Tag Archives: booking

The best day of your life…

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It has been stated that a wedding is one if not the most memorable day in a woman’s life.  As either the bride or the groom, you want to ensure that your wedding is iconic. Where a great many weddings focus on the flowers, seating, gowns, and such essential elements, many times one of the most critical aspects of a wedding is overlooked until the very last minute. This is a practice which very much needs to be avoided. Music is a critical part of a wedding. It sets the mood for all the events which occur.

Romanticism is found in live string instruments, whether these are harps or a beautiful string quartet. The very presence of a live band brings a level of sophistication to your ceremony which is not present from “pre-recorded” tracks. Live musicians of any merit will be able to play both the classical styles and modern music with ease and their own flare. These live originals give new perspectives to older cliché songs. For example: How many times have you heard “Unchained Melody”? Where there have been many different versions, a live band will have their own take on how to present the song adding a nice uniqueness to the wedding.

Regardless of how you choose to present your music, considerations need to focus on three main key times in the wedding event. These three areas are the arrival of the guest, the arrival of the bride, and the post ceremony music.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE GUESTS

Before the Ceremony starts, the mood for the entire day is being set. Like a fragrance which permeates the air, the welcoming music will set the overall mood for arriving guests. What music will welcome arriving guests? Will you choose to use the enticing music of harpist or choose something more engaging such as a gospel choir?

Guest entering the ceremony should experience a relatively sombre and soothing arrangement of music. It is a formal event and so you do not want to have your guests too relaxed (which could cause them to be drowsy while waiting on the bride) or too engaged (meaning that the respect due to the ceremony is lost).

When choosing music for the arrival of your guest, it is always best practice to have a live musician which can accommodate the needs of those attending. This does not mean that the musician is taking request, but that the musical entertainment can focus on the overall mood of the room. For example: If the musician sees that the room is getting restless, they may choose to play something that is a bit more upbeat or vice versa.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE BRIDE

The bride is the focus of the whole event and therefore the music for the procession must reflect that. The processional music is played upon the bridal party entering the events entrance. If you are going for the more “traditional” feel, the procession will enter to a classical tune either played by a string quartet, harpist a song sung by a gospel choir. However, if choose to go with a more modern feel you would have your entertainer play a dedicated track for the processional party. This song does not need to be played at any other time during the ceremony. For those that are wanting to have something truly unique may want to consider hiring a Scottish Piper?

Once the wedding procession has entered the event and the bride is ready to make her procession, the music needs to have a dynamic shift. Whether using stringed instruments or a choir, it is essential that the crowd understand that this is the moment in which the key figure is entering the wedding. Traditionally, a pianist or a live performer will start the “wedding march”.  More modern weddings have the person overseeing the ceremony to formally announce the bride’s arrival and ask for the members to stand. Either way, you need to ensure that the music demands that the bride is the focus.

Bridal music should be slow and soft. You want to capture the beauty of the bride.  Slower music makes the viewer look at the bride and time the beats (subconsciously) with the movements of her steps. Upon arriving at the place where vows will be taken, the music should fade out nicely. Do not abruptly end the song.

After the ceremony, you may choose to have your Scottish Piper (if you opted for such to lead the procession) to lead the wedding party out of the event.  If you do not choose to use a piper but rather a quartet or a choir, then the music should be a bit more upbeat than when the party arrived. You are going from anticipation to celebration.

At the reception, your music should be upbeat and festive. This does not mean that you have to abandon sophistication. Your live musicians should be able to play musical selections from most genres and with variations which meet the overall theme of your wedding entertainment needs.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON PLANNING THE PERFECT PARTY

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When organising a party, it is crucial that you choose a venue that is easily accessible. By choosing a good venue, you will greatly decrease the amount of time and effort it takes you to dress it up. Whether you are planning a Bar Mitzvah, Christmas party, wedding, corporate event there are plenty of interesting venues to choose from.

If you have guests arriving from out of town, it is a good idea to ensure that the venue is easy to find. In addition, consider parking access and whether or not there are accommodations nearby where your guests can stay.

To show your guests how much you appreciate them coming to your event, greet them with a drink. This gives you a chance to welcome them, set a positive vibe, and get your guests in the mood to party. A popular entertainment option to do this is by hiring one of Red Masque Living Human Table, the tables will entertain in the character of your choice, create an exciting buzz and meet and greet your guests on arrival with champagne, or a drink of your choice.

