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30 Second Cold Reading

Turn of the century Gypsy woman

Cold Reading is a process used by psychics, fortunetellers, mind readers, and other scam artists to obtain information about a person they do not know and then present it as if they received it through some form of paranormal power.

In reality, it is a nothing more than a learned skill that begins with initial observations of what the subject is wearing, how their hair is cut, how they speak, et cetra. This is then followed by general assertions peppered with specifics about the subject that are likely to be true about anyone and will likely be narrowed to match initial observations.

This phase is also referred to as Warm Reading. Probative statements are then employed and based on the subject’s reactions and responses, the “reader” is able to focus in and make targeted statements that ring true. The entire process builds on what came before it; vague statements, rather than direct questions, are used to test the water but provide multiple outs at the same time. These statements are open to interpretation by the target, and any results are then used to hone in and make more targeted statements.

In 1949 psychologist Betram Forer found that if you give a person a number of statements about them that are both vague and specific, the will have a tendency to remember and give significance to those statements that are accurate and ignore the ones that are not.
For example, Forer complied the following statement and found that the vast majority of those subjects he gave it to rated it as being largely accurate:

“Some of your aspirations tend to be pretty unrealistic. At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, and at other times you are introverted, wary, and reserved. You have found it to be unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. You pride yourself on being an independent thinker and you do not accept others’ opinions without satisfactory proof. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and have a tendency to become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing. You are disciplined and controlled on the outside, but on the inside you are often worrisome and insecure.”

Because of this “Forer Effect”, the uninitiated simply do not suspect Cold Reading but will assume that what they’ve been told must be the result of something supernatural. And it isn’t limited to those in society who are less educated or gullible; even those with superior educations and experience in life are easily taken in by this process.

Because of this, the uninitiated do not suspect the process of Cold Reading is going on and will assume or believe that what has just happened is the result of something supernatural. And it isn’t limited to those in society who are less educated or gullible; even those with superior educations and experience in life are easily taken in by this process.

Because we all deal with the same things in life—money, relationships, and health—we’re often fall easy prey to scams designed to use that information against us for the sake of lightening our wallet.

But not all “readers” are unethical; entertainers generally say that what they do is simply an act. Under those circumstances, there’s no harm done because everyone knows the truth. And your great aunt Bessie may actually believe she has special gifts, even though she’s simply learned over time how to read people and tailor her advice accordingly. It is said that wisdom comes with age, and people like Bessie know nothing of Cold Reading; the advice or “readings” they give you are genuinely from the heart and they have no interest in financial gain.

But regardless, Bessie, as lovable as she is, doesn’t really have powers beyond that which any human can develop through time. Which can be a trap to her or anyone else. This is especially so for “performers” such as mentalists who use Cold Reading in their acts and being to dwell on all of the “hits” that they’ve had over the years and forget the “misses”. This is dangerous ground because it can lead to self delusion.

Cold Reading isn’t something done in an isolation chamber; you must have contact of some kind with a target to be effective. Investigators and sales people all know how to profile someone; one good look at a person can reveal all kinds of information. All you have to do is read Sherlock Holmes to know that Cold Reading is nothing more than inductive and deductive reasoning.

The first thing you have to do is try to answer questions about who the target is such as their gender, approximate age, ethnic background, marital status, lifestyle, type of work they do, and so on. A skilled reader can do this in less than a minute. With practice this process will become second nature, just like doing a double lift or riding a bike, which is why you have to treat Cold Reading like Nike and just do it; the more you read the more skilled you will become at it. But before you just jump into that pond, there are a few things you should do first.

One of the ways to become a skilled Cold Reader is to know people. That is, the more you understand about the people around you, the better you will be at reading them. For example, are you familiar with Carl Jung’s work on personality traits? If you’re not, you should be. He conducted significant studies and discovered a number of different traits that make up the population.

Understanding that SJs or Security Seeking Personalities make up between 40-45% of the population is something that may come in handy. And knowing that another 35-40% of the population is composed of people who are SPs or Sensation Seeking Personalities would also be important. There are others, but by understanding just these two personality types, you’d “get” most of the US population.

Jung’s studies also tell us that there are two main kinds of people—those who are introverted and those who are extroverted. And they both have characteristics that are universal. Introverts tend to be more comfortable alone than in a crowd. They have a small handful of close, long-term friends. They like to be alone. Whereas, extroverts love crowds, can easily approach anyone, have lots of friends, and feel lonely when they are not hanging around with other people.

What’s interesting about that is some 75-83% of the population leans towards these latter tendencies. This is good to know because it allows you to focus on those areas when you are in doubt. A general statement like, “Sometimes you tend to be outgoing and sociable, but at other times you are reserved and need to be alone to recharge” will go a long way and will describe nearly everyone you encounter. The value of this information is obvious.

What we know through psychology and sociology is that most people in the US have certain beliefs about themselves that are universal: that they are loyal and honest, bright and intelligent, have good people skills, are fun to be around, et cetra. Men in particular see themselves as being strong, confident, desired by women, team players, born leaders, and able to do anything they want to if they put their mind to it. Women consider themselves loving, sensitive to other people’s feelings, often put the needs of their family and friends over their own, while at the same time feeling under-appreciated and sometimes unattractive.

Now, given what you’ve just learned and the fact that women are more likely to consult a psychic, let’s look at what a stock warm reading one might look like:

“You are a person who often PUTS EVERYONE ELSE’S NEEDS AHEAD OF YOUR OWN, especially people you care about. I sense you are a good person who is HONEST and INTELLIGENT and you feel uncomfortable in an environment that detracts from your values. You OFTEN FEEL AS IF YOU ARE NOT APPRECIATED and that is a source of pain for you. I also sense that you struggle with personal issues that you don’t really share with anyone. But these people love you and value you, but they are not as good at COMMUNICATING as you are. I can feel that you are a NATURAL LEADER with STRONG PEOPLE SKILLS who is fun to be around. I can tell that LOYALTY matters to you.”

You can plug a variety of general statements in there and they will resonate with the person you are talking to. By studying psychology and sociology, you can develop a bigger picture of people on the whole and then when you deal with specific people, narrow it down to them by paying attention to what they communicate with you non-verbally at the first instance.

Your goal right off the bat is to get a good over-all impression of the target. Some things you’ll be looking for are:

How old they are
What are they wearing
How are they groomed
Do they have tattoos
How tall are they

Each of these things tells you more information, which can be used to do a more detailed reading. For instance, if they have lots of tattoos and piercing, you can make some fair assumptions that they probably have liberal social views. If they have on expensive shoes and an expensive but understated watch, you can guess they are likely a professional with a decent education. A man wearing a watch with a calculator will tell you that number matter to them; they may be into computers or work in a scientific field. Whereas a GPS or multi-function watch with a compass, altimeter, and other functions will tell you the person spends time in the outdoors. Couple that with a buzz cut and a disciplined posture, and the guy is likely military or law enforcement.

If they are wearing a shirt that is made by a golf company, it is fair to assume they like the game of golf. If a guy is wearing an earring in his right ear only, it may signify he’s homosexual—though this is less common now than in previous years. Pins from civic groups like Rotary or an American flag tells a lot about one’s dedication to society. A person carrying a shopping bag from a kids’s toy store my indicate they have children or have gone shopping for a gift for someone’s birthday. A guy casually walking down the street in dirty clothes drinking something out of a plain brown bag at noon on a Tuesday may suggest that person is struggling with alcoholism and may not have gainful employment.

Really, we are talking about stereotypes that are stereotypes for a reason—because there is often truth behind them. A lot of Cold Reading is simply common sense, but people don’t realize that.

Trends and statistics also play a big role in Cold Reading. For example, in the early 1900s the names John, William, George, James, Henry, and Robert were all very common men’s names. Nearly 100 years later it was Michael, Matthew, Andrew, and Tyler. If at first glance you can tell a person is about 50 years old a little quick math will tell you that their parents were born around the late 1930s. Common male names in the 30s were James, John, Joseph, William, and Richard. Notice the first three all start with the letter “J”, which means you could broadly state, “I’m sensing a J-name…” and look for any indication that you’ve struck a chord. Often the target will say, “Oh, yes… my father’s name is John.” Or something to that effect. Statistically speaking in the US, most names start with either J or M.

If you take the time to watch any well-known “psychic” on TV you can record the show and then play back what they’ve done. You will notice, as in the above example, that they will use general statements and then make them more and more specific as they go. Also, which is more amusing, is they will miss scores of times before they get a hit but nobody seems to realize that—especially people who are looking for confirmation.
Most people who get readings just want some reassurance of the future. And it isn’t hard to give them what they want—even if what they are told isn’t true. And it all starts with Phase 1: establishing rapport.
A skilled “psychic” will start off by giving flattering remarks about a target that are true about nearly everyone. Then after a quick assessment, they enter Phase 2: Probative Comments.

Here they will make statements designed (never a direct question) to elicit a response from the target. Then, based on that response, the reader will modify what they say to get some “hits” that resonate with the target. An example might be, “I’m sensing that you are troubled with something. It is an issue you’ve been thinking about a lot more recently.” And then be absolutely quiet. Investigators know this all too well; ask a question and then shut up. People feel uncomfortable with silence and often feel obligated to share things. That’s just what you need. Getting people to open up gives you more ammo against them. It is that simple.

If these “try on” statements don’t work right away, you can always fall back to multiple out statements such as, “I am getting an impression of a woman who was close to you. Someone who is older than you. She colors her hair.” Obviously, that is so broad that it is hard not to get a hit on it. This process continues until you draw out facts that you can use against the target. And once you feel you’ve emptied the well, you move on to the final aspect of Cold Reading, Phase 2: The Reinforcement.

In this phase you remind the target of every hit you made with them to let it sink in their mind. You also stretch it out some. Just as in magic, if you do the balducci levitation on the street, you turn to your spectators and say, “How far did I levitate…?” and you position your hands further apart than you really did levitate because that will create a mental picture in their mind that they will later remember as the truth. The same goes for Cold Reading. By doing this you firmly establish yourself in the target’s mind as someone who knew things they couldn’t have possibly known unless they were a real psychic.

For more reading check out The Psychology of the Psychic by David Marks and Richard Kammann, Secrets of the PSychics by James Randi, and The Full Facts About Cold Reading by Ian Rowland, and Don’t Get Taken! Bunco and Bunkum Exposed by Robert Steiner.

© Copyright 2009 by James L. Clark. All rights reserved. Duplication prohibited by domestic and international laws. This document is not for open publication and may not be released to third parties. The rights of the author have been asserted.

Turning Japanese

I really think so….

The last time I stepped foot in Japan was nearly 20 years ago. I was a young soldier serving in the US Army and had a fascination for all things I perceived to be military, including traditional Japanese Daito-ryu Aikijujustsu and Aikido.

Like magic, studying and sharing martial arts had become both a passion and an obsession for me. In fact, I even recruited one of my best friends and fellow magicians into the fold after I became certified to teach. Spending time with other martial artists, many of whom who had also lived and trained in Japan, is something I continue to do to this day. But sadly, I have never got the chance to head back over, until recently. And who would have thought that it would be magic that would bring me back home? That’s pretty surreal when you stop to think about it; in a way, I’ve come full circle.

AMERICA’S FINEST

It’s about 6AM and I’m rushing through DFW trying to make my connection to meet up with Rico de la Vega, one of Cyril Takayama’s top magic advisors and a dear friend. I tend to only travel with two bags—both carry on—so things don’t get lost, but in this case, I’m so exhausted from a previous weeks work that dragging them to the gate makes me reconsider the whole trip. Fortunately, I let logic prevail over emotion and I board the plane just in time to sit down next to a man who appears to have eaten two grown adults my size; it was a tight fit for both of us and I have to admit that I felt as if I was partially sitting on his lap the entire flight; the images make me shutter.

After waiting on the tarmac for a good 45 minutes, we finally lift off and are told over the intercom that we’ll be late into our arrival gate. As such, I’m fairly convinced that I’ll have to depart LAX to Japan. Fortunately, we picked up a tail wind at 37,000 feet and enough turbulence to scoot us along, but it also forced the flight crew in their seats for the majority of our time in the air, which means we didn’t get anything to drink. What a start to the day.

We make it with just enough time for me to run—no, sprint—to the International Terminal where I had the privilege of meeting one of our nation’s elite security agents (aka TSA) tasked with protecting our flights from terrorist attacks who looked at my passport photo, then at me, then at my passport photo, then at me, until I finally said, "Yes, I know… I’ve gained some weight." Not so much as a smile. She then said, "I need to ax you a question." To which I quickly responded with, "I’m sorry, did you just say AX? No, I don’t have any prohibited items in my carry on luggage. Is there something else I can help you with?" Apparently having an 8th grade education made it impossible for her to find humor in my comments, so I had the luxury of being the only person profiled and searched at the metal detectors. Obviously, a guy like me is the only person that seemed to fit the demographic mostly associated with being a possible threat to the health and welfare of plane going passengers.

But I finally made it inside the concourse (limping just a little from the rather invasive cavity search, but hey, I did get the guy’s phone number, so two for two baby! No, not really; don’t be stupid.) and managed to get to my gate just in time for the final boarding call.

Rico got there moments later with a Starbucks coffee for me and a bag full of greasy fries and a cheeseburger from Burger King; is there any wonder why I don’t favor Adonis, but rather I’m starting to look a lot like "Chris" on The Family Guy?

THE FLIGHT OVER

The flight over to Japan is a short 10 hours. Nice. Rico and I are sandwiched in the center coach row between a guy with an oversized laptop and a beard full of crumbs from lunch, and two rather polite Japanese tourists on their way back home. Sometimes being frugal with money isn’t the best decision; business class was looking pretty good about three hours into the trip. But with the high quality seat-back video screens that flicker and couldn’t maintain their color or a constant picture during the feature films, the spacious foot room even for someone of my rather long five-foot six-inch stature that kept my knees firmly placed under my second chin, the $5 beers, and the wonderful curtness of the cabin crew, I don’t know what I’m bitching about. I mean, paying over $1000 for a ticket should mean that I’m treated like the rest of the cattle en route to the butcher shop right?

What movies did I actually see given the high end technological offerings on the plane? Well, I got to see some of Spiderman 3, the Wrath of Khan—or something like that. It was great until the video died about one hour into the flick and I had to start it over, and then died again about 45 minutes into the rerun hell I had entered. Funny though, I had no idea that Spiderman’s suit was a fashionable light purple color. Yeah, I moved on and broke out my portable DVR and started watching some of the videos I needed to review for this issue. And while not everything I get in for review is as entertaining the third installment of a mediocre Marvel remake, it was a far better investment of my time than the alternative. As the saying goes, "No matter how far you go down the wrong road, you can always turn back." So I did. But I’m still a little disgruntled towards American Airlines because of the experience.

Anyway, I digress.

THE SAFEST PLACE IN THE WORLD

We landed at Narita just at dusk and shuttled off the plane into the customs area. Of course, we stopped to get the obligatory picture in front of the "Welcome to Japan" sign. One of the things you notice right away is that, unlike the United States, I didn’t see a single firearm at the checkpoints. I had a similar experience the first time I landed in the United Kingdom, but gun control in Japan has actually worked. I wonder if that has to do with the fact that respect and morals are still taught in school and at home, and culturally, they are a people with social pride, reverence, and discipline. Tokyo, for example, is the safest large metropolitan city in the world. It is certainly and interesting social phenomena, because Japan was once a tremendously violent country with a history of infighting that rivals any other nation in history.

Guns first arrived in Japan on ships from Portugal in 1542. These Western visitors were called namban, "Southern barbarians" because of the way they behaved in contrast to the Japanese. The story goes that the Portuguese had landed on Tanegashima Island and trader Mendez Pinto took Totitaka, Lord of Tanegashima for a walk. During that walk he shot a duck. The Lord immediately arranged to take shooting lessons, and within a month he bought both Portuguese guns, or Tanegashima as they would be called locally, which quickly became all the rage and the technology, as one might expect, was greatly improved upon despite the fact that the Portuguese firearms were the best the world had to offer at that time.

In only 17 years they were being effectively used in large-scale battles and in 1567, Lord Takeda Harunobu declared, "Hereafter, guns will be the most important arms". And he was right. Within 30 years after their introduction, Japan had more firearms per capita than any other nation on the planet.
Yet today, Japan enjoys almost no gun violence at all. What does this have to do with magic? Well, nothing, but the way this happened is a fascinating look at a people I’ve come to truly respect and love.

Edwin Reischauer, America’s leading historian of Japan, writes: "The brawling, bellicose Japanese people of the sixteenth century gradually were transformed into an extremely orderly, even docile people… Nowhere in the world was proper decorum more rigorously observed by all classes, and nowhere else was physical violence less in evidence in ordinary life."

For the most part, this has continued to present day, with the exception of Japan’s entrance into a number of armed conflicts to include WWII.

Unlike most Western nations, Japan has a large preference for Paternalism, which means that the average citizen trusts and acquiesces to the authority of the government. In the United States, the "Rule of Law" means that the government is subservient to the law, whereas, in Japan it refers to the people’s obligation to obey the Government. As such, the sublimation of individual desires to the greater good is paramount and social pressure to this end is considerable. But the government also leads by example by disarming themselves. In fact, guns were considered cowardice and they only armed in 1946 when ordered to do so by General MacArthur.

The contrasts between Japanese police and American police are staggering. You don’t see police officers with "beer bellies" in Japan. In fact, some sixty percent of the highest-ranking Judo practitioners in Japan are police officers. Many Japanese police officers are extremely highly ranked martial artists in other styles to too include Yosinkan Aikido.

In the US few police officers have the experience or training to handle assaults without resorting to an escalation of force, often resulting in firearms being drawn. When I went to the police academy, the level of training I spent learning to use a handgun and shotgun was rather insignificant; even less was spent on , impact weapons or defensive tactics. Whereas in Japan, 60 hours is spent on firearm training, 90 in Judo, and an additional 90 hours learning how to fence with a stick. Our baton training in California for instance was only eight hours, which is just enough to raise the level of competence of the average American police officer to just above that of a monkey with a stick.

