Category Archives: Artists

The Tobacco Dock venue

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When you book a venue like the Tobacco Dock, a grade I listed warehouse from 1811, it’s good if you know how to fill it. It’s a brilliant blank canvas for corporate events and private parties but it’s also quite large, so this is the sort of space that not only benefits from more than one piece of entertainment but also by making sure that the acts are mobile. At a large event or party, many might end up at the back of the room far away from the entertainment and not always able to move closer. When you hire walkabout artists however, the fun comes to you!

When you think of Covent Garden, you will think of two things – the world famous market and the litany of entertainment acts who draw huge crowds.

When one thinks of London, they might think of the Pearly Kings and Queens. Why not hire some walkabout artists – one King and one Queen – in complete costume to wow the crowd. Not only can they sing a few songs, they are available to meet and greet guests.

Covent Garden isn’t just about music though. You will find comedy acts, dancers and acrobats that you will find a fair number on pretty much all high streets of the UK. London and Covent Garden are no different and we think you’ll agree that that any performers you hire from Red Masque will be second to none!

Finally you might think of magicians and circus performances drawing huge crowds of tourists. Their combination of acrobatics and juggling is filled with energy and dynamism will have guests breaking out in smiles. It will be truly a fantastic event and we urge anybody holding a party or evening this year to ponder going with a Covent Garden theme.

50’s Party entertainment

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The ’50s were a time when America was finally recovering from the war, rock ‘n’ roll was emerging, Hollywood ruled, and screaming teenage girls were swooning over Elvis. Are there better reasons to throw a party? Ladies, break out your A-Line skirts, and guys, slick back your hair. It’s time for a 1950s Party!

Decorations and Costumes

Wondering what to wear? Think Grease. For ladies, the ’50s look was longer skirts with collared blouses or T-shirts, a coordinating scarf tied around the neck or ponytail, and ankle socks with sandal shoes. High ponytails with tight curls are a classic girly hairstyle. For guys who want a tough look, pair a leather jacket with tight jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Don’t forget the greased pompadour! For a more conservative look, tuck a short-sleeved collared shirt into slacks and add a bow tie. Part your hair to the side and you’re set.

Old Hollywood costumes are all about the sparkle. Beads, sequins, glitter, and form-fitting dresses were “in” as women started embracing their curves. Throw on a feathered boa or sheer shawl to top it off. For guys, tuxedos are perfect. If not, a tailored suit will also work!

Food and Drink

Serve the classics! Hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and milkshakes are great for a retro menu. Toss some glass bottles in ice, and don’t forget the red and white striped straws! Fill old sweets jars with classic candy like gumballs or liquorice, and set up a ginger beer float station to complete the vintage vibe. Or just add a 50’s twist to classic desserts like cupcakes, cakes, or cookies.

Entertainment

Keep your guests talking about your party long after it’s over with a little 1950’s party Entertainment. Celebrity Impersonators like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley will add excitement to the party, while Party Entertainers or Party performers can get your guests up and dancing!

Hire a Photo Booth and provide some ’50s-themed props (cat-eye glasses, paper soda jerk hats, bow ties, scarves, boas, sunglasses, etc.), or set up your own. You could also provide photo ops with larger cut-outs, like convertibles, Hollywood premiers, or vintage signs.

Games like the limbo, hula-hooping contests, and hopscotch were all popular back then, so set up a space to hold some friendly competitions.

Five brilliant ways to remember your event

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Eyecon Art

Okay so technically we’re breaking our own rule in that opening paragraph as Eyecon Art is essentially a photograph. But don’t go thinking that this is the same as hiring a photographer for an event. Rather than capture you standing awkwardly by the DJ as you ponder which canapés to chow down on, Eyecon Art will have you heading home with an incredibly close-up shot of your eye. Every iris is unique and dare we say it, look tremendous!

Caricaturist

If you’re looking to hire a caricaturist for an event, then you have got to make sure that you are fine with having your eyebrows accentuated and your nose looking a little larger than in real life. But that’s all part of the fun! A good caricaturist knows how to draw a cartoon-style representation of their subject without causing offence and the best part is that with modern technology being what it is, you can take home a paper or digital version.

