Tag Archives: artists

Your party needn’t be a Drag

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A comedy night is something most people enjoy but it has to be the right comedian. Drag Queens are sharp tongued with their risqué humour these Drag Queens will have your audience rolling around.  We have the best Drag Queens advertised in our Red Masque entertainment directory so you will be booking quality performers that will not let you down.

If you have a private function that would benefit from an outrageous Drag Queen or a launch party which could do with a variety act which could range from impressions, songs and stand up then why not book a Drag Queen.

Comedians and Comedy Acts are always very popular especially if they are current and ‘funny’ (of course). A good Comedian is always recommended and we have the very best hilarious comedians on our Red Masque directory.

You could be organising a corporate event where ‘blue’ jokes would go down very well with your audience or you may want something that all ages can enjoy, the choice is yours and we have a great choices advertised in Red Masque directory.

Another act to consider is a Mime Act it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but good Mimes are very humorous and have the ability to engage your audience where their facial expressions speak a thousand words.  A group of Mime acts are very talented and take months perfecting their flawless routines. It maybe that they are rein acting a movie, mimicking somebody in the audience or just tomfooling around, Mine Acts certainly know how to impress your guests.

Everyone feels a bit ‘star-struck’ when they think they have just seen somebody famous. Imagine having your very own favourite celebrity lookalike at your party, why not have 2 or 3??  Your teenage child will be the envy of all his/her friends if you book a very current Celebrity Lookalike.

Whatever your occasion we are sure a Celebrity Lookalike will spice things up.  Just take a look at some of the ‘stars’ we have advertised.

So have a look, pick the appropriate one and once you have filled out a form your chosen entertainment will be in contact to arrange further.

Dance the night away…

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A hired dance floor is a must with any event with music.  There are many dance floors to choose from it could be a mirrored dance floor, light up, flashing l.e.ds or just a romantic themed one for lovers.

You could be having a ‘ballroom’ evening where one of these dance-floors would be key to the success of your event, or a corporate evening where you want your entire guests to get up and have a good old boogie.

Whatever dance floor you had in mind, we are sure you will find the perfect one for you.  We have the most diverse selection of dance floors for you to choose.

As girls love a bit of dancing around their handbags (or was that just my era?)  Having a girlie get together and dancing to your guilty pleasure is every girls dream!!  Now you just need to quench your thirst and what better than to have you very own butler or butlers for your party!  A bit of eye candy serving drinks as and when needed would be the recipe for the perfect night out!!!

Whether he is topless or naked (of course an apron to cover his modesty) then these butlers will certainly liven up your event.  Serving up some treats for you girls or mixing a few of your favourite cocktails, these toned butlers will be the icing on the cake.

How about having a dancing Robot entertainers or two at your event? These must-have robots are all the rage at the moment from talking robots, to serving robots, they will be able to meet and greet your guests and be a guaranteed crowd pleaser and of course a talking point for months to come. Your robot entertainer of your choice is able to talk through exactly what you would like from him, it maybe a group of robots performing a dance or just one or two mingling with you crowd; there are many things your Robot can do.

Just have a look on our gallery of party entertainment and we are sure that you will find just what you are after for just click on the one that most interests you from the gallery and fill out an online booking form.  Your girlie night will be a definite night to remember!!

A Casino themed event

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You may well want to go all out at your event and have a ‘James Bond’ theme and have a few celebrity lookalike ‘Bonds’ or some ‘Pussy Galore’ lookalikes gracing your event.  

It doesn’t have to be an all adult affair either you could make it family orientated and hire some bouncy castles, children’s entertainers or some fairground stalls.

Just make it your own – we have some great ideas on our website which will fit into whatever you were deciding.  A birthday party or fund raising event which would be very unique and anyone receiving an invitation would be very curious and definitely want to turn up.  Use your imagination and your event could be the most talked about for many months to come.

Going back to a ‘Casino Theme’ you may have the roulette wheel, or the black jack table, but why not indulge in a few arcade games for the younger ones or indeed the older generation who love to have a go on retro ‘Pac man’ or ‘out run’. You may want some ‘slot machines’ where you will find that people will be hogging them for hours.

You could be organising a charity event where all proceeds go to your favourite cause, or you may want somebody to win big!!  The choice is yours and your event will be a very tempting invitation.

Don’t forget to hire some all-important Paparazzi for when your guests arrive, they will be ‘papped’ just like the stars of today, and after they will be able to see their escapades on a souvenir dvd, now that’s what memories are made of!!!

To book some of the ideas that we have listed or to get some more inspiration simply look within our Red Masque party and event entertainment directory to see which would be ideal for you. 

5 mistakes Christmas party planners make

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Planning a Christmas party seems quite straight forward, but you’d be amazed at how many people leave it to the last minute. And it might seem a little early in the year to get started but you’d be surprised how much planning goes into creating the perfect Christmas even. So what are you waiting for? 

A few helpful hints to make sure your next Christmas event runs smoothly….

Not laying down a budget

OK, it’s not like Christmas parties – depending on the size of your organisation – are particularly cheap affairs, but foregoing a budget for some entertainment might make it seem more like one planned by Ebenezer Scrooge rather than Father Christmas.

