Episode 17

Join Peter Nardi and Wayne Goodman for another lively episode packed with magic news, industry insights, and plenty of laughs along the way.

This week, the conversation kicks off with exciting details about the upcoming Alakazam Magic Convention 2027, including newly announced lecturers, special events, and what attendees can expect from one of the UK's most talked-about magic gatherings. Peter and Wayne also discuss the latest developments in the magic world, including Britain's Got Talent finalist Rafferty Pike's success, the upcoming Now You See Me Live production, and other major industry news.

The duo share stories from their own experiences, discuss new releases hitting the magic market, and explore topics ranging from performance opportunities and live shows to the ongoing conversation around piracy in magic and the creators working to protect original ideas.

As always, expect honest opinions, behind-the-scenes stories, audience interaction, and the kind of relaxed conversation that feels like sitting down with friends to talk all things magic.

Featuring: Peter Nardi and Wayne Goodman

Topics Covered: Alakazam Magic Convention 2027, Britain's Got Talent, Now You See Me Live, new magic releases, industry news, magic piracy, live performances, and behind-the-scenes stories from the world of magic.

Find out more about the team behind this podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome to the Alakazam Live podcast with Peter Nardi. For the full video version of this episode, head over to YouTube and search Alakazam Magic Live. So grab a drink, sit back, and let's talk magic.

SPEAKER_03 0:28

Harry from Alakazam here. Now, as you guys know, we had our very first Alakazam Magic convention this year, and it was incredible. We genuinely couldn't have hoped for a better day. You guys made it amazing. The lecturers were fantastic. The show was incredible. I honestly didn't stop laughing from start to finish. Now, this is the announcement you guys have all been waiting for. We are gonna run the convention back all over again. New lecturers, new show, and new surprises. So if you didn't make it to the last convention, let me show you around the venue and see what you guys are in for. This is the venue. Now, up this end of the room, if you were not at the convention, was where the dealers were placed. Now, we had dealers from around the world dotted all the way around here, demonstrating their brand new tricks for you guys, the Alakas fan. Now, before any of you ask, yes, we will be getting the world famous Alakazam red carpet photo opportunity right here, making you a celebrity. Now, what made the Anakazam Magic Adventure different from others was the genuine jam time. Not only the jam time, but the venue for jamming to take place. Check this out. All up here, we have magicians getting involved, showing each other tricks, making new friends, and genuinely it was a spectacle, a lovely thing to see. So we're gonna have the same thing happening in 2027. Now, the venue itself is gonna have some cosmetic changes, but it's not gonna affect the running order of the day at all. In actual fact, it's gonna make it even better, even quicker, and even more involving, really. It's gonna be amazing. I cannot wait. Now, Jamie, this is the awkward part. We'll need to do a cool transition again. Um, let's do let's just do okay three, right? Three, two, one. Whoa! Now, another thing that made Yalakaz and Magic Invention so unique was this. We, of course, held all the lectures and all the shows inside a cinema screen. Now, as you can see, that meant every single attendee had a great scene, right? It's tiered season, so everyone got a perfect view. We had a close-up camera on the screen, so you could see everything. When the lectures are going on, you had a bird's eye view. It was genuinely incredible. Comfy seats, drink holders, what more could you want? Maybe just a bag of popcorn. And that is available in the lobby, of course. This year, of course, we've mixed things up with the lectures and with the show. So I've got two names that I'm gonna announce. The first of which is the incredible Nicholas Mavressis. Now, if you guys don't know Nicholas, then I'm pretty sure you probably haven't bought an Alakazam product before because his stuff is incredible. He's got tons of amazing effects, the methods of genius, they're so streamlined. Genuinely, we are so excited and proud to announce that Nicholas is gonna fly over here and be here in person doing a lecture. Not only that, my mum was pestering us for ages to get in another lecturer. And this person's also gonna be part of the show. This is the hilarious Pete Pete. If you're here, be prepared to laugh your socks off. It's gonna be incredible. But we have got even more exciting news. But we have even more surprises for you. We are kicking things off in this screen, screen number one. Now, when we first started out planning the 2026 convention, we started in a screen a third of the size of this. But due to your support, the Allika fan, we are now kicking things off in this screen number one, the largest screen at the Ashford cinema. Now, I know we've got loads in store for you. We got hidden surprises, the custom movie posters are gonna be back if you know you know, the custom cocktails are gonna be back if you know you know, and this year we may even have some exclusive merch. Guys, get your tickets for the Alakazan Magic Convention 2027, the 8th of May, and remember, it's gonna be an event you're not gonna want to miss. If it's your first convention, I promise you, you will be made welcome. Guys, I'll see you there.

SPEAKER_09 4:45

You need to book the Alkazan convention. Uh get in early. Everyone's just really having a great time. There's no clickiness going on, everyone's talking to everyone. If you're thinking about booking, don't have to book me now. Honestly, this is gonna get bad. I'm gonna come back next year, it's just gonna come back. Uh yeah, definitely honestly not play.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

It's been a committee nothing. Everyone has wanted to happen for a long time. It's a great company and it's a lovely family. And all of the kind of hard cool Alexandra friends from over the years have come together. 2027 is gonna be a good one.

