Event ideas to get you thinking…

Looking for inspiration in London? Look at these suggestions on how your corporate event can be made to appeal to all of the five senses.

1. Lights on, for a visual spectacular
Think you’ve seen everything London has to offer? Think again. Give your event a whole new look by holding it in one of London’s iconic landmarks – but as you’ve never seen it before. Everyone knows Tower Bridge, but what if it has your logo or a hologram shining on it? It has been done before but what if it was for your event?

That’s exactly the high-impact visual experience Harness the power of cutting edge projection mapping techniques to create visual illusions that will stay in your participant’s’ memory long after your event is over.

2. Get theatrical
Harness the talent of London’s abundant supply of performers to create an unforgettable, totally immersive corporate event. Why not turn your event into a Circus Event? On arrival, guests will walk through the mouth of a clown before being welcomed by a giant elephant, attached to a hot air balloon, floating above them, while a lone strange ring master played gypsy folk songs on the accordion. Very surreal or very entertaining? You decide!!

3. Switch off and boost the taste buds
For a truly unforgettable product launch, team building activity or food and beverage tasting, try depriving your participants of one of their dominant senses – eating in the dark heightens the focus on the food’s flavours and textures. The experience of specialist restaurants such as London’s Dans le Noir shows that events that include dining in the dark offer participants the opportunity to enhance creativity, break hierarchical barriers and interact more meaningfully with each other.

4. Add colour to create the right mood
Match the meeting room colour scheme with your meeting’s objectives. According to the findings of psychologists at the University of British Columbia, colour schemes really do make a difference to participants’ performance. Their research showed that people in a room painted red performed much better at skills that required accuracy and attention to detail, than people in a blue room. But those in the blue room outperformed the red group on creative tasks requiring imagination by twice as much.

Try a party venue like 8 Northumberland Avenue, London’s most central venue, where its white walls mean that you can used coloured lighting to create exactly the mood that matches your meeting’s goals.

5. Use music to generate emotions
Add music to your event strategically, to generate the emotions you want your audience to feel at specific times during their meeting. A recent report suggests that well-chosen entrance music can set the right mood for the meeting. During brainstorming or problem-solving sessions, light classical music speeds up thought, while music related to the conference topic can also be used to introduce activities or illustrate key points, creating immediate recognition and adding to the meaning of the event.

Finding the right type of musicians is made easy by looking on Red Masque directory where you will find London’s most requested professional musicians, from classical to jazz and swing – and beyond!

Christmas events to be planned

Plan your next Christmas event as early as you can to avoid disappointment. If you want to create your own winter experience, either for a party, corporate event or business attraction, here are a few hints from Red Masque directory to make your Christmas event something special!

If you want a show as part of your Christmas party, you’ll need an inside space or warm, dry and well-appointed marquee to hold it in. Acts that look great in marquees include:

• Circus acts, especially aerialists, or silk acrobats!

• Dance groups who can fill the performance area with music, movement and style!

• Party bands that can play in all those cheesy pop hits we love at Xmas!

Make your event great by having sheer variety of entertainment on offer. So, offer lots of different acts to see, rather than one big attraction and people will enjoy the event more.

• Walkabout acts really are great and so are costumed characters, ice characters and stilt walkers.

• Generate a warm feeling with fire acts to light up the winter darkness

• Conjure up the magic of Christmas with street magicians performing close-up tricks and illusions

Food and Drink

• Hire a hog roast or BBQ for outside cooked goodies

• Offer traditional treats such as roasted chestnuts and mulled wine that fill the air with deliciously Christmas smells!

• Have a Christmas cocktail bar, decorated with ice sculptures serving frosted cocktails or frozen daiquiris (and non-alcoholic drinks for the drivers)

Visitors love interactive experiences. They don’t have to be very fancy, just lots of fun for any age.

• Turn traditional side stalls into Christmas fun, such as a snowball coconut shy.

