Gary is a very talented performer and creator of magic. He seems to have a knack for coming up with ideas which are really commercial – direct effects which audiences appreciate. Some of the effects in the book are self-working and some will require a bit more technical proficiency.

Let’s get into the tricks

First up, it’s worth mentioning that a few of the effects in print here have previously appeared on DVD. If you’ve seen the brilliant Automata series (you can read our reviews of Volume One, Volume Two and Volume Three) – then you will already know about the following: Aqua Ring (a self-working ring off string); Fireballs (an easy, portable, impactful cups and balls); Metal Sheep (clever self-working coin transposition); Lead Free (a neat little coin bend); No Luck (a prediction effect using dice); Peeky Blinders (a superb little mentalism routine); ESP-ionage (a clever and again more or less self-working ESP prediction effect).

But even if, like me, you’ve seen them already, I was pleased to have them in print to refer to more easily. They are all cracking effects! And there are still more than 30 other effects in the book too.

Something for everyone

There’s so much other material in Life’s a Beach that I can’t go into detail on all of it. Instead I’ll try to give you a flavour and some highlights. The book starts with a sneaky ACAAN type effect which uses a gaffed deck to great effect.

I really like the Paul Gordon Card To Wallet idea which gets rid of the need to palm. This is taught and then Gary’s variation is also explained. Both are real workers. There’s also a super little oil and water routine which I have already started playing with.

One of my favourites is Grater – which is a great example of how Gary combines different principles and adds entertainment. The spectator chooses a card – and then merely thinks of a different card in their mind. You can then show that you predicted their thought of card (in combination with a great pun) and then read their mind to reveal the original card. Love it.

Although the majority of effects are card, there are also tricks with coins (a no palm coins through table – would you believe!), silks (a colour changing silk effect which would be great for strolling), a bottle production (you can guess what that is, right?!) and several mentalism type effects.

There are variations on a number of classic plots and one that caught my eye was a really straightforward Card Under the Box routine which with one sneaky ruse gets you so far ahead it’s brilliant.

A cracking collection

I hope, by now, you have got the impression that I think this is a super collection. The writing style is easy and Gary is generous with his experience which shines through. Throughout the tricks are short tips which contain excellent advice if you are wanting to get into close up magic in a more professional way. There is also a longer article with Gary’s thoughts on being a pro. Well worth a read.

I know that I will keep coming back to this book as there are routines in here I definitely want to perfect to add to my strolling set – and I’m sure you will too. Life’s a Beach comes unreservedly recommended – in spite of the fact that the beach I sat on while I reviewed it was cold and miserable!

You can pick up Life’s a Beach direct from MagicSeen for £25 (at the time of writing) – or if you contact Gary directly he can fix you up and he might even sign it – though not necessarily in his own name! His address is Gary at Gary Jones Magic dot com. Type it as you read it people. Many thanks to Gary for providing the review copy.

Gary Jones – Life’s a Beach – Volume 1 – review

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The post Gary Jones – Life’s a Beach – Volume 1 – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

But you want to know about the tricks first, right?

ESPionage – Gary Jones has come up with a really simple but effective use of an old principle which provides you with a super-clean miracle. Essentially in spite of a really (genuinely!) fair mixing and selection process, you can reveal which ESP symbol a spectator has chosen. In the routine taught you do this twice under increasingly astonishing conditions.

The same principle is also adapted for a variation Steven Tucker’s Visa Cabaret routine – where you can predict which coloured card ends up in which of the spectator’s pockets. This requires a little bit of one-off craft work to make the necessary – but it is very straightforward and only takes 5 minutes. I believe Full 52 are also selling the cards ready made up if you prefer. Super little effect.

A-Can – This is Dave’s twist on the old barcode gag which takes it to the next level. The spectator chooses a card from a whole stack of cards which have different grocery products on the front. You reveal your prediction to be a barcode – and after the groan show that the barcode does actually contain the name of the product. In a final kicker ending you then produce a tin of the product from the (previously obviously flat) prediction envelope. Great fun, easy to do. Love it.

