Keith Barry, Faker Baker or Talented?

Sizzler

Anybody ever seen this dude live? Went to see him last week and was impressed by some stuff but equally let down with other material.

Example of good material:

He picked out 2 punters from the audience entirely at random (using a toy gun with foam rockets) got one of them to hold a phone book and the other to record what was about to happen on a flipchart. Bascially he asked both of them to choose a number each, one person got to choose 2 numbers, then gave them the opportunity to change their mind, one person did the other didnt. So the guy at the flipchart writes down the 3 numbers and the girl with the phonebook opens the page that matches the 3 numbers they had both selected, she then selects a column on that page and Keith Barry moves his finger down the column till she says stop. She then calls out the number an the guy writes it down on the flipchart. There had been a banner on the stage rolled up and untouched may I add and when it was unravelled it matched the number that they had just picked from the phone book :eek: Impressive?!

Example of shíte material:

At the start of the show and after the interval he shouted out 2 peoples names from the audience and told them what their fav film was and also answered a question that they wanted to know the answer to (that they were supposed to be thinking of at that time). What he didnt mention was there was a guy outside the venue before the gig doing a "survey" asking the very same questions

quarryman

i declare shenanigans, again, for the 2nd time in 5 minutes.

o1s1n

Bah, just trying to do the whole David Blane/Derren Brown thing with "Irish charm". Went to his show about a year ago. Not impressed at all.

judas101

is it true that he had a cameo on one of the C.S.I.'s?

Basq

judas101 wrote:

is it true that he had a cameo on one of the C.S.I.'s?

Yeah.. played a murder suspect. Turned out his acting ability is about as convincing as his "magic"

connundrum

judas101 wrote:

is it true that he had a cameo on one of the C.S.I.'s?

.. and it was God awful. It made Kieth Duffy look like Oscar winning talent

As for whether he's good or not, meh! Some good tricks, but equally some awful ones that look like a typical setup. Impossible for a magician to give an excellent show IMO.

aphex™

Sizzler wrote:

Anybody ever seen this dude live? Went to see him last week and was impressed by some stuff but equally let down with other material.

Example of good material:

He picked out 2 punters from the audience entirely at random (using a toy gun with foam rockets) got one of them to hold a phone book and the other to record what was about to happen on a flipchart. Bascially he asked both of them to choose a number each, one person got to choose 2 numbers, then gave them the opportunity to change their mind, one person did the other didnt. So the guy at the flipchart writes down the 3 numbers and the girl with the phonebook opens the page that matches the 3 numbers they had both selected, she then selects a column on that page and Keith Barry moves his finger down the column till she says stop. She then calls out the number an the guy writes it down on the flipchart. There had been a banner on the stage rolled up and untouched may I add and when it was unravelled it matched the number that they had just picked from the phone book :eek: Impressive?!

Is this it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX9_8Kk2TIw
Magicians all use the same tricks because it would be virtually impossible to devise a show of entirely new material. They publish books and almost have this academic thing going. Derren brown uses the same trick but with newspapers, and again with a safe, shown 2 weeks ago on channel 4. Derren uses tricks 100 years old sometimes. He also has another writer who never appears on screen.


I really liked Keith's live show, it was a bit rough sometimes though. He did one trick where he asked 2 girls to write something on a piece of paper before the show and guessed it on stage. They wrote he was a sheep shagger on it in the girls loo, so would have been hard for him to spy. Brilliant.

Flukey

Well we all know, that whatever he does, it is a trick, as with all in his trade. Some of the tricks are good, but many are usually simple enough. It is all showmanship.

Chinafoot

I can't stand this guy. There's just something so detestable about him.

I like Darren Browne though. At least he puts forward his act for what it is - psychology.

Mossy Monk

basquille wrote:

Yeah.. played a murder suspect. Turned out his acting ability is about as convincing as his "magic"

lol

work hired him out for a work party one night and he was very good i thought. but his acting on csi was diabolical

Rabies

judas101 wrote:

is it true that he had a cameo on one of the C.S.I.'s?

Ya, the episode on the cruise ship. Watched it a few weeks ago. That episode wasn't much, but his acting 'ability' dragged it done even further.

I have never seen his show live, only on TV. Can't really comment on his stage performance.

I don't like him at all. I find his attempts at magic mediocre at best.

I actually met him in Galway a few years back. I had no idea who he was, but the people I were with recognised him and knowing of my love for magic approached him. He came across as being arrogant and started telling us about how he can catch a bullet. I did get to ask him, how was it that he was allowed to perform the trick in Dublin, yet Derren Brown was not allowed to play Russian Roulette over here. He never did answer.

