Also, ignore my name, i made this account awhile ago, when i was using that name for all the accounts i made for games n stuff.

Anyway, I'm working on a busking routine and I wanted to your your guys opinions. I open up with some card tricks, but i try to make them a little more fast paced and funny so that they work for busking. I always have an audience member sign a card and then I'll use false cuts and shuffles to get it where i need it to do different reveals. Like telling them to whistle to their card and then popping it up, or the Mercury Card Fold.
I know cards aren't ideal for busking because they're a little hard to see but do you think this is alright?

Aside from that I do a few pretty basic rope tricks, A chain escape and then bring it back to cards for my finale which is In a Flash by Jay Sankey. Do you guys think I should use the chains for the finale or keep it the way it is? I like In a Flash because it's very visual.

Also what do you guys think about doing spoon bending, then borrowing a quarter n using tango's bended quarter and then maybe a bite out quarter in quick succession?

Thanks in advance for your advice
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Are you trying to pull a crowd or are you walking up to groups of people? If you're pulling a crowd, the Coin Bite and In a Flash should be dropped quick. You can't see either one of those tricks from more than a couple of feet away and they don't really have any chance for you to convince people to give you money.

I'm trying to draw a crowd.
Thanks, I think I will drop the quarter bite and instead of In a Flash I think I'll use a mouth coil trick and use the chain escape as my finale.
I would love to use linking rings, but i don't have any yet. I'm going to get them as soon as possible though.

You can try those, but only to get the first person or two. From there, people draw people. Keep building one or two at a time until you have a "core" group. Others will stop to see what they're looking at. Then you can branch out into things more visible from a moderate distance.

You say that you try to make the act fast paced and funny.Two words SLOW DOWN! Keep it funny, yes but don't rush thru the effects, remember the important thing is entertain.

Paddy and Dave know a lot more than I do, but I like that you start out with card tricks, as these will draw a crowd.

A rope routine could be a good middle set. It can play well to a large group or just a few people.

Chain escape, Cups and Balls, Linking Rings, Bill in Lemon, or other small stage effects are good for closers. Something with a buildup, and slightly longer.

-JT

When I said fast paced, I only meant that I don't keep stopping to have someone pick a new card at the end of every card trick, but when I stop to think about it, your completely right. I'm trying to cram too much into a short period of time. Thanks for the help

Have you ever seen a professional Busker?
Seen an actual show?

The ones Ive seen use little to no card effects at all. Never seen one do card trick after card trick.
The only card trick ive used is card to mouth (once) and a 3 card monte.

You need a show that flows and that allows serveral people in a wide spread to view/see.

You even say cards arent ideal in your first post, but then second guess yourself to see if you can use them

My opinion, would be to ditch the cards. But thats just me.
Paddy and Dave might think otherwise and have a better insight.