SPEAKER_06 5:40

Hi guys, and welcome to this week's live podcast thing that Jamie makes us do. So this will be going on our podcast platform as well, so you might be listening to it. But if you didn't see that video, just to let you know, tickets for the 2027 Alexandre Magic Convention are now on sale. I think the VIP tickets have already sold out. If not, I know there's only a couple left. Um, but uh regular tickets are available. So um let's not waste any more time. Let's bring in our co-host, the amazing Mr. Wayne Goodman. Hello, hello, hello, hello.

SPEAKER_07 6:20

How are you, Mr.? I'm in the front room, right? Not because there's any technical issues with my computer, yeah, but because it's so hot in there. And so I've got the front door open, uh cup of tea. I'm alright, I'm chilled in the front room.

SPEAKER_06 6:36

I that's tell you what, they did say it was supposed to be like 30 or 40 degrees a day. It don't feel like it.

SPEAKER_07 6:43

Well, let me have a look here, because I'll tell you what it is in Newmarket. Go on. It's 33 in Newmarket. Apparently, we had a massive thunderstorm last night.

SPEAKER_06 6:52

Um well I was up at five this morning and there was a thunderstorm at five.

SPEAKER_07 6:58

Tracy said she was woken up, so she's in London. She was woken up by um it sounded like a bomb going off. She had to literally get up and go and write what's going on, what's going on. Um, so yeah, it was uh uh yeah, quite loud down there. Um but I didn't hear anything. Um yeah, I didn't hear anything, but yeah, a thunderstorm is always good because it means it's clearing the air.

SPEAKER_06 7:22

Yeah, yeah. No, five o'clock, it was um it was going off. I got up. Uh right, so I want to say a few hellos to people. We have got quite a few people joining us, quite a few of our American Alakafam as well. So welcome guys. Um so we've got uh Crispy Pete joining us, Colin Jones, uh we've got Brian Hunley, uh Paul Morley. Uh who else we got here? Uh Will Thompset, Bob Dilworth, Steve uh Skindell, and uh mostly amazing uh mostly amazing Gary is here. Uh says a lot of you joining us. Thank you so much. Now, if you are joining us, remember tonight at 7 p.m. BST. So that is around about five hours from now, we have got the live launch of this. Dun dun dun. Now, if you want to know what this is, make sure you join us tonight at 7 o'clock, where we will be joined by the creators uh to answer questions on this. Now we showcase this at Blackpool. It's a beautiful parlor come stage effect, and it's fantastic. You could do it in someone's living room. Um, it's a brilliant stand-up effect. You get everything with it, and it looks great as a prop on stage or parlor anyway.

SPEAKER_07 9:05

Yeah, it's beautiful. It it was like sand a black ball, wasn't it? Yeah, uh and it's just uh and it all comes contained, we were talking about this before, it all comes contained in its own box, so everything is in one place, it's uh great as a standalone effect, or you can put it into a much bigger routine as well.

SPEAKER_06 9:22

Yeah, yeah, and um I even share my routine for it as well, which doesn't use those cards, it uses playing cards, but it you use the the entire audience, takes part, and it's got the feeling of like a tossed-out tech type effect. Um and depending how tonight goes, I might actually perform that live with people that are tuning in. Nice, we'll see. We'll see. Um, but yeah, so that is called Deadly Connection. We are launching that live tonight, and I know that um Chris has got some in the US warehouse as well, so we are ready to ship those. Um so join us tonight for that. Um, and I will say as well, for the next couple of weeks, there is not a live because I am going away with Jenny at the weekend. We're away for a week celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. 30th. Thank you very much. I don't look old enough.

SPEAKER_07 10:28

I did I did message Jenny and say, you know, she'd have been out by now.

SPEAKER_06 10:34

Yeah, she probably thinks that as well. Um so what's been happening in uh in the world of magic?

SPEAKER_07 10:44

So uh I'm trying to think. Well, first of all, we had BGT. Yes, um, and I want to say a huge um congratulations to Raferty Coop, who didn't win but has did very well on the final, apparently. I haven't I haven't seen the final yet, to be fair, because I've been so busy. Um but I know but people say he did really well. Um uh and he's now joined the cast of Now You See Me Live. Yeah, now I was looking at this and he performed at the um um so I've just got a picture of our good friend Lee Ransom has just messaged me, and um he's so busy at work, he's working from home today, and he's he's got a picture of his legs in the back garden holding up his iPad between his knees. Um I'm not sure if that's an iPad or a 72-inch TV, actually. Um and a beer.

SPEAKER_06 11:43

So yeah.

SPEAKER_07 11:44

Uh happy birthday, Lee, as well. Happy birthday.

SPEAKER_06 11:46

Yes, happy birthday to the legend Lee Ransom. You would have seen him on some of our trade. Oh well, probably seen him. Might just see the top of his.

SPEAKER_07 11:56

He's my little elf. In his birthday card, I sent him it said, um, I have to hand it to you, Lee, because you're not tall enough to reach it.

SPEAKER_06 12:09

Um what were we just talking about? Because something comes. Yeah, I've been looking into this, and I think, and I I'm not too sure, but I think what they're gonna do with Now You See Me is have a special guest uh each week. Nice. So I'm not sure if Raffle uh Rafferty's uh joining the the the core cast, or he's there as a special guest, because it wasn't too clear, but I saw a few more names come up where it was you know gonna be in um now you see me. So I think there there was another show that we saw in London a few years ago. Uh I don't know if it was called Wonderground or something. And um they did the same thing. Yeah and they they had um like a a special guest that will join them for a week and then there'll be another special guest the week after. Um so I'm not too sure, but whatever it is, huge congratulations. It's gonna be phenomenal. And I've booked tickets for that as well. Now you see me.

