Category Archives: Artists For Hire

Fire act events

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Fire acts know how to get a party going and instantly provide a warm atmosphere to proceedings. If you’re looking to hire fire acts for your corporate event or private party then you know where to come. You’ll see something that is entertaining, safe and perfect for all guests to enjoy. .

Way back in 1658, a nearby volcano erupted and laid siege to all in its wake. Incredibly, the town of Nejapa managed to avoid most of the destruction when the lava stopping just short of the local church. According to folklore – and it is a bit hazy – the town’s patron saint, San Jeronimo, wanted to douse the area in fire to get rid of the Devil or saved the town by stopping the lava from reaching the sacred building that bears his name. Whichever way you look at it, locals believe that San Jeronimo saved the town in some form so to celebrate they chuck fire at one another. That’s probably the only part of this festival that isn’t disputed.

So how do you set up the world’s most volatile festival? First, you soak rags in kerosene for a month before the matches and lighters are brought out. Wearing Halloween costumes – we know it’s starting to sound a lot like The Purge – participants then wear protective gloves and chuck fire at each other. That’s it. That’s the only rule. Even if you’re only watching, you’re still allowed to be hit so maybe observe from affair. Not only do people chuck the fire at each other, they even engage in hand to hand combat. It’s chaos. Utter chaos as you can see below.

As of 2016, ‘few serious injuries have been reported’, although what denotes serious is never explained. You can rest assured we’ll never advertise this form of entertainment for your event but it’s certainly a fascinating fact, isn’t it?!

Brilliant ways to remember your event

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Eyecon Art
Technically we’re breaking our own rule in that opening paragraph as Eyecon Art is essentially a photograph. But don’t go thinking that this is the same as hiring a photographer for an event. Rather than capture you standing awkwardly by the DJ as you ponder which canapés to chow down on, Eyecon Art will have you heading home with an incredibly close-up shot of your eye. Every iris is unique and dare we say it, look tremendous!

Caricaturist
If you’re looking to hire a caricaturist for an event, then you have got to make sure that you are fine with having your eyebrows accentuated and your nose looking a little larger than in real life. But that’s all part of the fun! A good caricaturist knows how to draw a cartoon-style representation of their subject without causing offence and the best part is that with modern technology being what it is, you can take home a paper or digital version.

Duke Box
Why does everything that provides a memory of an event have to be visual? The answer is that they don’t, especially when you’re dealing with a Duke Box, a fabulous box of audio delights which allows you to be the DJ! Selecting your favourite hits and making a party to remember from nostalgic tunes to more up-to-date current hits. A duke box not only looks good but sounds great too. Your guests will be gathered around remembering their favourite tunes of yesteryear.

Screen Printing
Whether you call it screen printing, letter pressing or something completely different, these fabulous contraptions can have you created your very own work of art in no time! Popular at Somerset House every summer, you too can discover the art of the print. Remember not to limit yourself to paper or card; should you so desire you can create your design on a T-shirt. Wear your creation and remember that party in style!

Abba World

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A party wouldn’t be a party without a bit of Abba, so why not organise your party and add a bit of fun.

Book from Red Masque Directory ‘Abba Angels’ for your next corporate event or private party? This featured act is above all the best out there, drawing in crowds and being booked time after time. With acts as polished as this one you’ll find it hard to book better. They are able to sing a genre of music for all tastes in that era and will make sure that they sing all your favourite tracks.

They are most suited for Corporate events, private parties, or really anything you wanted; (just make sure you book a big party venue, so you can invite lots of guests). This band is getting more and more popular they are even taking International bookings. This group really do have the ‘likeability factor’ and it clear to see that they really are close friends. They are able to engage their crowd and make your guests smile.

This band is young and fun and as we mentioned is a tribute to the Motown music. The two beautiful female vocalists really go to town with their enthusiastic dance moves, and stunning harmonies.
All costumes in their tribute band have been meticulously recreated.

Christmas Entertainment 2017

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Selfridges have already opened their Christmas shop for 2017, Christmas is already at the front of people’s thoughts. Are you looking book your office Christmas party this year? With dates already being booked up it pays to get in early – we thought we’d recommend a number of acts to hire for your corporate event!