More than the people of any other democratic nation in the world, Japanese people accept (and respect) the authority of their government. Because of this, it is easy for someone like me to see how gun control has succeeded in Japan. But in my estimation, it isn’t gun control laws that have made Japan so safe, it is a deep-seated cultural reverence and respect for authority and the people around them that assures the relatively low crime rates. In the United States funny enough (not "ha ha" funny, but ironic funny), we experienced lower violent crime in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1980s when gun ownership per capita was at its highest in modern US history. And in places like Switzerland where every man between the ages of 18-65 are required by law to possess a military assault rife, they’ve had virtually no gun related crime at all. What this tells me is that social standards matter far more than gun laws.

The Japanese people are simply some of the most law-abiding people on the planet, which makes for a fantastic vacation as you can go anywhere at anytime and will be safe.

Their reverence is also abundantly evident when you get outside the airport; Tokyo has to be the cleanest city I’ve ever been to—and I’ve been all over the planet. Honestly, I never saw any trash on the ground and no graffiti either. It was truly refreshing, especially living in cities where I’ve regularly witnessed people drop trash out their car windows or as they walked down the street.

Even Cyril remarked at how safe Japan is and how law abiding people are when I almost left my boom mic on the trolly at the airport. I ran back over and grabbed it and said, "That would’ve sucked." Cyril’s response was, "You could’ve left that there and it would be there safe and sound when you got back a few weeks from now." And you know what, I believe him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

After a rather long ride across Tokyo, Cyril and his driver Yoshi dropped Rico and I off at our apartments near Shinagawa Station in the Minato Ward so we could get some rest before heading out that evening. Having not slept on the plane, I can’t remember much between dropping my bags off, my head hitting the bed, and a call on my mobile from Cyril telling me he was out front waiting for me so we could go to dinner.

Our first stop, one of the classiest Japanese restaurants ever—TGI Fridays. For Americans who are homesick, Shinagawa has McDonalds, TGI Fridays, Outback Steakhouse, and more. I wasn’t homesick. But it made for a good meal with friends and fun times, which included Cyril telling the staff it was my birthday. You know what happened next don’t you? A crowd of young waiters and waitresses all gathered around and sang "Happy Birthday" to me in broken English while two full size Sparklers burned from atop a towering ice cream sundae. Oddly enough, that is the fifth time one of my friends has done that to me; I think they just want the free dessert! In case you’re wondering, no, it wasn’t my birthday.

Something I also found interesting is that tips are frowned upon and often taken as an insult in Japan, or so I am told. I’d never heard that before. But apparently, waiters and waitresses will work hard regardless of a tip. Interesting. Cyril had a studio shoot early at 6AM that would last most of the next day, so we didn’t really get to spend much time out and instead opted to turn in a little early and start fresh in the morning.

MY CLOCK IS WAY OFF

My eyes were wide open at 3AM, so I took a shower and went for a walk around the area. Surprisingly, there was a lot of local activity going on. Lots of cars, people walking down the roads, and taxi cabs shuttling night goers to and from their destinations. As the sun came up I shot some B-Roll, which included me walking past the camera, traffic, the architecture, trains, and even going to the local 24-hour market to get something to snack on to share with our viewers online.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

We could really learn something from Japan about how to run public transit systems; they’ve got it together. Rico and I hooked up a little later and walked down to the train station to head over to Shibuya for some shopping. Shinagawa Station is the first major interchange south of Tokyo Station and has been in constant operation since 1872. You can catch the JR East, JR Central and the Keikyu lines there. But more fun is that it is a venerable shopping mall itself, sort of like how most major airports are set up, except without the Duty Free part. I’ve see a couple set-ups like this back east in the US like at Central Station in NY and Union Station in DC too, but Shinagawa seemed much larger to me and more spread out.

We made our way up to the fare machines and purchased our tickets; it is 160 Yen from Shinagawa to Shibuya. Everything is in both English and Japanese, so it is very easy to navigate for those of us who are not fluent in the local language. All you do is roll in, get your ticket, go through the gates, down the stairs to the right, and stay right on the platform; it is that simple. When the train comes in, hop on with the rest of the livestock and shimmy off down the line. The trip is pretty short, maybe 10 minutes, and you’ll have no problem knowing when to get off because the announcements and video screens that provide information are, like the maps and ticket machines, are in both Japanese and English.

Tokyo is actually the most English friendly place I’ve ever been and you can even learn English on the train because actual lessons appear on the TV monitors positioned on both sides above the doors; the lesson I saw was on the use of the word "used", such as "I used to have a girlfriend but now I don’t" and "I used that trick to get the girl", which some American’s don’t even understand and probably doesn’t describe many magicians either. Have you ever noticed how hard the English language really is?

FEATURED IN EVERY FILM

Shibuya Station, and the crossing there, is featured in nearly every major film that uses Tokyo as the backdrop. It is a very famous place and I had never been there. As you emerge from the station your senses are overloaded with music, lights, and other sounds. From the massive television screens extending stories up the sides of buildings to the rush of thousands of people passing by and bumping into you, Shibuya is a place you’ve got to visit.

When you look out across the road one of the first things you see is the massive Starbuck’s sign; yep, they’re there, and like in the US, on ever other corner. In fact, the American influence is undeniable all over Japan, but it is more noticeable in Shibuya.

As we cross into the crowd we slip down one of the side streets and into a six story shopping mall that has absolutely everything and anything you could want. I even found, on the third level, magic tricks being sold on the public shelves; how interesting. Obviously, the Japanese don’t feel that it is inappropriate to do so and I have to wonder why we are so uptight about it. Anyone anywhere in the US can walk into pretty much any brick and mortar magic shop and buy whatever they heck they want. Certainly, there are no restrictions placed on consumers at any of the online stores. So why is it that the Magic Community would likely be up in arms if they saw the very things they consume on the racks for everyone else to buy? It is a tremendously strange dichotomy, if you ask me. One I don’t fully understand to be blunt. But unlike the other items this store carried such as medicine, hair products, wood, nails, and suitcases, the higher end magic products were all under lock and key; you couldn’t pick them up and look at them. Now granted, the more novelty tricks like sponge balls weren’t secured, but DVDs and full routines were. I was sort of surprised actually at what I saw; Andrew Mayne’s Ghost Vision (which we reviewed in the last issue), Gregory Wilson’s DVDs, all of the CIB videos from various artists, full routines from quite a number of pros to include Cyril’s own work, and a ton more. And when I say "routines", that’s exactly what I mean… not just a trick on a DVD, but someone’s full act documented and for sale. A trick, well, I get that; it’s just a trick. But someone’s hard won routine that will have taken them a while to put together as a professional representation of themselves to clients, hmmm. Line being crossed maybe? And this wasn’t the only store I saw magic for sale at. Clearly, they do things differently than we do in the US.

A PARTY

Later, we all went to a private birthday party of a well respected businessman and Cyril performed for the group. As always, he was flawless. The host was tremendously gracious and allowed Rico and I to film the event which was held at the well-known Half Moon magic bar. Cyril did some startling effects, things I hadn’t seen before, that absolutely blew the crowd (and me) away. He owned the room and the reactions were phenomenal. Even though I’ve had the privilege of working with him on location when he performed, I’d never seen him in this kind of environment; it was a real pleasure to see him work. He is a consummate professional and really a credit to our community. He even invited Rico to perform as a guest, and despite the language barrier, Rico truly did a fantastic job. Normally, we are always talking about business so it was nice to relax a little and just have some fun. It was also cool to mingle with the audience, which included a number of Japanese celebrities (one I’d swear I’ve seen before). One person who stood out in my mind that night was a world-famous "healer" who’s worked with the likes of Ken Watanabe, one of my favorite actors. My hand had been hurting for a few days and Cyril told this healer about it. Next thing I know he’s performing acupressure for me. It was pretty painful at first, but it felt awesome afterwards. Meeting people like that was truly an experience I will not forget.

KA GU WA

Most entertainers love the theatre, and I’m certainly no exception. Cyril surprised Rico and I by taking us to one of the most incredible dinner shows I’ve ever seen in my entire life, and I’ve been to a lot. Situated in the heart of Roppongi, the theater itself was something to truly behold. It was incredibly dynamic with scores of moving sections that changed the composure of the stage in relation to the show itself and lifted as high as 30 feet; it was amazing. Ever single step by the dancers was choreographed in unison with this moving stage. After the show we were all invited up on stage to have our photos taken with the cast. If you’re ever in Japan, it is a must see. I only wish I could find a way to bring it to the US!

MEIJI JINGU

Early the next morning I left off on my own to go visit the shrine of Japan’s former Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken in Jarajuku. The shrine area consists of two sections, the inner precinct garden and the outer area. I happen to arrive at the central sanctuary just as a precession for a traditional Shinto wedding was walking past; it was incredible.

ROPPONGI

We began filming for Cyril’s first magic instructional DVD later that evening. It kicked off with a lot of B Roll down town and he drew a massive crowd; you really don’t realize how big of a star he is until you walk around with him in Tokyo. At one point it got so big and a bit out of hand that he had to run down the street and ditch into a alley to get away; crazy.

Roppongi is a section of Tokyo’s Minatoku ward that’s infamous for its nightlife. Unlike most nightlife districts in Tokyo, there are thousands of foreigners everywhere you look, and all the clubs and restaurants cater to the English-speaking crowd. That’s where you’ll find the Mori Tower, which has a viewing deck with a 360º view of the city from nearly 100 feet above sea level. Don’t buy an admission ticket though because it is included in the Mori Art Museum ticket, which is the same price.

The weather turned into something out of The Perfect Storm after we had been out for a few hours. The rain and wind picked up so fast that we were getting blown all over, so we went to this cool little bar called La Mission, where we filmed him performing for the crowd.

Once the weather calmed down we headed out to a cigar bar called Modesty with a bunch of friends and just relaxed. It was Halloween so there were people all over the place dressed up. One of Cyril’s good friends and a brilliant magician in his own right, Tetsuo, showed up wearing this really nice black suit with a retro 70s butterfly collar, which was really attracting the attention of the ladies. Then, Tetsuo turned around and revealed that the back of the suit was gone! That was his costume for the evening. And I have to tell you, it was so cold and windy outside that the last thing you needed was a draft… especially one that big.

Rico, being the young and successful television producer that he is (oh, and single by choice) was spending some quality time getting to know the local wild life. Of course, the fact that he was wearing a T-shirt that said, "I’m looking for a Japanese girlfriend" in Japanese probably helped a little. It didn’t matter where we went that night, everyone looked at his shirt and smiled. He almost got more attention than Cyril.

THE BEST FOOD EVER

I’m not a connoisseur of fine foods; I’m fine with average food. For the most part, I don’t much care. Well, is a connoisseur and it’s rubbing off on me. One thing he made sure of during this trip is that we ate the best food Tokyo had to offer. It didn’t have to be a fancy high end restaurant, though we did eat at establishments like that too, but it did have to be the best. He took us to a Japanese barbecue place where you have several hibachis to cook on and they just keep bringing Kobe beef, massive prawns, and all kinds of other foods to cook yourself; he brought us to a small sushi place that only sat, maybe, 15 patrons but had been in business for 40 years in the same place, and it was the best sushi I had ever had. After everything settled down on Halloween, Cyril took those of us left who hadn’t either went out to party or fell asleep to this great little ramen place. I had the largest bowl of ramen I’d ever there! I don’t know the name of the place, but the phone number is 03 (3585) 8258.

THE BEST TRIP EVER

There so much more I want to share about this trip, but I just don’t have the room to do it here. I could have written a traditional article with a beginning, middle, and end, but I think I’m just going to say this: Japan is incredible. I’m glad I’ve gone again. It is a great country, with great people, and a fantastic history. If you’ve not been, you should go. Don’t put it off and be on your death bed wishing you had gone. Decide to go and make the plans. I can also say that Cyril is just plain cool; I loved visiting him and his friends. We worked our buts off but we also had a blast too.

© Copyright 2008 by James L. Clark, Snr., Esq. All rights reserved. Duplication prohibited by domestic and international laws. This document is not for open publication and may not be released to third parties. The rights of the author have been asserted.

Website: http://www.jameslclark.com

Amsterdam Coffee

Make no mistake about it, coffee in Europe is not the same as it is in the United States. And on one particular trip to Amsterdam, my grandfather found that fact out on a very, well, guttural level.

Now before I go on with this story, I need to introduce you to gramps. He’s one of the coolest people I’ve ever known. Loving. Passionate about life. And talkative. That is, he talks now more than I’ve ever known him to in my nearly 40 years on this planet. When my grandmother passed, he came out of his shell. Prior to that, I don’t think I heard him talk more than three sentences total.

I needed to head over to England and then to Holland to do some interviews for one of the magazines I write for, and Grandpa asked if he could go with. Sure, I thought—this should be fun. After all, my grandpa is a constant source of amusement, as this story should hammer home.

We land in Shiphol airport around 8AM, rent a car, and turn on the GPS—a Tom Tom that is bound and determined to talk to me in Dutch for the remainder of our trip. After a few stops and an interview, we make our way down town for some sightseeing. I had been to Amsterdam on numerous occasions starting back over a decade ago, but grandpa hadn’t. I took him down to some markets and shops.

Now, keep in mind that Grandpa isn’t a spring chicken; he grew up in a very different time than I did. And prior to this trip, he’d never left the United States other than quick excursions just over the borders to the south into Mexico or into the frozen north, so Amsterdam with it’s liberal stance on everything, active Red Light district, and copious amounts of Space Cakes for all to partake of, is about as foreign as it gets.

The weather is a bit cold and damp so we make our way through the town, evading the “ring ring” of bicycles everywhere, and pop into a cafe to warm up, get some coffee, and have a snack. Here’s where it get’s interesting.

The waitress comes over and asks us what we want in Dutch and I do my best to respond back. I ask for a Cafe Latte and grandpa asks wants a “coffee”, so I get him an espresso. She brings us two typical sized cups, with about two ounces of liquid mud in them. I know that just one of these has enough kick to keep me going for another 72 hours. Grandpa on the other hand is offended at the size and wants something bigger.

Venti in Italian means twenty—as in 20 ounces when applied to accepted coffee size norms at the more well known shops that blanket each street corner. Grandpa thinks coffees in Europe should be larger than the shot glass he was just served and demands more in English—never once fully grasping that the waitress barely spoke our native tongue. I try to explain, but he’s not hearing it. So as best I can, I try to negotiate a larger cup for him say, “zeer zeer zeer grote koffie”, or very, very, very large coffee. We eventually settle on what is about the size of a soup bowl, a cup used for everything but coffee there.

Grandpa pays the difference, what comes out to easily $10 in Euros and seems content with the accomplishment; every patron there and every shop owner looked at us like we were typical American tourists. Uggg. I sip my cafe latte with four lumps of natural sugar and some chocolate and grandpa guzzles what is soon to translate into one hell of a gastric explosion. Funniest thing ever.

I warned him.

A half an hour later I can see his facial expressions begin to contort. Then I hear the brewing of a minor nuclear explosion somewhere deep within his 70 year old bowls. Again, I warned him.

“Need a bathroom Grandpa?”, I say. “No, I’m fine…” He curtly replies.

Tick toc, tick toc. I think a couple in the corner were taking wagers among the other tables as to how long he was going to last.

Grandpa’s face begins to get worse. He’s starting to move around a bit in his chair, and I can tell he’s beginning to clench his corduroys. It’s coming. I warned him.

The waitress almost knowingly shoots me a look and I say, “Badkamers?” She points around the corner and I instruct him where to go. I can’t begin to explain the sounds that came from the other room, but I’m sure it included him violently physically shaking in a coffee induced epileptic seizure.

Twenty minutes later he reemerged. I guess that’s one minute per ounce. For the remainder of our two week trip together around Europe, grandpa never once asked for coffee again.

So, you think you know all about Holland? It’s all windmills, tulips, and dykes (the water kind), right? Well, not exactly. The Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in 1999. Population is about 16,150,511; it is 3/4 the size of Nova Scotia (about 41,526 sq km); and it borders German and Belgium. Fun fact: When you think of “candy” and “sweets” you expect them to be, well. sweet… right? Wrong! Candy lovers in Holland are crazy about salt liquorice. And, they also eat “French Fries” with mayonnaise not ketchup like here in North America.

Why I Love London

I love the UK. No seriously, it’s one of my favorite countires in the world, and London is one of my favorite cities. Why go? That’s easy… it’s huge, old, and has a ton of things to see—Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, The Portobello, Tate Modern, The Imperial War Museum, and so much more.

Not to mention that it’s crazy hip. There are majestic museums and theaters, cutting-edge art and fantastic music scenes both over and underground, and world-class restaurants.

The first time I hit the city was in 1997. I flew in to Heathrow from San Francisco for a trip out to the Hebrides and took the train north into Edinburgh. I can’t believe it’s been over ten years already. But I remedied the problem of having to fly over the US and then the pond by moving there.

My next trip into the City was after I was already living in Scotland in 1999. I had a car, so typical of being an American I just made the 8 hour drive to screw around for the day. It’s about as far as driving from San Francisco to Las Angeles. Actually, the UK is about a third of the size of California, so for those of us used to making long drives to see sights and visit friends and family, it’s not a big deal—until you get your petrol bill.

Unleaded gas in the UK is extremely expensive compared to the US. In part, it’s because they have a major tax on it, which makes driving a far less attractive mode of transportation for long hauls. If you’re living on the economy, it’s not as bad—you sort of get used to being gouged. I mean, it’s pretty crazy how much it costs when you consider that there’s refineries in Scotland and some of the biggest reserves of oil are pulled right out of the North Sea. It’s even worse if you’re on vacation in the UK and are dealing with serious exchange rates where the Pound Sterling is valued at 1.6 to the Dollar. Of course there are other ways to get there—plane, train, and bus are all very reasonable options.

Taking the train is the most expensive of your public transit options, unless you have a rail pass good for days or even a month as a tourist; taking the train for a singular trip, such as on the sleeper, never really did it for me. The cheapest two that I found are taking the Mega Bus for one Pound (about $1.65) from any of the major cities in the UK, or taking one of the cheap non-frills airlines. Ryan Air, for example, is one of the best ways to travel anywhere in Europe, not just the UK.