SPEAKER_07 13:26

We're gonna go and see that. I've got I know Tracy's got us tickets to go and see Piff and Pop's magic shop. Oh, brilliant. That's um that's only a couple of months away, isn't it? Yeah, it's a couple of months away. Um we've got busy summer, busy, busy summer. Um, it's also magic circus dad's birthday today as well, everyone. He should have popped in just to sing us a little song. I said to him, I said to him, come on and sing happy birthday to yourself. Yeah. You know, people would like that. But we'll get him on here eventually. Um what else is going on? So there was that. Um bear with me just one second, because I did have a look on here. Oh yes, so there's um uh where is it? So um Andy Gladwin over at uh Vanishing Inc has done a documentary which uh it's not out yet, but we managed to get a copy because it's all about piracy.

SPEAKER_06 14:36

Uh just be clear now that was a joke because you didn't deliver it very well. Oh, I know and now people are gonna think that that was a very that's the worst delivery you've ever done, and that's saying something.

SPEAKER_07 14:53

Um yeah, no, it's he's done a documentary uh about piracy uh in magic. Um and yeah, I it's not I don't believe he's out yet. I've not obviously not seen it.

SPEAKER_06 15:08

Well, I I don't know what's happening with it because it's been pre sh uh previewed at a couple of festivals, so I'm presuming they're trying to sell it. I'm presuming they're trying to sell it to you know a streaming platform or something like that. Um because I'm not sure who produced it. I'm not sure whether it's uh Vanishing Inc. production or someone else has financed it, because I I know um Andy was fighting this fight against piraters, magic piraters. Um, so I'm not sure whether someone approached him and said, Look, you know, let's make this into a documentary or let's do this or do that. So that it there hasn't been a lot of info about it, apart from the fact that it has premiered at a couple of festivals and and got a really good reaction as well.

SPEAKER_07 16:05

It says here, this documentary magic trick that feels like a high-stakes thriller. Stealing Magic delves into a cat and mouse game involving illusionists who travel the world to find the people stealing their tricks on stealing and selling their tricks online. Uh where is it? Uh yeah, it's an AndyGladwin.com Stealing Magic um Stealing Magic with Andy Gladwin and Matthew Tester. So yeah. But I'm looking forward to having a look at it.

SPEAKER_06 16:34

Yeah, I I'm looking forward to it. I mean there was some there there's been a couple of clips, not of the show, but of an interview with Andy, and he was talking about how these piraters get hold of your or get hold of the material because he was saying in a lot of cases, now I know for a fact that a lot of Alexand products are on pirated websites. Now, I was always under the assumption that someone would buy it and just upload it to to whatever site, you know. Um, but Andy was saying that it goes far deeper than that, you know, and if they hack basically if they hack your login, Wayne, and a lot of magicians will use the same login for all their magic sites, they'll just log into every magic site, download all your content, and upload it all. So it's not costing them nothing. Now, Alakazam Magic a few months ago adopted two-factor um security of security, which um I think we're one of the only companies to do that at the moment. Um I know other companies will be looking at it, but to log into our site you have to get an email code when you log in. So unless they've got access to everything of yours, they're not gonna be able to get into your account. But you know, magic accounts quite generally uh are pretty safe because you don't store credit card details or things like that on them. So you're not gonna lose anything like that. But we we did adopt the the two-factor security uh a while ago. Um so yeah, our our site is probably one of the the safest for for that, I would presume at the moment. Um but not that you would ever know because if they download it, it's still in your account. So you know you're you're sort of you're not getting anything stolen off you. But it'll be a very interesting watch. I mean, I I can't wait to watch it and find out um you know if anything did happen, because I would presume the piraters are uh are making a decent amount of money that they're just gonna um tell you where to go when you turn on the shutdown. Because we used to employ someone before, and their their job was to get these people shut down, and he was very, very good at it. Um the issue is the next day they're set up again with a different different web address.

SPEAKER_07 19:24

Yeah, you're just constantly fighting the same people.

SPEAKER_06 19:27

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so I'll I'll be interested to see how it turned out and whether they managed to get anyone shut down. I mean, so I I know there was this big reveal and I know it's not piracy, but it is in a way. There was this big unmasking and big reveal of the masked magician in Italy or wherever he was, the one that's teaching all these tricks. What did that do?

SPEAKER_07 19:53

Nothing.

SPEAKER_06 19:53

Nothing. Literally nothing. He's still doing it, still got the mask on, still getting his views. So you know it's um yeah, it's a hard one. It's a hard one. And it does affect us. It affects every company financially. Um and in the long run it could help people releasing products because obviously if if they're not getting the income from that investment, then it will eventually stop them investing in, bringing new magic out. That hurts us all. It's a it's a serious subject. For for a small niche market, the magic is probably more serious because we've only got you know X amount of people in our industry. Unlike, you know, uh piracy on every level is is not good. Um but obviously if Disney lost a thousand ticket sales for for going to see a movie, that's not gonna affect them as much as us losing a hundred, you know, on ours, which would be pretty devastating financially. But yeah.

