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"Six Things Every Mentalist Should Learn From George Thorogood & Los Straitjackets"

Want to be a better entertaining mentalist? Watch highly entertaining performers from other fields and apply their success models to your own act.

It's that simple.

Every year, for the past eleven years, Ottawa hosts "Bluesfest". It's the largest blues festival in Canada and brings in some of the greatest blues players around. Big greats. I got to see Ray Charles and his huge band, for example.

This year they brought back George Thorogood and the Destroyers to open up the festival. What a great performer. Great music and highly entertaining. (If you aren't familiar with Thorogood, check out his official site here).

Also saw a surf guitar act called Los Straitjackets. Killer act. These guys can play authentic surf guitar AND they are one of the most entertaining acts I have ever seen. Period.

Dressed in black with matching guitars, Mexican Wrestling masks, and choreographed moves... they had us laughing and dancing and having a blast. (If you aren't familiar with Los Straitjackets, check out their official site here).

Here's six things you could learn watching these acts:

1. Be Different With Your Mentalism Act

Thorogood is a rock/bluesman. No question. He does dress up in black. But he puts his own twist and personality into his act. He carries a load of guitars in his full show and constantly switches. The left side of the stage has about 10 guitars ready for his own use. Different.

Los Straitjackets, according to what I'm told, were always great. But when you perform instrumental-only music, there really isn't anything different about them.

Until they dressed up in all-black, with black sneakers and Mexican wrestling masks!

That's different. It stands out and is memorable.

For mentalists, you gotta break out of the ultra-serious "let's all dress in black and act like we're on drugs like David Blaine" mentality.

Seriously, aren't YOU sick of mentalists with their stereotypical hand to the forehead, furrowed brow and black outfit. Be different. Stand out.

2. Please Your Audience, Not Yourself When Performing Mentalism

I recently watched a DVD of a British mentalist teaching a few effects to other mentalists. I won't mention the name, but it was the worst piece of trash I have ever seen in a long time. Brutal.

Clearly, the guy performs stuff that HE likes, HE enjoys and HE thinks is interesting.

Unfortunately, his spectators were BORED out of their minds... and these were friends!

Thorogood comes onstage to entertain folks with the music THEY want to hear. The man bends over backwards to make them enjoy the music and have a few laughs.

It's all an act.

He "plays" the hard drinking women-chaser, while being married and a conservative drinker. He says "I'm gonna do everything I can to get arrested tonight", yet does nothing bad enough to even remotely get fined.

He entertains and pleases the audience. He gets an encore and pleases them more.

Los Straitjackets play great music to entertain their audiences. They are tremendous fun to watch.

Are you entertaining YOUR audience or are you doing stuff that only amuses you?

If you want to be successful, you'll focus on the audience and give them what they want. Period.

3. Classics Of Mentalism Rock

Thorogood and Los Straitjackets have a TON of music to choose from. They could each play, I'm sure, for five hours without repeating a tune.

But, when they perform live, they do the classics.

Thorgood does "One bourbon, one scotch, one beer", "Get a haircut", "The sky is crying", etc.

Stuff that audiences want to hear. Thorogood classics.

Classics.

That's the key.

A young and eager magician approached me recently asking for advice about mentalism. He asked me about some of the latest tricks on the market.

"Forget them", I said, "and learn the classics."

Illusionist Stan Kramien has a book out called "The Illusion Show Business". It's a FABULOUS book. Although geared to magicians wanting to tour, it holds a lot of good advice for any performer.

He admonishes magicians to learn and USE the classics. His theory is that they are classics for a reason... audiences love them.

Think about it. Isn't that good enough reason to use them?

To open my college tour last year, I opened with a magic effect called the Multiplying Bottles. It's a classic and had the audience in hysterics and amazement. Classic.

Book tests, Q&A, Blindfolds, etc., are classics for a reason. No need for new stuff. Give audiences what they want. Give them the classics.

4. Simple Material Works Best With Mentalism

This will be hard to convey as you really need to see these acts to understand it. I'll try my best.

Both Thorogood and Los Straitjackets used simple material.

I mean, some of the stuff would be technically hard to do/play, but they essentially used simple material to entertain.

Both acts worked without much props, didn't do anything complicated or hard to understand or follow. The material was all very simple and uncomplicated.

This gives a clearer path to entertainment, allows you to enjoy them more, and most of all remember them.

That's why mentalism is such a great vehicle. You don't need much to entertain. You shouldn't complicate things with stupid props like a mental epic board or other such bizarre material. (And don't ever do a three part prediction... man, they suck!).

Keep it simple. Use simple material.

5. Interact with the audience.

Some of the best and most memorable mentalism moments I have ever had have been when there has been interaction with the audience.

So many of the mentalists I have seen get flustered if something happens in the audience that's "not in the script".

Audiences badly want to interact and have FUN.

Thorogood had the audience singing along, had call backs and plenty of fun things going on.

Los Straitjackets didn't do much talking, but their act was hilarious and uniquely interactive.

Mentalism by nature is interactive. Get your audience involved and encourage it. Roll with the "disruptions" and make them into BIG THINGS. You'll have more fun, the audience will have more fun... and you'll probably be booked more and make more money!

Speaking of money...

6. Market Like Crazy

T-shirts were $35 each. Lots of styles to choose from.

These acts ALL had merchandise to sell. And sell they did.

I lost count how many Thorogood shirts there were.

Mentalism lends itself well to marketing products. Robert Nelson probably put more mentalists on the map than anyone with pitch books.

I have a pitch book from Rajah Raboid who made millions with his mindreading act years ago. He had offices with women answering the questions mailed into him.

Professional speakers do it. Rock Stars do it. Broadway shows do it. They all sell souvenirs. You should too.

Profit from it. The "back end" can often make you a small fortune.

Portable Ideas You Can Use

All of the above ideas are portable. You can use one or all of them.

In NLP, this is called modelling. Find someone successful, find out what they do so well and model it. Most often, this will in turn make YOU successful too.

Why do you think Burger King sets up shop across the street from McDonalds?

Success to you!

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