But all of that changed when I moved to England. I lived about 45 minutes away to the north-west near Oxford and used to drive in just to screw around for the whole day. I probably went into London two to six times a month with my family to go shopping at the Portobello or just have a day out.

The Portobello is a dream for people like me who are always looking for unique things to put in my house or on my body. I once purchased a set of evening tails that had been custom tailored for a gentleman (and I actually meant to use that word) in the 1950s; the suit was in perfect condition and even had the original owner’s “calling card” in the tail pocket—how cool is that? I had it retailored to fit my slightly slimmer frame and have had them ever since. I also purchased three or four Barbours that were made famous by Prince Charles. They really are one of my favorite jackets. I once read that in the UK you can show up to a black tie affair in a Barbour, a pressed pair of jeans, a nice collared shirt, an expensive watch, and bad ass pair of shoes and nobody would think the less of you—in fact, they may actually think you’re somebody of status.

London has tourist traps just like any other place, and some are worth going to. I like to collect mugs for some reason—I have some from just about every country, state, or major city I’ve been to. Piccadilly Circus has a ton of shops—good and bad—to get your tourist consumerism fix at. And there are a ton of shops around Parliament, the Thames, the London Eye, and Buckingham Palace. But while I’ve seen all of those places, you know what really excites me? Seeing local London, where people who live, work, and procreate further generations visit during their lives.

My buddy Dean lives near Golders Green, a predominantly Jewish area in London. I’ve had “American Corned Beef” sandwiches, but places like “Blooms” in is a authentic Kosher Restaurant and one of the first to serve Salt and Spiced Beef in London.

Just to clarify…

US = Corned Beef
UK = Salt Beef

The latter is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish delight that kicks ass on a cool overcast day in London. It’s cooked, cured, or whatever the hell they do to it over like 40 days; it isn’t injected, which the owner was quick to point out, like in the US. He was very adamant about how much better his was. And, well, eaten as a sandwich with rye bread, plenty mustard and full sour dill pickles—I was in F-ing culinary heaven. So, twist my nipple, he was right.

I have to point out that this isn’t what the US Department of Agriculture identifies as a “traditional Irish” dish. They state, “Originally ‘Corned Beef and Cabbage’ was a traditional dish served for Easter Sunday dinner in rural Ireland. The beef, which was salted or brined during the winter to preserve it, could then be eaten after the long, meatless Lenten fast.” Although, funny enough, I’ve never really seen this dish widely advertized on my travels to Ireland. Anyway.

I also love to see theater shows in London’s West End. For goodness sake, it’s THE place to do it. New York and Paris fall behind in my estimation—London is the bomb. My wife and I saw The Phantom of the Opera, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux at Her Majesty’s Theatre in the Haymarket for example—it was incredible. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s experiences like seeing a show that make a trip to London worth the effort. Just going and seeing the typical sites isn’t enough; you need to really get out there and absorb yourself.

END OF PART ONE

My Google Biz Card

I’ve always loved graphic arts and screwing around with Photoshop and Illustrator. Not long ago I came across a business card that had a simple Google search bar in the middle and that sparked my creativity to come up with a more enhanced version that marketed me and the various sites I use online in an interesting and effective way.

This card was born not long after as a result of hours of work getting every nuance right so that it replicated the page I saw when I searched for my full names—James L. Clark—with some little extras that made it feel the way I wanted. On one side is the photo here, and on the other is my professional headshot.

James L. Clark’s new “Google” business card – Click to see full res version

Stonehenge

I lived less than 35 minutes drive from Stonehenge for three years, and didn’t go to see this prehistoric megalith until I had already returned back to the United States for a while.

What? Who does that?

Well, I guess me and millions of Brits who have this incredible piece of history sitting right in their back yard. That’s actually one of the things that bothered me about living in the United Kingdom; so much history, and so few who seem to care about it.

Some of my best friends who were born and raised in Scotland, for example, haven’t even been to some of the most well known and historically significant sights very near their own homes. Of course, they’re not the only people—this phenomena happens all over the planet. I think, honestly, it’s just sometimes hard to see what you have around you—sort of that forest through the trees thing.

Where do you live? Have you seen all there is to see in your back yard? I sure haven’t. And this is but one illustration of that farsightedness I had developed. While living in the UK, I was always dying to fly to Germany, or France, or Italy, or Switzerland, or Russia, and so on. Even though I had joined both Scotland and English historical societies and went to tons of sites like castles, I often forgot that I had things right down the street from me with thousands of years of history passing them by every day.

So on my last trip with my family back “home”, my wife encouraged me to make the trip out to Stonehenge in the middle of Wiltshire, the very county I called home for years, to see what all the hub bub was about.

First, let me say that the drive out there is pretty. But there’s not much there. From London, get to the train station and just tell the ticket agent you want to get to Stonehenge; they’ll be able to direct you. Expect bus rides or an expensive taxi once you get into the nearest station. If you’re driving, which is what I did, make sure you stop and get some snacks, drinks, and gas for the trip out into the middle of nowhere, England.

Once you get there, it’s pretty simple. Walk in, buy a ticket, and walk around back and through a path for about 5 miutes. Then, there it is… as big as day, and about as exciting as watching paint dry. Really.

The monument itself is estimated to have been built by persons unknown about 2500 years before Christ or the Common Era if you prefer. Some anthropologists believe that the original structure may have been built as early as 3000 BC or more. That’s a long damn time ago. It’s composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of massive standing stones.

There’s a lot of speculation about what significance the stones hold, how they got there since there aren’t any quarries with rock of that specific composition nearby, and a bunch of religious themed ideas on the place being used for rituals, sacrifice, and as a burial site.

Neo-pagans, neo-druids, and new agers claim it as a site for pilgrimage and government controlled ceremonies, but there’s little evidence of anything of that nature predating the modern proliferation of such fads and foibles in our modern culture over the last few decades. Fact is, the people who built this and it’s predecessor monuments were nothing like the fruit cakes who in looking for personal meaning try to link Stonehenge with their own modern quasi-religious concepts.

The problem is, Stonehenge was produced by a culture that didn’t have the means to document their intentions for future generations. That is, they didn’t have a written language. Attempts at re-writing their history to reflect one’s personal views are therefore commonplace. And as a result, you get some of the strangest stories of what actually did or didn’t happen there.

Uggg.

What’s known for certain is there were a lot of people buried there. Top researchers speculate that the site was actually multifunctional and may have included both ancestral burial sites, to serve as a place for pilgrimage and as a way to give homage to the dead, and perhaps as a healing site much like Lourdes, the French commune in the Pyrenees.

I’m telling you, that’s all there is to it. Make the long trip, check it out, and then head out to somewhere else. We stayed all of about 15 minutes in the bitter cold, walked around the whole path, took photos, and then got our butts back to the gift shop for some tea. You’ll do the same if it as cold when you go as it was when we did.

Even though there’s not much to this, it’s a fascinating piece of world history, and undisputedly one of the most interesting mysteries of the ancient world that draws tourists from all over the world to this dark, damp, and often very cold part of England. I’d say you have to do it. It’s far less painful than a tattoo, and more exciting than watching American Idol. I’m one of the many who got out and when there to see a bunch of big friggin stones standing in the middle of a fenced off field, and I even bought a mug, a painting, and t-shirt to prove it to anyone who ever asks, “Hey, you ever been to Stonehenge?” Why yes I have, thank you.

Quoted in IEEE Spectrum

I’ve long been a fan off IEEE Spectrum, and even more so of my good friend Sue Karlin, writer extraordinaire. So when she asked me to share my thoughts on the relationship between magic and technology, I jumped at the chance to be included.

You can see the whole thing here at IEEE’s website. Happy reading.

IEEE Spectrum, P.25 Geek Life, E-bracadabra by Susan Karlin

Sleepless in Skopia

Tom Verner with children in Sudan. Photo courtesy of Tom Verner

Click on this link to download the complete article with all the photos!

PDF article Sleepless in Skopia © Copyright 2007, 2009 by James L. Clark. All rights reserved. You are hereby licensed to download, view, print, and share this PDF online with others via social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, forums, email, and even torrents for non-commercial use only provided you give a link back to this site and you insert a copyright notice along with it. This license in no way tansfers ownership of this content to you or any other third party. The rights of the author have been asserted.

Sleepless in Skopia

The first real sign of danger in the area comes from the ominous drone of an aging Russian Antonov cargo plane as it sweeps over the remote Sudanese village. Soon it opens its doors and unloads a deadly payload of crude oil barrels stuffed to the brim with explosives and shards of metal. The entire village is ablaze sending terrified men, women, and children desperately running for safety; there is nowhere to hide.

Those who survive the aerial bombardment are soon hit again with a follow-up offensive led by the Janjaweed militia—a vicious nomadic Arab group that has long battled with Darfur’s farming and trading tribes for control over the areas scarce resources. A bloody orgy of destruction ensues.

Any male of fighting age is killed on the spot. Women are often stripped naked and repeatedly beaten with bull whips or with the butt of an AK47; countless women are gang-raped in front of their families, abducted and held as a sex-slave for up to a week before being released; many become pregnant from the attack. Anything of value is collected, including all livestock—the main form of wealth in the Darfur region—in an effort to render remaining villagers destitute.

Survivors, if there are any, flee the area to seek refuge only to end up in overcrowded camps where disease and famine are as real threats as those presented by their own countrymen.

The conflict in Darfur began in 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) launched an armed rebellion citing economic marginalization, chronic underdevelopment, and Khartoum’s failure to protect black farming tribes from attacks by Arab nomads. The SLA was then joined by a second group, the loosely-allied Justice Equality Movement (JEM). This conflict comes right on the heels of the 21-year war in the south of Sudan that preceded it; the similarities are striking. In that war against SPLA rebels, Khartoum sent bombers in, then armed local Arab militias would attack, again, killing the men, raping the women, and stealing anything of value. The government manipulated Western aid, as they still do today. This went on for twenty years. Is it me or is anyone else having historical déjà vu?

Clausewitz in his definitive work entitled On War described war as politics through another means, but this strikes me more as state sponsored terrorism. Call it what you want, typical of all conflict where guns and bombs are involved, it will always be defenseless civilians that suffer the most.

I read an interesting report recently. One of the largest circulated newspapers in the United States, The New York Times, dedicated more than 10,000 words to stories that mentioned Darfur in a singular reporting period. At first glance, you might think, “Hey, someone does care!” Well, maybe not. In that same period they also dedicated more than double that number to Paris Hilton. Frankly, that’s hot. Not.

I’ve spoken to several editors recently who have all told me essentially the same thing: stories about Sudan have little hope of finding placement because all eyes are focused on Iraq and the so-called “War on Terror.” But is this journalistic failing or a damning incitement of our societal interests?

Most of us turn the channel when news, if it ever shows, about places like Darfur comes across our television set. We see it, it makes us uncomfortable, we pick up the remote, and we change the channel. Of course, if we happen to land on a station that is replaying the boxing match where Mike Tyson bites off Evander Holyfield’s ear, well heck… that’s entertainment!

The reality is this: while we sit in relative comfort complaining about the fact that our super-sized fast food didn’t get to us fast enough, as if our increasingly gluttonous consumer-based and inwardly focused society needs any more grease and empty calories anyway, or that our favorite football player got carded (again) on the field for being the arrogant overpaid jerk that we all know he really is, there is a government sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing going on in Sudan that rivals 1994 Rwanda. In fact, there are people all over the world that are suffering in ways we can’t even imagine. So who really cares anyway?

Enter Magicians Without Borders. En Français: Magicien Sans Frontieres.

Yes, my friends, there is such an organization. It is a one-man non-profit tour de force headed by American psychologist and university professor Dr. Tom Verner, and it has one of the most unique humanitarian missions I’ve ever heard about—sharing the wonderful art of magic with the world’s neediest people. In this microwave society where young magicians virtually attack innocent bystanders on the street for their own amusements, rather than for that of the participant’s, Dr. Verner is a fresh and welcome change and we applaud him.

The 56-year-old Verner, who has been a magician for 30 years, started Magicians Without Borders after returning home from a trip that, through a strange twist of fate, found him performing magic for an audience at a refugee camp in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo, after Serbian forces expelled nearly a million ethnic Albanians in the spring of 1999. “During my time in Macedonia and Kosovo, I developed a sense of the great needs of refugees, and the delight and awe the magic shows could bring them,” says Verner.

On the phone Verner tells me about his time there. He relays to me with a soft eastern accent how he was traveling in a friend’s battered little Yugo as it bounced along the roads towards the Momenpotok refugee settlement. He recalls that when they arrived he was struck by the vast piles of garbage dumped on either side of the road and the fact that countless children were rummaging through it in an effort to find scraps of food and anything that could be salvaged to sell; he said it was impossible to tell where the dump ended and the camp began.

As they parked the car, he and his friend Martin walked to one of the hundreds of huts and knocked on a piece of corrugated metal that acted as a door. A wide-eyed, beautiful five-year-old Roma girl, named Fatima, greeted them. Though Verner spoke no Roma and Fatima spoke no English, she became his assistant for the shows; she just seemed to understand what he needed whether it was a prop or a volunteer. “Something wonderful—something very special—happened between the two of us that day,” Verner told me. But when it was time to go, Verner couldn’t find the little girl and was very disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to tell her goodbye, but when he got back to the car and opened up the door, there she was; Fatima had hid in the back seat. She was hoping to run away with the magician and escape from the camp.

That experience had a profound impact on Verner. In fact, he tells me that he couldn’t get it out of his mind. The last image he has in his mind leaving that camp was of Fatima waving him goodbye. But there was more to come.

About twenty minutes or so later Verner and his friend made their way into a small little town called Shutka, where many Roma refugees from Kosovo were gathered. His friend Martin said, “Why don’t you do a show for these people?” So he did. They made a makeshift table, broke out his gear, and did a show right there in the center of town. In a matter of minutes, over two hundred people had gathered around. At the end of the show most of the people left, except for a few Roma men and one Roma woman, who was ordained with a gorgeous head wrap and a dress with mirrors all over it. “She looked very old,” said Verner, “but I bet she wasn’t over fifty.” She walked right up to him and in broken English said, “Money!” as she dropped a five Denar Macedonia coin into his hand in a way that said, “I am not giving this to you magician; I want you to multiply it for me.”

Verner made it appear and disappear with ease. She was amused, but just pointed again at his hand and said, “Money!” So he changed it into a fifty Denar piece, which in today’s money is about seventy-eight cents, and dropped it into her hand. She smiled from ear-to-ear and skipped down the road staring at the coin. Immediately, the two Roma men rushed to Verner and asked for him to, “Make us visas to America!” At first Verner laughed, but then he realized they were serious. He politely told them he didn’t know that trick, packed up his things, and headed back to Skopia with his friend.

“That night,” Verner tells me. “I couldn’t sleep—I couldn’t get that picture of Fatima out of my mind.” He continued, “In some way, they all saw magic as a way to get out of their trapped situations. I thought of another refugee from Hungry, Erich Weiss, a four year old son of a rabbi, who immigrated to America and became known to the world as Harry Houdini.” You see, Houdini once wrote in his journal, “When I perform for poor people, I sometimes feel that when I get wrapped up with ropes and chains and put into locked boxes, and I escape from my impossible situation, I think I sometimes inspire hope in people that they too can escape from their impossible situations.”

Verner told me, “It was then that I realized that magic was a universal language that had the power to not only entertain people, but in some way, it could show them that the impossible can happen; when they see that it wakes up their imagination and inspires hope.”

After returning home to the United States, Verner set out to create Magicians Without Borders. Since its founding, he has taken a leave of absence from the university, and with the support of charitable donations, he and his wife Janet, a visual artist and teacher who performs as a mime and clown in the shows, have traveled to Sudan, Northern Uganda, Somalia, Ukraine, Croatia, Macedonia and Kosovo, India, Bangladesh, Burma and Thailand after the Tsunami, and to Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina.

Verner and his wife have performed for over 200,000 children, and hundreds of thousands of men and women, at refugee camps around the world. They’ve also preformed for people like Peter Okoye who, when they met in Sudan, was the head of the UN refugee effort in the horn of Africa. After seeing their show Okoye said, “The UN provides for refugees, a Department for Security, a Department for Food, a Department for Housing, but after seeing the children light up during your show, I realize we need a Department of the Imagination.”

Verner ends his shows with an illusion that he feels will resonate at a more spiritual level with his audiences. He takes shredded plain white pieces of paper, used to represent the shattered lives of the refugee’s themselves, and then carefully transforms them into a colorful forty-five foot streamer. “The reactions are incredible,” Verner says. “Though these shows do entertain, on a deeper level they are designed to be an endless procession of inspiring metaphors of broken things becoming whole again; of hope—that the impossible is possible.”

I consider myself privileged to have been able to interview Tom, and I hope that what I have shared with you will challenge you to use your gifts in ways that will bring hope to others around you. If you’ve ever shrugged off the troubles in this world with the rhetorical question, “What can I really offer?” maybe its time you honestly examine yourself and answer it; it may just be that you have magic to give too!

Facts About Darfur

Source: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/su.html

Ethnic groups: Black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, Foreigners 2%, Other 1%

Major diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever, malaria, dengue fever, African trypanosomiasis, schistosomiasis, meningococcal meningitis.

People living with HIV/AIDS: 400,000

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 110,927 (Eritrea) 5,023 (Chad) 7,983 (Uganda) 14,812 (Ethiopia); IDPs: 5,300,000 – 6,200,000 (internal conflict since 1980s; ongoing genocide)

Background: Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in 1972, but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related effects resulted in more than 4 million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than 2 million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords; a final Naivasha peace treaty of January 2005 granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years, after which a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held. A separate conflict that broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003 has resulted in at least 200,000 deaths and nearly 2 million displaced; as of late 2005, peacekeeping troops were struggling to stabilize the situation. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes from neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia and Chad, and armed conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations.