Fluxo Acrobatics

A beautiful act and one that is very often the most popular piece of entertainment at parties where it features. The acrobats features two talented acrobats performing inside a giant dome, much like those many of us had as children. As sparkling snowflakes fall around them, the duo deliver a stunning performance that showcases their incredible flexibility, grace and strength. Sure to leave all entranced, this is a must see!

Human Statues

Is there an act that you love as much as Human Statues? We aren’t sure but this hilarious concept is one that causes huge amounts of laughter no matter where the Statues reside! Appearing to all and sundry as normal Statue decoration, the Statues ‘jump’ out at guests as they arrive at your Christmas party and some of the photos are absolutely hysterical. One for those looking to focus on the fun of Christmas!

Barbican Brass

Finally, what would a Christmas party be without any festive tunes? From Jingle Bells to I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day, The Barbican Brass can belt out both carols and classic festive hits alike, so why look anywhere else for your Christmas tunes? Thinking that your staff or colleagues may well prefer a break from yet another outing for Merry Christmas Everybody by Slade? No problem, The Barbican Brass can also deliver a set that simply focuses on pop songs everybody enjoys. Something for everybody then! The true spirit of Christmas.

If you’re looking to book your office Christmas party or corporate event– and we’re sorry that job has fallen to you – do not fear. If you like what you’ve read above or simply want a few more ideas,

The arts

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If you are a fan of art then you could hire body painted models to recreate some of the finest paintings in the world. The thing about the National Gallery though, is that you have exclusive access to ogle these sensational works of art in complete privacy. Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Vermeer… The gallery holds some of the world’s most famous paintings and in terms of ‘set dressing’ for your event, you can’t get better than that!

When looking to hire a venue for a corporate event, private party or awards ceremony you will want something that is sure to amaze your guests and the National Gallery is a prime example of an events venue that will impress.

You might be thinking that the National Gallery might be a little difficult in which to have a ‘proper’ party because of the art on the walls. Not so. There are so many areas to the venue that music like DJ’s and Party bands fits in beautifully.

We could go on and on about the gorgeousness of The National Gallery by focusing on the interior but what of the exterior as well? Located on Trafalgar Square, you cannot get a more prestigious location in which to hold your event and attendees will remember the evening forever. With a multitude of production and lighting options available, there really is no reason not to enquire about booking an event with the National Gallery today.

The year of the Dog 2018

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Chinese New Year celebrations last for 15 days. Fifteen. Now, if you’re anything like us, you just can’t see yourself partying for 15 days without losing your job, so for the sake of having one big celebration, this is how to throw a Chinese New Year party for one night only.

Set the theme

It’s customary to ask your guests to remove their shoes at the door. All of this is said to lead to good luck and a smooth transition into the new year. Once your home is spotless, it’s time to decorate.
Red and gold – that’s your colour scheme. In many Asian cultures, red envelopes symbolize a monetary gift for a special occasion. So, you may consider sending your invitations in red envelopes to go along with your theme (you can include chocolate coins to replace the money). You’ll want to hang beautiful Chinese lanterns throughout your home (and outside, too, so that new guests can easily identify your home). Cover your table with a rich, red table cloth and use gold-trimmed plates or gold napkins, placemats, or other finishing touches. Many choose to adorn their tables with Chinese dragons as centrepieces. However, you can also decorate by placing bowls of mandarin oranges (which represent wealth, luck, and happiness) out for your guests to enjoy.

You can also hire party suppliers, which are great for this type of event. It adds to the ambiance to have some music playing in the background. Consider instrumental, western, pop, or ethnic music to add to your event.

Dinner is served!

Crispy Duck, spring rolls, lettuce wraps, won tons, and crispy orange beef, chicken chow Mein are just a few dishes you can serve at Chinese New Year. If you’re not up for cooking, hire a Caterer to make up delicious traditional Chinese dishes for you and your guests. Your desserts should be orange based or otherwise relate to your Chinese New Year theme. When it comes to alcohol, you should talk to your Bar man about serving drinks that involve oranges. Do not serve anything with cream or that is white in colour, as white represents death and mourning.

