With all the recent posts about mouthy spectators it got me thinking about the ones that really get my goat; the Grabby spectator.

(If you’re nice perhaps later I’ll show you how I float my goat.)



What are your favorite techniques/one liners for dealing with these handsy folk?



I’m glad I asked. I attended a lecture this morning by a local Dallas magician by the name of Nathan Kranzo. He shared a funny technique for keeping Mr. Grabby occupied.



Hand him or her I guess, (but if a gal is getting grabby that’s a good thing right?) something, a card case or wallet, saying,

"I’d like you to examine this for me please and then hang onto it because we’ll be needing that later." Then go through your effect or entire routine finally turning your attention back to Mr/Ms Hands (if you’re here and I’m here isn’t it OUR time?) saying, "Now it’s time for the card case." Put the cards in the case, put them away, and thank him/her for a job well done.

:rotf:



"Look hun, the goat, it floats. No wires, no gizmos."



"It’s stuck to your hand you a**."



"Yea, that, well..."

I dont really have trouble with grabbers. When I do use a gaff, it is out of the way when they do start to grab which simply makes the routine look better. I love to switch out the c/s than let them touch the coins on the table. I know that they just knew it was double sided but their examination reveals nothing. How sweet!!!

Allright lets get real specific.

Your favorite ace assembly trick

(using gaffs).



I hate to pick up the piles as I have Mr Grabby turn over the aces but you just know he’s going for those piles when he’s done.



Any sugestions?



"Here, hold this watermelon. We’ll be needing that later."

Ace assemblies using GAFFS? People do that?



Ahem. If you’re doing "O’Aronson’s Aces", you’ve shown each card individually as they "become" indifferent cards (defined as "cards that don’t really care very much"). Due to the very clean handling available with Aronson’s "wide spread" gaffs, you can easily turn over the entire discard pile and spread through it again before revealing the final ace pile in the spectators hands. The indifferent cards then go back onto the deck (whereupon you steal off the three gaffs) and you can stand there with your hands innocently in your pockets while they tear up the table/deck/floorboards looking for your wires and mirrors.



If you’re doing one of the many variations of "McDonald’s Aces", you simply spread through the face up pile of "indifferent" cards, culling the gaffs to the face; flip the packet and partial spread to show backs; flip again and drop onto the face of the talon. Finally, steal off the three gaffs while they’re turning over the Ace pile and then you can stand there with your hands innocently in your pockets while... well you know the rest.



Regards,

Thomas Wayne

There are a couple of factors that will limit if not completely eliminate grabbers: experience, prestige, construction, authority, age and presence.



I had alot more problems when I was less experienced (hence less comfortable and confident), less well-known, not as good at constructing my routines and presentation to minimize the props and maximize the experience, younger and less "forceful" for lack of a better word. All this comes with time, practice, rehearsal, and being in the trenches a few hundred times a year every year.



Something practical that you can do right away is to try to use as few gaffed or unexaminable props as possible. When you do use them, put those routines past the middle of your set. If you’ve got grabbers and they’ve grabbed the props from the first few routines, they are less likely to grab later on. Also, use gimmicks that serve there purpose and are out of the way at the climax of the trick. Treating the props that are gimmicked as unimportant and non-essential while treating the props that aren’t gimmicked as important and essential will also help.



Just keep plugging away, and every time you get caught and/or have a grabber, ask yourself why -- was it the routining, the presentation, your body language or a challenge factor in the routine. Then ask yourself how you can reconstruct that routine to avoid that problem in the future.

You guys never cease to amaze me.



Excellent advice all around. Thanks for those specific handling tips Mr. Way...uh...Tom.



Scott that was great! Got any extra prestige laying around I could borrow?



And when IS your next book coming out? We're all tired of waiting!

Scott is right, always ask yourself if you can fix anything that goes awry through presentation, so next time it won’t happen.



That said there are always times... or people you know.



Give grabby stuff to grab and get stunned a couple of times. He will stop. Engineers are notorious for this. I once did a three hour cruise for an engineering firm. The owner walked up to me and said, "I solve problems for a living, you can’t fool me."



Fried him



_________________

Tom Cutts

Publisher, AM/PM

About Magic...Performing Magic

I never have this problem, I keep a blank pistol tucked into my waistband when I perform.



No one ever grabs for anything.



:devilish:

Do you really do that Ichazod or was that a joke?



I saw a comedian once (Bob Nelson) who opened with a bit warning the crowd about heckling. As he spoke he was removing his jacket and when he turned to hang it up he had a revolver tucked in the back of his pants. Hilarious sight gag.



I might have to try that one. Would that fit into weapon management?

I was kidding, although I do have a bit where I give the spectator holding a prediction the gun to keep anyone from messing with it.



I have debated having the gun in my waistband,but my concern is that blank guns are illegal in California.

Gee, THANKS!

I remember you saying something about how, during the three hour cruise, the weather started getting rough and the tiny ship was tossed, and if not for the courage of the fearless crew, those engineers would have been lost!

OK, I know this makes, like 37 posts in a row, so I'll wrap it up here. Prestige only comes with time, ability and reputation. I have none of those that I can spare.



Books take a long time--especially when you're doing everything yourself, creating the material, writing it, proofreading, researching credits, getting permission, illustrating or photographing, layout, editing, publishing, selling and marketing! I'm going as fast as I can! It should be out by spring of '02.

No one ever grabs for anything.



:devilish:



"What if they grab for the pistol--or one of their own?"







Well if that did happen, I would just have to bust out with some of my super spooky psychic party ninja techniques & show them who’s the boss (not Springsteen or Tony Danza)

Great advice Scott,

here’s my little contribution I know in advance what kind of venue it is going to be so that makes all the difference in the world when you select what routine you perform, and what you select for walk-around I’ve always believed in walk-around you almost want them to handle the stuff just to build the right amount of trust right before you fry their brain to the plastic seat cover of their booth, clean up on table three, anyways I love to pick material that is either gaff free or where the gaff is destroyed or put away so early that there’s no chance of detection.



my scrambled minds worth



don

Re the gun, Has anyone heard the story of the magician doing the catching the bullet trick out in the west, only to have a cowboy shout out, "Here catch this one," Bang. Dead.



:(



I’ve heard the story many times , but is it true?



Stephen Bargatse uses a gun really well in his Chop cup routine by the way.