Sudan is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; Sudan may also be a transit and destination country for Ethiopian women trafficked for domestic servitude; boys are trafficked to the Middle East, particularly Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, for use as camel jockeys; small numbers of girls are reportedly trafficked within Sudan for domestic servitude, as well as for commercial sexual exploitation in small brothels in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps; the terrorist rebel organization “Lord’s Resistance Army” (LRA) continues to abduct and forcibly conscript small numbers of children in Southern Sudan for use as cooks, porters, and combatants in its ongoing war against Uganda; some of these children are then trafficked across borders into Uganda or possibly the Democratic Republic of the Congo; children are utilized by rebel groups and the Sudanese Armed Forces and associated militias in the ongoing conflict in Darfur; during the decades of civil war, thousands of Dinka women and children were enslaved by members of Baggara tribes and subjected to various forms of forced labor without remuneration, as well as physical and sexual abuse; with the cessation of the North-South conflict and the ongoing peace process, there were no known new abductions of Dinka by Baggara tribes during 2005; however, inter-tribal abductions of a different nature continue in Southern Sudan and warrant further investigation.

-END-

This article was originally published in MagicSeen Issue No.11, Street Magic Magazine Issue No. 1, and Magician Magazine Issue No 1.

© Copyright 2007, 2009 by James L. Clark. All rights reserved. Duplication prohibited by domestic and international laws. This document is not for open publication and may not be released to third parties. The rights of the author have been asserted.

James in Haiti

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James L. Clark and Senator Frist (R, Tenn)

Haiti needs our help. No BS. No talk. The only thing that saves lives is action — and that’s what I’m doing. I’ve done it before and proved it works. In 2005 I went on my own to Katrina and made a difference.

You wouldn’t believe what I’ve seen. With or without support, I knew I was going. I put together a small team, purchased a ticket, and we flew into Porta Plata, DR. Once we were there, we drove all the way into Haiti. Crossing the border was surreal; everything changed. The look, the feel, the smell, everything was different.

A lot of people are under the mistaken belief that large cumbersome organizations can act faster than small groups or individuals. Some even pontificated that I couldn’t make a difference at all. That’s flawed thinking.

Within an hour of arriving in Port-au-Prince, we saved a 20 year old man’s life. Was that not worth the effort? I treated scores of patients and administered life-saving aid in my first few days in country with one of my best friends Harold, and locals that we were able to connect with. I also networked non-stop with a local pastor named Tom to bring in tens of thousand’s of dollars worth of critically needed medical supplies.

I saw another man there who believes in action too. I ran into Senator Frist (R, Tenn) at the airport. He and I both went to Katrina. In fact, he references me in his blog on Day 2 of his trip to Port-au-Prince. He’s a cool cat, and one of the few people I’ve met that not only impresses me, but encourages me to do more.

James L. Clark putting sutures in a man's foot

One evening around 11PM, our translator Jean Claude ran to me and told me about an elderly man who’d slashed his foot open. I spent over an hour putting in sutures, in pitch black, with nothing but flash lights to help me see. Pastor Tom, Harold, and a few others held them up for that entire time, and Pastor Tom assisted me by cutting the sutures.

Had we not been there, what would have happened to him? It’s not like in the US. If you don’t have money, you don’t get treated. Period. And he couldn’t just hop down to the local hospital anyway; Haiti doesn’t have clinics and doctors on every corner.

James L. Clark on the way to treat a young girl

We’ve done so much already, but it’s just not enough. We want to do more. We can do more. We need your help.

Please send a personal gift to us today visiting our new site http://bootsontheground.org. Or, give my office a call. We also take all major credit cards. Call 310-728-6042. For the cost of a cup of coffee, we can buy the supplies we need to keep it afloat and make a difference in the lives of the Haitian people.

TO DONATE CLICK HERE!

Martin Gardner

Martin Gardner and James L. Clark

I almost don’t know what to say. The same thing happened when my grandmother passed away; I just didn’t see it coming. And hearing that Martin has passed hurts just as bad now as it did back then. What’s worse is, I just visited him last week, just as I had the week before that. I made it a regular effort to go see him. Sadly, I won’t get to enjoy those visits anymore.

It’s strange. I know a lot of people. Really. But there are very, very few people that have impacted me like Martin has. In fact, I can count on just one hand the number of men, who like Martin, were both dear friends and who also served as mentors for me to help me grow as a man myself. Martin is one of them.

Over the years it was an incredible pleasure to get to know him; his wit, intellect, and smile were infectious. One time he had me laughing so hard that I nearly wet myself. He just broke into “tongues” in the middle of a conversation to illustrate how easy it was to speak in “spiritual languages”. As he put it, it just takes a little practice — anyone can do it.

Last week I was pretty busy, but I called Martin after a tornado had lit up Highway 9 just to make sure he was okay, and set up a time, the usual time, just after lunch and before dinner, to swing by and chat. I brought him his favorite soft-drink, opened the cap for him, sat down near the window at the back of his place, and he started the conversation with, “You know James is gay?” “Yep, so I heard.” He smiled. “I can’t say that it surprised me.” I said. He nodded agreeably. “I think a lot of people suspected it.” he said. I smiled.

Then the conversation turned to some recent puzzles he was going to share with some children that had visited. One I hadn’t seen. It was pretty cool. He complained about not having the manual dexterity he did in his youth when he demoed magic tricks, but the arthritis didn’t prevent him from fooling me. I’m glad he did. I appreciated it. I loved learning things from Martin. Every time I left him, I wanted to do more and be more than I was that day; he always inspired me.

I have to say that I did notice that he wasn’t walking as well as he had previously; I could also see that he was struggling more now to get up out of his chair too. At one point I asked him if he was okay and he said, “I’m a bit more feeble these days.” But by all accounts, he seemed just like he always did during every visit; an elderly man suffering from what naturally comes with that age. A little frail, but certainly just as sharp as a tack. I was sure he’d be around for years to come. And so was he.

One of my favorite things about Martin was that he was confident in a very unassuming way. He told me about his responsibilities to edit a series of books for Cambridge, and how he was planning on spending two or three years per volume. That totally made me smile. I mean after all, he was 95 and by my poor math calculations, that meant he had a good decade or more of work left ahead of him before the project was completed. I love that about him. But more importantly, I can say that I really believed he’d be around to do it too. He had me convinced.

I miss him already.

Cyril Takayama Interview

One of the greatest gifts in my life is having the opportunity to meet with extraordinary people. My love for magic and mentalism eventually lead me into the industry, and my love for marketing, causing waves, and writing eventually lead me to become the editor and publisher of Street Magic Magazine.

Our premiere issue featured the incredibly talented magician Cyril Takayama on the cover and an in-depth one-on-one interview with the man himself from his home in Tokyo, Japan. Here’s the original text to that interview, but if you want to read the real thing then download the PDF I’m including here from the magazine itself.

Click on this link to download the complete article with all the photos!

PDF interview with Cyril Takayama © Copyright 2007, 2009 by James L. Clark. All rights reserved. You are hereby licensed to download, view, print, and share this PDF online with others via social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, forums, email, and even torrents for non-commercial use only provided you give a link back to this site and you insert a copyright notice along with it. This license in no way transfers ownership of this content to you or any other third party. The rights of the author have been asserted.

Photo of Cyril taken by James L. Clark in California. Circa 2007.

Full Interview Text With Cyril Takayama

By James L. Clark, MBA

James: Thanks for taking the time to meet with me and share your life with our readers.

CYRIL: I am sorry I couldn’t get to it sooner; I am very busy. Thank you for understanding and being patient with me.

James: It’s my pleasure Cyril; I’m glad to have the opportunity and I don’t want to take anymore of your time than necessary, so let’s just jump right in if that’s okay.

CYRIL: Sure.

James: Like a lot of us, you were very young when you became interested in magic; six I believe. When did you first know that magic was what you wanted to do with your life?

CYRIL: As a child, I was completely mesmerized by magic! Back then I didn’t see magic as being about tricks or trying to figure out how it was done, for me, it was real magic… To this day, I still remember trying to make random objects move or float in my room. I also remember concentrating really hard to make random objects transform and to morph into doves. Of course, none of my imaginary childhood spells worked! I think I was about ten years old when I figured out that it wasn’t real; I was devastated like when a child first finds out that Santa isn’t real. I saw magic in a new way and not long after I started to just absorb as much knowledge as I could. I started off by showing friends and family things; it was a hobby that I loved. For me magic was something special that none of my friends in school had.

James: How did your parents feel about you doing magic?

CYRIL: They just thought of it as a hobby. They didn’t have a background in entertainment or anything.

James: I heard that the Magic Castle turned you down when you were about twelve? How did that impact your desire to be more successful? Obviously, you didn’t give up because you were accepted around six months later, right?

CYRIL: Yes. Back when I was a kid, finding resources of magic effects and tricks was difficult. It wasn’t like it is now. Magic was a well-kept secret to the public and for a child or adult wanting to learn how to do magic, resources were limited. For this reason, being part of the Magic Castle program meant a lot to me at the time. I did a matrix routine with Hershey Kisses with a big kiss coming out at the end. They turned me down flat.

James: That must have been tough.

CYRIL: Yes, it was. I was hungry for knowledge and so when I was turned down, my world was shattered. But I come from a background where my father was very hard on me; he is old school Japanese. He never complimented me and nothing ever impressed him. Being turned down at the Magic Castle was something that I was sort of already acclimated to. But it didn’t stop me. I loved magic too much to let a bunch of people I didn’t even know of at the time to tell me that I was not good enough to be part of the Jr. Program. I just kept at it and came back with a new stage routine which I involved cards, silks, and doves, and that time they accepted me.

Photo of Cyril performing his Matrix Illusion taken by James L. Clark. Circa 2007.

James: Tell us a little more about that.

CYRIL: I was first introduced to magic seeing a stage magician. At the time there were mostly close up magicians at the Castle. So I was seeking people who were interested in the art of magic the way that I perceived it. Unfortunately, there were only three other stage magicians including myself. But of course I was hungry for knowledge and was accepting anything that came my way. I learned a lot being there. It was some of the best times of my life. It was a great program and I loved every minute of it until I got sent to Japan.

James: Before we talk about you getting sent to Japan, what led up to that? What kind of problems did you have when you were in high school? I know you were suspended and even began cutting school. Why did you do that? What do you think caused those problems?

CYRIL: I’m not too keen on speaking about my childhood. I don’t share much about it publicly. I was troubled. I disobeyed my parents and went through some pretty bad times. I cut school, began getting in trouble. My home life was hard. My father is first generation Japanese and my mother is French and I was born in Los Angeles. They divorced when I was young. They fought all the time and talked bad about each other and I had to go through that. In my opinion, they were not ready to raise a child.

James: I know how difficult that can be. My mother has struggled with addictions my entire life. We grew up very poor, on welfare, and I didn’t even meet my father until I was twelve. When I did meet him he wanted to change everything about me and he and my mother never really got along; like you, I was caught in the middle.

CYRIL: Exactly. I was going to Japanese school in Japan and then Catholic School in America, raised as a Buddhist while attending my mother’s side at Jewish holidays, commuting between
Japan and America, and having parents going through three marriages. Both of my parents were having tough times and as a troubled child, I ditched for like two quarters, and I got sent to dummy school. I used magic as an escape instead of turning to drugs or whatever.

James: The more magicians I get to know personally, the more I begin to find that our art isn’t the only thing that many of us seem to have in common. Magic often was what helped keep us sane.

CYRIL: Yes. I had a lot of hateful feeling for my parents and life when I was a child, but now as an adult, I know that they love me; as a child that was something I didn’t understand. Back then I hated and I had a lot of negative feelings in my life, but that has turned around now… and even to this day, though my father still doesn’t compliment me or acknowledge my achievements, I know he cares; it’s sad but it is just the way he is. My father’s never said “I love” you to me. They just aren’t emotional or expressive about it.

James: I am glad you were able to reconcile those feelings and learn to understand what was going on. It isn’t healthy to harbor resentment, pain, and hate. Good for you. Thanks for sharing that; I know a lot of our readers will relate to what you’ve just shared. And I appreciate you giving us a more intimate picture into your life.

CYRIL: I just didn’t want to sound as if I was bagging on my parents, because I’m not.

James: I didn’t take it that way at all; I think you are being honest and respectful. So, was it around this time that they sent you over?

CYRIL: Yes. Aside from the problems, my parents also wanted me to get my citizenship and you have to live in Japan to do that. And since I was getting in trouble they sent me to my grandmother who lives in Okinawa with about $2000. When I got to Japan, I just left out on my own.

Cyril gets a phone call on his cell phone…

CYRIL: Mushi Mushi. Hi hi. Domo. Okay. (Hangs up). Sorry.

James: Not at all. That was interesting. I have watched your specials and, of course they are all in Japanese, so it is fun to see you switch between Japanese and English so easily.

CYRIL: (Laughs). So, where were we? Umm… so I was sent to Japan to get my citizenship. I was supposed to go stay with my grandmother in Okinawa, but when I got to the airport in Tokyo, I just took the $2000 my parents had given me and stayed there. I never went to my grandmother’s.

James: I bet that didn’t go over very well.

CYRIL: No, it didn’t. It seems like it would be a lot of money, but it isn’t—especially in Japan. It ran out very quickly and I ended up on the streets having to busk for money just so I could eat. My parents were not financially well off so I ended up going to clubs and seeking out the night life at the age of 16 and working for tips. It was very, very hard. I offered to entertain for free in exchange to keep any tips I made, so people didn’t think I worked at the establishments I went to.

James: How long did the $2000 last when you got there?

CYRIL: A few weeks! I did the only thing I knew what to do after that to survive—magic. I went into clubs and bars and it lead to tips. It soon became a regular thing for me.

James: Where did you stay?

CYRIL: At first I stayed with one of my father’s acquaintances. But soon I was sleeping on the couches of friends I would make over night. At the time I was kind of digging being a young adult and not having parents tell me what to do—just living life the way I wanted to live, and busking for money. I would take the train in and mostly busk around high-class places where the mafia would frequent.

James: Yakuza?

CYRIL: Yes. Let’s put it this way, in Japan the Yakuza never tip less than $100. When they tip they tip. It is part of the image. But if you’re no good, you don’t get anything. The best tippers were the mafia, they had tons of cash to spend, and they loved showing it off to the people they were with. At times, and it was rare, but I would get up to $1000 tip. But about a year later somebody introduced me to a wealthy gentleman, a businessman, who ended up taking me under his wing and gave me a three-year contract to work for him. He ended up housing me with a small apartment and giving me a monthly wage and in return I entertained at one of the hotels he owned. I was doing wedding parties, small events, and that kind of thing.

James: Just out of curiosity, what is the legal age of an adult in Japan?

CYRIL: You are allowed to drink at twenty years of age, so I think twenty would be the number.

James: Okay, what about military service? As you know, here in the US you can join the service at 17 with a parent’s signature like I did, but most people join at 18. Yet, even though you can fight for your country, it is illegal to drink.

CYRIL: I really don’t know, but I think it is 18 years old here.

James: I guess my curiosity is that at 16 most people would consider you just a kid trying to be an adult, even if you are hanging around nightclubs. I mean, that gives you, like, four years of roaming around doing busking before you’d even be considered an adult. Did you find that to be a problem at all? I guess what I am asking is, how did you find that transition between being 15-16 years old on the street and seeking to make a legitimate career out of this?

CYRIL: Well, I had a puppy face when I was 16 and I was very young. Legally, you have to be over 20 years old to work in clubs in Japan. But I was able to get in and to purchase alcohol or cigarettes if I wanted to, even though it wasn’t the legal age—I was a bit of a bad boy (laughs). It didn’t stop me.

James: I wouldn’t take it that way. Personally, I don’t really drink and I’m not a smoker either, but each person must make those kinds of choices for themselves. So I didn’t take that in a negative way, I was just wondering how it all impacted you.

CYRIL: In a way, I was in heaven. I was in charge of my life for the first time and got to do what I wanted when I wanted. I was in heaven in the sense that I was being accepted into the adult world and wasn’t being treated like a kid—like how my parents saw me. In a way I felt powerful, but for the wrong reasons.

James: You know, many psychologists would say that the degree to which you feel in charge of your life is the degree in which you will feel happiness. In some respects, control can be equated with freedom—one of the things every human cherishes. So, it isn’t surprising that you’d go to clubs, smoke, or drink alcohol because these are things that most parents frown upon and want their kids to stay away from. You mentioned your relationship with Ito. You were pretty successful not long after your contract with Ito in those early years of your career—winning some pretty prestigious awards between 1991 and 1994, putting together great shows, and so on—but then walked away from all of it because you felt stifled; then you ended up broke and back on the streets busking? Why did you walk away from that life?

CYRIL: Yes, the sponsor that I told you about was Mr. Ito—a fantastic gentleman—who wanted to help me. He was the chairman of a foundation that owned a number of businesses. But he put me under the care of his colleges. Of course, they had no experience in the field of entertainment so they didn’t know how to handle my situation. That’s why I was put into a lot of wedding parties and asked to do magic in places that I was not very happy with. I felt very lucky at the time because I was starving and was hungry. Before I met Mr. Ito I had spent many months essentially homeless. I was poor, I had no money. I remember going from friend’s house to friend’s house. People I had just met, even. I remember going through a period of several months where I was weak—I was only eating one meal a day.

James: Goodness. That’s harsh.

CYRIL: My friends were also poor. They were artists too; artists hang out with other artists. I can remember buying lunch boxes they sell at the convenience store and sharing it with three people just to feed ourselves. So I was really struggling as a teenager at that period in my life and when this opportunity came along I was hungry and wanted to be helped, which is why I signed a three-year contract. It was all in Japanese and I didn’t even know what it said. But I signed it anyway. I didn’t really comprehend what I’d be doing or dealing with in the next three years, which brings me to finally answer your question: for three years I felt stifled. I felt like I was just stuck in this system, where I had a roof over my head and a basic income that barely got me through each month, and I wasn’t growing. I was eager for growth, so I spoke with Mr. Ito directly and told him about this big international conference called FISM that it was coming to Japan in six or seven months, and I want to compete in it.

James: How responsive was he?