Dobson’s Diddle – a clever prediction effect based on a Wayne Dobson idea. Despite some very fair looking choices you reveal that you have predicted the outcome of a spectator’s free choices about where to place various objects. This is very easy to do, but will require you to think about the procedure on the fly. A couple of subtleties lead to a very fair looking outcome.

Arty Farty – this is a different sort of a prediction effect. The spectator chooses the name of a famous piece of artwork from a selection of many. You make a drawing (‘forgery’ in the clever plotline!) to reveal their choice – but it just looks like a load of scribble. But when some heat is applied, the spectator’s chosen image is revealed. This is a fun and different take on a prediction effect. Easy to do, though a small bit of preparation needed. Quirky.

Fruit Loop – this could be my favourite effect on the DVD. The spectator (genuinely) freely chooses a card from a selection of cards bearing the names of different fruits. You show that you have predicted not just that choice, but the cards either side of it – in a very funny and visual way. I don’t want to spoil the fun by telling you the detailed scenario – but you’ll have a lot of fun performing this entertaining and very easy effect.

Any Tome, Anywhere – this is a book test where you can reveal the word or words at the top of a page in any book. This essentially relies on a mathematical principle to do the dirty work for you. For me, the process the spectator goes through in order to get to a ‘random’ number is a little bit involved. There are some nice subtleties in Dave’s handling of the revelation, but for me this wasn’t a highlight.

Purple Monkey – in this routine you appear to read a spectator’s mind and reveal a random image they have simply created in their mind. Lots of nice things about this one – it is genuinely easy to do, takes up little space, and gives them a nice takeaway too. And again there are some great subtleties which obscure what is going on here. Brilliant.

Positive Change – the spectator places three coins on the table according to various free choices and then chooses one which they ‘flip’ behind their back. Your prediction shows you knew both which coin and which way up it was going to be. Building on some previously released ideas this is a neat semi-impromptu effect. For me this wasn’t earth-shattering, but with good presentation skills it would certainly impress a spectator.

RPS Extreme – in this effect you appear to be able to predict the outcome of several games of Rock, Paper Scissors. The first phase is impressive but the second knocks your socks off. Gary is clear that he has combined ideas of others to make the routine work, but it is a fantastic idea with good audience involvement.

The Secret is not so much a magic trick as a puzzle, which I first saw on an earlier Full 52 release – David Regal in the UK – though its history is much older. To an interesting story you trade ‘bank notes’ and pints of beer and everyone is puzzled by the outcome. It seems to me this would work really well in certain settings, but if I’m honest I’m unlikely to use this one myself. The necessary ‘notes’ are available as pdfs on the DVD to print your own.

As if this were not enough – there is also a free download of two extra missing effects which didn’t fit on the DVD. The tricks are:

Pageboy – this is a sort of ‘book test’ but with an unexpected extra ending. This is something called the Pegasus Book Test (not sure of the creator) – not only can you predict the word on the page they freely choose, as an extra kicker, when they look at the book again the page they looked at has been torn out – and is found in a prediction which the other spectator was holding from the outset. You will need to make up a couple of things to perform this – but the effect is so strong that it is well worth the effort.

Call the Chops – a series of number cards are freely mixed based on choices made by the spectator and end up predicting your phone number! This is based on an old principle but makes a nice way of giving out a business card or passing on your number…

The whole thing is well produced – although there were a couple of glitches in the sound level when I watched (which may just have been to do with my computer but I haven’t had the time to check) – though this didn’t get in the way of understanding.

Explanations are very clear and easy to follow. And I, personally, enjoy the banter between Dave and Gary. It’s great to see two magicians who get on well together and respect each other and who chuck in ideas on the fly and discuss wrinkles and subtleties as they go. They are both real performers and are worth listening to.

It’s hard to compare different releases with each other – was this the strongest of the set? Possibly. I really could see myself using all but one or two of these effects in the real world, and will definitely be making some of them up to use. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of manufacturing some of the items, Full 52 are (as in the past) selling some of the accessories you will need.

Highly recommended. What are you waiting for?

Automata 3 is available direct from Merchant of Magic for £21.98 (at the time of writing).

And if you’d like to be in with the chance of winning one, then enter our giveaway!

