Category Archives: Hire Entertainers

What Makes A Great Party?

Posted on by

Ask most of your guests and they’ll say they had a great time if they were up dancing all night to the music they love. But how do you know what music they’ll love? Surely everyone has varied tastes?

When guests decide to get on the dance floor at a party, there’s a certain process involved of losing their inhibitions as they escape into the exciting world of music & lights. Memories and emotions can be ignited by the DJ’s choice of music and songs, often taking people back to their youth. What a great journey this can turn out to be if the DJ perfectly judges all the right tunes to play for your guests.

A good DJ can read the crowd to ensure a full dance floor

A good DJ should have a passion for all genres of music so that he can predict the response of people in the room when he plays certain classic songs from his collection. It is important for a DJ to read his crowd and he should instinctively know what kind of music will get people dancing.

If you are providing a DJ with a playlist, it is advisable to allow the DJ some discretion to choose which tracks to play from your list and at what time to play them.

It can be quite a challenge for a DJ to get guests dancing, especially early on at a wedding where many of the guests might not know each other. Sometimes interaction over the microphone is required to help people feel more relaxed, and occasionally a little encouragement can be given to help create that essential party spirit.

There are a variety of different techniques which can be used and this is where DJ’s have varying styles and approaches. Some people like a DJ to be vocally interactive with their audience, whereas others prefer the more modern approach of minimal talking with the focus mainly on good music and taking requests.

When to book a DJ
If you leave booking a DJ for a party to the last minute then it is likely that you’ll end up with a less experienced DJ. The best and therefore most popular DJs get booked well in advance. If your event is on a Friday or Saturday night you should look to secure your DJ around one year in advance.

A Stag weekend in Scotland

Posted on by

If you are planning a private party, Stag weekends don’t always have to be about strippers. Edinburgh is glorious, gory, glamorous and great at kicking off its shoes and dancing on the bar. Just think of the city like an oh-so-respectable auntie – leading light of the WI and runs a bordello out of her back room. You’ll love it.

At a glance:

– From the glowering bulk of its infamous castle to the skinny Scott Monument, few cities have as many historic sights to see
– Cosy bars, ‘private’ clubs, haunted pubs, cocktail hour, real ale, drams and dives – Edinburgh’s love of a ‘wee swallae’ is legendary
– Scotland’s capital is shameless about its shameful past and happy to creep you out for as long as you can stand it

Local knowledge:

George Street – smart shops and serious clubs
This is where you’ll find Edinburgh’s smartest bars and clubs and crowds of sleek locals looking lovely.

The Royal Mile – land of the untamed tourist

Its tartan by the acre and you can’t move for tourists, but Edinburgh without a walk up The Royal Mile is almost illegal. Shameless souvenirs, lone piper (not even sure if he’s human), haunted tours, the whisky museum, closes, wynds and miles of cobbles, it’s all a bit stunning. But just go for it. Get into the spirit.

Tollcross – a down and dirty mix of a good time

If you like your pubs cheap, your takeaways plentiful and your entertainment eclectic, Tollcross is happy to help. If you’re up for a gig or a great club night, the mighty Picture House plays Tollcross hard and fast Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Bruntsfield – café society and a village vibe

Independent coffee are Bruntsfield specialities. Dodge the baby buggies and well-heeled Edinburgh mamas and grab yourself a large cup of caffeine and a window seat. This is where to take your raging hangover and soothe yourself back to life, ready to do it all over again.

When time is precious

Posted on by

Entertainment is very important in corporate events. Different calibres of individuals are usually invited for corporate meetings and occasions. They deserve to be entertained all through the event. If you’re hosting an important corporate event, you need to plan everything concerning entertainment very well. You need to keep your guests happy and satisfied.

If you don’t want to use an entertainment directory, you can go ahead to hire a band by yourself. You have to create time to locate a reliable band. You need a band that has the best musical instruments. Such a band should also have the best artists. You need a band that has experience in covering different kinds of corporate events. You can be sure of entertaining your guests when you find such a band. Of course Red Masque has done all the hard work for you and you will find excellent artists just waiting to be picked by you.

The first step you can take is to engage a reliable entertainment directory. Such as Red Masque our website will help you organize every aspect of the entertainment required for the event. Our portfolio can help you choose the best music band that will entertain your guests. They will save you the headache of making choices by trailing through the internet as we have the best entertainment in one place. They will also save you time since we understand exactly what you need.

Again, you can decide to hire entertainers for the corporate event. It’s important you decide on the best attire for the entertainer, DJ or the band you’re hiring. Corporate event requires corporate attires. They must appear cute on the very day of the event. They have to entice the audience by their appearance.

Meanwhile, you need a good MC for the corporate events. You can hire a professional MC that renders quality services. You can also engage a DJ that also serves as an MC. This saves you some cash in the process.

Who doesn’t love a juggler?

Posted on by

Spark Fire Dance

What do you get if you combine acrobats with jugglers? As you might expect, the result is the wonderfully named Spark Fire dance, a pair of party entertainers who combine their sporty and athletic nature with the art of juggling. Juggling fire at one another a few metres apart to managing to swap when one person is on the other’s shoulders, there is nothing these circus performers can’t do!

