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Everyone loves a Cheesy Party theme

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What’s Cheese? This is probably one of the hardest questions a party DJ has to answer as it can mean totally different things to different people. So we’ll let you tell us what it means to you and we’ll happily play the cheesiest, most fun party songs you can think of to keep you and your guests enjoying themselves all night (and yes the photos will prove you danced to the YMCA and Macarena).

Come On Eileen, we’re going to the D.I.S.C.O, so Dance Yourself Dizzy like a Dancing Queen! The well-loved party hits from all the decades were written with just one aim – to have a good time! There’s no snobbery here, do the YMCA and Macarena with everybody else, sit on the floor and row to Oops Upside Your Head – go on, enjoy yourself!

Top 10 Requested Cheesy Tunes

Dexys Midnight Runners – Come on Eileen

A British pop group with soul influences, Dexys are best remembered for their hits Geno and Come On Eileen which has become a “love-it-or-hate-it” yardstick defining the “Cheese” category! Jackie Wilson Said was another popular early 80s track by the group.

Abba- Dancing Queen

Possibly the most commercially successful act in the history of pop music, Abba have several “Cheese” tracks in their catalogue … arguably the most requested being 1976s Dancing Queen which can be heard at family parties across the land every weekend!

Rocky Horror Show – Time Warp

One of any cheese-fest’s top action dances, Time Warp is taken from the 1973 rock musical Rocky to this song and are first on the floor when the opening bars are played!

Village People – YMCA

This costumed disco group formed in 1977, quickly scoring a number of disco and dance hits many of which have action sequences, including party favourites YMCA, Macho Man, In The Navy and Go West. They tour even today and are a popular addition to any festival line-up!

The Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men

Now comprising two daughters of one of the original band members, The Weather Girls tour today, singing early 80s hits including the dancefloor-polarising It’s Raining Men. Always a big hit with the ladies at any family party, this cheesy classic works well with any 80s set.

Whigfield – Saturday Night

The summer hit of 1994, Danish-born Whigfield’s Saturday Night is still a popular dancefloor filler, with its easy-to-learn routine popular with ladies of all ages. Cue the blokes heading off to the bar!

Mud – Tiger Feet

The UK’s best-selling single of 1974, Mud’s Tiger Feet goes down a storm with party guests – perfect to follow a few jive classics, a twist, or in amongst a selection of 70s glam rock classics. Mud went on to have several minor hits throughout the 1970s.

MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This

Dancer-cum-rapper Stanley Burrell (aka MC Hammer) is as famous for his harem pants as he is for his music! U Can’t Touch This is a must-play classic in any 80s set, loved by the boys as well as the girls. The song featured Rick James’ Superfreak riff.

Aqua – Barbie Girl

Popular late 90s / early 2000s pop band Aqua are best remembered for their global hit Barbie Girl, popular with the younger age groups even today. Follow-up number one singles Doctor Jones and Turn Back Time helped them become the best-selling Danish band in history.

Chesney Hawkes – The One and Only

Chesney’s 1991 hit single The One and Only still results in a rousing anthemia sing-along today, if carefully judged and played amongst the right tracks for the specific audience. Although he did have a few minor chart successes, Chesney was a bit of a one-hit-wonder.

The surprise element

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When you’re planning an event, you want to keep your guests entertained throughout, so the energy and enjoyment never dips. Giving them something new just when they are least expecting it is a great way to create a buzz, and to give guests something to talk about apart from the food or the football! And nothing fits the bill quite like a surprise act, be it singing waiters, firemen, or chefs.

Hire singing waiters, policemen, firemen and a whole host of other comedy singing acts from Red Masque party entertainment directory to make your event unforgettable. Discover what surprise entertainment we offer and how they’ll positively impact your event!

The idea is really simple; your guests have no idea that the waiter who has been serving them, or the fireman who seems to be worried about the smoke alarms, are in fact highly talented singers, ready to grab a microphone and burst into song. As one waiter starts to sing, another suddenly joins in, and then a ‘guest’ can’t seem to resist joining in either. It’s particularly effective during a formal dinner.

It’s a great way of breaking up a meal and giving your guests something hugely entertaining when they are least expecting it!

Before the audience have had time to work out who might be part of the act, they are being royally entertained by superb singers performing anything from famous opera songs to the latest West End hits, often close up to their tables. 

The voices, the energy, the performance, they are all something that you just can’t duplicate in any other way. The ‘singing waiters’ introduction is a light way to create a surprise and add a great deal of fun.

