A magic act including guitars, nu metal and a stuffed seagull mounted on a drill? Welcome to the world of Magic Tom and Yuri, where punk and magic blend to generate organised anarchy. Even an interview with this duo soon dissolves into absurdism, as journalist Gerard Janssen found out. Magic Tom and Yuri don’t work from a dusty attic with tall wizard hats and playing cards scattered around, but a large classroom in a former school building on the outskirts of Utrecht. This is the magic room where they and their manager Anouk Maxime create and practise their new conjuring acts. In total secrecy, they work on shows designed to trick your brain and send you into hysterics. There’s a drum kit in the corner, next to a case-up guitar and a cupboard full of theatrical props. The stash includes swords, handcuffs and even a stuffed seagull. Smurf house Tom, the one with the beard and a green lock of hair, and Yuri, the one with longish hair, have a unique approach. Their shows balance between punk, magic and absurdism. It all started in the first year of high school in Haarlem when they played together in a theatrical punk band. When the band split up, they decided to carry on with the bizarre intermezzos that they’d enjoyed so much during gigs. Tom confessed to having a guilty pleasure: buying tricks from a magic webstore. And he realised that magic and music have something in common: you can do classical tricks like Mozart, but also punk tricks like Johnny Rotten. ‘You can write a song with just four chords. In the same way, you can make an audience go insane with just a few simple tricks.’ The result was an anarchic show full of surprises, alternating between punk music, Smurf house and audience participation. Today, Tom, Yuri and Anouk are brainstorming about new acts. A whiteboard features ideas like ‘baggage’ and ‘jam’, with notes such as ‘lacks a trick’ or ‘which instrument?’ Yuri explains how their creative process works. ‘It might start with a word, like algae. This got our creative juices flowing. In this particular case, we came up with the concept: Will I or won’t I. Will I drink a jar of algae, or won’t I? So I drink it, feel sick and come to the conclusion that I shouldn’t have. That’s the starting point. The idea isn’t particularly good, but we roll up our sleeves and refuse to abandon it. And because of all the time and effort we put into it, the concept eventually becomes totally absurd and alienating.’ Tom continues: ‘Every trick consists of three parts, based on a classic card trick where someone picks a card, for example. In part two, things get completely out of hand. This is the longest part, as we improvise, sing a song or pull a pistol.’ And then in part three, we unveil the trick. ‘But part two is the important part; that’s where we do the magic.’ Fucking long piece Yuri gives another example. ‘I hypnotise someone using modern technology: a stuffed seagull mounted on a rotating drill. The person goes to sleep on the floor. And then there’s a fucking long piece. A song about how you can be afraid in your dreams, and all the spirits you have to exorcise. And then we wake up the person who’s been hypnotised… You can’t really call it an act. We shouldn’t do it too often.’ Tom and Yuri’s success is down to their unique formula. They’ve performed in places like Zwarte Cross, Lowlands, squats and skate parks. They’re now looking for better ways to reach their target audience, and Anouk is playing a crucial role. She keeps an eye on the bigger picture and does the PR. ‘Don’t say too much,’ she warns Tom and Yuri, as they start churning out road stories. Like the time that Tom was so desperate for a pee that he literally wet himself, or when they accidentally set fire to dB’s. ‘They had to call the fire service, but we finished our act. It was a try-out. That’s what try-outs are for, isn’t it..? Having said that, we don’t do fireballs anymore.’ ‘We’re not allowed to say that,’ says Anouk. One thing’s for sure: Magic Tom and Yuri will demonstrate that magic doesn’t always have to be classical. It can be punk too. But if I were you, I wouldn’t sit in the front row. 25-26 February 2025 in dB’s (try-out) 28 February 2025 in TivoliVredenburg 7 March 2025 at the International Comedy Festival Utrecht magictomenyuri.nl