It also works for practical reasons. After all, it will prevent long queues from forming at the bar, which only results in irritated and frustrated guests.

When booking your venue, it is important to get a confirmation of the number of bar staff that will be included. You will need to be certain there is an adequate number of bar staff to ensure a fast turnaround of drinks at the bar. Otherwise, your guests will spend most of their night standing around waiting for a drink.

It’s a good idea to book a venue where the bar is in the same room as your party. If not, your dance floor will rarely be more than half full. If the bar is in an entirely different room, people will end up congregating there to talk.

To encourage mingling, start the party off with some exciting party entertainment. This is a particularly good time to break the ice in those awkward moments when you have only just met other guests and family for the first time. Red Masque directory has something completely unexpected, such as a magician, fortune teller, celebrity lookalikes, or a caricaturist. Guests will be drawn together to discuss what is going on, which will get them interacting with each other.

If you choose a caricaturists, it also creates the opportunity to send your guests home with a truly unique party favour.

Whether you are planning a Private Party, Wedding, Prom, Bar Mitzvah, or Corporate Event, you can’t go wrong by hiring a live band. While it’s true that most guests are content with a party DJ, anyone who has ever attended a party with a live band will tell you that it made the night so much better. In fact, it is not unusual for guests or even the person the party is honouring to admit that a live band is what made the night truly unforgettable.

After all, live party bands will get your guests excited and pumped up. While not everyone likes to dance, even the most ardent anti dancer won’t be able to stop themselves when a great live band is performing classic and modern party songs.

This is your party, so you need to be right in the middle of your guests having just as much fun as they are. Don’t spend the night running around trying to organise everything. If you are having a good time, everybody else will too. If you are having a miserable, stressful night, expect that vibe to rub off on your guests.

Have the night of your life!!

Planning is key to a perfect Corporate Event

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Corporate events are a very important part of any company’s annual calendar, as they help promote the business internally and externally, as well as reinforcing brand values and corporate messages. 

They can also forge links with existing and potential clients and improve staff morale. A lot can hinge on a corporate event – be it a convention, exhibition, awards dinner or conference – including the good name of the company and its reputation.

A successful corporate event will be down to many factors including location, food, and atmosphere and, of course, the all-important entertainment. 

Entertainment can make or break a corporate event and making the most out of any act, show or performer can be hugely beneficial. Good corporate entertainment can leave guests with a memorable experience and reinforce a company’s image, brand and corporate message. Good entertainment can even attract publicity (of the good sort!).

Deciding on the Right Entertainment

Corporate event professionals will first have to take a few factors into consideration when ensuring that the entertainment ‘fits’ the event:

• Determine age, social background and sex, and choose entertainment accordingly. A tribute to ‘One Direction’ or ‘Justin Bieber’ may be suitable for a corporate family day event, but not for a black tie gala dinner.

• Venue size and location is a factor that many event planners and organisers forget (or remember at the last minute!). This is important, as it will play a part in deciding whether or not you can have that aerial team you want or full scale swing band!

• Cost. Do you have a strict budget that you have to work within, or is money not a problem? The amount of money a company is prepared to spend on entertainment will affect the options available.

All that Jazz…

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You’re having a classy event, perhaps a corporate holiday party or a cocktail hour for your wedding reception. You call up a company like Red Masque and you look on the many hired party entertainment that you could get. You may want a piano player to play background music during your cocktail hour, something “jazzy”. 

Most professional piano entertainers are able to play in the style of jazz to varying degrees, without actually being a legit jazz pianist. For many clients; Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble are jazz, and those are the melodies they want to hear. Maybe they want to hear some light FM melodies sprinkled in. Other clients want to hear classic old time hired Jazz musicians and these clients would require a legitimate jazz trained pianist. Both styles are completely valid for classy cocktail music, and to be brutally honest, the majority of the guests will not know the difference unless it’s pointed out to them. 

From the musician’s point of view, it takes much more training to achieve the status of a true jazz pianist, and as such, they get more respect in the music world. Even cocktail players that play “jazzy”, or “in a jazz style” really have a limited jazz vocabulary and can’t really “hang” with the straight up jazz crowd. 

From the standpoint of a client looking for background music at their event, in our experience, it’s usually not important to them whether they are hearing legitimate jazz improvisation, or “jazzy” version of a melody. Just because it’s not straight up jazz doesn’t make it unsophisticated. 