• Book a winter or “Frozen” themed bouncy castle with integrated rain cover, so the weather doesn’t stop the fun

• Get your skates on and book an artificial ice rink – all the fun, none of the wet! Most ice rink suppliers offer a complete package with chalet, boot hire, and experienced staff trained in the required health and safety procedures.

A Retirement party to remember

A retirement party must be special. After all, the guest of honour worked their whole life for this achievement, so take every measure to ensure that this is the party of a lifetime! Here are some tips to celebrate the retiree’s life and work.

Guest List

This is the foundation of the party, so take your time. Start compiling it months ahead of time. Thoroughly sift through every potential guest – this isn’t a party any friend of the retiree wants to miss! Also, go back through the guest of honour’s life, find those special friends who left the company years earlier or old college buddies who haven’t seen the retiree in decades–in other words, cast as wide a net as possible, since this party is the culmination of a person’s career. Let them look back on their life and all the people who’ve helped them, taught them and assisted them through years of work. It’ll mean the world to them.

Venue

You’ll want this to be big. Your guest list, of course, will determine the size required, but make sure to secure a venue that can potentially hold more than you’ve planned. For a party this important, people will show up. They’ll also accept the invitation last-minute and plus-ones will become plus-fours. So get a big place, because you’ll also want to leave space for…

Entertainment

The best party entertainment for hire is a must. Consider the retiree. Would they want a DJ or a Cover Band? Or maybe they’ll want something more specific, like an Oldies Band a Tribute Band, or a Rock Band or maybe music isn’t the best entertainment for them. What about booking a Comedian? Or a variety show filled with various performers? Whatever remains true to the spirit of the retiree, that’s the talent you should hire.

Decor

Keep it simple. If the guest of honour’s calls for something more elaborate (from exceptionally elegant to tremendously silly), then by all means do that. But for a party of such significance, the focus should remain on the retiree. Rent some Tables & Chairs, maybe hire someone for general Party Decorations and let the people and the occasion take centre stage.

There you have it. Keep things simple, make sure you invite as many people from the life of the retiree as possible, and put all of the focus on the guest of honour. Now, all the retiree’s got to do is figure what they’re going to do with the rest of their life!!

Best-selling songs of the 2000s

If you hire a party and function band for an event and they can play most of these then you should be certain of convincing a large crowd to the dancefloor.

1. Happy – Pharrell Williams

With 1,813,000 copies of Happy sold, you’d probably expect a function band to play this song from 2013.

2. Anything is Possible/Evergreen – Will Young

You might find it a little harder to find a function band that have this Will Young classic in their repertoire even though it sold 1,790,000 copies in 2002. That being said, if you’re looking for a band or a solo singer to play this hit then you can always request it, thereby making sure that your wedding or party is as special as it can possibly be.

3. Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell Williams

To be involved on two of the top three best-selling songs of the 21st century must bring in a pretty packet and this one sold 1,630,000 copies. Alas, when it comes to this song, the writers were forced to shell out a lot of profits to Marvin Gaye’s estate. Even so, it’s a song that is sure to have people on their feet and dancing and we know of a good number of bands who can sing it.

4. Someone Like You – Adele

Is there a better song to sing when you’re thoroughly on course to drink the bar dry? We think not. Adele is a hugely popular star and this song in particular is requested by huge amounts of clients. Perhaps more popular with bands who specialise in ballads, we still think you’ll have no problem finding this in an act’s repertoire.

5. Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera

If you’ve ever wanted to dance and sing along to having the moves like a famous Rolling Stone, then this is the song for you. It’s probably our favourite on the subject. Maroon 5’s song is a proper dance floor filler. Interestingly, this is the only song on this list that never reached number 1 despite spending 64 weeks on the chart.

6. Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

Do you remember when this song was everywhere? You could barely escape it even after turning off the radio because your flatmate would be singing it through the walls.

7. Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye feat. Kimbra

We haven’t heard it a lot recently but if you request it, we’re certain it’s probably etched in the recesses of the minds of any party function band.

8. Wake Me Up – Avicii

Swedish DJ Avicii may have retired but his music lives on in the form of this fab hit from 2013. Wake Me Up has to be slightly tweaked for function bands to play it – it is a song by a DJ after all – but it works brilliantly when played live and various corporate events and parties have been seen dancing to this throughout the last few years.

9. I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas

Tonight’s gonna be a good night if you hire a function band who can play this classic from 2009. Considering just how big a hit Where is the Love? was, it might be somewhat surprising to find that this is the one that makes the top 10. Not every function band has it currently in their repertoire but like Somebody That I Used to Know, it’s fair to assume that they’ll be able to play it if asked.

10. Get Lucky feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers

The drinks are on Pharrell! Three songs in the top ten?! A huge hit from 2013, Get Lucky has amassed 1,436,000 purchases and continues to be popular at events today. A perfect hit for the summer, we’re pretty confident that it’ll be played by at least one band at one of our events in the next week. If we’re wrong, we’d be very surprised!

Mowtown madness

Chill out or boogie on down with the superb sounds of some of the UK’s best soul, Motown and RnB (rhythm & blues) acts. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about booking a soul or Motown band for your special occasion.

What is a Soul, RnB or Motown act?

These types of bands play music that is like the soundtrack of your life; up beat at one moment, soulful and heartfelt at another, but always delivered with style!

Rhythm and blues (R&B or RnB) originated from adding a strong beat to jazz and adding lyrics about life, love and freedom. Now it’s a genre of soul music that stretches from funk to ska, to hip hop, and encompasses artists as diverse as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, and Mariah Carey.

Soul music is the love child of rhythm and blues and jazz, with American gospel as an auntie. Born in the late 1950s, soul music combines irresistible rhythms and powerful, heartfelt vocals that have defined pop music and funk alike. Think Little Richard, James Brown, Sam Cook, Jackie Wilson. Otis Redding and the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin.

Motown is a type of soul music named after the Motown record label, based in Detroit USA. The Motown sound fused soul and fledgling pop into a string of massive pop hits that have filled dance floors and discos alike ever since. You’ll know the sound when you hear it and you’ll certainly know the Motown artists: Smoky Robinson and The Miracles, Diana Ross and The Supremes, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Jackson 5 and Steve Wonder.

These types of bands play music that is like the soundtrack of your life; up beat at one moment, soulful and heartfelt at another, but always delivered with style!

What to look for in quality Soul, RnB and Motown acts

Soul, R&B and Soul can be in all sizes, from stunning solo vocalists to full-on soul party bands and everything in between. So, how can you tell the soulful stars from the RnB also-rans?

Wide range of repertoire Look for artists with a wide range of music in their playlist. The range and choice might sound a bit odd at first, as many mix modern and classic tracks in their sets. Actually, that’s a sign of great musicianship and will ensure every one of your guests has something they’ll know and love in each set – and want to dance to.

What space will my soul, RnB or Motown band require?

As you might have gathered by now, the space required depends largely on the type of band your booking. Since these acts specialise in providing a visual show as well as superb dance music, chances are they’ll need a larger space than comparative bands in other genres, such as jazz. What’s more, the more players and equipment they bring, the more space they will require both on stage and off. Also, don’t assume just because you booked a soloist they will come with just a small speaker and microphone. Chances are they will come with some very high-tech sound equipment for their backing tracks, to make sure they sound at their very best.

What is a swing and jive band?

The best UK jive and swing bands share three essential qualities: extensive repertoire of music, excellent musicianship and an infectious sense of fun!

Most swing and jive performers have a deep-rooted affection for the music they perform and it shows in every moment of their performance. Many have a signature style of performance too, whether it’s pared-back skiffle versions of classic tracks or retro-arrangements of contemporary pop anthems.

