did I touch your hand? They say no, okay, and then do another movement. Did I touch your hand? They say no, okay, and then do another movement. I said did I touch your hand? No, and then I open the screw and inside there there is the name of the spectator and under the hand is a blank SIM card. And this whole gene is so strong, so strong for everyone, and it's difficult to tell what's happening all the time. But you must look at, leo is totally nuts. This is the name from Peters I'm not happy to make. Leo is totally nuts. I like this very, very, very much and the thing is, when you see it in your mind you think it's a prop, but it's like a sponge ball, so light, so you have nothing in your pocket.
Speaker 3:Yep, it's a great choice and I love that you can just do so much with one prop. I think, like you said, a build tube ring on string routine and a free shell game all from one prop is brilliant and it's so wonderfully well made as well.
Speaker 1:That's important because when I give lectures in Germany, I give it out in the public because everyone thinks, wow, this is a heavy prop. I don't buy it because it's too heavy, but it's light, very, very light. It's aluminium. Analyze it, it's quality. Very, very light. It's aluminium, analyze it, it's quality. I liked the tricks to combine it with a lot of things, and the same with my shock cup, same with my. I combine tricks together Because, let's say, a shock cup routine is fairly short. You know, boom, boom, boom and there's a ball of air cough. It doesn't matter. But when you change it to something longer, then you play with it.
Speaker 3:Great Well, that leads us very nicely into number five. So what's in your fifth position?
Speaker 1:The diary trick is I do for all my life. In the beginning I write a diary, but then people, when you have a table with 5 or 6 people, number 3, 4, they don't see what's over there and that's why I create my own diary. I started the table and said okay. I drew the diary down and I said, okay, you. I threw the diary down and I decked the card. He said, okay, tell you have child children. Yes, they have children, your oldest child.
Speaker 1:When is his birthday? And on the moment they tell me the birthday, I know the card position Because what I do in my mind I count it together, the month and the date. So I count, let's say, march 10th to 13th. In my mind it's in my stack 13, the King of Clubs. So I know I'm much further King of Clubs, but for a spectator it is so strong because what I do let's say they are the 10th of March I show them in January, the 10th of January or the 10th of February or the 10th of April or May in front, but you choose a card. I don't know why, but for a late person it's so strong, so strong.
Speaker 1:And I have a couple of other things too with the diary because I use it on stage too. Mark Paul has a beautiful thing you throw in a birthday and he make a calculation. It's a app and he make a lot of numbers on the stage. I have two whiteboards on the stage and I make the same diary but then use every patient has a huge, every patient is a day and has a huge cart on it and this is so strong, so strong on stage. I think that for stage, this is my strongest effect that I have, because you make your own calculation with numbers or states and all the time there is a diary in front. The card is one is that the calculation is coming on your birthday in front. I give you a card and then it said go to your birthday and this card is on your birthday and it's very, very strong.
Speaker 3:Yeah, diary tricks are phenomenal anyway, and I think what I like about yours is you've got a combination of different methods which allows it to happen in a completely different way to others.
Speaker 1:I have a couple of tricks made to diary and the quality. I think you know me, I always look at quality. I work on a new trick. Now, first days, I tell you Five weeks, five weeks. I'm looking for quality thing for my new trick, for quality thing for my new trick. Uh, I thought that, uh, uh, yeah, this is going to be a very, very strong effect.
Speaker 4:Hey guys, harry here from alakazam magic, I hope you're enjoying the podcast. I'm just here to interrupt and tell you a little bit about the alakazam magic convention. It has taken us 35 years to get to this date. However, may the 9th 2026, will be the very first alakazam magic convention. Now I know you guys are super excited, maybe just as excited as we are. First of all, the venue is a 37 minute direct train from central london. The venue is then literally a 10-minute walk from the train station. There's hotels within a stone's throw, there's restaurants nearby and there's incredible food and drink on site. That's all without even getting into the magic side of things. We are going to have four incredible lecturers performing throughout the day, including one person who's going to be flying over to the very first UK lecture. We are buzzing to announce who those four are. Not only that, there'll be dealers on site and a place for you guys to jam and session and meet new friends.
