19th January 2021.
Dale Trueman, our president was the host of tonight’s meeting, the first of 2021. Dale had chosen the topic of “Gimmicks & Gadgets”. He opened the night by transferring his meeting notes into some genuine Australian currency. He said that no thumb tip was involved but he didn’t want to explain the method at this time. He then advised that full details of the gimmick would be explained in a lecture by Jay Scott Berry scheduled for our March meeting. Dale then introduced long term member Michael Giblin. Because of work pressure Michael has been unable to attend many meetings lately but he hopes that is about to change. He commenced his performance with Troy Hoosiers Charming Chinese Challenge as demonstrated by Joshua Jay on all of Australian lectures. Michael than showed us a Secret Servant which he finds handy to hold items such as coins under his coat for a future production.
Anthony Dillon showed that his Sharpie pen had curios magnetic properties by clinging to his fingers. He then had a die with a small hole through the centre penetrate a wooden stick as it slid through a tube. It was like a miniature Vampire Block. Anthony concluded his performance with Melting Ball by Sunil Batra. Dale came back and predicted a hotel room number with the use of a Swami Gimmick with a sharpie tip. Phuoc Can Hua always surprises us and tonight he visually changed a jumbo Jack of Hearts into a Three of Clubs in a skeleton frame. He then produced a large dice from a magazine. John Kanawati is always original with his presentations and his new routine with the very old Steel Ball and Tube was a delight. We now know that he has a very strange washing machine at his place.
Stephen Bell started with an empty purse frame from which he produced red sponge balls which then began to multiply. They then moved from hand to hand as he counted to ten. New member Stephen Miller showed us the Christian Grace gimmick for the vanishing deck effect, Level One, without actually performing the routine. Dale was back to vanish a bottle in a paper bag. He used a gimmicked cigarette lighter and flash paper for misdirection.
Peter Rodgers performed Mark Elsdon’s “NYC Open” but he only mentioned one of the gimmicks. He promised to explain the other gimmick in a forthcoming meeting he is hosting on magic with a set up deck. Jack Sharp moved away from the meetings topic and showed his routines for three items, The Ball & Vase, Cut and Restored Shoe Laces and Die Vision that he uses as give aways in his children’s shows. For his final piece Dale produced a Harbin Style Production Table. He then introduced our final performer for the night, Conway Restom. Conway is generally known for his mental magic but tonight he made a chosen and signed card vanish from between two jacks and appear within the previously shown empty card case. The effect was even more miraculous because of the two centimetre holes in the Jacks which made the vanish visible and apparently instantaneous. This was all accomplished with the Solo gimmicks available from JBMagic and Mark Mason. Conways routine was enhanced by his own original “Gang of 9 Copper and Jacks” patter story.
The meeting concluded with our usual supper and fraternisation.
Peter Rodgers
Sydney Magic Club 