What the guests see, of course, is just the end product of a great deal of planning and preparation. Professional entertainment acts make sure that everyone behind the scenes is in the know and fully prepared, while the real guests haven’t a clue what’s going on! It’s also about preparing a scenario that is perfect for your event.

And it doesn’t just have to be waiters, guests or catering staff.

For example; the client is asked to provide a photograph of one of the guests that one of the acts is going to pretend to “arrest” for non-payment of a parking ticket! Once the ‘policemen’ start singing, they perform an amazing act containing everything from opera to Rat Pack and Grease

A good firework display

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Attending an organised bonfire event ensures you can enjoy the very best of everything in safety, including a bonfire, the burning of the Guy, live music, tasty eats, and of course an awesome fireworks display. Red Masque have many good firework display artists for you to hire for hundreds of charity events every year, so that you can go along, have a good time and enjoy them to the max.

As a nation, we like to celebrate a hapless hero, and top of the list must be Guy Fawkes, a man famous for having failed miserably to do what he set out to do. Fawkes and his co-conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament but on 5 November 1605, Fawkes was discovered guarding a large stockpile of gunpowder in the cellars, after an anonymous tip-off to the authorities. Here’s five great ways to celebrate his non-achievement!

Guy Fawkes Night is a great excuse to have a party where the star attraction is a red-hot band or explosive new act rather than a soggy bonfire or a damp squib! Ditch the rockets and whizz-bang in favour of guitar solos and keyboard wizardry, for a night everyone will remember for a very long time. At Red Masque, we have some of the best up and coming bands in the business.

Bonfires are fun but they are also a liability waiting to happen. So, light up your bonfire party with entertainment that makes the most of fire, light and spectacle without the health and safety issues. 

Fire acts create magical patterns in the night sky using fire and sparks, for a show that has deep, primeval appeal. Or opt for the high-tech solution, an LED light show where the ‘fire’ is actually LED lights twirled, swirled and whirled to create incredible coloured patterns and optical illusions. You’ll never look at a sparkler again!

You will have to book will in advance if you want a professional firework display, as they’ve been booked up for months. However, you can book a professional firework display any day of the year through Red Masque so you can enjoy a spectacular display choreographed to your favourite track for your wedding, birthday party, anniversary celebrations, proms party, graduation ball, you name it. Call us for details, and try to book nice and early!

We may have been celebrating Fawkes’ night in July instead of November, had not the opening of Parliament been delayed by the threat of plague – the gunpowder was actually stored and ready from 20th July onwards. So if you’re planning a summer party with a difference, why not celebrate the 410th anniversary of the start of the Gunpowder Plot with a midsummer Bonfire Night party.

And if you do want your own bonfire party in the back garden, always follow the Firework Code keep bonfires small and under control, and warn your neighbours so they can keep pets safely indoors. Have fun!

Christmas Decor

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For all 2015 christmas corporate events, décor will be key. Your venue needs to wow your guests from the moment they walk in, creating a special and uniquely defined space for your event. Two highly contrasting themes are high tech interactive and natural materials, enabling your company to show off its tech prowess, or boost its eco credentials.

Choose musicians that blend performances with tech, such as our interactive VJ’S, or a live DJ. Get your guests interacting with each other playing giant games with your very own theme. 

If you choose a high tech theme, your christmas party entertainment must be 100% integrated to the whole tech ambience. Look for entertainers that offer a tech twist in their act, such as iPad illusionists, LED Light entertainers and street magicians that work with the latest phones and mobile gadgets. 

If you are thinking about a winter corporate event into a natural winter wonderland party with ice sculptures and decorated living statues, walkabout characters, and seasonal winter menus. Welcome guests with the warming aromas of mulled wine, or entice people out into the crisp winter air with heated seating areas, piles of rugs and sweet chestnuts roasting on a real coal brazier.

You could extend the theme beyond décor and food into acoustic musical acts, for a more ‘natural’ sound. Entertain with a gospel singing Christmas songs, or a trendy a Capella groups, or guitar and sax soloists.

When you want your corporate party to finally hot up, keep the theme with classic tracks that really evoke the sights and sounds with top UK function and party bands who know their Farrell and their Ed Sheeran.

Take lighting to the next level and illuminate your event to create spectacle and visual interest. Any venue can be transformed with clever and creative use of lighting even on the more limited of budgets. Use lighting to throw unusual shadows, to colour tables rather than using flowers, and use wireless technology to alter lighting states to reflect the various stages of your event.