CYRIL: He gave me a budget that was, I can’t really tell you the exact amount in US dollars, but it was around $100,000. And I was 18, almost 19 years of age, and I went out to America to get the props because I thought that if I could show the magic community at FISM what I was capable of, that I would get more work and acknowledgement; it was more about being accepted.

James: Right. I think that’s a common misconception; you don’t need the accolades or direct support of the “magic community” to succeed in life. What you really have to know is what you want to accomplish and then start working towards that. Winning competitions, while possibly personally gratifying, doesn’t put food on your table. It pads your resume a little, but that’s it.

CYRIL: Right. This was the inexperienced kid speaking. I created this 10-minute act and about six months later I competed at FISM. So, here’s this now 19-year-old kid at FISM to show what he is capable of in front of all of his peers and I got there and I had the most elaborate production; I think I had like 30 people there setting things up. It became very political. At the time there was another magician who had won the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas, and the prize for him, the award, was that he was going to be sponsored at FISM—to fly out to Yokohama to compete. But his props were too large and he ended up not getting that award. The prop that he performed with was an appearance levitation of a girl that, at the time, I was told was his original act. I, six months beforehand, had purchased an appearance levitation with water from a manufacturer in America and all the judges who were politically involved tried to get me disqualified for copying this other magician. But the fact was I had no idea that we had similar illusions because I knew nothing about him. I didn’t know what was going on in the magic community, the opportunities he had to go to FISM, or anything. Since I had never seen this other magician perform, I purchased it from the manufacturer without thinking about it. But with the support and friendship of Luna Shimada—I had a very close relationship with her—she explained to the panel of judges what the situation was and my score for FISM was first place, but they decided to not disqualify me and just gave me second place prize. No first place winner was awarded.

James: I don’t even know what to say. To be honest Cyril, that disappoints me on a level I can’t even articulate properly. It speaks volumes by itself.

CYRIL: I was devastated. Here I was thinking I was going to become friends with everyone in the magic community, and get their support; that I was going to prove myself and be accepted. That was my whole purpose for going to FISM and I felt nailed to the F%$*#ng floor with a jackhammer. Like I tried to come out and do something good and they nailed me down to the floor so bad; I was totally devastated!

James L. Clark (Left), Cyril Takayama (Middle), & Stathi Zaf (Right) on location. Circa 2007.

Cyril and I then talk about his performance and I watched a video of the routine that earned him “second” place. It was astounding and, with the spontaneous eruption of applause and a standing ovation, I simply can’t understand why the judges felt second place was the right choice. Cyril tells me that The Dream of Crystal (the name of his pet parrot) was partly inspired because of his relationship with Luna, who at the time was living in Japan with her father. She encouraged him to develop a theme and a story line with the routine. It starts out with Cyril coming home, hanging up his jacket and scarf, checking his answering machine, and then walking behind a changing screen with a quick-change into his PJs, to which the crowd bursts into applause.

He walks over to his pet parrot, spends a moment cradling it like a baby eliciting laughter from the audience, and then puts it back into the cage. Picking up a poster off the floor, Cyril hangs it up on the wall; it is Fantasy Island. The coo-coo clock sounds an alarm and the lights dim; it is bedtime. Cyril pulls the covers up to his chest and with a clap of thunder, over his head, the spotlight instantly moves from Cyril and centers on the poster as the stage opens up with music, and he is magically transported to a land of enchantment.

The scene is beautiful and Cyril has again changed clothes to a costume more fitting for the new paradise of his dreams; adorned in black trousers, a while ruffled shirt, and a blue sash—Cyril looks the part. His pet parrot sits perched and silhouetted against a mountain backdrop with a tropical forest in the background. He runs up the mountain to the parrot and after some engaging choreography levitates it in front of him. He then places it behind a curtain and in a blink of the eye a woman is revealed clad in clothing that matches the bird’s natural coloring. The woman is levitated around him on a bed of water and is eventually brought to rest on his shoulder; he carries her off the mountain and they dance together on the stage and he gives her a rose. She appears cold so he wraps her in a blanket and she vanishes right in front of everyone. It is flawless magic.

The stage darkens again and he is back in his bedroom as dawn breaks through the window. Cyril emerges from his bed, back in his PJs, and rubs his eyes as if he has awakened from a dream. Appearing confused, he rushes to his parrot’s cage; she is in there safe and sound along with a rose. Cyril sits on his bed, the rose in hand… maybe it wasn’t a dream.

CYRIL: After being sponsored with so much money, I felt I owed my life to Mr. Ito. I ended up having a heart-to-heart discussion with him and asked to be let out of the contract. He agreed, but I had to give up everything. All of the props I had acquired, the place I stayed—everything. I ended up broke again on the streets busking.

James: Do you still have your parrot?

CYRIL: My father takes care of her.

James: How would you characterize your relationship with the magic community now? How are they receiving you?

CYRIL: I’d say now they are receiving me pretty well. Everything in life happens for a reason. At the time it was good for me to see things like that. It allowed me to go off and be my own person. I just worried about myself and nobody else; I became an outcast on my own. I didn’t hang out with other magicians anymore. I was really in my own world for many years. That has forced me to create my own style and become the magician I wanted to be.

James: I think there is a wonderful lesson there that you will find with all successful people; they do what is best for them and ignore the idiots who try to keep them down. At least that would be the lesson I would take from this aspect of your story so far: just be yourself and continue to go after your goals.

CYRIL: Yes. I remember performing at the Magic Castle about five years ago and having all of these professional magicians I used to look up to coming up to me and saying, “Wow! You’re fantastic.”

James: That is quite a contrast from what happened to you at FISM.

CYRIL: I feel very lucky that these things have happened to me in life. At first, it was very hard, but now I see that good things came out of it. At the time I didn’t understand why these things had to happen, but they became very clear later.

James: There is definitely an interesting correlation between your story and that of many of the other successful artists that I’ve met. You’ve all been attacked and treated pretty poorly by other artists, yet you’ve fought for what you believed in and continued to go after what was important to you and now you are at the top of the game, while the people who loath you so much are still in the same place they were a decade ago. There is certainly some poetic justice to that.

CYRIL: Yes, there is. So you asked me how I felt about the magic community now—well, I’m overwhelmed. After all of these years just doing what I love, it has finally come full circle. It’s very… what’s the right word? It’s an honour.

James: I’m glad of that. And I’m impressed with your attitude. If anyone might have the right to say, “I told you so” it would be you, yet you are humble and appreciative. I can’t imagine any real professional with any real level of integrity not truly appreciating your work, what you’ve accomplished, and more importantly, what you’ve overcome in life to reach the level you have. Even at 19 when you performed at FISM, your act was very polished.

CYRIL: That was the first time I performed it.

James: Really?

CYRIL: Yes. The first and last time.

James: No kidding.

CYRIL: Obviously it went very well. But I was very nervous. That whole experience to me was a lot like, well, you’ve seen Spider-Man right?

James: Sure.

CYRIL: There is a time where things change for him. You know, he is young, he is wild. He goes to fight clubs and that kind of stuff. Then, when his uncle dies, there is a moment of clarity where he figures out what is important to him and what his life is going to be about; he makes that change. That was that moment for me.

CYRIL: So I ended up, like I said, leaving everything behind and for a year and a half I lived with a friend in this little cramped apartment sharing meals and just trying to survive. It was very hard—a very tough time.

James: It’s sort of ironic, that the people who try to control you and keep you down end up doing nothing more than lighting a fire within you to succeed even more than before. I love that.

CYRIL: Yeah, I continued to develop my magic. I kept working at clubs and busking and building up clientele through word of mouth. And one thing led to another and an agent contacted me and started getting me more shows—some in the weirdest places in Japan. I did magic anywhere I could do magic; I performed at birthday parties, clubs, or wherever an opportunity came up. I even did stage magic in a close-up environment. In other words, I would do dove productions in a restaurant, for example. I did whatever it took.

James: I’m fascinated that you’ve managed to hit rock bottom twice and then pick yourself back up again and still reach the top. You’ve managed to reach a level in only a matter of years that most magicians will never reach even if they spent a lifetime trying to accomplish it.

CYRIL: For me it was about survival; I had to succeed. It is that simple. Magic was the only thing I knew how to do and if I didn’t do magic, I didn’t eat. There was no being wish-washy about it. It wasn’t about “I can’t do my show at this place or that…” If I didn’t perform, I didn’t make any money.

James: That’s interesting. Again, I see a striking parallel here. I know several artists who won’t perform unless a certain dollar figure threshold is met. They snub their noses at certain kinds of opportunities. While I understand to a degree, I also know that they struggle financially because of it. To a certain extent, I think that is a revealing picture of our society in general; many people would rather go on welfare than take a job that they consider beneath them.

CYRIL: I had to do it to make a living. I didn’t have that option. In a way, it is like a little bird being pushed away from the nest. Either it survives or it doesn’t. You know, one of the questions I get asked a lot is how I do something new or how do I create something different. I think people have this impression that I take lots of risks with my magic, and in a way I do, but that goes as far back as when I was a child. There are two ways of thinking on this matter: there are those who say you should never do material unless it is complete polished; and then there is the view that I have, which is “just do it” because there is no better way to get polished except for doing it.

James: There is a trend in street magic, so this is a good place for a segue to address it, where kids will download tricks from magic sites, watch it once, and then run out and “just do it” in front of people, perhaps screw it up, and so on. What are your thoughts on that?

CYRIL: That’s a touchy subject. I think that—hmmm, I’m not going to comment on that except to say that we’ve all done it. And you can quote me on that. We all have to start somewhere. I started doing exactly that.

James: I totally agree with you. In my youth I did the very same thing. And truth be told, I still do it on occasion when I see and effect that excites me, I may only practice it once before I show someone to see what their thoughts are. And that is something I take issue with: many of the magicians out there that cast stones do the exact same thing. Even if it is to just show their girlfriend, wife, or roommate; they all have done the very thing that they complain about. I have associates that I’ve caught doing this. They are the first to preach, but seem to think that they don’t have to live by the same rules they say everyone else should. The fact is that when I was a child I was most likely destined to drug abuse, alcoholism, and prison given my family history. But magic gave me something to focus on that kept me away from those things. It wouldn’t have happened if people weren’t willing to “expose” me to magic.

CYRIL: Same story here.

James: That’s important. I personally love the fact that companies provide opportunities for young artists to have access to magic. Let’s be honest here. Most towns across America don’t even have magic shops in them. When I was growing up I had to go into a pretty bad area of town. In fact, while I was on one street corner at the shop getting my magic “fix” there were people across the street getting their drug fix.

CYRIL: (Laughs)

James: Too many shops barely eek out a living. If we don’t support them by making magic products exciting, and more importantly, economical… shops will continue to close or be relegated to the more seedy parts of towns because they cannot afford to compete in retail districts. Magic shops and companies that sell magic products keep our art alive; they usher in the next generation of artist. Without them, there wouldn’t be a Cyril and there certainly wouldn’t be a magazine like this.

CYRIL: I think it is fantastic that people are going out and buying magic and learning how to perform. There is so much magic available in this day and age. It is a luxury that I certainly didn’t have when I was younger. We all have to start somewhere and I think it is okay to go out there and do magic for friends that you quickly obtain on the internet or buy in a shop, but I also think you have to learn to respect the art as you become a better magician and other artists.

James: It is nice to see an informed view from a working professional who is at the top of his game doing television specials and live shows seen by millions of people.

CYRIL: It is also flattering to see young artists copying what I do and what I have come up with. It comes to the point where people contact me saying, “Cyril, there’s this person doing your effect and this and that.” And it’s basically the same issue. And for me, for myself, I’m not going to go after these people because it’s a journey they have to take, it’s a path they have to decide to take on their own. They have to discover who they are and find their own style, just like we do. I am also too busy creating what’s next to worry about what other people are doing and what has happened in the past. I think sometimes people take it too far. I once got a phone call from another performer. He tracked me down, got my phone number, and called me up yelling at me for supposedly “copying” him and his act. He even complained about the fact that once I had my finger nails painted black as if I got that idea from him—I got the idea from Depeche Mode and people like that. But this artist ended up attacking me over things like that and telling me off.

James: That’s too bad.

CYRIL: It really frustrated the F&^# out of me at the time, but the truth is that I immediately got over it and I just feel sorry for the guy, and the only reason I can feel sorry for the guy is because I’ve been through all of those emotions myself. The special I just finished is my 11th two-hour television special. I have been through so many things and been to the point where I thought I had nothing left in me to give. Where you are so hungry for material that you just say “F*&@!” and you wish you could just do this trick or that trick. I am sure this other artist feels similar things and there is a lot of pressure on him. But I’ve never copied any of his effects—not even once. It is insulting and small minded to suggest such a thing. In fact, I was fine with him on the phone until he started accusing me of doing things I didn’t do and saying that I owed my success to him. Please. I made the effort to explain to him that, believe it or not, magicians do come up with similar ideas quite independently; that I didn’t need him in the slightest bit. He wasn’t convinced. It is really sad to act like that; I don’t take anything for granted. But I wish him and other artists luck, because there is enough magic out there for everybody.

This is a great place to break in and tell you a little taste of what you’ll see in his 11th special.

In one scene Cyril goes out onto the green and plays some golf and performs some pretty spectacular magic. It starts out with him on the putting green where he instructs his putter to stand up and stay; it does. He then gets the group to walk with him past the putter to the cup. He kneels down, puts his hands over the cup, and next thing you know… it is gone and he carries it hidden in his hands over to his putter, kneels down again, and puts it back into the ground. A simple shot at that point and he knocks the ball in without effort. I could use that in my games!

But my favorite effect in this special was performed with a pet goldfish. It is absolutely fantastic! One of the ladies in the studio audience is asked to name a goldfish swimming around in a bowl that Cyril is carrying. She picks the name “Vanilla”. As he begins to talk he slips and drops the bowl and it shatters all over the floor. He scrambles to pick up the fish and then gets an idea; running over to a bar he grabs a sealed bottle of water and with just a brushing glance of his hand, the goldfish penetrates the plastic bottle and is saved. Incredible!

James: Obviously, you are doing well now, so how did you go from being poor again to landing television shows?

CYRIL: I think it was just because I was maturing more. If you go back to my Magic Castle junior days, a few minutes seemed like an eternity to me. Then at 19 I was doing 20 to 40 minute shows. Because I did magic in every conceivable situation, my ability to perform grew. I think this is something magicians ask me a lot; it is something they want to know about me. I just performed a lot. I was gaining knowledge and experience by doing my magic all the time and in every situation, and every situation was different. Sometimes I had to do a show completely surrounded and I had to adjust to that and still make the magic look good. Sometimes there was really bad lighting, so I learned how to deal with that. Other places would not let me use live animals like my doves and I had to force myself to learn how to handle every single situation accordingly. And I think that is one of my main things that I can say truly was my training to be who I am today; to be able to go into any situation or venue and know how to handle myself.

James: There is a great lesson there for our readers; if you want to be successful as a magician, you really need to push yourself—to study, train, learn, grow, and get out there and just do it. You have to take things seriously; you have to learn how to perform right from the start. It is as if too many artists think they can just jump into something and the flood gates open right up for them. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say, “Heck, if I had that kind of money I could do it too.” But it isn’t all about the money, in fact, that is way down on the list compared to all the other things you mentioned.

CYRIL: That was me. I thought money was the answer too. Trust me; I was exactly where most are. I was that young kid who said, “If I had the money I’d be right where they are!” but that isn’t the case. And then I got the F&%^*#$ money, and what happened (laughter)? You can print this too… I used to say if I had the money I could do the same things until I got the money to do it and I realized how much hard work it takes; I realized how much is really involved. Since that day at FISM I never said the same thing ever again. I had never realized what it took to make magic look so simple—how much hard work, dedication, and effort it took to do it. And later on, I said the same thing about television. I said, “I can do a TV special; I can do what David Blaine does.” Until I had the opportunity myself and I found out how much it took. I never say things like that anymore. I have a lot of respect for anyone who is trying to or successfully creates a special or a show. Just be careful what you ask for.

James: This is a good place to ask you then: how did you eventually hit the television scene?

CYRIL: Okay, yes. Well before I go into that, I know that I am giving you a lot of the history, but there is a little piece missing about my stage work and live performances in Japan; let me tell you about my partner that I’ve had for many years, because she plays a significant roll in my success. I met Jane many years ago, hired her as an assistant dancer, we bonded very well, and since then she has been a big part of my life on and off stage. She is one of the best dancers I have ever met in my life and is a fantastic choreographer, who continues to choreograph and perform in the live shows I do. She is fantastic. In my opinion, we make a great team and I hope your readers get to see us someday. We work very well together. But we were getting fed up with the market here in Japan and didn’t feel we were going to be able to grow anymore than what Japan was able to offer. Right when Jane and I decided to move out of Japan to America, was when I all of a sudden got a telephone saying, “Cyril. Can there is a two hour slot for television; can you create a special like David Blaine did?” David had created this fad worldwide and it had reached Japan and Japan wanted to do something similar. I admit that I owe my success to David because of what he created. My opportunity to do this show was because of his shows in America. That was my transition into television. It just came at the right time.

James: How long have you and Jane been together?

CYRIL: (Looking towards Jane who is in the background busy with something) How long have we been together? Eight years?

JANE: No, ten.
CYRIL: No, it has to have been about eight years.

JANE: You were twenty-three when we started working together. You’re now thirty-three. Ten years.

CYRIL: (Laughs) Ten years.

James: (Laughing) Thanks. I’m a little confused though. How did it come about? Sorry. The call… I mean, how did they end up contacting you?

CYRIL: It was a television producer that I had met before. At the time he didn’t know how to sell me, and what I did, on television. But when David’s first special aired and that made it over to Japan, it just fell into place. Because David became popular, the networks wanted something similar and I got the call.

James: Some magicians feel that they live in David Blaine’s shadow. For example, in your second special you were urged by your producers to, in effect, use a similar version of David’s coffee to coins and you’ve also done the bitten off and restored coin. Do you ever feel like you are forced to compete with his celebrity?

CYRIL: I’m not into competing with anybody. I just do what works best for me. I have the biggest respect for David Blaine, like I said, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him, but at the same time I was creating my own special that would be seen worldwide so I didn’t want to be just like him. Yet it was the kind of magic he did that the producers wanted to see, so I had to find a way to create my character and style while still providing the network with what it wanted. I’m not really sure how to answer this question.