SPEAKER_07 21:19

Um it's starting to seep into real world as well, because I I was at a gig a couple of months ago, and there were some young people there, and I was doing some magic for them, and this girl turned to me and said, Aren't you gonna show us how it's done now? That's like those cool guys on TikTok. And you're like, No, no, I'm not. Oh, oh, you're not good enough to teach us how it's done, and things like that. And it's comments like that, and it's like, you know, that's that's the real world for them now, that's normal normalized for them.

SPEAKER_06 21:53

Yeah, and and do you know the other thing is as well, is um the the type of Tricks that they are exposing are pretty much self-workers. Um but they make it look so simple as well.

SPEAKER_07 22:17

It's like the Master Magician, wasn't it? I mean, the Master Magician was by far the worst magic ever on TV, not just because they revealed it, but because he was so inane and such a bad performer, and Mitch Valegy, the guy from The X-Files who was narrating it, yeah, was wording it in such a way that you know he was making it sound uh it was just awful.

SPEAKER_06 22:43

It devalues it all. It just it you know, even when you look at when you look at the the Master Magician, the Italian guy, he sort of does the trick, expose it, and then he goes as if like it was nothing. It's n it's nothing. It that's all it is. It really devalues it. And it does uh make us when we're outperforming, if someone's watched that sort of stuff, it sort of uh I don't know, it it just makes it look like nothing. You know, we're just getting a tube and whatever it might be, but yeah, it it's not good uh for for the industry on any level, I think. Um and I've had it before, not recently, but I remember years ago, and this would have been off the back of The Master Magician in America. I used to perform a card trick that used or not had a similar premise, let's say, to cigarette through coin. Right. And I did the card trick and instantly the guy went that's got um that's got a so-and-so behind it, like that coin that guy did on thingy. Now, even though it's a completely different trick, and I did sort of say, Oh no, no, no, it hasn't, there's your card. Have a look at it, which threw him off, but instantly his mind went there. You know, it it's yeah, it is quite um quite worrying.

SPEAKER_07 24:27

It makes it harder for you know for performers of any level, yeah, because now you've got to justify what you're doing, you know, and and overly prove you're not doing the method that they've seen on some show or some video. Um especially with the younger people, because they're the one who watch TikTok.

SPEAKER_06 24:47

Yeah, but this is where I think entertainment comes into it. Because, you know, when you're watching these guys exposing the stuff, they are just doing the trick. There's no presentation, there's no anything. It's like, here's the trick, here's how it's done, here's the trick, here's how it's like a conveyor belt. It's just like boom boom boom boom boom. Um whereas when you perform magic, hopefully you're entertaining with it and captivating with it, you can captivate the audience and keep their attention, entertain them, make them laugh. And the trick is, as we've said, is secondary to to how how you deliver it. Really. Yeah, it's um I I'll but getting back to to the documentary, I I can't wait to watch it. I'll be very interested to see. I mean, I I presume it's gonna be very dramatized and everything. Because let let's be fair, apart from us magicians, who else cares about magic exposure? Not many people, so they're gonna have to dramatize it to make it high stakes.

SPEAKER_07 26:04

I think it's gonna be uh be interesting to watch. Yeah, I'm sure they'll they'd have they'd have dramatised elements of it. Talking of entertainment though. Yes, sir. Anybody's out there gigging at the moment, if you are out gigging at any point over next week, make sure you're protecting yourself because of the weather. Um how do you protect yourself, Wayne? Well, the trouble is, is I don't like wearing a baseball cap or anything like that, and I'm not quite old enough to put off an Indiana James style. Don't you usually you usually sort of cover your eyes? But if the sun's in my eyes, that's a problem because I'm trying to perform. Yeah. And of course, a good performer will always position themselves so the sun is behind the people, so they're not squinting. So you'll position yourself as so you've got the sun in your eyes, not in their eyes. So with that in mind, and right now Tracy shaking her head, I know she's watching this. With that in mind, I give you to keep the sun out of my eyes.

SPEAKER_06 27:08

That is genius, and you don't have to use your hand, you can use your hand for your cards.

SPEAKER_07 27:13

I'm the first time I pick a card, there we go, yeah, put it back, that's all right. There we go.

SPEAKER_06 27:18

Professional. Do you know what? Sometimes, Wayne, sometimes you do, especially with me. I don't know if you're the same, with headgear. Sometimes you think, does it suit me? Will I look a bit silly? But that you don't even notice. No, you literally don't notice it's there.

SPEAKER_07 27:39

It's there, it just does its job, it's protecting me from the sunshine. And it's genius.

SPEAKER_06 27:45

Because we all know the hand is the best thing to shade your eyes from the sun. There we go. Yeah, genius. Look at that as uh Joseph said, brilliant and stylish. There you go. There you go. You yeah, you never fail to amaze me, Wayne.

SPEAKER_07 28:09

Tracy, when me and Tracy first got together and I showed her some of the jokes I was doing, she her literal words were, you're a very brave performer. But you know, why not? Yeah, it's gotta be done. So right. Yeah, thank you. Just for shaking hands if you're a homophobe, if you're um uh uh what's it called? Um what's the phobe of a um germaphobe? Germophobe. Um if you're a germophobe and you don't want to shake their hands, they can just shake their as well. So, oh here we go.

SPEAKER_06 28:54

I love how Wayne has issues with baseball hats and brimmed hats, but he'll wear that. The thing is, no one notices that. No, it's like perfect camouflage. It's just you know, I I must admit Wayne was speaking to me for 20 minutes today and I didn't know, so he had to point it out.