Your entertainment should be equally well lit! Look for party DJ’S with their own light shows, rock and pop function bands that provide their own lighting, and artists that use light in imaginative ways.

For larger events, book artists that have a strong visual impact enhanced by theatrical style lighting, such as dance troupes, ballet dancers or aerial artists.

Find ways to make your christmas party entertainment a pleasure for everyone by choosing acts that blend superb musicianship with accessible humour, such as a comedy string quartet. Or present musical acts with an international flavour, such as 1920s swing band just make people smile!

Christmas party time

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It is just around the corner; but it’s always best to plan your next Christmas event as early as you can to avoid disappointment. If you want to create your own winter experience, either for a party, corporate event or business attraction, here are a few hints from Red Masque entertainment directory to make your Christmas event wonderful!

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

• Dance groups who can fill the performance area with music, movement and style!
• Circus acts, especially aerialists, or silk acrobats!
• Experienced party bands that can play in all those cheesy pop hits we love at Xmas!

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

• Walkabout acts really help build a holiday atmosphere – check out Christmas costumed characters, ice characters and stilt walkers.
• Generate a warm feeling with fire acts to light up the winter darkness
• Conjure up the magic of Christmas with street magicians performing close-up tricks and illusions

Food and Drink
• Hire a hog roast or BBQ for outside cooked goodies
• Offer traditional treats such as roasted chestnuts and mulled wine that fill the air with deliciously Christmas smells!
• Be cool with a Christmas cocktail bar, decorated with ice sculptures serving frosted cocktails or frozen daiquiris (and non-alcoholic drinks for the drivers)

Fun things to do:
Visitors love interactive experiences, (aka things to do). They don’t have to be very fancy, just lots of fun for any age.

• Turn traditional side stalls into Christmas fun, such as a snowball coconut shy.
• Book a winter or “Frozen” themed bouncy castle with integrated rain cover, so the weather doesn’t stop the fun
• Get your skates on and book an artificial ice rink – all the fun, none of the wet! Most ice rink suppliers offer a complete package with chalet, boot hire, and experienced staff trained in the required health and safety procedures.

And if that all sounds great fun but such a lot of work right now, hey, there’s always next year! At Red Masque, we’re already seeing lots of people now booking acts for Christmas 2016, so find your perfect acts now to make your own winter wonderland happen.

Throw and Black and Orange Halloween party

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Looking for a festive and fun kids Halloween party theme this year? Throw a black and orange themed party, complete with pumpkins, spiders and witches – oh my! Here are few tips on how to get started:

Invitations: Send perfectly themed Halloween invitations that feature the black and orange colour scheme and will appeal to kids. Don’t forget to remind your guests to wear their costumes! Free online invitations are the easiest, fastest way to invite guests to your party.

Treats: Serve up some delicious black and orange snacks and desserts that kids will love! Make pumpkin shaped Rice Krispies treats with orange frosting, Oreo cookie spiders using thin pretzel sticks for legs, or dark chocolate-dipped apple slices.

Drinks: No Halloween party theme entertainment is complete without a signature punch! This black-coloured punch goes well with the overall black and orange party theme, and can be served over dry ice for an extra spooky effect. Try this quick recipe to impress all your witches and goblins!           

Witch’s Brew Punch

• 1 can grape soda
• 1 can frozen orange juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 litre of ginger ale
• 2 pints of cold water

Mix all ingredients together, and serve over ice in a large punch bowl.

Games: Incorporate black and orange themed games into your Halloween party! Play Pumpkin Ring Toss, Pin the Spider on the Web, or have a Monster Mash costume parade around your neighbourhood or garden!

Decorations: Use creative Halloween decorations that complement your colour theme. Pumpkins are a natural choice to incorporate orange into your party, and they provide both decoration and an activity. Encourage guests to decorate them with markers, paint, glitter glue, and more. No carving needed! You could also draw spooky faces on orange and black balloons with black and white paint markers! Place them around your party space at various heights for an easy way to decorate.  If your party is in the evening, hang orange glow sticks from the trees for a creative backdrop to all the fun!

This classic Halloween theme allows for a lot of creativity as your plan your child’s next Halloween party.  Use these spirited ideas to help bring your party theme to life, and enjoy the haunts and thrills with your little ones this Halloween season!

