The final show got off to a good start with Tim Kole being produced on top of a giant fan (this fooled me) and then performing the Head Mover and an illusion where a woman penetrated a sheet of metal. He was joined onstage by his father Andre who spoke for a while about God and peanuts then they both performed an illusion called “Convergence” that I have never seen before but didn’t seem like the best finish for the act.

Compere for the evening was Noel Britten who is very familiar to British magic convention audiences. Noel always writes some new topical material when in front of magicians and I wanted to shake his hand after a very funny gag about staying at the Luxor.

Greg Kennedy the juggler had some novel ideas including bouncing the balls at an angle off two boards forming a V shape and juggling within a cone. His performance was a little on the flat side. I think I was spoiled the last time I came to MAGIC Live! as the two juggling acts I saw were Anthony Gatto and The Passing Zone who are both absolutely first rate.

Luis de Matos performed two spots – firstly a short hindu sands routine then a floating microphone stand done to “It’s oh so quiet” by Bjork.

Arthur Trace did a rope routine, a misers dream with two buckets connected with a length of rope (creating a kind of jumbo string telephone). He finished with Kevin James’s floating rose but with a bee-based presentation. Arthur may have been asked to do this act so that they had a patter act in the show but it didn’t quite work in the big showroom. He has an act with manipulation to jazz music that would probably have gone down better.

Finally Vegas local Joseph Gabriel with his bird act finishing with the production of two big parrots. A solid, classy act and the standout in what was a pretty average show. Incidentally I believe Richard McDougall was meant to be in this show but he was cut as his act uses a cigarette and this was considered a risk considering the fire alarm went off in the first show.

Although someone needs to tell the lighting guy that you don’t need to turn the house lights up every time the performer on stage addresses someone in the audience!!

Rob James is a close up magician from the UK. He co-founded The Session convention and has performed all over the UK and Europe, Dubai and on two occasions at the Magic Castle.