What’s important, as with any budget is that you look to get the most value out of the event as possible and a common mistake is that many planners fail to get the most value out of the oft-overlooked centrepiece for the night’s festivities – the entertainment.

Budgeting the right amount for the entertainment can sometimes be the difference between a good Christmas party and a great one and setting a budget in place means that you won’t spend too much or too little on such a crucial aspect of the evening. 

Not booking it early enough

Christmas parties aren’t exactly surprise affairs and you’d be surprised at the amount of last minute entertainment bookings that take place in the run up to the big day.

Obviously, the festive season is a peak time for many acts, performers, bands, DJs, you name it to receive bookings and as such – the best ones will be snapped up by the early birds.

A common mistake that many Christmas party planners make is that they don’t book their acts early enough and as such; they miss out on the very best entertainers and acts at the best possible prices. Through booking your entertainment early, you ensure that you have more options at more prices levels than if you left it too late. 

Not taking any risks

No one’s an expert in entertainment (although Red Masque directory do have an array of great entertainment) but that’s no excuse for not jumping online and seeing what options are out there to book for your Christmas party – alas it’s a common mistake to just ‘go by the motions’ 

As well as tonnes of resources online (you’re looking at one right now), there are so many options for unique and creative twists on the usual. Christmas jazz bands, a walkabout snowman or a magician, a freestanding aerial artist that looks like she’s on top of a Christmas tree, we have a lot interesting acts to choose from. 

Taking the time to think about more creative and unusual entertainment options means that your Christmas party will be an extremely memorable, not to mention unique, event that will show you’re not afraid to take risks. 

Not thinking about how it can fit into your event

Well this one is a little bit trickier and it’s a common mistake with a lot of Christmas parties – and lots of events for that matter – but many planners forget that entertainment, much like the décor, is an integral aspect of the event’s theme and getting it wrong spells d-i-s-h-a-r-m-o-n-y.

Luckily, there are tonnes of entertainment options out there to help bring your event into blissful harmony. Think about your venue, what your aims with the party are, who your guests are etc… and then look at how you can match the entertainment to all of these aspects. 

For example; let’s say you’re holding a party in a grade II listed building; does a DJ really strike you as ‘vintage’? Well it might if you work with the act a little to get the look right, but surely your theme, and event as a whole is much better off with an act that’s almost tailored perfectly to the venue; a troupe of Christmas carollers or a jazz band that plays Christmas covers will combine for a much stronger impact. 

Not booking any entertainment at all

OK, it’s not like forgetting to book some entertainment for your Christmas party means that it will be the worst one ever and everyone will hate you for it – nor does it mean you’ve ruined Christmas. 

What it does mean is that you’re missing out on tonnes of opportunities to try and give your guests and experience that they will remember as, quite simply, being ‘the best Christmas party ever’. It doesn’t have to be big and it doesn’t have to be fancy, in fact it could be anything from hiring a DJ or a magician. But one thing that will make a good Christmas party great, is having a source of entertainment that has been well thought out and will ensure that your guests’ experience is unparalleled by any other. Do otherwise at your peril.

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!

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.

A thriller night…

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If you are planning an extravagant Halloween night this year make sure you hire some spooky acts from Red Masque directory. Halloween is a night when we celebrate all that’s ghoulish and ghastly about Britain. For a party with more pumpkins than most, here are our top devilishly spooky suggestions for your own awesome Halloween party event.

Set up a screen in your garage, shed, or front room, beg or borrow an LED projector, and decorate with suitably spooky fake spiders webs. Then, throw open the doors of your monstrous new movie house! Go traditional with hot popcorn, or enjoy a witch’s brew of cocktails created by cocktail waiters. Pop on a CD of classic horror themes, or hire a string quartet to play them for you! Then, sit back and relax and scream the night away with your favourite horror flicks, from “Psycho” to “Nightmare on Elm Street”. Or choose the comedy route with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, “An American Werewolf in London”, animation gems “The Corpse Bride” and “Frankenweenie”, the Bette Midler classic “Hocus Pocus” or cult “Carry on Screaming”!

Spare the neighbours the horror of trick or treating and invite the local kids to enjoy Halloween Serve steaming bowls of chilli con carne, add in tequila shots for the adults, and finish the whole effect with a party function band playing modern pop classics.

Banish the evil spirits that walk the earth on All Hallows Eve with your own fire celebration. Order in a hog roast, light the torches, and dot about those pumpkins you’ve been carving for weeks. Greet guests with walkabout artists or invite guests to create their own costumes from scratch. Provide a peppery feast with stuffed chilies, hot curries or spicy chicken wings, before everyone boogies on down to hell-raising music from a sizzling Rock band. Finish the evening to perfection with a hired fire performer lighting the sky with spark and flame.

Convene your own witches’ coven by getting the girls together for a costumed tour of your city’s most haunted pubs! (So, instead look for pubs or clubs offering something special in the way of live music.