SPEAKER_08 29:14

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 29:15

It's so subtle. It is subtle and it's just but it doesn't it's it's functional. Yeah, it's functional. Also, it's not a hat, so I don't have to take it off when I go inside. Right? So if I'm inside the conservatory, it's still bright, I can keep wearing it. Whereas you should take a hat off when you go inside. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 29:36

Um, uh hang on, we've got a a question here.

SPEAKER_07 29:44

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 29:46

Uh could you tell me what you think of this walk around set I've come up with? Grandma's Miracle Charged Up and Imagine. That is powerful.

SPEAKER_07 29:56

Well, let's let's break it down. First of all, Grandma's Miracle, great trick, happens in their hands. Yep. So it it's a it's a great, a great one. Very simple to do, simple for them to understand. Your nice story behind it if you put a story behind it. That's a really, really good opener. Uh, charged up, as many of you will know, um, is one of my favourite effects at the moment. I use it all the time. Um, I am going to be filming. I'm so sorry, Peter, I've not done this or just not had a chance, but I'm going to film, which will include with your um Alexandra account if you own it. Um, a short video, it'll be very short, but it will just detail the jokes that I've come up with that I use with the cards. So you don't have to use them, but they're there as an option if you do. Um, charged up is great. Again, partially happens in their hands. A great, a great trick to uh you know, for the middle section, again with a great storyline. Yeah. And imagine, I mean, it says it all, imagine is great. You're using the spectators, uh, you can use multiple spectators for it. Um, a very visual, very powerful trick.

SPEAKER_06 31:00

Yeah, and it's a great closer if you turn the deck blank at the end. There we go.

SPEAKER_07 31:06

Also, also, because I don't have sets when I'm performing. I you know, I haven't I know what I'm gonna I've got on me and I do it that way. But any of these three could be switched out with another similar powerful effect, you know, they they blend together nicely, but they're not exclusively together like that. So you could change that if you decide, oh, I've done Grandma's Miracle charged up with that. Bloke might have watched me when I was doing Imagine. Okay, we can put something else, you can put Knock'em Dead in there or something like that in there, and you've got an equally a strong, a strong set as well. Yeah, I like it.

SPEAKER_06 31:40

And and it's it's a good set as well, because everything feels completely different. Yes. Feels completely different. You know, you've got that lovely trick with the two ropes, get them examined, the three little balls getting them examined, do the trick, then the credit card thing, um, and then imagine it they all feel completely different. So they're gonna feel as if you've had or they've seen a lot of magic with a lot of different skill sets, even though none of those are hard tricks to do, they're all you know, the um grandma's miracle, when they think back, that's a rope trick. You know, the credit card thing is pickpocketing, and uh imagine is mind reading. It it's you've got three lovely different bits of magic there. So I'd say it's a that's a strong set, and that should get you some really good reactions as well. Um, and a lot of it's like Wayne said, it's happening in their hands, which is always a bonus. Yeah, always a bonus. That's a that's a great one. Great one. Um let me have a look.

SPEAKER_07 32:56

You'll have to uh come back on Arch and let us know uh how it goes when you when you take it out and use it.

SPEAKER_06 33:03

Yeah. If it flows nicely, yeah, 100%. 100%. So we have got Hey, it's little Jamie Dawes has just walked in. Hello, we're on the live Jamie Dawes.

SPEAKER_01 33:17

I realised, but I thought I'd crash it quickly. Only to offer you a cold drink. Would you like a cold beverage from the cafe?

SPEAKER_06 33:22

No, I've got a hot beverage here.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

Weirdo. I don't, I don't Hello Wayne.

SPEAKER_07 33:28

He never offers me anything. Hi, Jamie.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

I don't know what abuse he's saying to me, but I'm gonna ignore it.

SPEAKER_06 33:35

Alright, see you in a minute. Um, right, so let me just say this. The last couple of weeks have been really exciting for me. For two reasons. Firstly, after a few years off the market, this is back in stock. I have got um the trailer for this. Shall we take a look? Yeah, then we can talk about it a bit. So let's take a look at this. Turn to the very front page of the book. There's going to be a list of countries. Hopefully, there's a country by your number. If there isn't, just make up a country, any country you like. Have you got a country in your mind?

SPEAKER_01 34:16

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 34:16

Brilliant. Close the book and pop the book down. Um, have you ever been to the country before? You have. Have you been to the capital city? Okay, so I want you to imagine what the capital city is like. Is that the only thing? So that is the world famous, the OG, the Bitbook by Scott Creasey. Now, I will tell you, I have used a bitbook in every single performing scenario. Mix and mingle, close up, parlor, and even on stage. It's so strong. So strong.

SPEAKER_07 36:40

Well, shameless plug. Yeah. I um I built my effect uh picture perfect around the bit book. So I it's a standalone trick and it comes with its own alternative ways of doing it. But when I built it, I had the oh I had the bit book in mind for it. So when I perform it in performance, I use the bitbook. Um because it's just so strong. Yeah, I love it. Um I'm over the moon. I've got a couple of bit books, but it now means that I can get more if I need to.