The post Automata 3 – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

Let’s get straight into the effects:

Metal Sheep

– when I saw the demo for this it rung a bell with something I had read many years ago – but it completely fooled me. Some copper and silver coins swap round without any sleight of hand. You will need a certain something to perform this – you may have suitable things knocking around in your cupboard, or you may have to purchase them – but I would certainly be tempted to do so on the strength of this. Instantly ready to go again – great for walk-around.

Card2Matchbox

– does what it says on the tin. A card is selected by the spectator and then disappears from the deck, reappearing in a previously empty matchbox. I like this – it uses a number of old principles put together into a pleasing routine. A bit of a setup, but worth it for the effect.

Princess Redux

– you find a selected card from a selection of 5, when it has been freely lost and then placed in your pocket. The effect is repeated and then as a final kicker you have predicted the two choices in advance. For me this was one of the weaker effects on the disk. Requires some setup but ends clean and is certainly easy to do.

Free Phone

– a clever re-working of an effect you have probably come across before. You text a prediction to your spectator which correctly predicts the location of three of their personal possessions. A great way to get your website/phone number out to a prospective client. Neat.

Fireballs

– a fantastic and punchy little cups and balls routine utilising some little shot glass-sized cups. The size of the cups makes it very practical for walk-around since they take up so little space and the whole thing re-sets at the end of the routine. Excellent.

Poker Cheat

– based on Paul Gordon’s Poker Deal (and also showing some similarity to a John Bannon effect who’s name escapes me) – this is a comedy poker effect where the spectator makes all the choices, but you still win. Should get a laugh as well as a gasp!

Thirty Four

– a magic square type effect based on an original idea by Jim Steinmeyer. Not only do you predict the number outcome in advance, there is a message on the backs of the cards they have chosen. No memory work and easy to do. Easily customisable for e.g. corporate work or a birthday party etc.

Birthday Card

– don’t watch this one if you’re a music lover – Gary’s rendition of Happy Birthday is frightening! You find a spectator’s card by singing the song. Does require a special something – but again you may well have it, or can get hold of it easily. Don’t be disappointed by the method – it’s the effect that counts.

Kingpins

– a spectator’s ring jumps from one safety pin to another – instantly and visually. As Gary says, this is an old trick brought up to date. Neat and fooling.

There’s a lot to like about this DVD. Some of the effects are very strong indeed – out of all proportion to the ease of performance – which proves my long held view that effect is everything and method is nothing. They’ve done a good job of digging out some old effects and methods and bringing them up to date.

Gary and Chris have an easy, relaxed style in their explanations which are clear and thorough and the DVD is well produced. Two or three of the effects have only studio performances – and I always prefer live ones – but this is to nitpick.

I appreciated the variety of effects on the DVD – and if you can’t find at least one that you will use I will eat my metaphorical hat.
Automata is available from MagicShop.co.uk for £25.50 (at the time of writing).

(With thanks to Full52 who kindly provided a review copy)

The post Automata – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

Playing cards were where we started and we still love the amazing variety of new Bicycle cards appearing weekly, it seems. The Bicycle One Million deck – from Elite Playing Cards – is definitely one which ticks our boxes. An elegant almost regal design, with metallic inks and and a quality vellum tuck box – all wrapped up in a limited edition run. Collectable and ideal for classy magic. £7.99

This new disk from Full52 productions has really caught our eye. We’ll be publishing a proper review of Automata in the next few days – but in short it is an excellent DVD packed full of essentially self-working close-up magic. There are several killer routines on here and all easy to do. Highly recommended. £17.99
[UPDATE – our review is now here]

Here’s an idea so old it is new again. The Hofzinser card is a cleverly printed card which appears to show one value when a light is held behind it – but then can be turned around to reveal a different value. A great comedy prediction. £11.99

And finally – for the next couple of days only – Wormhole (you can read our review here) is reduced to only £12.66 at MagicNevin.  Part of their weekly Friday deal of the week.

That’s all for now. Don’t forget to check back for the latest news, reviews and Bicycle cards!

The post Trick of the Month – October 2014 appeared first on Bicycle Cards.