Silhouette Artist

The heights of the vaudeville era are in full display in the form of a silhouette artist, who can snip your profile into a piece of black card in the space of a matter of minutes. The best bit about this incredible form of party entertainment is that you can go home and frame your silhouette later, with each individual creation being stuck onto a quality back lining.

Mash Machine

Why does everything that provides a memory of an event have to be visual? The answer is that they don’t, especially when you’re dealing with the Mash Machine, an fabulous box of audio delights which allows you to be the DJ! After moving around a few small squares (or even chocolates which you could take home!), you’ll be created your very own music track with drum beats, bass lines and a solid rhythm guitar section to impress your friends. If you make a particularly compelling piece of music then you can save your track and enjoy it on the way home on your iPod. Amazing.

Screen Printing

Whether you call it screen printing, letter pressing or something completely different, these fabulous contraptions can have you created your very own work of art in no time! Popular at Somerset House every summer, you too can discover the art of the print. Remember not to limit yourself to paper or card; should you so desire you can create your design on a T-shirt. Wear your creation and remember that party in style!

History of a fire act

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We love a good fire act. They know how to get a party going and instantly provide a warm atmosphere to proceedings. If you’re looking to hire fire acts then you know where to come. You’ll see something that is entertaining, safe and perfect for all guests to enjoy. .

Calling to mind the 2004 film Dodgeball, where characters are told “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball,” you might be thinking that this is where Nejapa’s annual tradition of lobbing fire at one another came from. But no. This particular ‘festival’ has been running for hundreds of years and goes by the name of Las Bolas De Fuego (‘Balls of Fire’).

Way back in 1658, a nearby volcano erupted and laid siege to all in its wake. Incredibly, the town of Nejapa managed to avoid most of the destruction when the lava stopping just short of the local church. According to folklore – and it is a bit hazy – the town’s patron saint, San Jeronimo, wanted to douse the area in fire to get rid of the Devil or saved the town by stopping the lava from reaching the sacred building that bears his name. Whichever way you look at it, locals believe that San Jeronimo saved the town in some form so to celebrate they chuck fire at one another. That’s probably the only part of this festival that isn’t disputed.

So how do you set up the world’s most volatile festival? First, you soak rags in kerosene for a month before the matches and lighters are brought out. Wearing Halloween costumes – we know it’s starting to sound a lot like The Purge – participants then wear protective gloves and chuck fire at each other. That’s it. That’s the only rule. Even if you’re only watching, you’re still allowed to be hit so maybe observe from affair. Not only do people chuck the fire at each other, they even engage in hand to hand combat. It’s chaos. Utter chaos as you can see below.

As of 2015, ‘few serious injuries have been reported’, although what denotes serious is never explained. You can rest assured we’ll never advertise this form of entertainment for your event but it’s certainly a fascinating fact, isn’t it?!

Events for 2017

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Tech

There’s no doubt about it, tech is here to stay and is looking to proliferate across the industry. We’ve already seen it in some instances; those attending various conferences in 2016 will have been given a barcode with their name imprinted on it upon entry and any stall whom you choose to engage with will almost certainly scan the code to add your information to their database. It’s quick and easy and these technologies are set to continue if the recent CES conference in the US is anything to go by.

Pretty much every item you use in your home is being connected to the internet in some form, so you can rest assured that before too long, there’ll be numerous new ways to interact at events. As for the event entertainment, well last year there was a rise in drone use during performances – including one that garnered a lot of praise on Britain’s Got Talent.

Intimacy

With companies and organisations still a tad uncertain about the political landscape thanks to Trump and Brexit, it appears that events will come across as a little more subdued, especially at the start of 2017. Gone are the parties where attendees number into their thousands and it’s intimacy which is the order of the day. With a small number of invited guests, companies are able to more effectively align the evening to those in attendance. Dinners are proving exceptionally popular with harpists and other background music naturally being booked to enhance the occasion, whilst we also expect larger companies to not have a number of smaller events across rather than one larger one. It keeps people in their industry talking, there’s more fun to be had and incredibly, it may even be cheaper in the long run!

