The Fall at War: A Look into the Hello Forever War That Inspired 'Concert at the Witch Trials

On a cool autumn evening, in the heart of a mystical forest, the atmosphere is charged with anticipation. Whispers of the past echo through the trees as a strange fusion of music and magic begins to weave its spell. This is no ordinary concert – this is a gathering at the proverbial crossroads of music and madness, a symphony of chaos. The Fall, a renowned band known for their haunting melodies and enigmatic lyrics, are about to take the stage at the witch trials. The witch trials, with their dark history and unresolved mysteries, lend an eerie backdrop to the event. Legends speak of witches dancing under the moonlit sky, their spells mingling with the notes of forgotten songs.

I am a huge fan of Twisted Sisters. It was one of the first things I ever learned and I still perform it today. This is a very similar effect performed in a very different way and I love it. You could even borrow a red deck and blue deck from somebody and do this effect with their cards (with some prep of course). I can't wait to perform this.

Flashback cost means You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying cost rather than paying its mana cost and If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack. Yet what Duplicity brings together is a culmination of stuff you may have seen before, though done in a way that pushes seemingly all choice on the spectator.

Legends speak of witches dancing under the moonlit sky, their spells mingling with the notes of forgotten songs. As the sun sets, casting long shadows across the clearing, the stage lights illuminate the curious faces in the audience. As the band members emerge from the mist, clad in black, anticipation and curiosity fill the air.

A duplicitous magic

It is completely examinable?!

Twisted Sisters is one of John Bannon’s most popular packet tricks. In Duplicity John applies that same clever thinking and three punch reveal only now it is completely examinable.

Here’s what happens:

A packet of four red cards and a packet of four blue cards are introduced to the audience. Your spectator is asked to imagine that each of those packets contain the aces while the cards are shown to be face down. When they are asked to think of just one of the aces it is shown to be face up in the packet. Not only is it face up, but it is also the only ace that is from the other packet of cards. It is shown to have swapped with the ace the performer was thinking of. The final kicker is that neither of the aces could have been secretly switched for any other because all the remaining cards are blank.

John Bannon teaches all the moves that you will need to do this simple but hard-hitting effect. This is Duplicity.

Totally clean ending. You could leave everything with them. At no point is there a ditch or clean-up. Very, very clever structure.

Great thinking by Bannon. Been my favorite version of this type of effect for years when it comes to casual performances for friends, etc.

Duplicity is awesome, I think I prefer it over Twisted Sisters (another classic).

It's been around for a while, here is another thread with more reviews and praise.

I had it a while ago, but sold it. I can't remember why I didn't like it. Was it because the entire method is equivoque? I love B'wave, never went for Twisted Sisters. B'wave combines a gaff and equivoque and is brilliant. And no one ever wants to examine the cards, so the fact that Duplicity uses no gaffs is irrelevant to me.

Incidentally, I'm not an anti-Bannon person. He has many great effects.

So is the entire method equivoque?

There's only equivoque needed for the very first stage. Similiar to how you would start B'Wave. You can see it done here at 0.54 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P97q-0wSmzM

Whilst its clever Twisted Sisters is so much cleaner. Surprised so many think Duplicity is better than TS.

Hey, Chamberlain, thanks for that. I guess the appeal of Duplicity is that the cards can be examined. Bannon likes to come up with tricks that are what he call "fractal," i.e. all cards at the end are examinable (where he came up with the term "fractal" I don't know, but I'm sure there is a story there). I don't have anything against this, but it seems in this case to be a matter of the old "running when you are not being chased." In the clip from Vanishing, Inc., above, the spectators show no interest in examining the cards until the magician shoves the cards before them and tells them they can examine them.

I think in trying to come up with a version of TS that is fractal, the cleanness and simplicity of TS is lost and nothing correspondingly is gained.

My only concern with this routine, or a lot of others where the cards are in the spectator's hands, is the chance of mishandling them and thus exposing part of the trick. Not as strong, but much safer, would be leaving the cards on the table until that time for exposure.

Chamberlain and Ray, I think what is gained is that the trick happens in the spectator's hands. Makes for a much more powerful ending. To me, the trade-off is a non-issue because the eq**** is so minimal.

Payner44, like any effect that involves spectator interaction, you just have to choose your spectators wisely and be explicitly clear in your directions. I've never had an issue with a spectator prematurely spreading, though. Mostly because they have no reason to spread the cards until you tell them to.

Cameron, I should have been more specific. My concern is with the spectator being distracted and then handling the cards in a sloppy fashion. With this trick, if the cards were new, and thus slippery, it could unintentionally ruin things.

On Jan 31, 2020, Cameron Francis wrote:
Chamberlain and Ray, I think what is gained is that the trick happens in the spectator's hands. Makes for a much more powerful ending.

All tricks in the spectator's hands aren't necessarily ootw. For some tricks, it is a gamechanger. Not so sure on this one.

"The New York Papers," Mark Twain once said,"have long known that no large question is ever really settled until I have been consulted; it is the way they feel about it, and they show it by always sending to me when they get uneasy. "

On Jan 31, 2020, Cameron Francis wrote:
Chamberlain and Ray, I think what is gained is that the trick happens in the spectator's hands. Makes for a much more powerful ending.

All tricks in the spectator's hands aren't necessarily ootw. For some tricks, it is a gamechanger. Not so sure on this one.

Yes, because nothing happens in their hands. They just spread the cards, and it is as it is.

But, hey, who am I to argue with Cameron Francis? Anyway, the trick I prefer is B'wave and not Twisted Sisters, so my opinion as to which is better, Duplicity or Twisted Sisters, is moot.