SPEAKER_06 37:13

The the the nice thing about it, I mean, when I do it walk around, and this has been part of my set for 20 years since it came out. And in a walk-around situation, it's great because I can get four people or five people each to look at a book, each to remember something, and I just read their minds like this. Um, if I'm doing it in stand-up, I use it as a tossed out deck. So I toss the book out at someone, they open it, remember something, toss it at someone else, open it, remember saying, toss it at someone else, open it, remember saying. And the beauty of this is I can genuinely tell them what they're thinking of rather than the standard tossed out deck where you go, okay, I'm gonna name three cars, but if I named your cars, sit down, boom. This time I can take my time and read their mind. I can go into a drawing dupe for the N1 if I want to. Um, so it's something that is so small, so practical, so easy, but so versatile. If you need a one-ahead for a mental epic or something like that, this is a really ingenious way of just getting into that one-ahead position as well. Um, so I'm really pleased that we finally got those back in stock. This is a product that um many people ask about on a regular basis. So these are finally back. Um, and they've been our second best seller this month, to be fair, even though it's that old. And the other thing that got me really excited, which was our best seller of this month, is this bad boy. Um now, actually, let's watch a little performance of this, and then we'll talk a bit more about it. So, for this, um, a couple of years ago, probably about four years ago, when we released the 25th anniversary edition, three or four years ago, um, Nick Le Capo came over to the stand at Blackpool. I'd done it on him, fulled the pants off him. He immediately bought one. As soon as he got back to America, he sent me this video of him performing it. So let's take a look at this.

SPEAKER_04 39:37

Whatever you want. No, you do that. Okay. Right there. Three space. Did you feel like you had a free choice there? I do feel like I had a free choice, yeah. Well, I wanted to just talk towards the beginning of the deck because I there was something in the bottom half I didn't want you to see. Yeah. That was that card. Okay.

SPEAKER_08 40:08

Oh god, man. Also what it is after.

SPEAKER_06 40:17

That we cut that short because it does end up with some swearing. That's that's yeah, I mean that's that's what you get. Yeah, it's so honestly uh, this is probably the the sort of foundation to Alakazam and our products. This was one of my first releases through Alakazam, probably my third release, third or fourth, but this was the one that put my name on the map as a creator um with magicians worldwide. But with this version that has just come in, this has been custom printed by the US PCC. So this is the first time that this deck has come to us sealed from the US PCC and ready to go. Nice. It's yeah, they're they're beautiful. So these are back in stock now. We released, we re-released this maybe three years ago, and it became our best-selling product of the year, and it sold out very, very quickly. They were very hard for us to make to collate all the cards to get the printing done for you know the bits we needed printing. Um, and then eventually we just come to the decision: look, you know, let's just get them custom done by bicycle, get them done at bicycles factory on rider back. Um, and that's what we have here now. So these are back in stock, knock them dead. Um, they're in stock, and they have been since we put them up again, they've become our best-selling products of the year, and it's not surprising, it's just such a great workable effect. Yeah, if you want a one and done, you're not going to get any stronger than knock 'em dead. It's so direct, so simple, and you don't have to really do anything, and it's all in their hands. So they're on uh the site now. So that's two reasons. I have been very, very excited this month.

SPEAKER_07 42:34

So we can do that as a regular feature. Pardon? Are we gonna do that as a regular feature?

SPEAKER_06 42:40

What's got me excited this month?

SPEAKER_07 42:42

Yeah, what's got you excited this month?

SPEAKER_06 42:44

We can do actually, because I'm trying to think what else has come in that's got me really excited. Um, but those two in particular are oh wow, look at this, Ian Raymond Walker. Um, this was the first trick I purchased from Alexam on Peter's advice about 29 years ago. Very nice. And I will ask Ian, I dread to ask, but was it good advice?

SPEAKER_07 43:19

This could go one of either way. Yeah, one of the yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:25

Thank you very much. Um, yeah, let's see what Ian has to say about that. Um, but while we're here, if you joined us late, remember to join us tonight at seven o'clock. Um as we have the live launch of this piece of beautiful piece of equipment. So um make sure you join us.

SPEAKER_07 43:55

What size what size are those cards? Are they uh playing?

SPEAKER_06 43:58

They are parlors. So they're bigger than parlor size. Would you like me to pop over there, Wayne?

SPEAKER_07 44:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 44:05

Okay. Here I go. Now, obviously you need walking. If you walk in here now, that will be great, right? Hang on a minute. Um, oh, I'll take this with me so I can still hear you. But obviously my audio will start to drop a bit because I'm walking away from my mic.

SPEAKER_07 44:28

Well done. I'm just gonna say thank you to Jamie for dropping this over to me.

SPEAKER_06 44:33

So I've got in my pocket a second card. That is a playing card.

SPEAKER_07 44:47

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 44:49

So it's a basic size card, it's sort of size card.

SPEAKER_07 45:02

Yeah, it's lovely. That's gonna be seen from the from the you know yeah. If you're doing color, they're gonna be able to see that.

SPEAKER_06 45:21

But it's equally as visible. Um it's just a lovely piece of kit as well. Just looks really good on stage.

SPEAKER_07 45:37

And we should we should reiterate that that they get everything you see on the screen there is what you're getting. Yeah so you're getting the cards, the stand, everything.

