Derren Brown

[RancidPunx]

I am on the fence as regarding this guy. I felt letdown by the horseracing special he did, i seen it coming a mile off, but recently i did see a show he did. I don't know what the name of it was but it was him guessing unbelievable specific things from audience members. It was impressive stuff to be honest. He did the floating table trick which i thought was cool.

 

But what did impress me was the face that he kept saying he has no psychic powers and said its all technique which i thought was an interesting spin on it. Usually magicians and psychic's play up to their "special powers" but Brown was pretty honest about the whole thing.

 

So what do you guys think of him, a cock of the highest order, a pretty good entertainer or somewhere in the middle?

[MRMIdAS]

I like him, he tells you it's all a trick, he's pretty honest about what he does, and yet people STILL think he's psychic.

[Baz Windham]

Yeah, he stresses things are tricks and even gives you backgorund and sometimes how you do them and then finds other ways to make you go 'booowhaaa'

 

However his last series with the lottery etc was pretty woeful looking back. I just didn't get it, it was so different from his normal psychics talk bollocks, but look i'm psychic, be very afraid! type of show. I was expecting some sort of over-arching story about the 4 episodes but it never came and the end of the gambling episode summed up a pretty baffling series.

[The Gaffer]

I think the advertising campaign rasied our expectations for the last series way, way too high. I was also expecting a huge tie in between all the stunts but really they were just like his other television specials, only more shark jumping because he reached too far away from what he is good at. Apart from that I love his stuff and find him very interesting to watch. His stage shows are terrific and Trick Or Treat was as slick as a TV show comes, and the type of stuff he should stick to.

[Kookoocachu]

Anyone going to one of his upcoming shows?

[The Dart]

I'm very tempted. Never seen him live before. If I can find someone to come with me, I may go to Ipswich or Southend, or London.

 

I think his Stage Show TV Specials have been some of his best TV shows.

[Lab]

In the middle of reading one of his books at the moment and its awesome. Always thought this guy was great just because he's funny and performs some great illusions. Plus its funny to see peoples reactions.

[Chilly McFreeze]

I saw him live last year and he blew my mind. I'm a big fan, and his book is a great read. Wasn't too fond of his lottery stunt though. But if you get the chance, see him live. Some of the stuff he does if unbelievable.

[Monkee]

I went to see Enigma when it was in London. I think he's great at what he does. He's very charismatic and is very talented at what he does - reading body language, using the power of suggestion and slight of hand. I have no idea how he does what he does but it's amazing how he does it. I wasn't fussy on his last series but his stage show was amazing. Even if you don't particularly like him as a person I'd still recommend going to see him just to wonder at him. Everyone in the theatre was gasping at everything he did. To be honest, I'd like to have seen the show again to try and spot things I knew were coming. I'd definitely go and see him again.

[Jimmy_kahoona]

i like derren, always have

 

Hes a master of his craft, spent years researching and trying his `tricks` and I havent seen nor heard of anyone who can come close to his mind spectacle.

 

The problem, i feel, is that other `magicians` are getting alot more exposure for alot less. Look at Chris Angel, David Blane and, to a lesser degree, David Copperfield. All these guys are piss poor, highly staged tricks that with the correct financial backing, stage crew and stoogies anyone can do them. Derren at least has spent time, effort and trial and error making his craft as solid as it can be. But when it comes to tv exposure, producers dont want research and craft, they want spectical and flashy shit. Derren has done all he can flashy wise, theres nothing left for him to do to please the executives.

 

So if he does return with a series i expect it to either be on a smaller tv channel and fucking excellent, or some flashy crappy shite on channel 4.

[Andy C]

Yeah Darren Brown is talented at what he does. but as far as what i think of him.. he just seems a bit weird.

 

I vaguely remember reading he was gay.. is this true?

[Ant]

Yeah Darren Brown is talented at what he does. but as far as what i think of him.. he just seems a bit weird.

 

I vaguely remember reading he was gay.. is this true?

 

Apparently he came out in an interview with a paper like the Independant.

 

Several months later the tabloids put it out as 'exclusive' - I recall being told one tabloid ran the story with the title "Derren loves the Brown".

[The Gaffer]

i like derren, always have

 

Hes a master of his craft, spent years researching and trying his `tricks` and I havent seen nor heard of anyone who can come close to his mind spectacle.

 

The problem, i feel, is that other `magicians` are getting alot more exposure for alot less. Look at Chris Angel, David Blane and, to a lesser degree, David Copperfield. All these guys are piss poor, highly staged tricks that with the correct financial backing, stage crew and stoogies anyone can do them. Derren at least has spent time, effort and trial and error making his craft as solid as it can be. But when it comes to tv exposure, producers dont want research and craft, they want spectical and flashy shit. Derren has done all he can flashy wise, theres nothing left for him to do to please the executives.

 

So if he does return with a series i expect it to either be on a smaller tv channel and fucking excellent, or some flashy crappy shite on channel 4.

Yeah it's the stripped down style of Derren's that I like.

 

Is there any bricks left in Cris Angel's fourth wall at all? He floated from one roof to another in one TV show. Floated.

 

That Mind Freak theme tune is catchy though. Naff as it is.

[CAREBEAR LUVVA]

I'm going to see Derren Brown in a few weeks time, really looking forward to it. I'm well aware it isn't real, to the point where I find myself watching out for his feeder lines and signals (like one last year where he asked a girl to choose any toy in the shop and I knew it was going to be a giraffe because he was drawing one in the air with hand signals), but it's good fun to watch anyway. My mates who I'm going with are a bit gutted though, because he's apparently doing the same show they already saw him do on his last tour, with the reason being "because I didn't go to Liverpool on my last tour" which seems like a bit of a cop-out

[The Dart]

One thing I like about his shows is he will often show you his tricks not working too.