Speaker 4:Where are the lectures gonna be held? This is my personal favorite bit about the Alakazam convention. They're gonna be happening in one of the cinema screens. That means fully tiered seating, comfy, comfy seats, a drinks holder and there will be a close-up camera on the Jumbo cinema screen that will be giving you close-ups of all the little nuances that you're going to need to see when the lecturers are performing. There will, of course, be a full gala show to end the evening off. You guys are not going to want to miss it. The great thing is as well. The evening off you guys are not going to want to miss it, the great thing is as well. On the Sunday, the day after, alakazam Magic Shop, which is a two-minute drive, will be open. So if you're heading down to the convention, why not stay overnight and come and visit our magic shop? Remember May the 9th 2026. Tickets on sale now at alakazamcouk. See you guys soon.
Speaker 3:UK. See you guys soon, amazing. Well, that leads us to number six. So what did you put in your six spot?
Speaker 1:I have on stage. I'm working for 25 years together with a friend of me in Holland in a show and we have buttons and it's a corporate I don't know what you. It's like a glass, what you call this glass bowl, that bowl. This is on the stage. It's glass. It's one meter high. In the bowl it's more than 300 buttons and we make I make this maybe, I don't know.
Speaker 1:I think 20, 25 years back for a stage performance. So I tell about a story about that. I was young and I was, I'm Catholic, catholic and I always go to the church and help in the church and I talk about think about the church, yeah, and about balance from the nonce and the close, and yeah, it's a funny story. I don't tell it in here, but I can only tell it in my language. But it's a funny story. And then I ask somebody that they can come on stage and I ask them I don't look, I've asked them to put a lot of buttons inside the surfing tray and then take a towel about it. And then I have a story that they can move it. And then they give me three seconds and I tell them how much buttons they take out of the surfing plate of the bottle. And it's beautiful, it's strong, very strong, but you get always in the back of your head Because they think you cannot know what's this. But yeah, it's very, very, very, very strong.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we've seen, obviously, routines like that. Darren very famously did a routine like that before In your version. Is this something that you can only do for stage or is it something that you would do close up as well?
Speaker 1:It is so big, so huge, it's one metre high. Everything is from glass, so they can't see nothing. You look through and you think there can be nothing, but there is a small detail that is inside but you cannot see because it's complete from glass.
Speaker 3:Okay, well, that was your curveball one so far. That's not one that I would have known about, but it does lead us to the tail end. So we've got number 7 and 8 now. So what did you put in your 7th spot?
Speaker 1:Richard Sanders, I don't know. I think it's called Remarkable pen that you can over with a card on it. Richard gave me the rights to do it in my language. So I have a marker and I have to put a 5 of hearts and a three of space on it. How many times I use it it's crazy. But the moment you use it it shows the fact you battle with this. You give it in a spectator's hand and the beautiful thing is this. So you battle, you give it in a spectator in an open hand and they say let your hand rest on the table. And that moment they rest on the table, they turn over their hand Automatically. The name of the card is on top of the when they open their hand, they see the card on the marker.
Speaker 1:So I paddle, yeah, and then give it in the hand and then they turn over their head like this so I peddled here and then give it in the hand and then they turn over the head like this. So I open the hand like this, turn over, and then it's only the ultimate top and you can force a card. But let's say you take a card in mind and you have a five of hearts. Then I say, when I know on the moment you have the five of hearts, I say, okay, you have a card in mind, look at this, what is here. Then they say to me, adding 3,000, because in Holland we have this kind of adding markers. And I said, what? Send me the other side. They do the pattern move. It's adding 3,000. Okay, put it in your hand. Tell me now which card you have in your mind.
Speaker 1:So two things, two things. That happens. I don't know which car they have, for it's by Pedro, but I know it's five of us and there is something happening in hand. I want the open hand to see on the mark of five of us. They walk away. The moment this happens, this comes together, they walk away. That's why I have two, I have the five of us and three of us. Space always in my drawer Always yeah, remarkable is great.
Speaker 3:Anyone that's used any form of revelation, uh, on an inanimate object or something that you sort of use every day and the public know as a certain thing, it really is a phenomenal reaction that they get, and having several of them in your pocket ready to go should like, maybe a spectator. Just name a card and you just so happen to have your pocket ready to go. Should like, maybe a spectator. Just name a card and you just so happen to have that pen ready to go. You have an absolute miracle on your hands at that point yep, yeah, it is so slow.
Speaker 1:Uh, people that work with me to guess not what I'm gonna do, but what am I doing. But on the moment that they see that I have the strongness from this brick, they said can I have some? Can I have some? Because this is, and you know, maybe you use it two times or three times in the evening but this is the talking about the evening because it's not normal. They ask can I see it again? And it's evening. Because it's not normal. They ask can I see it yet? And it's yeah, it's crazy. It's really really crazy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a great trick and leads us very nicely into number eight. So what was in your final position, Leo?
