Category Archives: Uk

There’s no such thing as bad publicity

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Adding to the expanding list of controversial things Kanye West done in his career, he’s recently been reported to have told a disabled man to “stand up” at one of his concerts in Sydney!!!

But what can this self-proclaimed “god” teach us regular folk about being an entertainer that’s on the face of almost every news site going right now? Surely just that doing controversial things sells records?  

After thinking about the ridiculous concept that is Kanye West – a man who’s referred to himself as the “Steve Jobs of fashion” – here’s a list of 4 things he can teach you about being an entertainer

People love a villain

Just think of all of the times you’ve heard about Kanye West in the news and think about how many papers an article about him sells. Let’s take a look at his controversies throughout the years, shall we?

That Taylor Swift incident, hilarious outbursts on Twitter, ‘’George Bush doesn’t like black people”, calling himself Yeezus, marring Kim Kardashian, punching a paparazzo, several outbursts at members of the press and award organisations and now – apparently – heckling a disabled man.

And what’s the theme here? 

He sells papers, gets page views and gets people going – both those who love him, and those who hate him.

His persona isn’t just that of an egomaniacal idiot or “douche”, it’s a cynical, carefully honed personality that makes sure whenever he needs to sell some records or get in the press; journalists are hungry to write anything and everything about him.

So, we may not have Kanye West for hire at Red Masque entertainment directory but we may have a ‘celebrity lookalike’ or we may have some ‘comedians’ which could tell some rather controversial jokes that would really get your crowd talking; for the wrong reasons? Who cares? If they’re talking, that means you’ve made an impression…..right?

What exactly makes the perfect guest speaker?

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The perfect speaker is someone with a passion who engages and relates with the audience. Enthusiastic & informative yet relevant! 

That got us wondering what other qualities the perfect guest speaker has that will leave an audience rife with stories to share, thoughts to ponder and an experience to remember – here are some of the points that we came up with: 

If you’re standing up on a platform regularly delivering speeches and presentations it goes without saying that you need a little bit of natural charm about yourself. Having a charismatic presence on stage keeps the crowd attentive and receptive to new ideas, even if the subject matter could be considered a little dry. 

Of course, it never hurts to throw a bit of humour in there for good measure. Although it’s not particularly required, enigmatic speakers with a bit of wit in their delivery will always help keep guests more engaged. 

As well as possessing reams of charm, experience in their respective fields and professions is what sets apart the leading speakers from the rest. Although it certainly helps to have a speaker with expertise in a particular subject – a good speaker will also find it possible to relate their experiences to the audience’s even if they do not share the same professional background.  

It’s not just life experiences however, the perfect speaker is one that knows how the event circuit works, understands what’s expected of them when they turn up to an event and is well aware of the relative dos and don’ts of speaking at large engagements.

The perfect speaker knows how to adapt their presentation toward a brief put forward by a client. They know the different kinds of audiences inside out, and they know what kind of tone to put forth. 

Of course, no speaker likes having their work dictated to them by you the organiser, but the great ones already know what will and won’t work for specific crowds and presentation formats. The perfect speakers for your event are the ones that are willing to make adjustments on their content, but not the ones who are willing to compromise their performance.

A great speaker knows how to create a good rapport with guests both on and off the stage. A perfect speaker can take that to the next level by using social media to enhance the exposure of your event as well as their own.

So now you have an insight into the perfect speaker why not now hire some perfect entertainment, and Red Masque have all the entertainment needed for a truly wonderful event.

Spring surprise

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With spring is well and truly upon us and with the circus being a visual performing art and tents popping up over this period Red Masque will be looking at the history of circus….

The Bailey & Cooper circus was well known across Australia and New Zealand, touring to various islands around Oceania between 1876 and 1878. James Anthony Bailey then teamed up with P.T. Barnum to bring ‘the Greatest Show on Earth’ to Europe. Barnum died before being able to see the European reaction to the huge tents so well-known in his homeland; although impressed, many were bewildered and the venture was met with only muted enthusiasm

Menagerie owners were the main people to react to ‘the Greatest Show on Earth’ most favourably, sensing an opportunity to enhance their fading businesses. With this ‘new’ idea of combining animals with circus acts, they enjoyed renewed success for a few more decades, with the equestrian circus falling by the wayside and the travelling circus reaching the peak of its popularity between the two World Wars, most notably in Germany. With the larger cities still housing permanent circuses – Paris still had four – circus manufacturers strived to create comfortable seating that could attract the city folk away from the furnishings and production values to which they had become so accustomed.