Nearly all swing and jive bands will have a distinctive look, incorporating vintage fashions, authentic period instruments and some of the coolest haircuts.

One of the key features of swing and jive bands is that their sound is immediate, energetic, almost raw, as opposed to the overproduced sound of carefully-tweaked pop album tracks. It’s this upfront, energetic sound that makes these kinds of bands so great for live events, as guests pick up on the band’s energy and your party suddenly gears up a notch or seven!

What music do swing and jive bands perform?

These bands draw their music from the rich legacy of tracks from the 1930s onwards, including authentic 1940s arrangements, 1950s classic rock n roll, 1960s crooner classics right up to contemporary tracks with a retro twist.

For Jive Bands think:

1940s – up-tempo Glenn Miller Band, Count Basie, The Andrews Sisters, Cab Calloway

1950s – Bill Haley, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis

1960s – Nina Simone, The Rat Pack, Aretha Franklin

Hire the best Wedding Bands

It’s important you consider the venue of your wedding reception when sourcing for the best band. Make sure you choose from a good entertainment directory such as Red Masque who advertises entertainment at weddings right from the venue of your wedding reception. Once you have chosen you are free to ask as many questions as you like and tailor make your wedding your way. A good point to remember is; you can easily make the right choice by asking proper questions.

Wedding bands are highly required to make wedding receptions very lively. If you’re thinking of making your oncoming wedding event memorable; you really need to source for the best Wedding bands. You need to engage a reliable entertainment directory that offers quality entertainment at wedding events. You don’t need to crack your brain just to locate the right band. You simply need a little time to make the right choice. Red Masque has a high calibre of entertainment for corporate events, weddings and parties you will be guaranteed to find something that suits.

If you wanted to hire some reliable wedding planners, we are sure you will be able to locate some great organisers through our directory

When searching for quality however, we can assure you that we have vetted all of our entertainment and have had trusted reviews from each and every one. Of course you can easily find what you are looking for online but do they come highly acclaimed and are they from a trusted entertainment directory?

In any case, if you succeed in locating the best wedding bands, you can take another step by getting in touch with them. You can send emails or call them on phone. You can speak with the managers or the artists themselves. You need to ask them several questions before you make the right choice. You have to ask about their charges, style of music, duration, expertise and so on. You can easily pick the best from the responses you’ll get at the end.

In all, take your time when sourcing for Wedding music. You need to start looking for the right agency like Red Masque ahead of time. You really need to pick the best band that will make your wedding glorious. You’ll succeed if you choose the right directory in the first place – which by the way is Red Masque directory.

Hiring reliable party organisers

If you wanted to hire some reliable party planners, we are sure you will be able to locate some great organisers through our directory

Party bands are highly required to make wedding receptions and corporate events entertainment very lively. If you’re thinking of making your oncoming event memorable; you really need to source for the best bands. You need to engage a reliable entertainment directory that offers quality entertainment at events. You don’t need to crack your brain just to locate the right band. You simply need a little time to make the right choice. Red Masque has a high calibre of entertainment you will be guaranteed to find something that suits.

It’s important you consider the venue of your party when sourcing for the best band. Make sure you choose from a good entertainment directory such as Red Masque who advertises entertainment at events right from the venue to the entertainers and staff. Once you have chosen you are free to ask as many questions as you like and tailor make your event your way. A good point to remember is; you can easily make the right choice by asking proper questions.

When searching for quality however, we can assure you that we have vetted all of our entertainment and have had trusted reviews from each and every one. Of course you can easily find what you are looking for online but do they come highly acclaimed and are they from a trusted entertainment directory?

In any case, if you succeed in locating the best bands, you can take another step by getting in touch with them. You can send emails or call them on phone. You can speak with the managers or the artists themselves. You need to ask them several questions before you make the right choice. You have to ask about their charges, style of music, duration, expertise and so on. You can easily pick the best from the responses you’ll get at the end.