Party games for little ghosts

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Incorporate a few fun Halloween games for kids into your monster bash. Having games at your Halloween party will keep the children entertained and having fun. When deciding what games to play pick ones that are age appropriate, easy to play, and accommodate all of the children at the party.  

You also want to make sure that the games are Halloween themed by including things like witches, ghosts, and pumpkins into the directions or rules. Here are a few easy Halloween games for kids between the ages of 4-10 to consider for your party planning: 

Pumpkin BINGO: This is a great Halloween party entertainment for kids because it is easy to play and fun. Make your bingo game spooktacular by using pumpkin tokens instead of bingo chips and ghost shaped bingo cards. Have a prize bag full of Halloween sweets and toys ready for the winners to make a selection.

Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin: Pin the nose on the pumpkin is an easy Halloween game for toddlers to play. To setup the game start by making an adorable pumpkin banner with black and orange felt. Have the kids “pin” the nose on the pumpkin after a few blindfolded spins. The closest to the actual nose wins!

Pumpkin Toss: To setup the game, start by carving a large pumpkin with openings for the eyes and mouth or group together lots of pumpkins. To play, have the children throw beanbags shaped like ghosts into the holes to score points. Have each hole be worth a different number of points. The child with the most points after three rounds wins a prize.

The Bone Collector: This game is a great way to get the children up on their feet because it is a Halloween themed treasure hunt. To set up the game, buy a big bag of skeleton bones. Next, hide all of the bones around a designated area for the children to find. For the really little ones, create a diagram of a skeleton so they know how many parts to look for.

Monster Musical Chairs: Musical chairs is an easy Halloween game for kids because all you need is chairs and some fun Halloween music. Have a playlist ready with Halloween songs and let everyone dance around the chairs. When the music stops everyone has to sit down as fast as they can. The child that doesn’t get a chair is eliminated. Each round another chair is taken away until only one child is left sitting.

Adult fun at Halloween

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Incorporate fun adult Halloween party games into your monster event this year. Halloween party entertainment for adults can be competitive, scary, or even silly as long as they are Halloween inspired. Adult party games are also a great way to entertain your guests and make your party more memorable.

Here are some easy adult Halloween party game ideas to play at your spooky soiree:

Mummy Wrap: Teams pair up and each get a roll of toilet paper. Then one person spins around the other turning them into a mummy. The person becoming the mummy generally also tries to spin to help the team finish first, which is the goal. With all that spinning and drinking, it’s bound to be entertaining for those watching and playing! 

Shot in the Dark: This is a great scary Halloween party entertainment for adults. Play a scary movie in the background or in a separate room. Set up some movie rules, like whenever someone gets shot, everyone does a shot. Or whenever a character screams, everyone drinks. Or whenever they say a certain word, everyone cheers. You get the point. You can get really creative, however it’s generally a good idea to watch the chosen movie ahead of time to get an idea of how many times you’re going to have people do each thing.

Monster Mash Dance Contest: Get everyone up and dancing with this Halloween party game. Have a monster mash dance contest and award the best dancer a prize. All you need is a Halloween themed playlist and two dance judges. Have several dance off rounds and eliminate a few people each time until one winner is left. Make a fake plaque that reads: “monster mash—best dancer award.” Everyone will want to keep dancing way after a winner is declared.

Who am I? This is a Halloween twist on a classic name game. Write down characters from famous scary movies on notecards. Tape one note card on each person’s back as they arrive.  The objective of the game to have everyone ask questions and talk to each other them if they are that character to give them hints. Once everyone guesses his or her “identity” the game is over.

When you plan the games and activities for your party, it’s always important to consider your audience. Most adult Halloween parties involve a lot of mixing and mingling so try to mix in a couple of your favourite game ideas to keep things interesting!

Halloween party ideas

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Halloween lands soon this year, so there’s no excuse not to make the most of it! You can throw together a masquerade-themed Halloween bash in a flash. This Halloween, throw the most interesting masquerade party in the world — 

Setting the Mood.

The trick to instantly creating a mood is to focus on overall effect rather than intricate decor details. Simply dimming the lights in favour of candlelight (electronic or flame) will immediately infuse the room with spooky ambiance. A quick draping of black netting over existing furnishings — tables, seating, etc. — provides instant spook factor with minimal effort, and a scattering of decorative masks will dress up everything from the food table to the bar. Finally, a scary film with a mask-related plot point (think Phantom of the Opera or one of the Saw movies) playing on the TV surround sound is a clever, effortless way to emphasize the theme.

Serving Drinks. 