Speaker 1:The fly case. I know a guy in England has it too and I think I'm talking with him now. The fly case is very old. It's like 16 years old at the moment.
Speaker 1:The ring in T-back in one second is, I don't know, a strong Vatka stage. You can do this on the table hopping, but I do it on stage. So you give the spectator, you ask for a ring, I don't have the box, I have it here that you. You buy a box, you put it in and he fell on the route. You know vanishing ring. I use this and I have a story about the mentalist and a musician. What's the difference between a mentalist and a musician? So I go into the ballad. I said who can I have a ring? Most of the time I ask a lady for a ring. They put the ring by itself in the box. They close the box and said come to the stage. And that moment I walked into the stage, I had the ring in my right hand. Then I put the box in front, everyone on the table. So they think I don't touch it, Yep. And I said why don't we go to the wall? We're going to drink some tea together. And I walked to my suitcase, threw the ring in and at the same time I take the fly case out. That is really a second On that moment the ring is inside the teabag, you cannot miss it.
Speaker 1:Then I put it there and I said okay, let's first start with the man that is. What's the man that is doing? The man that is takes the ring, but I do nothing. And you're like, I take the ring out of the box with my hand but I don't touch the box and I throw it to somebody in the public. Then I ask him sir, can you go stand up? He goes stand up and I feel in your right pocket. And the moment he goes in with his hands, oh, and he's gone, he's gone, he's gone, gone to the other side of the room. Sir, you could stand up. So he goes down and says fill your right pocket. And I said, well, he's back in the box and that's a mentalist.
Speaker 1:And then I opened the box and I said, oh, the last time, said the lady on stage, he was with this guy. So I pointed to the guy that they're standing. I'm sorry it goes wrong, but yes, for the last time he had the ring. And that's Tony Laugh again. And then I said but okay, we can drink some tea together. I give the keys from the fly case to the spectator. She opened the lock.
Speaker 1:On that moment I showed my hands empty. Do you see? I have nothing in my left hand, nothing in my right hand. Then I opened the box and I take the tea bag out. On the moment I take the tea bag out, he closed by himself Because the weight of the ring is so happy that he closed the double tape, because the weight of the ring is so heavy that he closed the double tape together. Then I turned around the D-back and then the ring is between the D. It's incredible. And then I give the D-back away for present and they can take it home. Only one thing I always said please take it out before they go from state. Because I had once I did it and this lady wanted to take it home to show her husband. But the waiter is coming and think, oh, this is all teabag and throw the teabag away with inside the golden ring. This is really happening. But on that moment I think yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's great. Now I think you know this is my favorite of your tricks that you've produced. I think a lot of people don't know it.
Speaker 1:It's a great thing, because I have only 15 left, I think, because I don't advertise it, because I want to go advertise it and everybody goes oh, I want to have one, I want to have one, I don't go to make it anymore. The guy that makes it for me was a hobby guy and he worked more than 14 days on three or four of this fly case because the secret is so small. So inside the fly case that's so small. But somebody comes to me now and I know the same thing, what I know now. I said I have this prop, I must buy it, but they must give me €1,000. And I know how strong it is. I buy it Because the fly case is so strong.
Speaker 1:You can put the watch inside, you can put a watch inside, you can put every prediction inside. But I like the T-back because you can give it away. Yeah, it's strong. You know the same as the three wallets inside and the Aston wallets, because in the last wallet they don't understand it. But the idea is there. We have it again a normal prop, a normal prop.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, those who haven't seen it, please do go check it out, because the prop itself is very clever. So the way that you access what you need to access is very, very well made. It looks like, quite literally, a mini flight case, hence the name. But for me, out of everything, when you first showed it to me, it was having it in the sealed teabag, which is what blew my mind. Having a borrowed ring appear in a box inside a sealed, real teabag was absolutely mind-blowing.
Speaker 1:It's hard to say to musicians, hard to say how strong it is, because you say yeah, yeah, but it's only 10 by 10 centimeters. It's so small prop it's not big, it's not like a fly case that you would take another car with. You know you can put it in your drawer because it's very small. But the strongness of this prop, the way it looks, how it's heavy, it's hard to make. It's very good.