As for the pricing, with any professional entertainment you are paying for professionalism, experience, musicality, and a classy presentation that can float in the background, adding ambiance and being complimentary to party chatter. Whether it’s “cocktail music” or true jazz, the cost is generally going to be the same. 

There are other things that will impact your cost more than the style you choose.

Casino Night…

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One of the most popular events we’ve seen used for corporate team building “entertainment” is a Casino night. Each attendee is given a set number of chips and one raffle ticket at the beginning of the night and at the end of the night they can trade their winnings in for tickets towards a raffle. The more they win “gambling” the better the chances are of winning a prize in the raffle. If there are sponsors of the overall event, you can ask them for raffle donations. Otherwise, corporate branded items, M&S Vouchers/Amazon gift cards, etc. can be used. I’d suggest one raffle item for each 10-15 attendees. They don’t need to be high value, although it’s nice to have one “grand prize” type item. Keep in mind if people have flown in for the event, size matters.

As you watch you’ll see alliances being formed and a lot of teamwork and coaching as more experienced players assist other players and players strategize with each other to defeat players deemed to be winning too often.

Sometimes there may be a few people not want to participate for religious/cultural reasons, and you should always have alternates for them–usually a couple of games suitable for two such as checkers and Uno to start, but they are always joined by people who have lost all their chips fairly quickly and you can have Pictionary with white boards set up for team play.

If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, you’ll know that Illusionists is a wildly popular form of entertainment that dovetails with the Casino party environment. This also works as an additional team building activity, as a good Illusionist show offers opportunities for group participation, and interaction both with the entertainers and among the participants.

Stage Hypnotists

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Take a journey into the subcioncious mind… A stage hypnotist makes great entertainment for almost any event. Hypnotism and over recent years has made a huge come back in the world of entertainment and with a comedy hypnosis show you can be sure your event will be thought provoking, fun and mind-boggling.

Stage hypnotists sometimes argue that it is seeing people hypnotised on television or on stage that convinces people of its use and that it does indeed work. Sure enough, many people who come to see hypnotherapists, or indeed doctors and psychologists using hypnosis, have seen hypnotism on television and are intrigued. The flip side of this is that it takes quite a lot of time explaining hypnosis correctly, including allaying some of their fears, for example;

  • Hypnosis is not magic.
  • It does not involve people being made to do things against their will
  • It does involve a hypnotist acting as a guide to help clients empower themselves and make natural, healthy and often profound changes.

In its worst form, stage hypnosis has been accused of being manipulative and exploitative. Most professional stage hypnotists would counter this claim by demonstrating that subjects have volunteered to take part in the show and fully understand what to expect. This is seen by many as a grey area in that stage hypnotists often suggest indirectly that events are beyond the subject’s control. Far less debatable is the willingness a client shows when entering a session of hypnotherapy. 

The facts about hypnosis for entertainment

Film and TV depictions of hypnosis are often grossly inaccurate and can lead to some people developing a fear or distrust of hypnosis. People can be led to believe that the hypnotist can take control of the person being hypnotised, and even make them do something against their will. This is sometimes called the ‘Svengali effect’ (after the sinister character in the 1894 novel Trilby by George Du Maurier). While this may make for interesting storylines, the reality is quite the opposite. In hypnosis you are always in control and can choose to follow or ignore the suggestions of the hypnotherapist.

There is a very big difference between clinical hypnotherapy and stage hypnotism. Whilst the former is a therapeutic process for the benefit of the client, the latter is a performance, a show designed purely to entertain the audience. The people, who volunteer as subjects for stage hypnotism, are in effect self-selecting themselves, are happy to lose their inhibitions and be the centre of attention (extroverts), and are willing to go along with the show, whether or not they are actually in a state of hypnosis. It could be reasonably argued that the same results could be obtained under the influence of nothing more than a few glasses of alcoholic refreshment.

In the UK, the revival of stage hypnotism was accompanied by a heightened concern about the possible dangers of stage hypnosis, and the 1952 Hypnotism Act was brought in to protect the public from unscrupulous hypnotists.

In 1994 a panel of experts was set up by the Home Office to examine any evidence of possible harm to people taking part in public entertainments involving hypnotism, and to review the effectiveness of the law governing hypnotism for entertainment. Publication of the expert panel’s report was announced in parliament in 1995, which concluded that “there was no evidence of serious risk to participants in stage hypnosis, and that any risk which does exist is much less significant than that involved in many other activities.” 