At this point the expression on Cyril’s face changed; I could tell he was truly contemplating the best way to answer this question.
James: Take your time man.

CYRIL: David and I are friends now. Last year he contacted me and I was a guest at his home in New York and we really bonded, so I don’t want this to come across in a bad way or betray his friendship.

James: I didn’t take it that way at all and I know our readers won’t either.

CYRIL: I was a stage magician, so it was a difficult transition to doing television. I love all kinds of magic and I had tried to make a living in Japan doing magic, and right when I thought we’d have to give up and move on to other countries because Japan just wasn’t seeing our vision, this opportunity happened so I was eager to do something with it. But the terms were I had to do street magic. I was working with a producer who had a vision of his own and he wanted to create exactly what David had done. So the materials I had to work with were pretty much the same thing. I had to do some things like David did it. My first special was a tremendous challenge for me. Out of the chaos of making that show I was able to take my previous years of experience of doing stage magic in close up situations and sort of blend it into my own style of magic. So to finally answer your question about the coins in the cup effect, that is something I am not proud of—it was something I didn’t want to do. But in the end I gave into the producers and did it and that’s why, in the end, I can understand the pressures people have when they are trying to create a show; there is a lot more to it behind the scenes. Not everything is simple.

James: Thanks for sharing that. I think most intelligent people know that life isn’t black and white. There’s always more to it than that. But you mentioned just how much material has to go into making a show; how much work there is, so where do you get most of your inspiration for effects? Do you have a team? Do you go to books, videos, and other resources? What’s your secret?

CYRIL: You know that’s a really good question. After my first special I thought there is no way I could possibly do that again—that there was no way that I could find more material to do another show. I was completely dry. But somehow they keep popping out of nowhere. As far as inspiration is concerned, it just appears; we have brainstorming sessions and things just happen. I have a very good friend of mine named Enrico de la Vega…
James: Yes, from T.H.E.M. He seems like a fantastic guy.

CYRIL: Right. He is a very good friend of mine from the Castle days. He is a very clever thinker. He thinks on the edge. He thinks unlike most magicians. He has really wacky concepts. He was on my team for my third special.

James: Does he still work with you?

CYRIL: Yes, he does. But he didn’t work on this last special because he is working on something else; something big that I can’t talk about. But yes, he still works with me all the time. Have you seen my specials?

James: Yes, a number of them. They aren’t that easy to get a hold of, but I have a few DVDs. They’re excellent; I really enjoyed them.

If you’ve not seen Cyril in action, you should run right out and get one of his DVDs of the net. I found copies at Amazon.jp and it only took about a week to get them to the US.

CYRIL: Fuji TV took down a lot of the clips off the Internet because of copyright issues.

James: There are still quite a few up. I remember one of the first clips I saw of you was you doing a coin through glass. Then you put the saltshaker through, which I have to say, looked amazing.

CYRIL: Thanks. Yes, I am very proud of that one.

James: You know, I looked—I examined—and I couldn’t catch you. I know how it is essentially done, but you performed it so well that I couldn’t verify my beliefs. There is another magician who is currently on television in the US and I know for a fact that he uses stooges a lot. I have to ask you, did you use a stooge for this effect?

CYRIL: (Laughs) No. No stooges at all. I really try not to do that. I really try to do magic that I can do on my own without help of someone in the audience to make it look real.

James: I really admire that. It is great to know that what you see is what you get with your shows; that the audience and the immediate spectators are just normal people that aren’t apart of the effect itself. I hope others follow your lead on that. Let me ask you a few more questions.

CYRIL: Sure.
James: How many hours do you have to film to get a one to two hour special?

CYRIL: Umm. About four hours. We shoot double what we need because not everything looks good once it is filmed and then we cut it to make the show.

James: Do you prefer doing TV or stage shows?

CYRIL: Stage! But I love all magic.

James: You are both prolific and varied in your performances; why did you decide to be an artist that changes rather than building a specific character or look.

CYRIL: I prefer to just be myself. My magic represents my emotions, what I feel, who I am, and what I want to do with my art. I’m not a character, I’m a real person and my art reflects that.

James: What is it like being a “celebrity” in Japan?

CYRIL: Crazy. I can’t go anywhere without being noticed anymore. There are good things and bad things to having everyone recognize you. For example, I was at Universal Studios in Osaka, and I couldn’t walk around because people just started following me everywhere I went. I just wanted to see the park. Eventually, security just took me in all the back exits, but it would have been nice to have been able to just be like everyone else. Tokyo is a little different. It is like LA, you see a lot of celebrities just going out to lunch or shopping. It’s not so bad where I live as it is in other places.

James: How did you come up with the Serojiisan character? It truly is one of the most entertaining and unique things I’ve seen in a long time.

CYRIL: (Laughs) Oh, I saw it on Jack Ass. I loved it and thought that it was a great idea.

James: That’s great; that show is funny. Sometimes over the top, but Johnny Knoxville really makes it what it is. I’m not as impressed with some of the other guys.

CYRIL: Yeah, he dressed up like an old man and I thought it was so funny.

James: How long does it take to put the makeup on?

CYRIL: Hours! It’s very uncomfortable too.

James: I’ve heard that you tend to feel stifled with projects you get involved in. Is that true?

CYRIL: Yes. Definitely! I am constantly trying to do new things and push myself and that’s how I’ve been able to accomplish all that I have.

James: Do you have a signature trick?

CYRIL: You want to see one?

James: Sure.

Cyril stands up and begins a really cool cigarette routine where he makes it vanish, reappear and then, break and restore; it’s pretty solid. Damn man, that almost makes me want to take up smoking just so I can do cool effects like that!

James: Who are your favorite magicians? Who has most influenced or inspired you?

CYRIL: I can’t answer that—there are too many people to name. I’d like to finish answering you about inspiration because that is a very good question. Inspiration happens everywhere—just living life. It happens all around you. Going to concerts. Eating dinner. Seeing shows. Traveling. Sitting on an airplane talking to people. An artist portrays his life; magic is just the tools the artist uses. Magic is just the paintbrush and the paint. Just like in music. A guitar is just the tool the artist uses to express himself. When I was going through my dark time my performances reflected it. My emotions come out in my art.

James: Tell me about your recent trip to Thailand.

CYRIL: Sure. That was part of this last TV special too. A woman sent a letter to the network and told us about an orphanage she had started in a little village for children who are infected with HIV. When she had found these kids on a trip, they were living alone because they had been abandoned or their parents had died.
James: That’s horrible. She started the orphanage on her own?

CYRIL: Yes. She is about 60 and just decided to go there and do it. She has about thirty kids now. It just so happens one of the children has a dream of becoming a magician. His name is Gurai and he is fourteen. I took a crew over there about a week and a half ago and stayed there for about three days; it was one of the best experiences of my life. They are absolutely beautiful. She wants to give them a way to survive after they grow up. We got there and found that the villagers would never come around the kids because of their lack of knowledge about HIV. They couldn’t go to school because schools turned them down. I did magic around the village and over 80 kids came out and watched. Really simple things and it went over great. All of the kids bonded together. I taught Gurai the first trick I ever learned, rolling up newspaper and making it turn into a tree, and then he debuted as a magician for the first time. Magic truly communicates across all cultures and languages. I don’t speak Thai, and they don’t speak English or Japanese, yet we were able to share with each other and get to know each other. I was able to experience the lifestyle they go through. In the end, the children I spent time with… I was gaining much more from the entire experience than they did. But we really bonded. Doing things like this is worth more than money ever will be; it is the reason I do magic.

James: I think I’ll end on that positive note with just one more question. If you could give young performers any advice on how to be successful, what would it be?

CYRIL: Follow your dreams and don’t listen to people who try to keep you from being successful. You have to be true to yourself.

James: You’re an amazing man and I respect what you are doing. Thank you for sharing with us; it’s real honor and a gift that you’d take the time to give us all a view into your life.

CYRIL: Thank you; it’s my pleasure James.

- END -

On a personal note, I really admire Cyril; he’s become a great friend and is someone I love to visit with and I enjoy following the things happening in his life. He’s a fantastic person and a great credit to our art. If you’ve not yet seen him perform, check him out on Youtube.com; he’s amazing at what he does.

© Copyright 2007, 2009 by James L. Clark. All rights reserved. Duplication prohibited by domestic and international laws. This document is not for open publication and may not be released to third parties. The rights of the author have been asserted.

Keith Barry Interview

I absolutely love doing interviews for magazines, and this is especially so when it’s with someone I respect and can relate to. Keith Barry is no exception to that rule. So he and I began working on a feature for MagicSeen magazine (ran by my buddies across the pond in the UK) in February, 2009. This is the result of that effort — warts and all. My apologies for the strong language.

Click on this link to download the complete MagicSeen article with all the photos!

PDF interview with Keith Barry © Copyright 2009 by MagicSeen (used with permission). Interview text © Copyright 2009 James L. Clark. All rights reserved. Photos seen in PDF © Copyright 2009 Andy Amyx, used with permission. Special thanks to him for allowing us to use them.

By James L. Clark, MBA

Keith Barry and I met a couple of years ago when a mutual friend in the magic community introduced us via email, but all of our correspondence had been entirely online-until late 2008.

News of any magician coming to the “Mecca of Magic” spreads pretty quickly among the locals here in Las Vegas, but even more so when that magician is going to be headlining at a major casino-on the Strip. If you’ve never been to Vegas, Planet Hollywood is directly situated on the most active section of one of the most famous 4-mile stretches of road in the world.

To put things in perspective, the legendary David Copperfield dazzles people from all over the world at the MGM Grand with, among other things, his massive illusions and slow-motion duck Webster just down the street, the incomparable Lance Burton destroys with his classic dove act (not the doves, just the audience) in a custom built theatre at the Monte Carlo, which is but a brisk walk away, and the very hilarious Mac King is within drink-spilling distance where he performs some of the best comedy magic known to man at Harrah’s-so to say that Keith was in good company is a true understatement.

You have to understand, getting a show in Vegas is hard enough as it is, but for magicians it’s nearly impossible. Obviously, when Keith generously offered me VIP tickets to come and see his show one Friday evening, I jumped on the chance and drove my car downtown from my Summerlin home as quick as the wheels would take me.

As I approached the big lights, I put on my sunglasses, some SPF 70, and made my way to the hotel. On the short walk there from the free parking structure, it was hard to miss Keith’s mug plastered all over the f**king place on signs, busses, the back of cabs, and most impressively-shining high above us mere mortals in the glitz and lights that have defined this city since the infamous gangster Bugsy Siegel went on the spending spree building the Flamingo that got him waxed with an M1 grand by the Mob. I will freely admit that I stepped a little lighter in the pride that knowing yet another one of our brethren has been able to accomplish such a worthy goal.

After the show, which I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed (as did the crowd), I got the chance to briefly meet up with Keith. However, his schedule was pretty hectic so while we made every effort to link up again before he returned to Ireland, it wasn’t until I drug my exhausted butt to Blackpool for the convention that we were able to settle down and visit-and boy was it, to use a colloquialism from the “old country”, some great craic!

By SMS:

JC: Where u at?
KB: In the sea.
JC: What?
KB: Just getting out of the sea.
JC: What??? You mean the actual sea?
KB: Yeah. Meet up at Starbucks?
JC: Uhhh. Yeah. Want something?
KB: Hot green tea. Tnx.
JC: U got it.

I proceeded to Starbucks just down the street from the Winter Gardens and asked them for the gayest drink they make. After a brief pause, the guy at the registered responded with “white mocha?”. “Perfect!” I said. “Make it with one less pump and an extra shot please.”

A few minutes later I picked up my coffee, Keith’s tea, and what appeared to be the phone number of the barista written on the side of my cup. Hmmm. Strange. I think I should rephrase how I ask for that coffee in the future.

Anyway.

Not long later Keith showed up with two of his mates-Joe and Brian- who are genuinely two of the coolest cats I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. They are both knowledgeable as hell in magic. My experience with the Irish (as an American) has always been excellent, and meeting up with these three men was no exception to that rule. Two of my friends from Scotland-KJ and Callum-who I’ve known since Uni drove down to meet up with us-neither are magicians, which made it all the more entertaining.

KB: Hey how ya doing?
JC: Great man. Good to see you.

[Strong manly hug ensues started with a handshake and ending with solid patting on the back]

KB: This is Joe and Brian. [more handshakes and hugs]

JC: Pleasure. Nice to meet you guys. Okay, what the fuck were you talking about “the sea”…?
KB: I went for a swim this morning. Cold.
JC: Because….?
KB: I just wanted to go for a swim. It felt f**king great man.

Now, I’m not generally the kind of guy to judge a man because he wants to go for a swim, but first thing in the morning and, in all places Blackpool, I’m just not sure how to respond to that.

JC: Okay, well… Blackpool?
KB: Yeah [to which he motions to Joe who show me photos taken on his mobile]

The conversation turns towards typical banter you’d find between any group of magicians at this point. Are you registered at the convention yet-I was not. Did I have a ticket yet-I did not. When did I get in-about 35 minutes ago fresh off the train from the airport. Did I have plans to pick up any new effects in the dealers room-I did not. What made me come at the last minute-Didn’t really have an answer actually. Sort of just decided that I wanted to visit with friends and I thought this would be a good opportunity to decompress-it was. How’s the coffee-pretty shit actually.

Over the coming days Keith and I had numerous conversations that gave me a chance to really get to know the man behind the numerous TV appearances, stage shows, and as a topic of discussion found on magic forums across the magic globe. Here’s what we talked about.

JC: I might as well ask what got you started in magic Mr. Keith Barry?

KB: I found out I wasn’t really good at masturbating, so what I did was, I picked up a magic wand and…
BOTH: [laughing]
JC: That’s why we all got married mate. Saved a lot of effort on my part.
KB: f**king Great way to start.
BOTH: [laughing]
KB: Sorry, it’s been a long day, I’m entertaining myself
JC: Too funny man.

KB: Alright, alright, alright, so…so uh…I suppose um..ya usual shite. I got a Paul Daniels magic set, so Paul will be delighted at that.

JC: No kidding. I love Paul. Great guy.

KB: I think I was five or six and that got my interest going, and in Ireland there are no magic shops like I was telling you before, I mean there’s a couple of magic societies so I joined one of those but not until I was about 12 or 13 and uh then it wasn’t really until I had gone to Scotland for a school tour, I went to Edinburgh, and I got the Klutz book of magic

JC: what? What book? The Klutz? Your dang accent threw me.
KB: The CLOOTZ, yeah you know the Klutz (throwing a more American accent) book of magic.
JC: Yeah! I’ve not seen them in the US, but I remember them from when I lived in the UK.

KB: Yeah, so I got that and that’s what really got me interested. I basically perfected every trick in that and I just started gigging. Straight from there I started going to restaurants and started table hopping; my dad thought I was f**king nuts!

JC: No kidding?

KB: I borrowed his suit when I was about 14 and just went out, I was from Waterford, to the top restaurant and asked the guy if I could do magic there and he said yeah, he didn’t even ask to see a trick.

JC: Now that’s the kind of job interview everyone hopes for.

KB: I went up there every Friday for about four years and that is how I got started really.

JC: Speaking of restaurants didn’t you work at um…the restaurant that Bono is part owner in?

KB yeah night club…

JC it’s a club?

KB: It’s called The Kitchen night club, it’s kind of, it’s not open anymore. I did that from about (age) twenty…well basically when I was 18 I went off to college for four years and became a cosmetic scientist…

JC [laughing] Whoaaaaaaaa…..what? You did what…?

KB: I never told you that?

JC: No…what? What the heck is that?

KB: [laughing] I used to invent women’s makeup.

JC: What? Are you serious? Are you kidding me?

KB: Noooooo… I studied Honors Chemistry for four years, and then I moved to Dublin and I worked with a company called Oriflame, which is a Swedish cosmetics company. I was there for two-and-a-half years as a cosmetic scientist, which means I used to invent women’s make up. You know, foundations, eye makeup removers, mascara, all that shite… but all that time I was doing magic in Dublin and I went into Bono’s place called The Kitchen… and I bull shitted my way in past the bouncers by showing them a couple of tricks. Then I got in front of Bono and did some tricks for him, and then I asked the manager in there if I could do magic in there and he said yes. Every Friday night I was in there. Pretty much simultaneously while I was doing the cosmetics, then on a Friday night and on Saturday night I’d do magic in there. After a couple of years of cosmetics I was just fed up with it, and said, fuck it I’ll do magic full time. And I did.

JC: I had no idea that you did cosmetics.
KB: Yeah it’s crazy.

JC: Make up is important for TV, as you know. I used stuff made for HD. It will eventually hit the rest of the planet. Because, I mean we are shooting 16:9 here in the US pretty much as standard even though most of Europe is still SD at 4:3, but eventually HD will become common place and as a cosmetic scientist, you know as well as I do, that some make up will look better than others. We’ve both done TV, so you know that the less silica the better, for example. I’m sure you’d know from both perspectives-as a performer and scientist-what works and what doesn’t.
KB: yeah. Right of course. The less silica the less shine.

JC: So you’re working as a chemist, what got you into four years studying chemistry dude? I would be pulling my hair out. Really.

KB: Well it was basically because there is very little opportunity to be a full time magician in Ireland unless you want to do kids parties every weekend, which I didn’t want to do.

My parents were like you know, magic is great as a hobby was always the tagline, so um….so they encouraged me I guess to go off to college. I said fuck yeah I’ll go to college. I’m from the south of Ireland and I went off to Galway for college-way up there-and had a blast; I had a great time.

I was really good at chemistry, so I was, it was really easy to me. I would just go on the piss for the four years in Galway, do magic and go out with my friends, and then get good grades at the end of it. It used to drive all the nerdy guys who used to study, crazy. And then at the end of it at graduating with a really good chemistry honours degree, they were trying to convince me to stay for my masters and then do a PhD and stuff. Because before the end of the four years, it’s like pretty much unknown to have a paper published, but I had papers published and everything before the end of four years, but I still had no interest in chemistry really.