It’s the dance video that spawned a revolution, and it’s never really been equalled. Until now; get a dance group to teach you and your guests the classic moves of the Thriller video, and hire in ghoulish costumes to dance in and the 1980s fashions were horrific enough!! Then, crank up the soundtrack, power up the iPad, and capture your finest Thriller moves for posterity. Or moonwalk the extra mile and hire a party function band to play the track live, followed by more demon tracks to keep those un-dead guests throwing their best moves on the dancefloor.

Want to make your CEO happy?

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Here at Red Masque we think we are tooled with some of the best acts for your party which will capture your imagination. So, what are the best of the best for corporate event entertainment acts for your next corporate event in 2015? Red Masque directory have the hottest trends and acts for corporate, and company parties to ensure your VIPs are very impressed and your CEO is very happy.

Circus act entertainers have given the world of corporate entertainment a whole new generation of aerial artists, defying gravity to present unique. Even if you haven’t got a skyscraper to use as your stage, these circus-inspired artists can perform in almost any space, for any corporate event.

Aerialists use aerial circus and dance theatre with dynamic lighting and music to create evocative shows using trapeze, ropes and silks. Available as a solo artist for smaller venue, or as large a troupe as you wish, their show can be tailored to create the atmosphere you require, whether humorous, quirky, elegant. With a range of associated acts, including aerial champagne pouring, we are sure you will find your perfect act on our website.

It may be 52 years since Sean Connery first appeared as Ian Fleming’s ultimate spy, but the fascination with all things 007 is as strong as ever. The difference for 2015 is that people want to be Bond, to immerse themselves in a world where tech is top, and glamour is king.

Offer your guests a total 007 experience: an elegant stately home or iconic venue, set up as a celebrity lookalike James Bond complete with elegant hostesses serving martinis (shaken not stirred by expert cocktail waiters). Then add musical entertainment combining iconic Bond movie soundtracks and characters with dance and spectacle, such as a top party function band with a James Bond set.

Add in some more celebrity lookalikes and a John Cleese lookalike the ‘new’ Q, who sets your guests site-specific missions to test their skills.

Bespoke dance groups provide a superb spectacle that transcends language, and can be precisely tailored to your corporate event theme. From ballet dancers to contemporary rock dancers, your guests can enjoy a show full of energy, passion, augmented by state of the lighting and sound systems.

Whatever the occasion, you’ll find a dance troupe to suit; that can offer themed events such as Arabian Nights, Argentinean Tango, Burlesque, Flamenco, Irish Dancing, Ballroom Dancing, and Vegas Showgirls for example.

Messing about on the river…

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You don’t have to own a mega yacht to hold a party on the water! The UK has a great assortment of water-based venues for hire, from barges to battleships; Red Masque entertainment directory has a wealth of entertainment to make your event something really special.

We have listed a few ideas of maritime venues and entertainment that seem just made for each other!

HMS BELFAST IN LONDON
Yes, you can hire this iconic WWII battleship moored on the Thames. Hold an intimate drinks party in the Admiral’s Quarters, or enjoy great views of London from the Quarterdeck with 450 of your closest friends for your wedding reception. 

LIVERPOOL LUXURY YACHT
Why not party like a Lottery winner for your hen night on your own private luxury yacht, sailing from the famous Albert Docks in Liverpool out into the Irish Sea to the iconic Anthony Gormley statues (weather permitting). Perfect for you and your very own Ocean’s Twelve (i.e. 12 people max). Then why not book some dancing when you return back to the Albert Docks where you can hire a venue and dance the night away with some great female, male or group singers which will really make your party a night to remember!!

MANCHESTER PARTY BARGE
Manchester barge The Bohemia can whisk you and up to 60 guests along the hidden waterways of central Manchester for a birthday party or anniversary celebration with a difference. With space to enjoy live music on your travels, and a route that takes you past the iconic Old Trafford football ground, this is an evening to savour. Other iconic waterways offering party barges including the Tiverton Canal, Lancaster Canal and the city with more canals than Venice – Birmingham!

For entertainment ideas for smaller venues such as a barge, opt for a compact musicians that play all your favourite hits with the minimum of kit. If these aren’t appealing, why not look on our gallery of artists to see which suits your tastes as we have many to choose from. From singers to magicians, we have every entertainment option covered.

THE BRISTOL PACKET
Charter a boat to party on the River Avon as it flows through the Avon Gorge, under the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge and out to sea. The Bristol Packet company offer a choice of boats, including a traditional river steamer, an Amsterdam sightseeing boat, and an all-weather cruiser made for parties. All boats have a full bar and food can be provided. You will need some music so hire the perfect DJ from Red Masque entertainment directory.

SPITBANK FORT – THE SOLENT

OK, it’s not a boat, but it is very much on the sea! Spitbank Fort is a Napoleonic gun emplacement just 30 minutes boat ride off the coast at Portsmouth. It’s been converted into a luxurious party venue complete with roof top hot pool, sauna and fire pit. Start the fun with water sports during the day, then chill out in the pool before dinner with a drink from the bar, and dance the night away under the stars. No need for you and your best friends to worry about a taxi home either; the fort has nine bedrooms and sleeps 18! 

So what acts could you hire for this fort? Pretty much anything you like, as loud as you like – there are no neighbours to annoy!