Nowadays the hypnosis stage show remains popular as both public and corporate entertainment. There are courses available on hypnotic stage techniques for those who wish to learn stage hypnosis online or on a professionally taught course.

Butler Facts;

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Find the best party butlers available for hire in the UK today. If you want a party that everyone will be talking about, then party butlers make the ultimate party accessory. Have the party that everyone’s talking about with some extra special service provided by professional staff. These guys are available to compliment your party, greet your guests, serve cocktails, top up your drinks and help you get your party started.

Here we have gathered some interesting facts about butlers and the private service profession for. The word butler derives from the old French bouteillier, and identified the cup-bearer or the one in charge of the bottles in large households. Bottle and the French equivalent both come from the Medieval Latin buticula, a diminutive of buttis, a cask, which is also the origin of the English word “butt”, given to large wooden container for liquid. The beer cellar in medieval times would have contained butts or wooden casks, not glass bottles.  So the buttery originally had nothing to do with butter but was the place for storing the butts. Only later was the word extended to mean somewhere that provisions in general were stored, perhaps because people mistakenly made that association

Through a complicated process that had to do with the loss of gentlemen servants and changes in social organization, the butler slowly rose to be in charge not only of the buttery, but also of the ewery (where the napkins and basins for washing and shaving were kept) and the pantry (where the bread, butter, cheese and other basic provisions were stored), and later still he took over the cellarer’s duties of looking after the wine. This eventually became one of his principal duties. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the role of the butler reached its full flowering as head of the male domestic servants, in larger households sometimes the butler was given a whole suite of rooms dedicated to his various functions.

The butler could also be taking care of the household accounting and creating household budgets, maintaining the wardrobe and clothing inventory for the gentleman, packing and preparing for the gentleman for travel, assisting with maintaining household security, staff hiring and firing and staff training. The butler is knowledgeable about wines and spirits and oversees the wine cellar and liquor inventory. Thus, the modern butler needs strong communication, organizational and management skills, and ability to multi-task.

Because of the many British TV series and movies featuring butlers, many people believe that butling is a “British thing”. This is an unfortunate myth, just like “British style butlers”. This notion comes from a rather overwhelming number of books, TV series and movies, all featuring a British butler. Due to the phenomenal success of Downton Abbey, British domestic service is yet again a trending topic.

The French invented the butler and the Americans invented the modern butler. Most butlers are employed in the USA and in the Middle East. Most successful butlers are Swiss. The best butler school in the world is located in The Netherlands. The best service in the world can be found in the Far East.

Hire your own living statue

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The term living statue refers to a street artist who poses like a statue or mannequin, usually with realistic statue-like makeup, sometimes for hours at a time. Living statue performers can fool a passer-by and a number of hidden camera shows on television have used living statues to startle people. As with all performing arts, living statue performers may perform as buskers.

Origin:

The tableau vivant, or group of living statues, was a regular feature of medieval and Renaissance festivities and pageantry, such as royal entries by rulers into cities. Typically a group enacting a scene would be mounted on an elaborate stand decorated to look like a monument, placed on the route of the procession. A living statue appeared in a scene of the 1945 French masterpiece film Les enfants du paradis (Children of Paradise), and early living statue pioneers include the London-based artists Gilbert and George in the 1960s. In the early years of the 20th century, the German dancer Olga Desmond put on “Evenings of Beauty” in which she posed nude in imitation of classical works of art (‘living pictures’).

Street entertainment:

Performing as a living statue is a prevalent form of busking, especially in places with a high level of tourism. A living statue performer will strategically choose a spot, preferably one with a high level of foot traffic, and out of the way. The performer creates the illusion of complete stillness while standing. Sometimes, passers-by do not realize the performer is a real person, which often causes surprise when the ‘statue’ gives them a small gesture (such as a wink or nod). A busker’s objective is to create moments of interaction that result in a tip. The amount of money a performer makes day to day depends on his or her ability to effectively interact with the crowd.

Hiring a living statue at your event will add intrigue and perhaps give it a unique appeal. Very much a talking point at any event, and extremely clever.

To book anyone of the living statue artists advertised with Red Masque directory, just fill out a booking form and you are able to contact them personally to arrange further.

