Reviewed by Bill Hammersley:

There were 8 competitors taking part in this year’s European Close-Up Championship. All the competitors performed there act 3 times, in the Baronial Room, the Rennaissance Room, and the Spanish Hall. All these locations were well attended, with numerous supporters of each competitor.

I was in the Spanish Hall and the first act on was Marcus Taylor from the UK. Marcus opened with a nice colour changing joker routine, which finished with a colour changing full deck. He then performed an ace routine, followed by signed aces into pockets. A transposition effect followed with aces and numbered cards. He closed with a blank card and seven’s cards routine, which lead to a wild card routine with a blank deck finish. A good solid performance.

Craig Petty from the UK was the next performer. Craig opened with a lovely Three Fly routine with silver dollars. These coins changed into chinese coins, which vanished and re-appeared with the aid of a card case. A David Roth multiple coin production using a casino routine followed, with more coins being produced from his sleeve. He then did a card sandwich effect with a camera theme, with a blank deck finish. Craig concluded his act with a shrink wrap card effect with a sealed deck cardbox finish. A very good performance, worthy of consideration for a place.

Jean Emmanuel Franzis from France was the next competitor. Jean performed a variety of Three Fly coin routines to music, with a multiple coin production to finish. He also performed some nice coin work changing silver dollars to old english pennies with the use of a silver cup. Jean finished his act on a coin routine naming various magicians with a T J Downs coin spread to finish. A solid performance.

Rob James from the UK was the next competitor. Rob opened his act with his thoughts on tape as he performed. This was very funny and highly entertaining. He not only demonstrated card skills in producing 4 aces, but completely fooled all those in the room when had apparently dropped the last ace, only to produce another one from the deck, with funny lines to match. An iPod routine with selection song followed. Rob closed his act using a clapometer on his computer to record good/bad jokes as he did a card routine. Highly original and very inventive. He must be considered for at least a place.

Dai Hewga, who despite his first name was from Japan. Dai performed card and coin routines, which were good solid performances throughout.

Andrew James from the UK was the next competitor. Andrew opened with a chocolate coin production routine, and then eat each chocolate coin as he produced them. A nice coin purse routine with a Wonka chocolate coin theme followed. A crisp routine followed with floating Hola Hoops which Andrew eat. Andrew finished with a 4 ace routine with cards to pocket, and lead to signed aces in sealed cake box inside cake. A solid performance

Michael Jordan from the UK was the next competitor. Michael opened playing a guitar and sang his way through a card routine. An ESP prediction routine followed. A coins into glass effect was next by way of a rhyming poem. An origami routine was next. Michael finished with a card effect, producing the selected card via 16 normal sized cards, replicating a jumbo size version of the selected card. A few nice pieces, but I would lose the guitar in the future.

Giacomo De Carlo from Italy was the next competitor. Giacomo opened with a production of kings and then turned them into jacks. He followed with a World Cup footbal final theme with Italy against France, using card and coins. A good solid performance with an original theme, which was entertaining in some parts. A contender for a place.

Gary Williams from the UK was the last competitor. Gary opened with a Professors Nightmare rope routine. A card routine followed with a magic film theme. Gary finished with a coin melt routine.

There was a short interval and the winners were announced in reverse order.

3rd Place:- Jean Emmanuel Franzis

2nd Place:- Giacomo De Carlo

1st Place:- Dai Hewga

The judges were R G Smith - USA, Domenico Dante - Italy and Eric Eswin - Holland.

Perhaps for the future an audience voting system similar to that they had in place for this year’s European Children’s Entertainer competition could be considered. The votes could be numbered and in each registrants pack. Just a thought.

Rob James, Dai Hewga, Andrew James, Michael Jordan, Giacomo De Carlo, Gary Williams, Marcus Taylor, Craig Petty and Jean Emma Nuel Franzis competed for the title.

We’ll have more on this tomorrow as Bill Hammersly was reporting this whilst I was in the Mentalism Session, but in a complete shock result, our favourite and from what we hear one of the most original acts, Rob James, was unplaced, as was Craig Petty..

The Judges decided on 

1st Place = Dai Hewga
2nd Place = Giacomo De Carlo
3rd Place = Jean Emmanuel Franzis

David Blaine DID actually come to Blackpool Magicians Convention..

Spending time at all the dealers one by one, selecting effects and props, it was pretty busy where-ever he went, due to people asking for photos and generally hanging around, but he was polite, and posed for shots with pretty much anyone who wanted to have them.

What was on the list..? An instacube.. And lots of oohing over some of the alakazam items..

The Junior British Magical Close-up Championships was a new event for Blackpool this year, and the talent of the juniors was extremely high.
Tom Crosbie, Douglas Tilston, Jack Gleadow, Stephen Williams, and Jake Barlow all performed extremely well, personally I felt that Jack, who is just 14 was one of the most entertaining of them all, funny, skilled and extremely promising.

The results from the judges were:

1st Douglas Tilston
2nd Jack Gleadow
3rd Stephen Williams

Marc lectured to an standing room only Spanish hall, with every seat taken and many people standing around the sides of the room.

Marc covered a number of items, including a “mental epic” effect, a book test and other mentalism items.

Marc has the ability to make everything, however simple, look fantastic and polished and he showed this with a superb key on and off chain, explaining in detail the subtle handling for making the key appear and vanish from the chain.

The linking playing cards was also a joy to watch, the clean and show handling a complete fooler.

Marc also talked about his “hat” system of working on his act, through visionary, designer, assembler and similar “hats” each making him look at an effect on a different way and view point.

One of Marcs best pieces I think is where he calls for cards to be named from the audience, which he cuts to in the deck, allowing him to locate any card in re deck needed, he explained how the “master deck” worked, a wonderful method for any card at any number of other effects.

Sat in the audience was the ‘Druid Master’ Keith Barry

It was a fantastic lecture which was met with a great audience and response.

The registration desk opened bright (and early for some!) at 10am. As with all Blackpool conventions the registration was quick and efficient given the 3,000 registrants.

The program for the weekend looks, as expected fabulous, today the dealers opening at 1pm, the first lectures starting at 3pm, the line up for Friday is:

3pm - 4pm star lecture - latko
4:30pm - 5:30 star lecture - marco oberon
6pm - 7pm - star lecture - ian keable
6:30 - 7:30 - junior british magical closeup competition (good luck Jack Gleadow)
7:30 - 8:30 - star lecture Bruce Kalver
8 - 9:45 - European magical close up championship
9 - 10:15 - a mélange of mentalists - Wayne dobson, quentin Reynolds, Roy zaltsman, ian rowland, James randi
10pm dealers close
10pm presentation of the european close up championship
10:15-10:30 star close up performance by dr sawa
10:30 - 11:30 star lecture by dan and dave buck
10:45 - 11:45 star lecture by dirk losander