Speaker 3:Yep, it's great. So let's look back over your list. We've got card in mind, three shell games sorry, turbo stick, totally. Nutso's diary button tray remarkable. And flight case. What a great list of tricks. I think a lot of us playing leo bingo would have had a good few of them on there. Uh, definitely three shell game. Uh definitely card in mind, turbo stick, um, and I, and I would say FlightCase.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know I dealt every time I was in the lecture last year when I was in Arkansas, and on the end of the lecture I always said don't write me, but FaceTime me and I help you and I tell you. You know who I am. I like to share magic. I have no guy from Germany is coming over to me because, uh, he wants to do you make me together. I said, okay, no, come come to me and we talk about your magic and talk about my magic, because then you can help each other.
Speaker 3:no, and that's what I like to do well, leo, we've given you eight tricks, but you're only allowed one each of these. Okay, so let's go straight into your banishment. So what's the thing that you would banish from our industry?
Speaker 1:I don't like musicians that talk about whoa, I'm so good. That's what I don't like. I never go to a magic day again. Sometimes let's be positive lecture from a friend to me. I go to look at it and then I see people talk about oh, I have so many gigs, I have so much, but I don't like they won't help you. You don't.
Speaker 1:I share my secrets with other musicians. I share my gigs with other musicians. But you can help each other. You can bring yourself to a higher level. But when I give you some magic, you must not be afraid to give your magic and your gigs to me, Because I have always been afraid, but I do it for years. We help each other, we come together, we come up, but the young people say, oh, I don't get it because then it goes to me, to my customers, and then, yeah, I lost my customer. Oh, I don't get it because then it goes to me, to my customers, and then, yeah, I lost my customer. No, I don't, Because help each other, help each other. That's the thing I want to tell about this.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's one of the main banishments that we've had. So just an ego people thinking that they're perhaps better, better. I think that we just all have different strengths. I don't think anyone's better or worse. And for me, when you came over, in particular last year, and I basically leo, came over last year and did a free shell game master class and there was this lovely moment where I walked into the shop and we had set a round table up and you had everyone that was on the masterclass sat around the table just learning and jamming with each other. It was like a hands-on little masterclass and it was so nice just to see people being able to learn from someone with so much knowledge and experience. And I can imagine that if someone was maybe in the wrong state of mind when it comes to, you know, ego, they would never, ever have the opportunity to learn from you because they would think that they're too good or they wouldn't think that that they should be learning. Um, whatever it is.
Speaker 1:You know, I'll tell you a beautiful story. I never was in a magic club. In the beginning of my career, maybe six years. Then the last 20, 25 years, I was not in a magic club, but now I go to a magic club. Do you know what a magic club? But now I go to a magic club. Do you know what? In this club is more than 60% old people and they learn me, they help me. You know, they have props from 60 years back, 50 years back and I think, whoa, I never see this. Young people only do this, listen to videos, listen to. But these guys, they're all musicians. All musicians know more than anyone else and that's why I had a club, very lovely people, and they said oh, Leo, I want to show you something Because this I did in the years.
Speaker 1:I tell you a story the trick that I created now for myself. I get this idea from a guy from 80 years old in Germany, because I was eating with him and I said what was your best trick in your life? And he tell about a trick. And I said, oh, can I do this and can I change it? Because I want to do this idea, but not this trick, the idea I like. And he said yeah, you can do this. And now I'm nearly ready with my version and I Skype him. I Skype with him, I Zoom it and I tell him what I did and I show him the props, what I make for this trick. It's 15 minutes on stage one trick, but it's a story. And he was so lovely to me he said, oh, that you do this. It was an old prof and he told me this idea.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think there's some really lovely people in the industry and you have to open yourself up to talking to them and then you have these really amazing interactions and we can all lift each other up. You know, we don't have to. We're colleagues, not competition. I think that's the best way of looking at it. But that brings us to your book, leo. So what did you put in your book position?
Speaker 1:There's a problem with me. I bought a book four years back from Mark Wilson called Plague Course. I have a problem with reading, I'm dyslexic. So I look through the pictures and then I think I don't can read so well. That's why I tell everybody talk with me by FaceTime, because when he sent me a mail. Sometimes I get a mail and I think, oh bloody hell, I'll go to my wife and say what did he ask? So I'm a visual guy, I'm not a reading guy, but it works for me well because I think could be different than anyone else. That's the reason I can create stupid things and this brings me a lot in my life. Some people that are dyslexic think, oh, I'm dyslexic, blah, blah, blah. To me I think it's one of the best things in my life. What's happening?