Think again about Graffiti artists

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Graffiti is sometimes classed as vandalism, but if you look at the origin of vandalism you may think again:

Graffiti art originated in the late 1960’s, and it has been developing ever since. However, it is not readily accepted as being art like those works that are found in a gallery or a museum. It is not strictly denied the status of genuine art because of a lack of form or other base aesthetic elements. Most of the opposition to graffiti art is due to its location and bold, unexpected, and unconventional presentation, but its presentation and often illegal location does not necessarily disqualify it as art. 

The origins of graffiti go back to the beginnings of human, societal living. Graffiti has been found on uncovered, ancient, Egyptian monuments, and graffiti even was preserved on walls in Pompeii. Graffiti is the plural form of the Italian word grafficar. In plural, grafficar signifies drawings, markings, patterns, scribbles, or messages that are painted, written, or carved on a wall or surface. Grafficar also signifies “to scratch” in reference to different wall writings ranging from “cave paintings”, bathroom scribbles, or any message that is scratched on walls. In reference to present day graffiti, the definition is qualified by adding that graffiti is also any unsolicited marking on a private or public property that is usually considered to be vandalism. 

Although quite controversial; Banksy is one of the best Graffiti artists known today and his work will sell for millions of pounds.

Banksy, a street artist whose identity remains unknown is believed to have been born in Bristol, England, around 1974. He rose to prominence for his provocative stencilled pieces in the late 1990s. Banksy is the subject of a 2010 documentary, Exit through the Gift Shop, which examines the relationship between commercial and street art.

Banksy began his career as a graffiti artist in the early 1990s, in Bristol’s graffiti gang DryBreadZ Crew. Although his early work was largely freehand, Banksy used stencils on occasion. In the late ’90s, he began using stencils predominantly. His work became more widely recognized around Bristol and in London, as his signature style developed. 

Banksy’s artwork is characterized by striking images, often combined with slogans. His work often engages political themes, satirically critiquing war, capitalism, hypocrisy and greed. Common subjects include rats, apes, policemen, members of the royal family, and children. In addition to his two-dimensional work, Banksy is known for his installation artwork. One of the most celebrated of these pieces, which featured a live elephant painted with a Victorian wallpaper pattern, sparked controversy among animal rights activists.

Other pieces have drawn attention for their edgy themes or the boldness of their execution. Banksy’s work on the West Bank barrier, between Israel and Palestine, received significant media attention in 2005. He is also known for his use of copyrighted material and subversion of classic images. An example of this is Banksy’s version of Monet’s famous series of water lilies paintings, adapted by Banksy to include drifting rubbish and debris.

Stuck for party ideas?

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If you are stuck for some ideas for your event or party then Body Art is another way for young and old alike. You may have opened a new theatre company and wish to use Body Art for a completely different concept, or you may be holding a party where women or men are painted from head to foot in the most amazing paint that you wouldn’t know they had any clothes on!!!  (That’s how talented these Body Art artists are) and then there’s your face painter which can create the most amazing art on anybody’s faces…

Clowns are another good choice, usually you would book them for Children’s parties; and of course you still can, but why not hire a Clown for an adult event. Clowns have been around for centuries, first derived from the ‘court gestures’ of many moons ago to entertain Royalty and the Rich and Famous.   Clown’s slap stick humour is able to make both adults and children engage.

You are able to book Clown’s for any different event depending on what you need, but be safe in the knowledge that we only have the best Clowns on our books.

A contortionist is another slightly ‘off the wall’ act to hire, the amazing way these people bend their bodies to get into the tiniest places – are these people human? In fact the suppleness they have has taken hours of training every day to keep them this supple, to enable them get into these impossible spaces. With an act like this you will find that your guess will be mesmerised and will definitely entertain.

Fire Acts are definitely welcoming crowd pleaser. You could be opening up a new night club where 2 of these Fire Acts could be standing outside your new club. A must if you want that dynamic entrance for your new guests.

Or how about a Hula hooping act to hire? Strange as it may seem hula hooping would be a different but entertaining act to hire; maybe to meet and greet your guests as they arrive, serving drinks but hula hooping at the same time? Hula Hooping for a long time takes skill. Your Hula Hoop Act could have many on them on different parts of the body – great entertainment and a great way to keep fit.

So why not book a whole array of acts for your party – just break out from the usual dull entertainment that’s usually hired at such occasions.