Maybe we can get him to catch a real bullet, and fingers crossed it will go wrong.

Saint_Mel

Seen him on TV a few times and he just gives off the
impression of being a smug, arrogant git.

Voodu Child

Chinafoot wrote:

I like Darren Browne though. At least he puts forward his act for what it is - psychology.

Its not psychology..:rolleyes:

I dont like Keith Barry, i'd change the channel if he came on. He's just not very likeable, he character and patter are rubbish. He looks like a chubby 15 year old as well.

wheres me jumpa

Im not a big fan of his tricks. They tend to be over elaborate and ultimately an anti climax. The big problem for me is his personality, I just dont like him on the screen and maybe thats why I dont like his tricks.

faceman

Yeah i think he's piss poor too. The trick (lol) with being a modern day magician is get have great entertainment skills as most tricks have all been done before.

I hear he doesnt take crowd heckling too well either. Shouldnt be on stage so!

quickbeam

Oh dear, he's not very popular here is he? And I can't come to his defence because I saw him live and didn't think much of him either. Some tricks were okay, but a lot were quite obvious. I like Derren Brown better.

aphex™

quickbeam wrote:

Oh dear, he's not very popular here is he? And I can't come to his defence because I saw him live and didn't think much of him either. Some tricks were okay, but a lot were quite obvious. I like Derren Brown better.

Did you read my post? Derren's live show was developed by two people. Bit unfair to one guy to two people.

quickbeam

aphex&#8482 wrote:

Did you read my post? Derren's live show was developed by two people. Bit unfair to one guy to two people.

Okay, but the finished article is still better with Derren, no matter what the reason.

simu

Well, Americans seem to dig him. I find him a bit annoying myself, I must say.

Basq

simu wrote:

Well, Americans seem to dig him

I'd like to dig him...

a grave

! *

Hyuk hyuk... i'm here all week. Try the fish and please tip your waiter! :rolleyes:









* yes.. and with that joke, i've peaked!

rondeco

Someone's doing well for themselves. Quick, Lets bitch about him because we're not.

mountainyman

He is a talented faker. It isn't real magic. It is conjuring, slight of hand prestidigitation.

MM

Mossy Monk

what is real magic?

Limerick Dude

Mossy Monk wrote:

what is real magic?

Exactly.

Ive seen him on Tubridy Tonight once, he made Ryan Tubridy look like a fool so he's ok in my books! Saw some things on youtube and there pretty cool, from what ive seen of him he doesnt come across as arrogant.

o1s1n

rondeco wrote:

Someone's doing well for themselves. Quick, Lets bitch about him because we're not.

Oh right I forgot, as soon as someone's doing well for themselves they're no longer open to criticism. As it surely means we're just jealous :rolleyes:

I'd find him an annoying pratt. Same way I find Bono, Colin Farrell and a whole host of other Irish "celebrities" pratts. Oh no, I must be jealous of them too.

curehead

i went to see him in ennis and caught one of those rockets and ended up on stage . the trick was five paper bags four with light bulbs and one with my watch in it . he put the five bags on the ground and ask me to pick a number between ONE and FIVE ? anyone see a pattern here? as he asked me for a number ,he had his hand on my back , i was thinking number four, then he decided to count back 5 to 1 when he got to number two he pressed on my back i thought **** now i have to say two or my watch will get smashed so i said two , then he proceeded to smash all the bags with bulbs bar number two , which of course had my watch, this was one of the first tricks so it spoiled my night thinking what the fcuk is he telling these people now ?

Devon

Some of the tricks he does are good but the way he does them, or his performance if you will, is very tacky and definitely needs polishing. He also needs to lose the arrogance.

fade2black

Look this is just another typical boards thread. "Down with any Irish person doing well and making a name for themselves."

Get over it.

Sofaspud

curehead wrote:

i went to see him in ennis and caught one of those rockets and ended up on stage . the trick was five paper bags four with light bulbs and one with my watch in it . he put the five bags on the ground and ask me to pick a number between ONE and FIVE ? anyone see a pattern here? as he asked me for a number ,he had his hand on my back , i was thinking number four, then he decided to count back 5 to 1 when he got to number two he pressed on my back i thought **** now i have to say two or my watch will get smashed so i said two , then he proceeded to smash all the bags with bulbs bar number two , which of course had my watch, this was one of the first tricks so it spoiled my night thinking what the fcuk is he telling these people now ?

I think I would have said the wrong number, because he'd end up having to pay for your watch, and he'd look like a complete twat as well. Good times would be had by all.

zuutroy

Listen....It's not magic, its just Smaawwrrt.