Speaker 3:because now, from young, when I was young, till now, I think completely different than anyone else, because everybody going to read and I visualized we've had a few people on the podcast before that say they struggle to read, so maybe we should change this from your favourite book or your favourite DVD slash video download. Maybe that's what we'll do in the future.
Speaker 1:I have two friends, one in England and one in Germany, and they read Chris Wood. I think you know, chris, I think it's one of the best messages I'll have for me, for me, for me Best messages I ever saw. But I call him of Mark, and Mark is a German guy and they know everything, everybody. They say, oh, I look on that book, on that page and I think it's there. This is so crazy. So, yeah, I think it's in the book. Let me see this book on page number. Yeah, yeah, you see it's in the book. Let me see this book on page number. Yeah, yeah, you see, it's crazy that people can do this. Andy reads a lot but yeah, I like it very much to do it my way and it helps and it brings me a lot.
Speaker 3:Okay, there we go. So that leads us to your item, Leo. So what is the thing that you use for magic that isn't inherently magical? I use a pen to pen on.
Speaker 1:You know, when I go to work a lot of fairs and I like to walk around the stands when I have a break and then they have always pens there and I pen on with a pen. I said, oh sir, your pen is not mine, go to Dexco. And then I throw it back in the box and then it goes to Lucca.
Speaker 3:This type of things that's what I like, not in my show, but yeah, that's what I do, so we would be taking a pen with us for you to do several tricks. Now, you did mention, obviously, remarkables, so that would go perfectly well with Remarkable as well as a little pen to switch out. Well, let's go back over your list. We started with Card in Mind. Three Shell Game, turbo Stick Totally Nuts. Leo's Diary Button Tray. Remarkable Flight Case. Your Banishment is Ego. Your Book, if you were to have one, was Mark Gorson's Complete Course in Magic. Your banishment is ego. Your book, if you were to have one, was Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. And your item is a pen. What a great list, leo. If people want to find out more about you, your lectures, your products, all of that good stuff where can they go?
Speaker 1:They go to HollandFlixcom, they reach me there, or they come to thewismatchesnl and that's my site and they can contact me and you know, can I tell you again, do it right, but FaceTime me and I help all the time Amazing.
Speaker 3:So FaceTime Leo if you need any help and, of course, facetime him just to tell him that you enjoyed the podcast and that you listened to it. Do hit him up on the lectures as. And, of course, facetime him just to tell him that you enjoyed the podcast and that you listened to it. Do hit him up on the lectures as well. He's a phenomenal lecturer and we've actually got his lecture. So if you're an unlimited member, we have a version of his lecture on there that he very kindly recorded for us last year. You can see the whole thing and a couple of these items are actually on that lecture, in particular card in mind. Do go check that out, because it's a phenomenal trick. Thank you again, leo. Thank you.
Speaker 1:And obviously we're quick because I hear a beautiful thing next year 9th of May, so I come over to England again. Yeah, and a couple of of weeks I have my big friend over in Holland for five days.
Speaker 3:I'm looking forward to those pictures already. When Pete and Leo get together, it's always an interesting, you know.
Speaker 1:What's strange is that when Peter come over and we go to a bar. I do know Peter, he's a top, top, top musician. It's a top, top, top musician. It's a shame that he don't do no more days and all kind of things, but he's a top musician. But what I do is this I like a card in mind and I, let's say, he has a ten of diamonds and I go up on top of the four out of tens, out of three tens, so on top of the deck of cards out of four tens, and then said to Peter I cannot find the card, can you find it? And then we work all the evening together with a couple of weeks, and that's so fun. We was in Holland maybe five years back and when we go out of the bar the whole bar was full with cards and it's yeah, funny, funny, funny, funny, always funny when you get in there, peter.
Speaker 3:Well, hopefully we'll all see those pictures in the future. Well, thank you again, leo, and, of course, thank you all for listening. We're going to be back again next week with another guest on the podcast, so we'll see you then. Have a great week.
Speaker 2:Hi, peter Nardi here and I really hope you enjoyed that podcast. I just wanted to make you know that alakazam have their own app. You can download it from the app store or the google play store. By downloading the app, it will make your shopping experience even slicker. At alakazam, you'll also get exclusive in-app offers and in-app live streams. So go download it now and we'll see you on the next podcast.