Party favours

Buy Chinese take-out boxes and fill them with party favours for each of your guests. Some great favours to celebrate Chinese New Year are chocolate gold coins, fortune cookies, oriental fans, Chinese opera masks, character bead bracelets, mini paper lanterns or dragons, and other traditional Chinese sweets or gifts. If your budget allows, you may also consider booking a Photobooth for your corporate event and laying out themed props. You and your guests can pose with paper dragons, red boas, and other fun props – and the photo strips make great party favours!

Chinese New Year is all about new beginnings, luck, and happiness. So celebrate with your loved ones and have a happy new year!

Hire a Ceilidh Band

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Ceilidh music and dancing (pronounced “kay-lee” and meaning “visit”) is becoming more and more popular! More and more people are requesting a Ceilidh band for their party venue. As so many people are asking all about it we thought it would be useful to tell you what it is, where it came from and why it makes an electric party atmosphere with plenty of fizzing excitement!
Where does Ceilidh come from?

Dating back to 1875, Ceilidh originates from Scotland and Ireland although its name comes from Gaelic; it’s a combination of Scottish, Irish and English folk music.
What Line-Up?

A Ceilidh band normally consists of two or three people, a fiddler, an accordionist and a ‘caller’ to help everyone get into the swing of things and learn the dances. But, line-ups may also include guitarists, drums, keyboards and whistles amongst other instruments. Nowadays, the music isn’t always traditional either, it can be very contemporary as there are a number of new-style Ceilidh bands bringing a fresh slant on the old folk songs and even putting a twist on current music. This makes it funky, modern and gives you a brand new sound. There’s plenty of rock and roll influence now as well, so if you really want your guests to get down and groove check out some of Red Masque Directory Party entertainers – they are absolutely guaranteed to get even the most reluctant dancer strutting their stuff!
Why Book a Ceilidh Band?

It’s fair to say that Ceilidh is all about having fun. Its traditional style of being all night dance entertainment is still used today and it’s the best way of getting everyone onto the dance floor and enjoying the music. Ceilidh helps even the shyest people to meet new faces and let their hair down.

The main point of difference from any other entertainment for a wedding, party or event is the band themselves teach everyone how to do the different dances. This is done by the ‘caller’ who will call out instructions to the music so everyone knows exactly what to do next. The following video provides a brief example of a ‘caller’ directing the moves…
Who is a Ceilidh Suitable for?

It doesn’t matter what age, ability or personality type a person is – everyone loves to get involved and no experience is necessary! It is very easy to pick up – just imagine a hoe-down – the Ceilidh caller has similarities to a barn dance caller (although the music is entirely different!).

The dances are all varied and there are plenty of paces available, fast, slow and even mid-tempo – so if some of the dances are hard to keep up with that’s your cue to take a break and perhaps enjoy a glass of champagne or wine before you get involved again. Party-goers love the flexibility of a Ceilidh because you may get moving when you want and take a break when your feet can’t keep up any more.

Questions to ask

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We know that many of you have never planned a party before. Perhaps you’re planning a corporate event or a Birthday Party. This list is a product of many years of providing private event entertainment (but this list is applicable to most forms of entertainment). These are the questions you should be asking your performers before you sign on the dotted line.

1. Where (and for whom) do you do the majority of your shows?
What you are trying to find out is how experienced and equipped the performers are for working private parties. Many bar performers represent themselves as party entertainers but may not have the experience working with venues and professional event planners, or they may lack the equipment or insurance that is necessary, especially for larger venues.

2. Can you show proof of insurance?
While we’re not convinced that this is always necessary for event entertainers, this speaks to the professionalism of the entertainer. If the entertainer does a lot of private events in nice hotels and country clubs, they will be more likely to carry liability insurance, as many of the higher-end venues require this. If you entertainer is not insured, then perhaps they are not working many of these venues, which could mean that they are not attracting the top end private event clients.

3. What is the cancellation policy?
Most entertainment acts will penalize you for cancelling a performance that has already been contracted. They look at dates on the calendar as inventory. If you reserve your date, they can’t sell it to anyone else. So if you cancel, they may not be able to rebook. It’s similar to how event venues or photographers view their calendars. If you think there may be a need to cancel or change your date, discuss this with the entertainment BEFORE signing a contract and see if there is any flexibility on their policy. I’ve written contracts for clients that allowed them to cancel up to 4 weeks after entering the contract to suit a particular situation.

