Inside Magic

Matthew Dowden – Slick

Matthew Dowden is featured in the in today’s UK press for his close-up magic
and his plans to appear at the Magic Castle.

The young man “couldn’t face the prospect of the nine-to-five life” of a
lawyer, decided to pursue an apparently similar trade (at least to the news
agency) “card-trickster, pocket-picker, watch-remover and mind-reader.”

Mr. Dowden’s success in the trade-show world has allowed him to meet other
magicians and gain further opportunities in the world of non-lawyer-based
pocket-picking, card-tricking, and watch-stealing.

For the last four years, Gateshead-based Matthew Dowden has been a magician –
an extraordinarily talented card-trickster, pocket-picker, watch-remover and
mind-reader – who has used his ability to carve out a career in corporate trade
shows.

“My brother and I went to America and I met up with a magician I
know – Greg Wilson, one of the best close-up magicians in the world.

He has a lot of sway at The Magic Castle and to get invited to do a week
there is just incredible.

I sent some video footage over of what I do and
there’s even talk of me doing a lecture while I’m there on how to steal watches,
so not only performing but lecturing, too, is brilliant.

Mr. Dowden signed a contract with Sony to perform six trade shows this year.
The article notes the concept of trade show magician in “an American technique?
that “has proved phenomenally successful in brand retention.” Apparently, the
magician uses “magic” or “magic tricks” to “attract custom (sic
“customers“) to and to deliver a sales message which becomes linked with
a particular trick.”

“I recently came up with two new tricks which were published in magic
magazines. It’s nice to see my tricks in the same section as some of the top
magicians in the world.”

Mr. Dowden has at least two websites: one for private parties and the other
for corporate consulting and trade-shows. Check out his trade-show outlet, at:
http://www.dowdenmm.com. You can find
information on his private party work at http://www.matthewjdowden.com.

(Unfortunately, the sites are apparently designed for Internet Explorer
browsers and will either not fully function or appear disjointed if you use the
Inside Magic-Approved Firefox Browser).

Mr. Dowden is slick.

“Well, don’t be too slick now,” Teena Marie prophetically sang to the late
funk king Rick James in the life-changing 1980 hit Square Biz. Not withstanding
the caution offered by Ms. Marie (a/k/a “Lady T,” “Casper,” “Shorty,” “Lil’
Bit,” and “Vanilla Child”), Mr. Dowden admits he has become “slick” but at a
price.

“It takes a long time to get really slick,” he says. “I’ve got the calluses
to prove it.”

Oh, that’s okay, we’ll take your word for it.  We don’t need to see your skin-deformation. 

Welcome to the U.S., Mr. Dowden. We wish you great luck and hope to follow
your success in these pages.

Continue reading Matthew Dowden: From Lawyer to Professional Deceiver