SPEAKER_06 45:46

It's not and it's all cased as well, in a lovely hard case, all in its own little foam cut out, so it won't be damaged. And that all comes apart as well. It's an ingenious design by Drew Perry. So Drew Perry makes every unit. It's a really nice design. There's you can't see it on this uh video, on this caption here, but on the back, there's sort of a plastic bin that you can use during performance to dump the cards that aren't in use, or you can use them to carry the cards. It all sort of screws on and unscrews. You set this up in two minutes, break it down in two minutes. Um, but you can uh you can put that bin on there, or you don't have to have the bin on there. But it's a great little dumping area if you're doing stuff with these cards or the other cards. Once their selections made, you just dump the other ones away. You know, very, very good. Very, very good. Um, so that is uh Deadly Connection that is being launched tonight at seven o'clock, and we have got stock both here in the UK and in America, but it is limited stock with these. I would say we've got less than 40 units, probably. Overall. So um yeah. Uh let me have a look because I think first trigger I've heard.

SPEAKER_07 47:22

I've just had a message from my mother-in-law, she likes my hat.

SPEAKER_06 47:29

So Ian Raymond Walker said, You didn't initially tell me it was by you. I asked who it was by, and you said Pete and Ardy. Then I ended the call by asking your name, and and your unbiased uh your unbiased advice fell into place. He said it's still one of my favourite tricks. Wow, that's top phase coming from uh for mean. Yeah, yeah, certainly is.

SPEAKER_07 47:58

Certainly is I can see we've also joined by Mr. Craig Petty.

SPEAKER_06 48:04

Hey. He was Craig's just been out in Columbus. I do know the teacher. We say this every single time, right? We do say it, and I say it to Craig all the time. I don't know how you do it. And and the thing is, I'm sure people don't understand the gravity of that statement. Because in life we're all busy. I mean, I'm busy, you're busy, we're all busy, but I've never met anyone as busy as Craig Petty. I I genuinely don't think I've ever met anyone as busy as Craig.

SPEAKER_07 48:43

I thought I was really busy, right? I've always got shows, I'm doing Alakazan work, I'm doing Wayne Goodman Magic Shop.

SPEAKER_06 48:50

I will say, anyone that watches this podcast can relate to you always being busy because you're you're either always lounging on your sofa or you're in the pub having to get through that big jug of godfathers. So I think we're all with you with that, Wayne.

SPEAKER_07 49:08

But I am. I'm always I've always got something going on. But then, and I've got a daughter who admittedly is almost an adult and taking care of herself a lot of the time. But Craig's got two young, youngish children. Um, so he's got Rylan and Thea, who, even though she's I think she's 11 or 12 now, is still uh a young child, yeah. Um schooling at Ryland's only a couple of years older, yeah, and now heading into like exam sort of season. Um he's he's also got Sarah, his wife, who works equally as hard as he does. Yeah, but then he's he's always in Blackpool, he's always in Columbus, he's always here, he's always there. And I don't know when he gets time to sleep, eat.

SPEAKER_06 49:54

Well, he doesn't. I I tell you when he gets time to sleep, right? When Craig's down here, and this is the honest truth, right? When Craig's here, he will be working nonstop. He'll if if we're in the shop, if we've got a shoot going on, Craig will come in in the morning, he'll grab a piece of paper, he'll grab a pen, he'll lock himself in the studio here, and he'll just start writing. Writing notes, writing notes, writing notes. Then we will do the filming. And anyone that knows one of Craig's projects, you know he leaves no stone unturned. So he goes through everything. In the evening, we go out for dinner, that's when he dozes off. Honestly, he he will doze off at the dinner table, and then if we're out performing after that, he'll be awake. So the only time he even mentions feeling tired, he I've never once heard him, while he's working, say, you know, I'm shattered, I need to stop, I need a rest, I need this, I need that. He just boom does it, and when he has his 10 minutes down time, that's his power nap time, and it's like, yeah, it's incredible. I I I can't I can't do it.

SPEAKER_07 51:20

I I there's something else about Craig as well, and this this is gonna sound a bit harsh to begin with, but then you've got to realise anybody who knows Craig will know this. But when I'm down at the shop, if Craig's coming down to film, as soon as he comes into the shop, he'll say hello, obviously. He's very friendly, but he's all business, and he's telling me about the tricks that he's gonna be doing, and then he's showing me the tricks he's gonna be doing, and it's all there's no banter, there's no idle chit-chat, maybe a couple of seconds, but you know, it's all business. He's he's he's so focused on it, yeah. That's why you get so much on the videos because he's he's got it all here, it's all ready to go, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 52:02

Um, yeah, and I know he was Penguin flew him out to Columbus. I think he said to me he was filming like nine projects or ten projects, and I mean we work him hard, but I don't think we're anywhere near Penguin's level of work.

SPEAKER_07 52:22

But then but then if you've got if you've got that number, you know, you've only got a finite amount of time, yeah. But yeah, I'd I'd be saying, like, yeah, can I get an extra week on that?

SPEAKER_06 52:31

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. So um, hello, Craig, by the way. Um, so that's somewhat of bringing us almost to the end of uh this live. But there is a comment that's just come in. Was watching uh Chris Congreve's uh video, I don't know what it's Stella Stellar Magic Box review or something, and he mentioned he picked up the Shadow 2. Please tell, please, please. Um if you are going to Magic Live, we will have some pre-release copies of the Shadow 2 with us. Um if not, I believe it's coming out in November. Um but that's all I'm saying about it. Apart well, I'll say one more thing. It is genius. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 53:37

Genius, absolutely. Even when I knew how it was done, I didn't know how it was done. Because I was playing with it, and you went, oh, you just do that. And I'm like, oh my god, is that it? And you're like, Yeah, you just do that. There's nothing else to do. And I'm like, I can't get my head around this. This is not it shouldn't it shouldn't be that easy or that good.