Actually I get them to do a lot more in their own hands and I love that there are no “funny” cards at the end. I get them to take the aces out of two decks themselves at the start (it’s so easy to switch packets of four cards!) and they perceive that they’ve chosen and held the four aces the whole time. That way I don’t need to do the EC (not a huge fan of that) and in facts it’s stronger if I don’t. In small groups the ability to leave the cards on the table and have people handle them at the end is actually important to me so this is by far my favourite of the three effects mentioned, for my own style. Switching packets before the trick has even started is much cleaner for my style than switching out at the end. As with anything, it’s strongest if you adapt it to what works for you.

The effect is what is important, and it is what will impress a spectator and will be what they remember.

If I hand a spectator a joker (face down, of course), and while they are holding it, it changes into their selected card, they will remember it as, "I was holding the joker in my own hands and it changed into my card."

In the case of Duplicity, the effect is, "I named one of the aces, and it was the only ace that was face down and was the only one that had a different colored back, and the three other cards were blank." (This is where Twisted Sisters gets confusing for me, because I can't remember why there are two packets.) The fact that they are holding the cards is incidental.

Having them remove the aces from the deck at the beginning of the trick is meaningless. It's an attempt to prove to them that the cards are not gaffed, when why in the world would they think the cards were gaffed to begin with? And having to switch packets adds another complication.

I myself would not leave cards on the table for people to handle either. Why the need to prove they are not gaffed?

Well, of course, it's all a matter of what works best for each person. But I still say of the two, Duplicity or Twisted Sisters, Twisted Sisters is the cleanest and better version of this trick.

OK, after posting the above, I realized that the way you do it is that you hand them a packet of four face-down cards and the card they name turns face up. So they remember the trick as, "I was holding the cards and the card I named turned face up, and etc." This is strong, but lot would depend on how you switch the packets, how clean it is. In my opinion, this just adds a further, unneeded complication the effect.

Well my favorite trick of this ilk is Braniac by Bannon and Montier. Like 5 moments of magic and they will look at the cards which are in there hands and clean at the end of the trick. There are a few special count displays but well worth it.

On Feb 1, 2020, Ray Haining wrote:
OK, after posting the above, I realized that the way you do it is that you hand them a packet of four face-down cards and the card they name turns face up. So they remember the trick as, "I was holding the cards and the card I named turned face up, and etc." This is strong, but lot would depend on how you switch the packets, how clean it is. In my opinion, this just adds a further, unneeded complication the effect.

Yeah I wasn’t suggesting it was an improvement, just explaining why this trick works better in my particular situation. In my set I do a number of tricks with a regular blue deck and a regular red deck and the spectators are very hands on with everything as part of that. So it flows easily and makes much more sense for them to help me take the aces out for the next trick rather than to openly bring in a new packet of cards. And then for them to be active and hands on with the cards after the trick is natural. Just my specific situation.

"The New York Papers," Mark Twain once said,"have long known that no large question is ever really settled until I have been consulted; it is the way they feel about it, and they show it by always sending to me when they get uneasy. "

The lead singer, with her ethereal aura, commands attention as the first notes emerge from her throat. The music resonates through the crowd, invoking both fear and awe. It is a symphony of melancholy, an elegy to the forgotten voices of the past. Each song tells a story, delving into the depths of despair and longing. The audience is transfixed, suspended in a world where reality blurs and imagination takes hold. The haunting melodies compliment the tales of lost love, broken dreams, and whispered confessions. The witch trials, once a symbol of oppression, now serve as an allegory for the personal demons we face. Amidst the darkness, a glimmer of hope emerges, carried by the gentle strumming of an acoustic guitar. The band's lyrics, poetic and profound, touch on the universal themes of love, loss, and redemption. It is a respite from the trials and tribulations of life, a cathartic release of emotions. As the final notes reverberate through the night, there is a collective sigh in the audience. The spell is broken, but the echoes of the music linger on. Concert-goers emerge from the clearing, their hearts heavy with the weight of the experience. The Fall has left an indelible mark on their souls, a reminder of the power of music and the human spirit. In the end, the concert at the witch trials the fall was more than just a gathering of music-loving souls. It was a transformative experience that blurred the boundaries between reality and fantasy. It reminded us of the enduring power of art to touch our hearts and souls, to unite us in our shared human experiences. And just like the witch trials themselves, it will be remembered as an event that challenged our perception of the world and left an indelible mark on those who were fortunate enough to be a part of it..

Reviews for "From a Witch's Perspective: Deconstructing The Fall's 'Concert at the Witch Trials"

1. Samantha - 2 stars

I was really disappointed with "Concert at the witch trials" by The Fall. The album lacked cohesion and structure, making it difficult to follow along. The vocals were grating and the lyrics seemed nonsensical at times. Overall, it felt like a messy and confusing experience that I couldn't quite get into. I had high expectations for this album, but unfortunately, it just didn't deliver for me.

2. Michael - 1 star

I can't understand the appeal of "Concert at the witch trials" by The Fall. The music was all over the place and sounded like a cacophony of noise rather than a cohesive and enjoyable listening experience. The vocals were too aggressive and unintelligible, making it impossible to connect with the songs on any level. I tried giving it multiple listens, but it only left me feeling frustrated and annoyed. This album was a major letdown for me.

3. Emily - 2 stars

"Concert at the witch trials" by The Fall did not resonate with me at all. The album lacked melody and structure, feeling disjointed and chaotic. I found it difficult to find any standout tracks or moments that captured my attention. The vocals were too harsh and abrasive for my taste, making it hard to engage with the music. Overall, I didn't find anything enjoyable or memorable about this album, and it failed to leave any lasting impression on me.

The Fall's 'Concert at the Witch Trials': A Glimpse into the Mind of Mark E. Smith