The biggest innovation in the 1900s occurred within Russia after Lenin nationalised the Russian circuses in 1919, leading to an exodus of the country by many western performers. With the Russian performers needing to be trained, the government established the Moscow circus school, which developed training methods that incorporated gymnastics. The result was a free-flowing, innovative performance that proved to be a hit with crowds abroad, where any Russian-based circus was known as the Moscow Circus (a generic name adopted by travelling Russian circuses to this day).

Resistance to the changes of the modern world led to a decline in the industry throughout the 1960s, but by the 1970s and 1980s, circuses such as Cirque du Soleil had restored the flamboyance and spectacle to proceedings, ushering in the idea of circuses as performance art to sit alongside the more traditional travelling circuses, which continue to endure great popularity across Europe. A surge in teaching has also led to a circus revival in recent years and it remains to be seen quite where this interest shall lead.

Why not hire your own circus and have your very own ‘front seats’ the possibilities are endless for example if you would like to learn a few ‘circus skills’ then let Red Masque introduce you to some fantastic acrobats, aerial performers, and circus artists that are advertised on our website.

What’s best for you?

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Events are an intriguing proposition. Depending on the stage at which you are at in life, certain acts may be perfectly suited to you. Others perhaps less so. You’re hardly likely to book a wine tasting for a child’s birthday party and the less said about the ‘Happy 75th’ bouncy castle booking the better. With that in mind, we thought it may be useful to run through a few ideas you may wish to have a look at depending on the life stage within which you currently reside.

Who can forget childhood? A time when you were completely carefree but were still liable to be dragged along to events at your parent’s insistence. Thankfully, many times there were acts at these events that were tailor made for you. Ah, life was hugely enjoyable when you were being entertained by such acts like a hired balloon modeller (“a dog please”) and a children’s entertainer that you happily got involved, all memories of missing your favourite cartoon on television completely forgotten.

The most important part of your wedding day is undoubtedly the exchanging of the vows, declaring a lifelong commitment to one another. Everything else is window dressing but hey, you want the finest window dressing there is. To that end, splashing out for the V&A was quite the declaration of your love. And nobody will forget the reception at the Waldorf in a hurry. And booking stilt walkers and aerialists was a great idea. With the photo booth images providing a fun way to scrapbook your event, everyone went home happy– Wait a second! Was that the Queen in attendance?

Of course, many of the acts depicted here can’t really be compartmentalised and we have lots of ideas that you can look through on our entertainment directory. So have fun, pick some entertainers that would be a real surprise and make your whole event a magical one…

Time to plan New Year’s Eve 2015

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Plan your New Year’s Eve party this year and make it something truly amazing by booking from Red Masque entertainment directory. You will be able to use a lot more imagination than you thought possible – making 2016 come in with an even bigger bang!!!!

The celebration of New Year is one of the oldest annual rituals, observed globally for thousands of years by all the ancient civilizations from the Egyptians and Mayans to the Chinese and Maoris.

It is possible to take part in a New Year celebration almost every month of the year as our own western observance of New Year’s Day on January 1st only came into practice around 400 years ago.

Most of the older traditions base their new year around important social or astrological activities; the Egyptians celebrated the feast of Opet during the Nile’s inundation, the Mayan New Year varies Chinese New Year changes annually with the year of the Monkey starting on January 22nd 2004 while the Celtic celebration of Samhain is held around Halloween.

Did you know? The first people to make resolutions were the ancient Babylonians over 4000 years ago, in the belief that whatever they did on the first day of the year would affect their entire year.

The ancient Babylonian New Year was dated to the first new moon (visible crescent) after the vernal, or spring, equinox (usually March), so if you need an excuse to party, Red Masque entertainment can offer a whole year of new and unusual opportunities!