I had to get a job so that’s when I moved to Dublin and became a cosmetic scientist. I was always doing magic but I did a lot of kids magic you know just to make ends meet to start with. I used to do boats from Ireland to France as the kids magician there. Every summer I did that, a lot of restaurant work, weddings, just work, work, work and did Bono’s nightclub every Friday and Saturday.
JC: How long did you do that?

KB: A couple of years. When I jumped into it full time I said I wouldn’t do kids magic anymore so I stopped doing kids magic-I was 23. I started slowly in the corporate market also. I met this guy at the club and I convinced him that I could up the percentage of his sales by 10% per year.

JC: Nice pitch.

KB: Yeah, now this is a multi multi-multi-million dollar company, by using magic as a marketing tool. He bought into it and he hired me full time as a magician; I was officially Champion Sports in house magician.

JC: Crazy.

KB: I was getting paid a wage to be a magician so it was great. Getting paid a wage to be a magician for a year, promoted their stores, like a mother fucker using magic, in the stores, on TV, on the radio, and became the face of champion stores and did that for a year! They wanted to renew because sales did go up, but I didn’t want to be known as the Champion Sports Magician. They actually asked at one stage if I would change my name to Keith Champion, and they were serious about it… and I was like no! After a year, we parted ways there and I got a manager and it escalated on from there you know.

JC: No kidding, I would have been very hesitant to change my name to reflect the Champion Sports Stores unless they were giving me mid-seven- figures.

KB: Yeah, yeah…Keith Champion!

JC: [laughing] That’s funny man!

KB: The mind boggles.

JC: I was reading you were born in 1976 and you started when you were 14, as you were just explaining, when did you first make the move from doing parties and corporate gigs to television? I’m sure that’s one of the questions everyone has.

KB: I suppose my first television was around 2002. Yeah, I’d been trying to get a television gig for a couple of years at that stage, but in 2002 there was a UK TV show called “Astounding Celebrities” and uh, there were about six or seven magicians. You know David Penn? You know… who invented that coin bending sort of things?

JC: Yean, nice bloke.

KB: Yeah, he was one of the magicians and myself and a few others. It was basically magicians doing magic for celebrities and it was very poorly shot, there was no production value to it and it wasn’t a great show to be honest. It eventually aired late at night in the UK, so that was my first TV show, but it was really in 2003 when I got a big break in Ireland.

JC: With whom? How’d it play out…?

KB: Well, I worked with a production company and we went down to the street, shot a whole bunch of stuff, and they used their own money, used their own stuff, edited it all together into a ten-minute promo DVD, sent it into a national broadcaster here in Ireland, which is RTE, and then I also went in and did some stuff for them personally- and that’s when they RTE first commissioned me. The show was called “Close Encounters with Keith Berry” and that was kind of my first real TV spot, because it was ten half-hour shows you know, and it was all my own stuff.

JC: Yeah, funny how that works. I got picked up on Masters of Illusion in the US. It’s a Blackstone production, and that got me into IMDB and, in a round-about way, made me a small player with just a tad bit more credibility that was parlayed into something larger for me. So I’ve had a similar experience. That first show-a collective work where I was featured-has opened larger doors.

KB: Right.

JC: I don’t think many magicians understand that process. You really do have to prove yourself in places like Hollywood. Producers need to know that you have something unique that they can ultimately sell to networks so a profit can be made; it’s all about business. Make no mistake about it. Anyway, what came next for you?

KB: I had another one of those in 2004, another series of “Close Encounter with Keith Berry” and then I just did a bunch of specials in Ireland as well and then, obviously, in the States.

JC: Yeah, I saw your first special in the US.

KB: I think it was 2004 if I’m not mistaken, that was the MTV special. When that came about I was in a night club in Hollywood and I was performing for the rapper Eve, Paris Hilton, Paul Rosenberg who’s Eminem’s manager, and Jack Osborne-and they were freaking the fuck out with the stuff I was as doing; [they were] running around the nightclub screaming, reacting really well, and an MTV executive was sitting right there-she saw me and came over and said, “How do you feel about going to Cancun Mexico next week for Spring Break I’ll give you your own show?” and of course we, Eamonn my manager was there, we jumped at the opportunity and the next week we were on the plane to Mexico and that’s how my first break in the States.

JC: In a way, that’s being at the right place at the right time. But obviously, it’s not that simple. There’s more to the story than that. It’s not like it “just” happened.

KB: Yeah, right.

KB: I think it’s all about putting yourself in the right place at the right time. What people don’t understand is, I had been travelling the States for about three years at that stage and had been in nightclubs six nights a week every night f**king doing magic wherever I could, for anybody who cared to watch, trying to infiltrate celebrity nightclubs and doing magic all day, every day!

JC: I think that’s what most people don’t get. You have to be the master of your own destiny, if you will; you have to get up off the couch, get out from behind your PC, get off the f**king magic forums, and make a life for yourself. Thinking you’ll get a TV show sitting behind a PC is about as effective as finding a real partner that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with online. It’s a fantasy.

KB: I think people don’t realize that you have to put in those kind of hours and that kind of effort-and it’s not easy. I think a lot of people think, “Oh yeah he got it just because he was in a nightclub one night.” No, I was in a night club every night for three years and not getting paid, not getting any tips, nothing… just trying to get at the celebrities. So, yeah, then I got lucky.

JC: [laughing]

KB: It takes hard work, and that can’t go unnoticed. You put yourself in a position to get lucky, then you get lucky. It doesn’t happen by accident.

JC: I’d have to agree with you. My own experiences and that of others I know who have been successful in this and other industries are very similar; you know my first interview for one of my magazines was with Cyril-I put him on the cover and did a feature story not unlike this one-and I really remember him sharing so many occasions where he just really got out there and made it happen. During another conversation with David Blaine not too long ago, he expressed as much-perhaps not in so many words, but the essence of what he shared with me was the same; you have to get out there and make the effort. Things come to those who work for it.

KB: Yeah.

JC: And I should note, one of the things I really respect about guys like you, Cyril, and DB are that you’re all pretty grounded and normal guys; you’ve all treated me as a friend and been very gracious with your time. At the end of the day, I know I’m not entitled to it, so I’m thankful and honored by that. I’ve always felt very comfortable around each of you. What impresses me the most is that you’ve all reached various degrees of celebrity status in and out of magic, and you’ve not let it go to your heads.

KB: Yeah.

JC: Whereas, I’ve met others in our community who, maybe at best have a trick or DVD out on the market, and they’re arrogant and seem to have an overwhelming sense entitlement that they’ve not even earned. The funny thing is, they don’t even realize that it’s that attitude and lack of humility that very likely bars them from success. In the rare cases that they get in front of someone who can have a major impact on their career, they blow it without ever even knowing it. That’s just too bad.

KB: [laughing] Yeah dude.

JC: I guess what I’m saying is, that’s great and I’m happy for you and that you’re setting a good example for the rest of us by working hard, not bad-mouthing people, being humble, and staying grounded. I think the moment someone starts believing the hype that they’re important just because they’ve appeared on TV or do magic for a living needs to step back and really look at the world around them. There are men not coming back from war. There are true heroes like Mother Teresa who have impacted entire generations. That’s an important lesson for all of us, and something I’m working hard to emulate in my own life. I really love that you get that and that everything you have in your life you work for it-that you earn it and don’t take it for granted.

KB: Thanks. Yeah, for every gig. Since day one, I’ve done everything. Like this thing in I said to you in Ireland, I just did this thing on Balcony TV, I never f**king heard of it, but I’m on tour here at the moment so I’ll do everything, I still do everything you know?

JC: That’s the way to do it though. That’s uh, you know instead of approaching it from a Prima-donna standpoint, you approach it from a professional standpoint and recognize the value.

KB: Exactly.

JC: You know, speaking of celebrities and Prima-donnas, your television shows had a ton of celebrities in them-more than most magic shows I’ve actually seen in the US-it was just one right after another.

KB: Yeah, it was a lot of them. I’ve performed for some really famous people.

JC: That’s pretty cool. You know, another thing I noticed, in the press at least, you were able to escape a lot of the criticism that has plagued other magicians like, say, Criss Ange for editing the shows on TV-using what I would call “strategic cuts”-to assure the effect plays as intended or looks more spectacular than it really was in person. Even DB’s been attacked for that…

KB: David’s a great guy and I respect him. I won’t comment about Criss because I believe if you’ve nothing good to say, don’t say anything at all; that’s just good manners.

JC: Okay, fair enough. I know you’ve never lashed out against any other magician in the press-except back at Criss after he acted like a douche. You told me that your policy isn’t to speak badly about other performers, which is something I admire. So I won’t press you, but me on the other hand, I don’t have a problem saying that people (especially audiences) are quick to pick up on ego-centric, self-aggrandizing, self-indulgent performers.

KB: Some would agree with that assessment.

JC: I’ll be the first to say that all boats rise with the tide, but when the tides down, it impacts us all-and that boat sailed a couple years ago. It’s bad enough that he looks like Tommy Lee and Dave Navarro produced a butt love-child, but the fact that he’s so narcissistic on top of the ridiculously contrived aging-Goth persona has made him a tremendously unlikeable tool bag in the eyes of most of the professionals in our community that I know, and there’s no doubt that it’s had the same effect on laymen too. I personally and professionally take issue with many of the things he has done, including the fact that at one point, didn’t he walk out of your show?

KB: Yeah, about 20 minutes into it.

JC: I was told that [his then girlfriend] Holly wasn’t feeling well, so they walked out?

KB: That’s what I was told. All I can say is I’ve never walked out on anyone’s show-good, bad, or indifferent. We were within walking distance on the red carpet a few days later at the opening of Paris Hilton’s Repo!-it would have been nice if he would have said something. But it is what it is.

JC: I was willing to believe that was the reason they left, which is fairly plausible. And given that he was her date, it’s only reasonable for him to take her home. What surprised me was that he didn’t have the respect to just give you a courtesy call, email, or just take the time to step up to you on the carpet and shake your hand instead of acting like you weren’t there. I have a major problem with that-that’s how children act, not grown men with integrity. Instead, they talked to reporters. Pathetic.

KB: I was pretty surprised too. Oh, well.

JC: Agreed. Well, enough about that. Let me hit you with a little controversy: you’ve been criticized by a lot of magicians for not using “original” material. Any thoughts on that?

KB: You know, I’ve done, at this stage in my career, about 20 hours of television, and you know it’s different for each show that I do. In the first show that I did in 2003, you know, I was quite inexperienced. But at the same time I’m quite proud of the end result-the end result for me is performing for lay people. Lay people don’t know whether an effect is original or not, or whether it’s your take on it or not.

JC: I’m torn, part of me likes having material that is my own-that nobody on the planet has except for me. But I also know how ridiculously difficult it is to come up with that much original material under time constraints. DB, Cyril, Criss, Copperfield, Henning, and many others all used other people’s material-period. So I think the critique is moot.

KB: Actually, for me you know, originality is important, but what’s more important is making it entertaining for an audience and also putting your own twist on it. I know for a fact, and you can check on this with other people, that the spike effect as it’s known today-and it’s very popular now-I’m the first to do it on air using an audience member’s hand. I’ve talked to a lot of people-Kenton Knepper, Dan Harlan, and many others who’ve told me that I’m definitely the first guy to use the spectator’s hand and turned the tables on them. So yes, for example, Banachek originated the effect itself and had been doing it for his audiences, but I modified it to match my own style.

JC: Most professionals I know do exactly that. I just had a conversation with Banachek yesterday, and I should note that he’s one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met-in or outside of magic-about a prediction box illusion that I’m doing for my two-hour live show, and how I wanted to put my own spin on it so that I’m not using the exact same look and feel as everyone else; everyone I know does that. He totally agreed. It’s rare that I’ve seen anything done word for word-except by amateurs.

KB: You know, it [the Spike illusion] hadn’t even been seen on the TV before. I think that as magicians we get too caught up in fooling other magicians and all that kind of stuff. For me, I think it’s more important to remember that lay people are there to be entertained and don’t give a fuck as to how it’s done, don’t give a fuck if it’s original or not, and they don’t know that I haven’t invented a certain effect-so what does it really matter?

JC: [laughing] No doubt. Fuck, I wish more people would focus on laymen and quit trying to impress other magicians at conferences or online masturbating to some new ace matrix in front of a computer camera for all thier buddies.

KB: [laughing] Did you just say “ace matrix”?

JC: Yeah, it’s a cross between an ace production and coin matrix-it’s totally made up, but makes me laugh when I think of some dumb ass trying to figure it out.

KB: [laughing]That’s funny. Yeah, you know what… what really matters is your personality. The reason I’ve gotten to where I’ve gotten is solely on my personality-the magic is secondary to that. But, in saying that, I’ve had to audition every single step of the way, and you know, I think that you really do need to have talent or you won’t make it.

JC: Totally understand. I forget who it was that said it in magic, but there was a quote somewhere in history that resonated with me-if you’ve got a personality, they’ll always love your show. I think that has always rung true in any performance-live, on TV, or otherwise.

KB: Yeah, you know, I come into criticism from a lot of magicians, but these are magicians who are sitting behind their computers and not performing. They actually have no idea what they are talking about and are quite passionate about you, you know, and years ago I actually used to look online at all the stuff, but I completely stopped and ignore it now. I just learned to pay no attention to people who have no clue how to put a live show or TV show how together.

JC: Funny you say that, it’s exactly what others have said to me. When I first got back into magic and started marketing magic products, DVDs, book tests, a magazine, and then doing TV-I got attacked a ton online at forums. About a year ago I just stopped going on all together-and the ignorant people who felt they had an audience to pontificate faded into obscurity. I’m still out there, putting my dick on the line everyday to make a go of it, but they’re not.

KB: Yeah. You know, I kind of laugh sometimes because if I’ve actually set the bar as low as some people say I have, then well go for it lads, f**king overtake me, get your own TV show in the UK, get your own TV show in Ireland, get your own TV show in the States, get your own show in Vegas-you know the bar is there, it’s low, go for it guys!

JC: [laughing]

KB: You know if I’m that f**king crap, then everybody should be able to do it-so do your thing lads! Well, the truth is I’m not crap, I know what I’m doing, and what I’m doing is making magic that’s entertaining for a lay audience and I don’t really care for entertaining magicians-that’s kind of my spin on it you know?

JC: Yeah, I actually do mate… and I think that’s how anyone who wants to be successful has to approach it if they don’t want to be held back by whinny little fuckers. What I know for certain is your face was everywhere in Vegas-and that’s not a joke.

KB: Everywhere!

JC: That in of itself, regardless of the magic, is quite an accomplishment. Getting a show in Vegas is a big deal. It costs a lot of money to do that and producers don’t invest in shows unless they think they can make a buck-period.

KB: What I think people need to realize is I went out there months before hand, and they put me in with like 60 industry people in this show room, and my show is built around audience participation and audience involvement, as you know, so these industry people-they’ve seen it all f**king before man-and I had to showcase for them. If they had thought it was shite, there was absolutely no way I was going to Planet Hollywood-at all! You know the promoter wasn’t going to spend their money putting in a crap act, and luckily for me you know, Siegfried and Roy’s manager was there and a whole bunch of other people turned up-and I was told that they all really enjoyed the show. If they hadn’t, I wouldn’t have ended up performing in there for whatever it was, five-weeks? And in the CBS show, for instance, the Rubix Cube trick, that myself and Dan Harlan co-created-was as far as I’m concerned-hugely original. I mean, nobody had done it before, and it fooled a lot of the guys-a lot of the top guys out there have asked if they could buy the rights. Even since you’ve seen my live show I’ve added a lot of my own original things to it.

JC: It’s great to see you living your goal-not just a dream.

KB: Yeah, it’s both I guess. I’m never not working, never. Like last night, I’m a technophobe and here I am on the Internet spending three hours setting up a Facebook page!

JC: [laughing]

KB: I don’t need any more friends-I have plenty of friends. I’m only doing it because of this whole Internet age thing. If people want to reach me, they know where to reach me. Fuck I think it’s crazy that when I go on to Facebook and I see that my uncle has a Facebook page, it’s like what the fuck is the world coming too?

JC: [really laughing now]

KB: The only reason any 55 year old plus should be on Facebook is if he wants to have an affair with a 20 year old, right?

JC: [choking on drink]

KB: Like seriously, in your 50’s? And if your young go into a bar and meet some f**king people! What are you doing f**king typing on f**king Facebook for fuck sake? If you want to talk to somebody f**king Skype them if you know them, I mean it’s not that hard. But I put my hands up and put up a Facebook page last night, so I’m guilty as well. Fuck!

JC: [laughing, trying to catch breath] You know I got your add to Facebook last night, I hadn’t, this is funny right, had a Facebook page either. Danny Garcia mentioned it to me along with Twitter when he and I went out to coffee. So a few days ago, I think 3 days ago, I put one up and sure enough, I got a message from you last night. Too f**king funny.

KB: I’m not even sure what Twitter is by the way, I’d never even heard of it until lately.

JC: You know what it is, it’s like, you know how blogging has become the rage, well Twitter is like miniature blogging. It allows you to send essentially the same character length as a text message, but out to your entire follow list. So if you have thousands of people following you, you can send them an update, like, “Hey, this is Keith… I’m on the shitter.” Or, “Hey this is Keith, I’m drinking a beer like everyone else in Ireland.” You know… ” This is Keith… I’m about to get a leg up.” I just got an account and have like 700 people following me already. Out of nowhere I get a PM from my aunt, who’s also in her 50s, giving me a link to her myspace. Seriously, what the fuck?

KB: For me it’s an evil necessity that I have to have, for fans and all that stuff, you know. But my point being, that I consider that work. Like Facebook to me is work-t’s not f**king fun and games. Last night I was up to half-four f**king working, sitting on my Facebook page, and then this morning I was up at f**king half 7 so I grabbed 3 hours sleep last night and was on the road to do a radio show. Then I came down here and went to the gym. And I also have to read this book called, what’s the name of it Persuasion, The Art of Influencing People. I’ve got to read that cover to cover tonight because I have to review it tomorrow on a TV show here. So that’s uh it’s just never ending but I love it. I couldn’t complain about for a f**king second. You know?