Creativity

It makes sense that with the economic outlook uncertain, individuals and companies would get creative in order to receive the most bang for their buck. Whether this means creating their own act to best symbolise their business rather than hiring entertainment on the fly, or theming a party to make sure that it is as memorable as possible, creativity is the order of the day! We have a whole host of unique entertainment to hire whilst there are numerous ways in which to help make your chosen theme the best it can be including Costumed Characters and various acts that be personalised to attendees. One final thing, don’t go for a tired theme – try and think of something you haven’t heard before and we guarantee that the event planners involved will be just as excited as you about your party!

Planning a surprise party

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The world is your oyster when you want to plan a surprise party. You may have spent months trying not to let the cat out of the bag, but have you considered when they get to the party what other things you can do to surprise them??

When you’re planning an event, you want to keep your guests and the main guess 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.

Red Masque directory have a whole lot of choice if you want to make your event unforgettable. Discover what surprise party entertainment we offer and how they’ll positively impact your event!

One great idea would be a hire a comedy musician where he or she is all set up to play some classical music to entertain your guests. They start to play all the wrong notes and your guests start to laugh embarrassingly at the artist that has been hired, (a bit like Les Dawson)

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

Then after your guests have nudged each other and made faces the comedy musician (who is highly talented by the way) breaks into a musical piece of perfection!!

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.

Have a fashion event

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A fashion event can be as extravagant as you wish, with bizarre acts to go with the outrageous fashion that has been created

London Fashion Week has always been know for drama and a bit out there so why not hold on to that theme and create your very own fashion event and hire some great acts.

Drag Queen

A drag queen Diva is just what you might expect from a visit a fashion event, but at the same time will almost certainly surprise you with his smooth moves, stunning wardrobe and astounding voice. He will be a big hit. Drag Queens are an undoubted star, which makes Drag Queens the perfect act to close your fashion event.

Caricature Artists

A Caricature artist is the perfect fit for the close of your fashion event. Caricature artists specialises in drawing portraits that could be in the style of fashion magazines. If you’re lucky, perhaps he’ll draw you. He really is the most perfect act for this event. It’s certainly an interesting entertainment act to consider.

Aerial circus entertainment

If they’re good enough for Paul Smith (and they are) then they’re good for your fashion event! Not only can aerial circus entertainers do amazing acrobatics like swinging above your heads on a hoop without any apparently difficulty, but they can do all this in a nice crisp suit without even creasing the material! Now wouldn’t that be a sight to remember as your event draws to a close?

Violinists

A certain fashion designer had a violinist play whilst their clothes were being paraded down the catwalk. A violinist makes for a wonderful sentiment,which will be very classical to your event. If it’s good enough for London fashion designers, then it’s good enough for you!!

Does your business need promotion?

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Many businesses now enjoy and thrive off shop promotion. Whether it’s opening the shop for the first time or your first year anniversary shop promotions can attract new customers and keep existing customers. It can also help increase sales which is probably the most positive factor of all businesses. Shop promotion entertainment can help with every of these aspects… if done properly.
Shops always have the same monotonous music playing in the background so why not switch it up a bit and hire a DJ. The public will hear different music and will also experience first-hand a DJ playing live in a shop, now that’s not something you see every day. Get the DJ to play various styles of music to attract different types of customers but also make sure it suits your shop. If you have a unique boutique then trance music would not exactly match the surroundings. Your shop will have that wow factor compared to others around it so it is definitely worth a try!

Street performers are a great idea to entice people of the street and into your shop. The performers will attract attention to the facade of the shop and can even hand out leaflets to the public. Once your street performer starts performing and letting everybody know about the shop, then how can the customers resist not going in for a little look. Various street performers could include acrobats, stilt walkers, fire performers, dancers and even musicians. This is a very cost effective way to add excitement and positive chit chat around your shop.

