Time to plan New Year’s Eve 2015

Posted on by

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!

The best day of your life…

Posted on by

The word wedding derives from Anglo-Saxon times when the bride’s father led a public ceremony, called a “be wedding”, at which the groom offered guarantees to the bride’s guardians that she would be looked after. These offerings were called “weds”. The occasion is one of life’s primeval and surprisingly unchanged rites of passage. It celebrates the union of two people in love with the sharing of vows and is traditionally witnessed by friends and family. 

Whether your special day is a small registry celebration, or 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 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, swing band or classical ensemble to provide background entertainment during the meal or the signing of the register.

Starting with the wedding ceremony, 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.

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 rom your ceremony to continue playing during the afternoon reception.

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

DJ’s are a good 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.

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

Wedding party ideas…

Posted on by

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…

Posted on by

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…

Posted on by

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.

Birthday Celebration Ideas

Posted on by

The tradition of holding a party to celebrate the anniversary of birth began centuries ago in Europe when it was feared that evil spirits sought out people on their birthdays. To protect them from harm, friends and family would gather around to bring good thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to ward off evil spirits, and candles were placed on cakes to transport the birthday wishes directly to God.

Initially, only royalty was deemed important enough to have a birthday celebration, but the tradition soon spread with the introduction of the children’s party in Germany, the Kinderfeste.

For the trivia buffs amongst you; the lyrically astounding ‘Happy Birthday to You’ song was written in 1839 by sisters Mildred and Patty Smith Hill!!

Birthday party fancy dress themes work really well let your imagination run wild…

It’s good to ensure there are plenty of attractions to keep guests talking & mingling so you could also consider casino tables which can tie in nicely with a James Bond theme, for example, and create a space for guests to meet, mix and break the ice. Also check out our celebrity lookalikes who will work the floor & get people talking.

For a rocking party, you could book a party band to play songs fitting to that theme or just a general Rock, Pop, Soul, and Swing or even a hired Jazz band to keep your guests dancing all evening long.

Hiring a Celebrity lookalike of your favourite celebrity would be a great touch. For a great surprise you could hire some comedy music acts who can act “incognito” for part of the evening before bursting into song when your guests least expect it!

Anniversary Party Planning Ideas

Posted on by

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.

Hire your very own ‘sell out performance’

Posted on by

You know that sinking feeling when you just miss out on tickets to see your favourite musicians? It is a sad and sometimes frustrating moment – However Red Masque directory have a solution that could work out cheaper than using those extortionate touting websites.

How often have you eagerly anticipated seeing your favourite band or artist live onstage, only to discover that tour tickets sold out in nanoseconds on the one morning you had a meeting at the Slough office?

Or have you calculated that with the combined cost of decent tickets which don’t have a restricted view or are so far back you need binoculars, travel costs, parking, over-priced drinks, programmes and inevitable late night burger at 1am, you’ll be pushing £200 each?

Luckily, there is an answer – book a Tribute band instead. For the cost of you and five mates attending a major gig), you can hire a superb tribute band or act that play all your favourite tracks, not just the ones nobody wants to hear from their new album. And there are lots of tribute acts for hire to choose from too!

Robbie finished the UK leg of his tour in early July at the O2, so unless you can afford the cost of tickets PLUS air travel to Australia, you won’t be able to see him live this year! Instead, book a Robbie Williams tribute act for all those hits like ‘Angels” and “Rock DJ”. If you prefer his swing albums, why not book a Rat Pack tribute act, who perform all the great hits Robbie covers in his swing shows, such as “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head”, “Mr Bojangles” and “My Way

Want tickets? You Should Be So Lucky! Kicking off with shows in Liverpool, Kylie embarks on an arena tour of the UK in September, and already its standing room only or those pricey “packages” for almost every night. So, why not book a Kylie tribute instead and have a superb night with 100% pop diva fun for friends and family, without the travel and hassle

Recreate the magic that’ll never happen again with tribute bands for some of the world’s most famous artists and bands. Tribute bands play all the hits you love, have all the moves, the costumes, the style.  It’s a great way to enjoy the bands you loved as they were in the hey-day, and without the senior citizen bus passes. Tribute bands for hire are terrific as fundraising concerts and events, as well as party entertainment. See our Tribute Bands on the Red Masque directory and you won’t look back…

Go Vintage…

Posted on by

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.

Let there be light!!

Posted on by

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a major feature of most modern technology such as TVs, tablet computers, mobile phones and remote controls. Read this to find out why LEDs are so important to Red Masque’s party and event entertainers and even their existence…

It’s one of those little things we take for granted, the glowing LED light that shows us that something is ON. Be it red or green, it’s a light that says, “Notice Me”, and it’s probably the one thing you can see at a gig when all the lights go out on stage.

The Prize had been won by three Japanese scientists, who invented blue LEDs. Their work led to the development of today’s LEDs, as used extensively in screens for TVs, PCs, phones and tablets.

However, the acknowledged inventor of the red LED, was not recognized, and was allegedly miffed at being left out from the $1.1million prize.

It’s a sort of chicken and egg thing: without the red LED, there would be no blue LED, and without the blue, no LED screens. Just to confuse the issue further, the first LED was actually created by a Russian scientist who died in 1942.

The reason we sympathise with both sides of this argument is purely because LEDs play such a key role in our entertainment directory.

• Most of Red Masque directory musicians use a PA system, and try finding one of those without LEDs on it.

• All of our artists have mobile phones, so they can contact us and clients about bookings, wherever they are in the country. What lights the screens? LEDs.

• And, of course, you wouldn’t be able to see our website in all its glory on your mobile or tablet without LED technology either.

There is one set of performers, however, who literally wouldn’t exist without LEDS; our LED light show performers. By whirling and twirling LED sights, these talented artists create intricate patterns and optical illusions in light for both inside and outdoor venues, without the concerns over fire regulations and health and safety of their ‘real’ fire and glow counterparts.

Equally, any artists using a mobile device in their act, from iPad magicians, portrait artists and hired caricaturists to function bands offering iPod-based DJ services would quite literally be out of a job.

And DJ’s and rock band lighting would be heavier, more expensive and considerably less exciting, as LED lighting is lightweight, energy efficient, cool to the touch and can create a whole variety of colours without the need for coloured ‘gels’.