Roo: Coin Box Part 2

< Previous Post

Our newest contributing artist at Copeland Coins, the teacher of Brass Class (going live this week) shares a fun story!

***

You might think me strange…

You know that magician guy at the party? The one who brings a deck of cards around with him everywhere? Always ready to perform a trick? The guy who would be lost if he left his deck at home…He’d be having a rubbish night? Oh, Is that you? Well, I can relate. For years I was that exact guy, except with a brass coin box!

Jammed into jeans that were reminiscent of Mick Jagger’s leggings (just so that the lid wouldn’t fall off the box), that little brass box went with me everywhere! As a British magician, I am well aware of the attitudes of UK guys and gals, who are still out at a pub at 3am on a Saturday morning. It doesn’t take too much imagination to visualize this kind of audience. They are easily amused and begging for the night to carry on. But none the less, no matter the crowd’s present state of mind, or that of my own, the little brass box would always make an entrance!

I remember one night my mates and I had accosted another group of friends we had met and gone on for “one last drink”. As we were waiting to be served, my mate Johnny (whom I ran the local Magic shop with) said, “Hey Roo-oooo, do something weird for this lot, will ‘ya?” So out came the box and I proceeded with my routine called Okito Fly!  (I’ll teach you all this one sometime in another project!)

Now this is a close up “In and Out” style routine that I usually perform in the spec’s hands (I mention this as it’s relevant to the ending). I was performing to a chap, a large rectangular gentleman whom reminded me of a dented suitcase. Being that I do walk around magic, my coin box and coins were being placed into his bear-like-paw hands. Upon completion of the effect, the applause and gregarious reactions started from everyone!….Except from the extremely large man who was still holding my coin box and unfortunately, this loud audience approval instigated the alpha male in this chap!

Did I mention he was big? At this point, he took my coin box and launched it the full length of the bar! Fortunately, it missed patron’s faces and bottles as it sailed across the room at cricket bowler speed and smashed into the alcohol license, whose frame shattered in it’s entirety. My coin box was left now dented, battered, and bruised on the floor.

I took it home as a reminder: Never, ever, however confident you may be, hand any of your props (especially ones made from solid brass) to the drunkest spectator in the group! Choose your helpers wisely.

So to this day, if you ask me, “Do you trust spectator’s to not drop your coin box?” The answer is, “Yes, always. I’ve never had anyone drop my coin box before! …But there was this one time where it flew!”

-Roo

***

If you've got a few performance hours under your belt, you've dealt with a few "characters" in your performance audiences. After a rough set, I even received advice early on, from a well intentioned older magician, to never hand out any props. I can't imagine the joy I would have missed out on had I listened to that guy, but we have all had some crazy experiences I'm sure. What was your's? Share a comment below!

Next Post >