SPEAKER_06 53:58

We had quite a um well-known magician in a few weeks ago, and Harry showed him the shadow too, and showed him how to to do what needs to be done. So he's sitting there doing it, going, Ice, ingenious, ice great, this great. Oh my god, it's brilliant, it's brilliant. And he's just talking about it. Then he went, Where do I put the batteries? And we went, what batteries? And he went, What are they? We went, we don't need batteries. He went, Well, how's it working then? And he was doing it on himself. He thought he was flicking a switch. That that's all I'm saying. I'm not saying anything else.

SPEAKER_07 54:40

I thought the same thing. I thought it was electric. And now he went, electrics. It's just a wallet. Yeah. And yeah, yeah. Come November. I I can't think of anything better to get yourself as a little Christmas present than the Shadow 2.

SPEAKER_06 54:58

Yeah, and I will say this is something that D Christopher, it's a 1914 product, and um, it's the brainchild of D Christopher. He showed me a video of this maybe three years ago, um, and it never went into production. Now, obviously, when we bought the 1914, this was part of their catalogue. Um, and as soon as we saw it, and it the reason I believe it didn't go into production was because one part of it had to use a specific manufacturer, and it it it it's not cheap. Let me just say that. This part of it for what it is, it is not cheap, it has to go through this manufacturer and everything else. Um but when I saw it and we we got hold of it, I said, like, I I we just have to bring it out. It's ingenious, it it changes the game.

SPEAKER_07 56:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 56:08

So um, yeah, that's all I'm gonna say about it. Um, so yeah, if you're coming to Magic Live, come over and see it. We're gonna have some pre-release copies with us. Uh, and I I guarantee they'll sell super fast because it it's it's flipping genius, really, really is. Um, so yeah, come over and see us if you're going to Magic Live.

SPEAKER_07 56:30

Um I just quickly for that, because I know I'll get a couple of people emailing now. If you go onto the 1914 site, you will not be able to see it on there yet. Yeah. So when we talk about these tricks, a lot of people say I get an email in for Nilakazam saying, Um, you talk about this, I can't find it on the site. It's not available to see on the site until it's launched. So, yeah, just keep an eye on the site. The best thing to do is to sign up for the newsletters because as soon as something is coming out, you will get an email.

SPEAKER_06 56:59

Yeah. Um let me have a look. Oh, Danny Rag said I know the one now.

SPEAKER_07 57:18

I think Danny was with me in the shop when you showed it to me. It was the day after the convention.

SPEAKER_06 57:23

Yeah, I think Danny was there with me when um Yeah, so Danny Rag has seen it in person. Um let me see what else is happening.

SPEAKER_07 57:41

Is there anything apart from tonight's live launch, is there anything else happening this week? Uh no, that's it.

SPEAKER_06 57:48

But I will say the live launch, join us for that, and we will be finished in time for England playing tonight. So the live launch will start at seven, should be finished by about eight o'clock. So you're gonna have plenty of time to get ready for the match.

SPEAKER_07 58:03

So also, if you've got an extra spare bit of time, uh go and check out Guy Hollingsworth's Desert Island Tricks.

SPEAKER_06 58:11

Oh, yes, brilliant.

SPEAKER_07 58:13

Brilliant. So I've I've I've had a few people ask me about that in the emails as well. Uh all the previous Desert Island tricks are available on on uh YouTube. So you can um you can go and listen to all of them.

SPEAKER_06 58:27

I've done what any podcast uh podclas um podcast platform, they're all available there, the whole back catalogue. Um, yeah, Danny was with us. Oh, I did see it the day after the convention, yeah. Nice, yeah. It's so so cool. I really can't wait. Can't can't wait. We've got some bangers coming out for the second part of the year.

SPEAKER_07 58:57

Well, Harry, Harry was talking, and I know you told me last week as well, the the lineup you've got for Magic Live is astounding.

SPEAKER_06 59:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 59:05

Uh if they all come in, if they all come in. Um, and then yeah, the second part of the year the releases look look amazing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 59:15

Well, the one we filmed last week, we will have some units if things go to plan at Magic Live, but the official release won't be till Blackpool 2027. So nice. Um yeah. That's uh that's one I really I can't wait to see. That's that's so good. So so good. So good. Um right, so that is it for this week's podcast e live thingy, Majig. I'm gonna start the name for it out.

SPEAKER_07 59:55

You are I'm glad we've got a nice, concise name for her.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm gonna be setting up now for tonight's live stream and live product launch.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:09

Just remind people for the next two weeks, there won't be a Tuesday live podcast for me.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:16

Yes, no Tuesday live from uh for next Tuesday or the Tuesday after because I'm away, but we will be back after that. So um until then, Wayney. I'll see you soon. Thank you all so much for joining us. Bye for now.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:34

Hi, Peter and Audi here, and I really hope you enjoyed that podcast. I just wanted to make you know that Alex Lam have their own app. You can download it from the App Store or the Google Play Store. By downloading the app, it will make your shopping experience even quicker at Alex Lam. You'll be exclusive in Apple and in Live Street. So go download it now, and we will see you on the next podcast.