In all, take your time when sourcing for music. You need to start looking for the right agency like Red Masque ahead of time. You really need to pick the best band that will make your wedding glorious. You’ll succeed if you choose the right directory in the first place – which by the way is Red Masque directory.

Helping you make the right choice

Red Masque will help you filter available options. You can get several options when thinking of hiring bands, singers, musicians, comedians and other artists. You may be confused especially when you don’t know any of the artists in person. You can save yourself the trouble by ensuring that Red Masque only advertises the very best and whatever choice you make will always be the right on

An entertainment directory is known for offering unique services at wedding receptions, meetings, corporate events and other special gatherings. We at Red Masque have artists who may be musicians, comedians, and singers and so on. They can thrill your guests at any event. There’s a lot to gain from us. Here are some of the benefits:

We advertise artists which we think are exactly what you want. You are able to contact various artists of your choosing and meet if you so wish to choose suitable music or songs for your event.
You can save enough time and energy when you engage a good party entertainment directory. In most cases, we have taken care of the brain work you would have carried out, and have the best unique and highly acclaimed artists in the business.
With a reliable entertainment directory, you can get suitable price for hiring a band. You can also get the right price for other artists you may want to hire.

To locate us, you have to come online; which is the first step. There are lots of agencies offering unique services on the internet, but you need to consider some factors when looking for the right agency. You have to compare several agencies before making your choice. When you book one of our advertised artists you are able to arrange a private interview to help you make the right choice.

Creative New Year party themes

Party like it’s 1999​

A 1999 themed New Year’s Eve party is packed full of nostalgia. How could you forget the Millennium celebrations and the impending digital doom that was the Y2k bug? Ask your guests to come dressed as their favourite (or least favourite) 1999 celebrity—get ready to answer the door to the cast of Clueless. Hire a 90’s Cover Band or a Karaoke DJ to play all of your favourite hits from back in the day!

​Murder Mystery Party

The party is in full swing when suddenly, one of your party guests drops dead. The classic “whodunit” investigation begins! Questions are asked, pieces are put together, and the murderer must be caught. Enlist the help of your guests to help solve the mystery of the midnight murder!

Murder mystery parties are fun for people of all ages. This can be done in any setting—from dinner parties to dances. It’s a fun way to shake things up and you can choose to let your guests know ahead of time or surprise them mid-party! Set the scene—whether it’s a western saloon, disco dancehall, or black tie dinner party—and get ready to play detective! Red Masque entertainment directory are full of Murder Mystery Companies and they will take care of the rest.

Glow-in-the-Dark Party

If you’re in for a night of dancing, a Glow-In-The-Dark theme is a great way to get the party started. Dig those old black lights out of the closet and get ready to have a blast.

​Encourage your guests to come dressed in white or bright neon coloured clothes. Provide glow sticks, glow-in-the-dark fabric and/or body paint, and LED or other glow-in-the-dark accessories. Many talented Face Painters offer glow-in-the-dark paint. Hire a DJ to keep everyone on their toes, a Balloon Moddler to twist up glowing balloon wearables, and ask your Bar man to help come up with a list of glowing drinks. Did you know, for example, that a Gin & Tonic will glow blue under a black light?

A Great Gatsby Party​

The Great Gatsby-themed party is bound to be especially popular with the Baz Luhrmann remake of the classic novel and film. It’s no surprise why “Roaring 20’s”-inspired New Year’s Eve parties have remained so popular throughout the years; they’re glamorous!

​Dressing up in costume is fun and great party entertainment for everyone, so why leave it all to Halloween? The great thing about time period-themed costume parties is that, unlike Halloween, everyone will show up in similar garb, giving the feeling that you’re really living in that era. The 20’s is one of the most glamorous of times to tap into. So, what better time to celebrate the roaring 20’s than New Year’s Eve? Book a swinging’ Jazz Band or other 1920’s Act to keep everyone dancing and don’t forget the Dancers to lead the Charleston!