Most New Year celebrations incorporate the ideas of fertility and good luck with reviewing the past year whilst hoping for a better year ahead. The customs we follow in the UK stem mainly from old Scottish traditions of Hogmanay, whose roots date back to the pagan mid-winter practice of sun and fire worship which later linked with the Roman winter festival of Saturnalia, a decadent and uninhibited feast of food, wine and fun.

If you stay at home, make sure that the first person over the threshold after midnight is a tall, dark, handsome man, preferably carrying coal, bread and whiskey! This is the Scottish tradition of First Footing and ensures good luck, health and wealth for the coming year.

Blondes and red heads are considered bad luck, stemming from the fear of rape and pillage by the fair haired Viking invaders!

In English and German folk belief, special significance was attached to the sex, stature, appearance, complexion and even the occupation of the first person one encountered in the New Year, and over the years we have taken this one step further and made a tradition of kissing a special person (or whoever’s closest to hand) immediately as the New Year is ushered in. So get stuck in and have a very Happy New Year!

Wedding party ideas…

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Whether your special day is a small registry celebration, a large church gathering or a more personal, non-religious ceremony, start as you mean to go on by making the first day of the rest of your lives the best day of your lives.

For a truly unforgettable day Red Masque entertainment will fulfil all your musical requirements with the pick of the country’s coolest party bands for a swinging evening reception, or perhaps a jazz band or swing band or classical music artists to provide background entertainment during the meal or the signing of the register.

A whole day of music…

Starting with the wedding ceremony, a piper is traditional to play the bride in and out of the church. A string quartet or harpist are common choices to provide a beautiful musical backdrop during the wedding ceremony and immediately afterwards whilst photos are taken.

Your wedding drinks reception. 

A jazz or swing band is an ideal choice to provide light background music during the afternoon reception, helping to settle guests and create an exciting atmosphere. It is also quite common for the string quartet from your ceremony to continue playing during the afternoon reception.

Evening wedding reception.

And what evening reception would be complete without a party function band or DJ? Pop bands are by far the most popular choices, with soul, disco and salsa offering something a little different.

DJ’s are a cost effective solution if a band is out of your budget but are also often booked as well as a band to fill in the gaps between the bands performances. Also, ask if the band themselves can DJ in between sets as this is very often possible.

More than just music…

Don’t just stop at wedding music though as all manner of wedding entertainment can be arranged. From top caricaturist and illusionists to entertain your guests while they mingle, to traditional ballet dancers and stage hypnotists, there’s no end to the fun that can we can arrange for you.

Engage in the idea…

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Your engagement is a promise to marriage as well as the period of time between the proposal and your marriage. During your engagement you are said to be affianced, betrothed, engaged to be married, or simply engaged. Future brides and bridegrooms are often referred to as fiancées or fiancés respectively (from the French word fiancé).

Long engagements were once common in formal arranged marriages and it was not uncommon for parents betrothing children to arrange such many years before the engaged couple were old enough to marry. .

Engagement parties.

Some engagements are announced at an engagement party, traditionally hosted by the bride’s parents. These parties are given in the family’s usual style of entertainment. Traditionally, engagement parties were normal parties at which a surprise announcement of the engagement was made by the father of the bride to his guests. Therefore, it is not a traditional gift-giving occasion, as none of the guests were supposed to be aware of the engagement until after their arrival.

In modern times, engagement parties often celebrate a previously publicized engagement.

Because it’s often the case that many guests don’t know each other very well, it’s important to ensure you have plenty of ‘ice breakers’. When two families are coming together for the first time it can be a nerve racking experience and so the more you can put guests at ease the better.

Think about a magician or a caricaturist or maybe even a pianist to play light background music whilst guests arrive & chat.

If you have space then try a jazz band who could play up tempo lively music to keep spirits high and feet tapping whilst you great guests and show off your engagement ring!

Ensure the drinks are flowing throughout the party and in no time the two families will be getting to know each other and soaking up the party atmosphere.

Party themes…

If you got engaged in an interesting location, you might like to theme your engagement party to suit. Hawaiian or beach themes are relatively easy to put together, as are New York, Las Vegas, Mexican, Australian themes etc.

No party is complete without live music so if your budget can stretch to a party function band it will be a sound investment towards ensuring the success of your big night.

It’s important to consider the age range of the guests who will be attending your party as grandparents, although actually some of the ‘most-likely-to-dance’ members of the party might not be quite so keen on hard rock or gangsta rap.