4. How much is the deposit and is it refundable?
This goes hand in hand with the previous question. Usually deposits are not refundable. This serves as incentive for a client not to cancel or reschedule. A common deposit structure is 50% upon signing and 50% upon arrival at the venue.

5. Do you bring stage lighting?
A pretty standard thing for entertainers to supply, but some of the smaller groups won’t have this, and some of the higher-tier entertainers may expect that this would be supplied by an outside production company. You should ask.

6. How long do you need to set up?
Make sure you coordinate this with your venue. If the venue is using your space for another client prior to your time slot, you want to ask the venue ‘what is the earliest time that the entertainment can load in’. Then verify that this is sufficient with your entertainment.

7. Ask the venue if there is specific wording they require on the performer’s insurance certificate.
Some venues just want to know the entertainer is insured, but many require that they, the venue, (and sometimes the parent company) are listed on the entertainer’s insurance certificate as Additional Insured.

8. Ask for space (and staging) requirements from your entertainers. This includes length, depth, height and placement. Verify with the venue that this can be accommodated. If it can’t, find out how flexible your entertainers are regarding these dimensions and placement. Many performers can do their show with no staging platform at all if necessary but they will all need a certain amount of space to set up. Know what this is.

Pirates of the Caribbean

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As fans of Captain Jack Sparrow, we thought it might be fun to run through a few pieces of party entertainment that are sure to impress at a themed party. Whether it’s for a corporate occasion or a private event, it’s time to raise the Jolly Roger and look through the spyglass of entertainment on our roster.

Costumed Characters
Of course! The first thing your guests will see upon entering your party are the themed costumed characters meandering amongst your guests. From Jack Sparrow himself to Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, you can rub shoulders with the best of them.

German Wheel
Who remembers that classic moment from the second film where Norrington and Will are having a sword fight on a detached water wheel whilst Jack is inside, upside down and generally all over the place on the same wooden structure? The amazing thing is that this act actually exists! A fun form of entertainment, a German Wheel show combines circus with artistry and is sure to amaze at your party!

Music
What sort of Pirates of the Caribbean party would it be without some form of swashbuckling music entertainment? We want you to have the best and lucky for you, Red Masque directory advertise pirate party themed bands for your event!

Cocktail Bar
“Why is the rum gone?” is perhaps the most famous line from the entire Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. We don’t expect you to be able to enjoy a party without rum and thankfully, you won’t have to if you hire some tremendously talented cocktail shakers! If rum isn’t your thing then that’s just fine – other spirits are available – but personally we think a rum and coconut concoction will certainly fit with the Caribbean theme.

Aerial circus performers
Anybody who has seen Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl will be able to tell you that the curse causes an entire crew of pirates to turn into skeletons at night! Argh! Pay homage to this classic of cinema by booking aerial circus performers in full skeleton makeup to spook out the crowd! They’re sure to be fantastic for Instagram and we think you’re sure to be impressed.

Unique events

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We at Red Masque have the best unique entertainment artists to hire out for your special event; we have below suggested some great things to consider. It’s quite hard to come up with different things to do so we hope we have just given you a little taster of what we have on offer:

If you do decide for your private party that you are going to travel into town and visit some extravagant wine bars, why not hire a limo and be treated like a star all night too! You could include some true star quality and hire your own Paparazzi photographers to follow you wherever you go – you’ll be guaranteed to attract plenty of attention and have some fabulous shots of your night to treasure forever!

If you think that your party group are the outdoors type, then have you considered organise some giant games to play outside. Another great idea is circus training! Your party can learn a range of amazing circus tricks taught by professionals and come away from the party with a skill to enjoy and show-off for life. These artists are so much fun and guaranteed to thrill all your guests.

How about a Murder Mystery Night? Mingle your guests with brilliant characters and watch a murder unfold before your eyes leaving the guests as detectives trying to found out “who dunnit”! It’s a superbly thrilling evening where you learn who to trust and who not to trust while you work out who committed the terrible crime but beware of twists in the tale….!

Alternatively, you could hire some themed dance acts to really get all your guests in the spirit at they dance the night away in their themed dress. Don’t forget to include some suitable dance entertainment such as some Burlesque dancers which will be very entertaining for both sexes. There are a whole host of entertainment to book, just glance through all of our entertainment for hire to give you some more ideas.

We hope we’ve given you some food for thought.