Story Time (5) You Need Hands
Since becoming a professional magician, I have learnt that my hands are part of my overall appearance. I need to keep them clean and make sure my fingernails are neat and tidy. I try to keep my fingers moving throughout the day, so they're ready to perform, or even just practice.
Sometimes though, injuries happen. I have a heavy bag which is a great method of exercise, but when I first got it, I would attack it with only a light pair of boxing gloves. Pretty soon, I had dislocated the knuckle of my middle finger and split all the skin around it, leaving an unattractive wound. It wasn't the type of place I could cover with a plaster either, so close-up gigs for the next few months were a little embarrassing at times.
On holiday in Florida, a few years prior to the punching incident, I went to the top of the largest waterslide in Aquatica, a popular water park in Orlando. I don't mind admitting that when it comes to rollercoasters, I am a coward. I've pledged never to go on one of those things ever again! I thought this would be fine though. You go up the stairs, wait (an hour) for your turn and then have a fun little slide, down into the water below.
I took a seat at the edge of the slide and realised how high I was, and how sheer the drop was. I couldn't back out though.
For a start, I couldn't stand back up without asking the teenager manning the ride to lift me, as I had nowhere to put my feet. They were just dangling below me. More importantly, people were watching. I just had to go. The young guy in the yellow t shirt and red cap told me to cross my ankles and put my hands across my chest. I did, and I edged forward. I was instantly hit with terror and I tried to grab the side of the slide to slow myself down. All I did was tear the skin from the tips of my fingers 😫
About a year and a half after that, I was performing close-up magic in a hall for Tesco staff, on their Christmas staff party.
It was all going well until I decided to try out a new trick. The effect is that I ask the spectator to sign a card, sign a coin and then wrap the coin in a small piece of paper. I put this on top of the face down deck and set it on fire. All going well, the paper burns a hole in the deck, melting through every card until the signed coin stops on one card, their signed card.
It's a miracle, created by great magician, Jay Sankey.
That night though, I used too much paper. Far too much. I had a young lady do the signing, I held the deck with the coin inside a ball of paper, took out my lighter and touched the flame to the ball.
It was like a mini inferno for about three seconds. The flames appeared, huge and bright, I pulled my head back to avoid losing my eyebrows, but my hand felt the fire.
I dropped the deck, yelled out loud (somehow managed not to swear) and stuck my hand into this woman's vodka and coke. It helped a little, but there were cards everywhere, a rogue coin somewhere in the hall, and her drink with my digits in it.
Not my finest moment, and another example of my hand ending up damaged for a few weeks.
This magic stuff can be dangerous!