The two most important things to remember about party drinks are quality and presentation. A choice of excellent lagers offered in ice-filled black cauldrons is much more interesting than a bunch of average Fosters crammed in the fridge. Serve a single signature cocktail jazzed up with themed stirrers or glassware and made with a premium spirit to make it feel special. Margaritas on the rocks are super easy and don’t require a blender (plus the mix can be made in batches in advance for easy pouring over ice once guests arrive).

Party Food.

A spicy pot of chilli served with tortilla chips instead of bread works perfectly with lagers and tequila, and a buffet of toppings allows guests to personalize their bowls. For snacks, a sweet-and-savoury dipping bar of crisps, fruit, and dips provides visual impact as well as variety. Salsa, hummus, and sour cream-based dips are must-have classics, while melted chocolate and/or caramels mixed with heavy cream make great accompaniments to strawberries and apple slices (just rub the apple slices with lemon juice to keep them looking fresh).

Playing DJ. 

Soundtracks to scary movies are a quick and easy way to infuse the room with doom. Extra points for playing spooky sound effects at the front door or in the bathroom. If you have extra time, make a playlist of your favourite horror movie themes and make a game of guessing which film goes with each tune.

Keeping Party Guests Entertained. 

Give the classic games you played as a child a slightly more sophisticated spin to keep guests happily occupied. Replace pumpkin carving with decorating lanterns with stickers, markers, and chalk that guests can take home with them, and trade bobbing for apples in water for bobbing for caramel apples on ice. Pick up a horror-themed video game for bonus points.

Dressing Up. 

Invite guests to simply add a decorative mask to whatever they’re wearing for the evening. Feel free to set a dress code (casual or cocktail attire) if you like, but letting guests come as they are makes it easy to accept your invitation. You can also set out masks on tables and let undisguised guests know that they can put one on.

Business event ideas

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There are many ways to create a unique experience for your employees, customers, and potential customers. Hosting a business event like a happy hour or networking event is a great way to get in front of people and learn more about them at the same time.

Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to have a party? But first ask yourself, “what are the goals of this event?” Is it to gain more customers, is it to show your employees that you appreciate their hard work, or are you thanking your customers for their loyalty? Who is this event for, and what’s the benefit for you and your attendees? Once you have your goal(s) in mind, like every event, you have to plan ahead. Use these tips and ideas to make business event planning a breeze:

Planning Your Event Entertainment

Set your budget – How much can you afford to spend for the event? What will you need? Some of the usual costs associated with events include the venue, food, drinks, decor, marketing (printing/postage), giveaways and labour.

Create a guest list – How many people (and who) will you invite? How many people do you expect to show up? These answers will help you with the rest of the items on this list. Start by looking at your customer base and work from there. Use other networking events that you attend to pass out info about your event, if appropriate.

Select a date – When is the best time for your event? Select a few dates that work for you your potential invitees. Most people won’t be able to take time out from work just for your event. Keep in mind that your date needs to coincide with your venue availability. The more flexible you are, the better your chance of getting a great location, and a good price.

Scout locations – Should your event be held at your business, or do you need to check out other locations that might work? How much room do they have? What does the venue include (i.e., food, drinks, staff, audio equipment)? Can you use their venue in exchange for getting more people in their door or in trade for something from your business?

Pick a theme – Having a theme can help brand your entire event from invitations to decorations, food, and drink ideas. Remember, the holidays are right around the corner and people LOVE holidays. Use Pinterest to your advantage for finding inexpensive and fun ideas for your theme.

Promoting Your Event

Questions to ask yourself: How are you going to promote your event? What’s the right way to reach your target attendee, email, social media, print invitation? What will you offer people to get them to attend?

Send invitations – Try using different methods (paper, email, social media) to send out your invitations. You know your audience, what will work best for them? You may want to use multiple methods.

Additional Tips

Find a similar or complementary business to co-host an event with you. You can use their customer list to gain more attendees for your event and possibly more prospects for your business.

Get donations from other business that might benefit from your event. They can sponsor different aspects of your event or help with giveaways.

Have invitations available at your place of business (if you have one), and on you all times to pass out. You never know when you’ll need them.

Social media is free! Make sure to use it to your advantage. You can offer invitees a deal for sharing your event with their friends.

Last but not least, play the host/hostess. Make sure during the event that you work the room and keep the event, conversation, food and drinks flowing!

Have a business event of your own coming up? Share your planning tips with our readers in the comments!