Christening party ideas…

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The christening or baptism of a baby or child stems from the Christian religious practise of immersing oneself in water to wash away sins (The Greek word ‘baptizo’ literally means to immerse, plunge, dip, or bury in water) and in later years the ceremony became associated with the taking of a name to symbolize new life.

Adults may choose to be baptised later in life but whatever the age of the participant, the naming ceremony whether religious or otherwise is usually followed by a family celebration.

Regardless of the size of your christening or naming-ceremony, musical accompaniment will both enhance the atmosphere and entertain your guests throughout the day.

Classical music such as hiring a string quartete, harpists or solo singers are popular choices for the ceremony, with jazz bands, soul bands and pianists proving good choices for the drinks reception afterwards.

Many Christenings now also run on into the night with a party function band or DJ.

If you will have a good number of children attending then it pays to hire entertainers to keep them occupied. Check out Red Masque’s directory of great children’s entertainers, magicians & street entertainers. Also think about face painting & fancy dress costumes which are always a great way to keep them entertained.

Anniversary Party Planning Ideas

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The word anniversary, meaning returning with the year or the annually recurring date of a past event, derives from the Medieval Latin word anniversarius, where annus means year and versus, which is the past participle of vertere, means to turn.

In modern times an anniversary celebration is usually held as a day of remembrance to commemorate a special event, particularly one of historical, national or personal importance: a person’s death, the anniversary of the founding of Rome or more usually a wedding anniversary. 

With music being one of the most important aspects of any party you might think about a themed band or DJ to play music from the era of your wedding party. For example why not book a swing band or Jazz Band for your 50th or 60th wedding anniversary party or a Rock n Roll band for all you 1960’s or 70’s newlyweds.

Many of Red Masque tribute bands will perform in costume which can lead to even greater amusement if you make it compulsory that all your guests must dress up in gear that was trendy in the year you were married, especially if any of them still have original items of clothing from those days!

Maybe you were married abroad, be it Ireland, the Caribbean or Greece so why provide a band who will perform music traditional to that country;  which will get everyone jigging, or a top class steel band to re-invoke the sound of the sea and the swaying palms you enjoyed on your Caribbean wedding day.

Many people choose to organise a 1st, 2nd or 3rd year wedding anniversary party featuring the same band they hired for their wedding day entertainment. Your guests will have loved them the first time around so it’s a pretty safe bet that the next performance will be just as great.

If you’re asking guests to wear fancy dress then your room should be decorated in a similar theme.

For a personal treat you should ask all your friends to bring photos, anecdotes and tall tales about your years as a married couple. You can later compile these into an album to look back on and savour for years to come.

Go Vintage…

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Vintage themed corporate events are a big hit this year. There are all sorts of great vintage style corporate entertainment to be hired, including: a 1950s inspired pool party, complete with dressed up waitresses and synchronised swimmers; seeing the likes of 40s/50s dance troupes with a Vintage DJ…. 
Why not have your very own Vintage theme party and serve up vintage style beverages– why not browse our Red Masque website today to arrange the ideal food and drinks entertainment for your corporate event.

Book string quartet for your vintage corporate event to give your guests the rare opportunity to relive the 1950s musical trend that was three-part harmony singing. Close harmony singing requires huge talent and many years of practice, and when executed magnificently, like our artists can, your guests will be blown away!  
Jazz bands and orchestras dominated what we now call the ‘vintage music scene’ of the early 20th century, which became popular in the 1910s in New Orleans and quickly spread to the UK and Europe. We have a huge collection of jazz bands, duos, trios and Jazz artists for hire to give your vintage themed corporate entertainment the sophistication and class it needs – enquire today!

Where jazz brings sophistication, class and charm; swing, jive and rock n roll will bring movement and lots of it! Get your guests dancing all night long with one of Red Masques directory artists using swing bands, jive bands or 50s style rock and roll bands. 

When you book your corporate entertainment through Red Masque entertainment you are guaranteed a class act from professional musicians and entertainers. 
To book your ideal vintage corporate entertainment, just click on the band or entertainer’s name and fill out and online booking form there and then. You are then able to discuss in personal all your needs and wants for your important corporate event.