JC: I totally appreciate that and I like the fact that you characterize or categorized it as work because it’s exactly how I see it. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, all that stuff, the only reason I have it is because I’m able to network with people and develop a fan base. That fan base, as you know, buys your product and you are the product.

KB: Yup.

JC: I have a healthy appreciation for that. So tell me about, you are obviously going to, you are poking your head wherever you can poke your head for publicity, which is intelligent, and you said any opportunity that comes along you will do it. So do you do a lot of your own PR work?

KB: Not really no, not at this stage. I still take calls on occasion. I’m pretty open with my mobile phone here in Ireland, because trust me, if I don’t recognize the number and I don’t want to answer it I just don’t answer it. A lot of the press here in Ireland and some in the US have my cell phone number and will call me directly, but if I’m going to do a TV show here or in the US or in the UK it’s always, always either my manager or my publicist who will contact them. After all, that’s what they get paid for isn’t it?

JC: Do you find that working with a publicist and/or manager opens doors up that say as a starting budding artist that you may not be able to get open on your own?

KB: Yeah absolutely, for me when I was out in LA, when I got my manager Eamonn, I guess about eight or nine years ago, I didn’t know anybody really. He had a small base of connections out there and started working the business connections a lot. For instance, he got me in front of a couple of agents in LA where there is no way they would have returned my call, but through my manager he managed to get me in front of them. But once again, I have to audition. Once I did, she took me on at Creative Artists Agency. An agent’s not as needed in Europe, but a manager is essential. If you want to go anywhere in the US, you have to have both.

JC: It seems like a Catch 22. Here you are an upcoming artist and you want to go somewhere, how do you get a manager ? How do you get a talent agent? Do you have a personal manager, a business manager, or both?

KB: I don’t really need a personal manager, just mainly a business manager. They manage my career really, you know? Once again, I auditioned for Eamonn who is my day to day manager, and then he brought me in front of Paul McGuiness, who is U2’s manager, and I had to audition for them. Now I’m co-managed by Eamonn and Paul McGuiness. They are my talent managers- they manage my talent and career. You know?

JC: Gotcha.

KB: I think I should clarify something. There is a misconception sometimes, especially in the magic world, as to what a manager could do for you. A mangers job really is to make introductions and put you in positions that you couldn’t get in yourself, but then after that you’re on your own. In all things, you have to prove yourself every step of the way. For me, I was out there so much that I found two great managers. If you figure out where good talent managers hang out, what restaurant they go to, what night clubs they go out to, and attack those night clubs viciously, then you have a good chance of attracting one. I just think a lot of magicians don’t know how to do that.

JC: Location plays a major part I think. I mean if you were in corn field Iowa, population 322, and you are wanting to become the next big thing, you really should get off your ass and move to somewhere like LA, Vegas, NYC, London or other major places like that. You have to put yourself out there.

KB: Absolutely, in Ireland I relocated to Dublin straight away from college. I knew there was nowhere else than in Dublin where I could find a manager. I knew that’s where I needed to go, so I went there. And that’s what I did in LA too. I found the top night clubs in LA and that’s where the people from MTV and CBS they all hang out in the top night clubs and it’s the same anywhere in the world, anywhere, it doesn’t matter where you are.

JC: Makes sense. So when did you go to LA?

KB: I guess I was about 24. I started traveling to LA and spending anywhere from 6 – 9 months of the year there. I did that for a couple of years at least.

JC: Man that is a lot of time, and LA is not a cheap place either.

KB: No, I know. I’ve been with my wife since I was 17, and then at 24 I said, “See ya hon… off to LA for three months.” I’d come back for a week and then leave for another three months. It was a bit f**king crazy with that as well, but we are lucky enough that we had a strong relationship to do that. We can only do that for so long and then you kind of have to make a decision; right I can only travel for three or four weeks at a time and then she either came over or I came back. We made a lot of sacrifices in the early days.

JC: [laughing] If you’ve been with her since you were 17, that’s freaking incredible. It’s also really rare to see it last that long-especially in the entertainment industry. How long have you been actually married?

KB: [long pause] Um…it’ll be three years this year. We’ve been together for a long time though.

JC: Wow, that’s great. My wife and I have been together for about fourteen years-married that long. So it’s not too bad I guess.

KB: Long time. Good for you.

JC: Yeah, you know I’ve found in the magic community, among performers anyway, it’s not that common, its…

KB: [interrupting] No because they’re all fucked up, and gay, and alcoholics and bonkers!

JC: [laughing]

KB: Put that in the f**king interview.

JC: [laughing] Right, that’s because all magicians are f**king gay!

KB:[laughing] AND alcoholics and bonkers! Don’t leave the rest of it out.

[James and Keith laughing]

JC: I guess we’re in good company!

KB: Sorry, hang on…and socially inept as well….

JC: Dude, okay…let’s go down that road for a minute, because some of this will resonate with some of our readers. I think there are a ton of people that entered magic because they are socially inept and they’re looking for something to set themselves apart in real life. What are your thoughts?

KB: I agree. Obviously not all, but I have come across so many magicians around the world that can’t actually sit down and have a conversation for longer than an hour without wanking with a deck of cards in their hands…they can’t do it, they just can’t do it. I mean that and I thinks it’s quite sad actually, and you know, it’s ok at magic conventions to sit down and share your tricks and be doing trick after trick after trick because, I guess for a lot of guys, they get caught up in the whole excitement of sharing effects. And I think in some ways, not personally for me, but in some ways, it’s a healthy thing to off load all of your creativity at a convention. But what I find is I meet magicians when I’m on tour, both here and in the US, and we’re not at a magic convention so I just want to hang and talk and find out about you as a person-but they just can’t do it. They just can’t do it, they can’t go longer than 15 minutes without doing a trick. And I figured it out, that it means they are completely socially inept, and they use magic as a crutch really. Which, once again, I suppose it isn’t necessarily a bad thing because if they weren’t doing magic they might be reclusive.

JC: Interesting.

KB: I suppose without magic they might not have gotten out in the big wide world, but I do find it quite sad when I can’t sit down with somebody and I certainly won’t name any names, but when I see a lot of professional magicians and I’m sitting down trying to have a talk with them and they are just non-stop playing with a deck of cards or coins or whatever, I just find it distracting, and I find it quite boring actually. Even though they may be very skilled people, I find it very boring, and I find that some lay people find it very boring as well. I’ve been in numerous situations where some of the tops in our field, so called tops in our field, are sitting there performing magic for people and the people are blown away for the first couple of minutes, but then they just are like, okay, enough already-we just want to sit here and have a beer and chat, you know?

JC: I do. I absolutely do.

KB: Listen, I love magic and I’m passionate about it, but I know when the right time is to perform and when the wrong time is, you know?

JC: Yeah. You know it’s funny, and again, I won’t name any names, but happen to have access to some well know folk in magic too and I’ve seen both sides of the spectrum. I know some younger magicians in their early 20’s who are just obsessed with magic as a whole and that’s cool, I appreciate their love for it, I love magic as well-I really do- but magic isn’t a central preoccupation in my life. It is, by definition, my occupation and they are mutually exclusive. There were times I’ve had to say, like at the dinner table with some of these guys, knock it the fuck off put down the ketchup packet. I mean really, you don’t need to do a torn and restored ketchup packet. It’s like God sakes man, they walk around with decks of cards in every orifice. That can’t be healthy… think of the potential paper cuts there alone.

KB: [laughing] I know what you mean.

JC: Well, let’s push on to another question. What got you into mentalism?

KB: I guess the influence really came from my buddy Joe. A lot of readers won’t know him, but he’s been working with me for about seven or eight years. Basically, what happened was, I needed somebody in Ireland to consult with my TV show, which was Close Encounters with Keith Berry. And quite honestly, he’s really the best magician in Ireland as far as I am concerned. He’s certainly the most knowledgeable magician in Ireland hands down. So I’m working with Joe and Joe knows a lot about mentalism. I didn’t know a lot at the time, but Joe was in his 50’s so he was very well read and he introduced me to the world of Basil Horowitz.

JC: Sure, Basil is very talented.

KB: I was just intrigued by the simplicity of what Basil did. All of Basil’s stuff was relatively simple magic, but was incredibly strong. That just really intrigued me, and then Joe introduced me to Doc Shields, and Doc was kind of the forefather of the bizarre and mentalist magic movement way back in the early days, so I befriended Doc about eight years ago and to this day he has a tremendous influence on me. It’s just went on from there. I then bought the Anneman books, kept researching it, you know, that’s it.

JC: Sure. I tend to lean a lot towards mentalism, but I’m not exclusively one of the others; I just do what I feel with best entertain my audiences. How about you?

KB: You know I’m not exclusive either. Unlike a lot of magicians or mentalists, you know there’s that whole argument about you should only do magic or you should only do mentalism, it’s all bullshit really-just f**king bull shit. The audience doesn’t know the difference and they don’t give a fuck. When I say they don’t know the difference, I’m mean they obviously know the difference between and illusion and you know a mind reading effect, but what they don’t know the difference between a good visual magic effect, as in for instance Healed and Sealed soda or a mind reading trick. Healed and Sealed to a normal lay audience looks like a f**king miracle, they can’t fathom how it’s done. So, that is magic and then a mind reading, you know you think of something and I’m going to draw it, that is magic in their minds as well. It’s real magic, it doesn’t even matter if it mentalist, or if it’s mindreading, or if it’s magic-as long as it looks real, that’s the point. That’s the direction I’m going in now is to make the magic look real. But once again as I said I’m not exclusive, I love doing both.
JC: It’s great since Joe introduced me to these guys and then I’ve read the modern day stuff as well. Funny enough when I look at my live show, well I think the biggest influence in my life mentalist wise besides Doc Shields would be Bob Cassidy. You know I’ve worked with Bob-he consulted on my last Irish TV special, Mind, Myths, and Magic. And I must say he was very helpful. I even do one of his memorized deck routines-it kills.

JC: Yeah, I remember watching you do that, and in fact, it was the one effect I didn’t know. I assumed it was a memorized deck, but I hadn’t actually seen it performed or read about it. I liked it a lot. After the show I called a good friend of mine-a real cool cat who is a genius in my book named Jerome-and asked him about it. He immediately named Cassidy. Since then, I’ve taken the time to learn it. The fact is though, I didn’t have a f**king clue how you did it-surprisingly, it threw me.

KB: That’s great.

JC: Right? I love that. Especially as I get older and spend more time in study, it’s hard to be fooled anymore. So when it comes along and slaps you, I really get a rush about it.

KB: That’s cool.

JC: Alright, let me ask you who influenced you on the visual side of the house?

KB: I suppose it was Copperfield. I was just blown away as a kid by Copperfield and a big fan. I was amazed at the magic he did and how visual it was, it was fantastic. I remember being totally flabbergasted the first time I saw Lance Burton too. Saw a TV special and recorded it and sat and watched it 150 f**king times. It was a show from the Magic Castle, and he did his dove act and he finished it with the levitating cage. It was just absolutely beautiful and I was blown away by that. I suppose Copperfield and Lance, also Brett Daniels, I was a huge fan of his. What I like about Brett, as opposed to a lot of the other styles of stage magicians, is he walks like a real man, like the way a f**king man should walk. He didn’t prance around the stage in a leotard, he walked like a f**king man, in my opinion, like a real man should walk. I was also impressed by his choice of styling and music and I just thought he was fantastic, you know?

JC: Sure. I’ve seen Copperfield several times. I’ve had the privilege of meeting him once-definately an honor in my book. I’ve also had the chance to visit with Chris Kenner, his right hand man, and Homer Liwag who works with them. I really respect and admire the three of them a lot. Copperfield was a big influence on me as a child. I remember him walking through the Great Wall of China, Vanishing the Statue of Liberty, and with those, it was like what the fuck? They were…

KB: [interupting] … iconic moments in magic!

JC: Right, exactly. And you know what’s funny? I actually learned crazy man hand cuffs when I was 12 from a David Copperfield special by watching it over and over and over again. The funniest thing is, it wasn’t until last year that I realized that my method of doing it was not the way he had done it or how it was traditional accomplished. Go figure!

KB: [laughing] That’s funny!

JC: I saw Lance Burton’s show about two years ago and Brett Daniels too before it closed at the Sahara. Brett, you’re right, he comes out and swaggers across the stage like John Wayne.

KB: Yeah, yeah. I saw the show in Vegas. I thought it needed some time to bed itself in, unfortunate for him he didn’t get it.

JC: Yeah, that show, you know the deal there are always pros and cons of any show, but I think the highlight for me, what shocked the shit out of me, with that production at the end, of the carriage?

KB: yeah, yeah!

JC: Right?

KB: Yeah, it shocked me too!

JC: I’m like, did I f**king blink. What was that? Where’d that come from. I was like what the fuck just happened? I mean it’s a beautiful illusion, I won’t tip how it’s done, I’ll let the readers salivate, but I will say that it’s one of the best productions I’ve ever seen. It was incredibly fast, and it really just shocked me man.

KB: yeah it was. Brilliant.

JC: Well, who was it that actually influenced you, on the visual side, routine wise?

KB: Probably Dan Harlan, and in the early days it would have been Michael Ammar, then Dan Harlan, and then Jay Sankey over the last couple of years. The three of them really. Before the days of DVD’s I had the Magic of Ammar. I remember learning the cups and balls from him. Oh, I also have to throw in David Roth too. I used to do all the f**king coin magic. I used to be really f**king good with coins. Dan just influenced me a lot from meeting him and just what a creative guy he is, and just what a fantastic thinker. He really thinks outside the box and also a lot of his magic is very visual. I worked with Jay Sankey as well, but before I ever worked with him I saw that Jay gets it, he gets what lay people want, and Jay gets a lot of criticism from magicians as well because they think, oh he’s rehashing old ideas-he’s not, he’s putting modern twists on old classics and his scripting is very influential to me. I think his scripts are particularly strong. I think things like Paperclipped and Airtight will go down as some of the greatest close up magic of our era-I think it’s that strong.

JC: Indeed. Papperclipped is fantastic. I’ve got over 40 DVD’s of his. I did a big interview with Jay for my magazine back in the day- we put him on the cover. I think was a good choice, huge article, you know just sitting like I am with you getting a chance to get to know an icon like him. In my opinion he will go down in magic history as one of the most prolific and intelligent creators in our art form. I really respect him both as a creator and as a person.

KB: I remember the first time I performed in Toronto last year, he and I got the chance to get to know each other and he’s just a really down to earth nice guy, and it was great. We sat down for two or three hours and there wasn’t a magic trick done. Not one! Just sat down and shot the shit. He’s not socially inept, put that in the article! He’s got serious social skills.

JC: No doubt-he’s just an all around nice guy. So anything new you want to share?

KB: Ummm… did I tell you I got the Merlin award?

JC: From the International Magic Society-that’s Tony Hassinni right? How did that come about?

KB: Well, he contacted me and said he wanted to come and see the show. After he saw the show he rang my manager to say that the IMS had decided to award me the Merlin Award for Mentalist of the Year 2009, which is pretty cool. He flew to Ireland and presented it to me at the Olympia Theatre, which holds about 1400. So he walked on stage with these 1400 people in Ireland and presented it to me. It was great and really fun.

JC: That’s awesome that he flew over to Ireland to give you an award.

KB: Yeah, it was great. He flew all the way out and spent a couple days in Ireland and gave me the award. I also filmed a little footage with him for a future DVD, and he flew back to New York.

JC: That’s cool. So let me ask you about the theatre, how many theatres do you generally book in Ireland? Obviously, Ireland is a pretty small country but are you talking Ireland and Northern Ireland?

KB: Not really Northern Ireland, mainly Ireland because I wouldn’t be as well know in the North. I’ve not had as much TV exposure there as I’ve had in the South. So mainly the Republic. This tour I’m doing now is about twenty dates in about fourteen different theatres; some I do for two or three days and others I’m just in and out. The smallest is, I guess, about 500 seats and up to about 2000.

JC: That’s excellent, and are they generally pretty sold out?

KB: Yeah, this is my fourth year running so I’m pretty lucky they sell well.

JC: Here’s a business question for you that I am pretty sure I already know the answer for. What do you feel is more lucrative-TV shows or theatre? I’ve asked this same question of a number of very well known performers, and the answer is nearly unanimous-theatre hands down.

KB: Oh, definitely the stage show. I mean your live show is always going to be more lucrative, I mean that’s where you have to earn your living. In my experience you won’t make a living in television unless you get endorsements on the back end. The specials will pay the bills, but you really need to do live shows to produce the kind of living most people want.

JC: That’s precisely why my new stage show launches this Summer. Did TV and now I’m parlaying that into other shows and theatre-everyone’s told me that the TV shows open the doors and help you succeed at the live shows. But for me, the stage is much, much harder than TV is.

KB: Yeah, well, you’ve got to bust your ass doing everything right? But you’re right, f**king rehearsing the stage show, promoting the stage show, staying healthy, it’s all part of the business. Looking good, not putting on too much weight. It’s like there’s just so much too. It’s a fulltime thing. You’ve got to keep yourself busy promoting. Really, it’s promo, promo, promo, promo, promo, then you’ve got put on a f**king good show that people are going to enjoy. A lot of people think this is easy, well, it’s not. You know, I love it, but it’s not easy. But at the end of the day, it’s easier than having a f**king 9-5 day job that’s for sure. That’s why I do it.

JC: [laughing] Right, yeah, fair enough. It’s always said that if you are doing something you feel passionate about and you love, then it’s not really work.

KB: No it’s not, it’s true.

JC: You know what, I think that’s a great place finish up at, and it’s great advice for anyone reading this interview. Just do what you love.

KB: I couldn’t give better advice than that myself.

-END-

© Copyright 2009 by James L. Clark. All rights reserved. Duplication prohibited by domestic and international laws. This document is not for open publication and may not be released to third parties. The rights of the author have been asserted.

New Site

Welcome to my new site. I decided to consolidate everything into a single page for ease of access. So far, I’m pretty happy with the design and layout. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be making some rather significant changes. So do come back by.