Food is well known to be the way to anybody’s heart. So why not have some sort of unique catering outside your shop to attract customers to your front doors. A few ideas which are very simple yet very effective include hiring a fish and chip van for the day. It could be packaged in a traditional box with your brand on it, so when your customers sit down to enjoy their food they are reminding on your company. During the summer months you could hire an ice cream van or cart and if they spend a certain amount in shop then on their exit they get an ice cream. It may be a simple idea but this can be very effective. To finish up, your shop just needs to be jazzed up a bit. Make it fun and intriguing and do your research. As I said before, don’t hire entertainment which doesn’t match your shops style. And shop around and hire local artists of possible, this will reflect very positively on your shop.

Restaurant Entertainment ideas

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Ideas can be a necessity when either opening a restaurant, having a themed party night in a restaurant or to just attract new customers to your restaurant. So choosing the perfect entertainment is vital. Restaurant Entertainment can be quite tricky as it has to create the right ambience. If you want a band or musician, be aware that the music can’t be too loud or your customers will not be able to speak amongst each other, and well that would be awkward. Also make sure your entertainment fits into your venue you don’t want to hire a big 6 piece live jazz band, to only squeeze them into a corner so ask the and how much space they need and work it into your restaurant layout.

1. Live Band- Whether your band range from a 2 piece to an 8 piece, booking live bands are a great source of entertainment. Your customers will love listening to some smooth jazz, or even some modern hits played live in the background. Having a live band may also keep your customers at the restaurant after they have had their dinner. Offer them a seat at the bar, where they can order more drinks and
listen to the band, even dance to the band if they wish.

2. Solo musicians. Give your restaurant that classical elegant and sophisticated feeling by having a hired musician play beautiful music in the corner of the restaurant. You could choose from a solo saxophonist, a solo classical guitarist or the beautiful sounds of the piano. All would suit any restaurant as this style of music is pleasing to most people.

3. Dancers – Dancers can really bring your restaurant to life with the vibrant colours, the fast paced music and of course the exciting dance moves. Have your dancers situated outside the restaurant building to make your customers experience start from when they literally walk in the door. Plus, think of the exposure you will get from the public taking photos with your restaurant logo behind.

4. Fun Casino – Attract your customers by hiring a fun casino in your restaurant. The Fun Casino is a great source of entertainment as it is interactive. The casino tables will be set up around your restaurant with professional croupiers explaining and dealing each game. The Fun Casino gives your guests the opportunity to mix and mingle and will also keep your customers inside your restaurant. Why not add in a live jazz band to really bring a Las Vegas theme together.

5. Magicians – Magicians are great restaurant entertainment as they can meet and greet your guests. The magician can also walk around and do some table magic which your customers would thoroughly enjoy. It also means they would not have to move about much and can enjoy the entertainment from the comfort of their own table with their family and friends.
If you choose Restaurant Entertainment you will most definitely see your customers happier and even your staff happier. It will bring a new lease of life into your restaurant and should attract some new customers. So give restaurant entertainment ago, you never know what it could do for your business.

South American entertainment

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Why not embrace all that Latin spirit, hold a fun World Cup party for all your mates, and learn the life-loving, hip-swaying moves that Latin American footie fans do so well with a Latin dance band.
Go Dance
Top of your list should be the Latamba Show Band, who bring all the energy, exuberant and sequins of a Latin Brazilian party to any venue. These guys really know how to dance. Guests can sit back and enjoy a fantastic live band, vocalists and dancers performing a great show, before joining in on the dance floor! They also offer a small space/small budget option with backing tracks instead of the full bands, but still keeping all that energy and sense of fun.
Go Mega
If you want to push the carnival float out a contemporary Brazilian carnival band for hire that can fill your party with music from the streets and clubs of Rio de Janeiro. This is no small scale outfit either Carnival Bands are made up of around 25-30 musicians including five percussionists, a singer, a Brazilian ukulele player, and two gorgeous dancers in full carnival style costume!

Go Sit Down!

If learning all those dances seems a little too much like hard work, do what most football fans do, and sit back with a beer and enjoy watching the professionals do it! Carnival Party bands have their own troupe of dancers, whose performances feature Carnival samba costumes, sensual mulatta dancers, Capoeira (Brazilian acrobatic martial art dance), Lambada, Afro-Brazilian dance, Brazilian north eastern folkloric dances and much more.