Arron Sparks

A brand new act, Arron loves sharing and discovering new ideas. Many of which are connected by his interest in Yo-Yo, juggling, circus, skeptical thinking and performance.

He has set a few records juggling (yet to be beaten). Arron performs in lots of different shows all over the place, suitable for different party venues and occasions. Arron is sure to be a crowd pleaser for any occasion.

Chris Marley

When you think of booking a juggler for your event, you’re probably thinking of something very similar to Chris Marley. Able to juggle with a whole host of props from juggling balls to cubes and axes, you’re sure to be impressed by his ability! Having trained at the National Centre of Circus Arts, you can be safe in the knowledge that you have booked a true master for your event. A gentleman juggler with a contemporary twist, you can’t go wrong with Chris!

Contact jugglers

A little bit different to juggling in the traditional sense of the word, contact jugglers have an incredible ability to make balls apparently levitate in the air. Well, not ‘levitate’ exactly, but making it appears as though a silver ball or two has a weightless quality. Very difficult to describe but just as hard to ever forget, hiring a juggler is one of the finest decision an event planner can make if they want an unforgettable experience for their guests!

All that Jazz

Posted on by

Most professional piano entertainment 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 Jazz at their corporate event 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 party entertainment you are paying for professionalism, experience, musicality, and a classy presentation that can float in the background, adding ambience and being complementary to party chatter. Whether it’s “cocktail music” or true jazz, the cost is generally going to be the same.

Non-refundable deposits

Posted on by

When you enter into a contract with your entertainment provider, whether it’s a wedding band, a magician or a DJ, you normally will be expected to provide some kind of non-refundable deposit along with your signature to secure the date. The amount may vary, but a 50% deposit is fairly common.

If you’re planning a party and this is first time you’ve ever bought entertainment services, this can be a scary thing. What if the event gets cancelled? What if someone dies the week before? What if it rains on our outdoor beach birthday party? Do I get my deposit back?

Of course the answer will depend on the wording of the deposit clause in the contract, but most likely if the event is cancelled because of unforeseen circumstances; you will likely be out your deposit. But let’s dig deeper.

It’s easier for people to understand why a caterer or even a venue would request a deposit. They have to buy food or they are reserving the space exclusively for you and must turn down other business. But a musician isn’t purchasing any perishables, right? Well, not exactly. The busy nights for any event entertainer are Saturdays, followed closely by Fridays. There are only 52 Saturdays in a year and each one represents an opportunity cost. If for example a family tragedy occurs 2 days before your graduation party, the band still needs to be compensated for that Saturday night that they committed to your party. It is entirely possible that they have turned down other clients to commit to your party. While it’s very sad that a member of family decided to pass two days before your big event, this is not the fault of your hired act.

What can you do if the unforeseen happens? The first thing is to have a conversation with your hired entertainment. While they may be under no obligation to reschedule, many will try to work with you and apply part or all of your deposit to another date. The flexibility they have will depend on how in demand they are, how full their calendar is and on what day of the week you want your new date.

You certainly can’t expect them to bump another client because you need to reschedule. And nor can you expect them to give you another Saturday night on the busiest part of wedding season. But maybe they’re willing to apply all (or some) of your deposit to a Tuesday night, or an off-season Friday night.

This is a conversation you can have with your entertainer BEFORE signing the contract. Ask the “what if” scenarios. Just understand that if this conversation drags out too long, your vendor may start to question your commitment to the date.

Another option is to take out Event Cancellation Insurance for your date.
What is typically covered by event cancellation insurance?
Fire, earthquakes, flooding, blizzards, hurricanes, terrorism, headline entertainers or speaker cancellation, outbreak of disease.
Event cancellation insurance probably won’t cover things like lack of ticket sales, or the time spent planning the event.

Good old fashioned jugglers

Posted on by

Who doesn’t love a juggler? We’d all like to be good at juggling but unfortunately, some of us just aren’t very coordinated with our limbs. The balls go up, you’ll manage to catch two and the third will undoubtedly hit the ground. Want another go? Rather than your ability increasing, it’ll be the number of juggling balls on the ground. How do they do it? Thankfully, we don’t need to know because we can hire professional jugglers for parties and events and that’s where this blog comes in because amazingly, there are a whole host of different types of juggling entertainment.

Acro-Jugglers

What do you get if you combine acrobats with jugglers? As you might expect, the result is the wonderfully named Acro-Jugglers, a pair of entertainers who combine their sporty and athletic nature with the art of juggling. From juggling pins at one another a few metres apart to managing to swap juggling balls when one person is on the other’s shoulders, there is nothing these circus performers can’t do!

LED jugglers

LED jugglers combine the brilliance of juggling with the mesmerising beauty of LEDs! Available in a whole host of colours including a variety of shapes, patterns and even your company logo, you are sure to be impressed by this stunning walkabout act. Also available as a choreographed stage routine or static installation, up to 6 specialist performers are available and clients are given a choice of costuming to suit individual events.

Burlesque juggler

Burlesque juggler is inspired by the legendary actress Marlene Dietrich, a 1920-inspired act that will stun all audience members.

For those hosting a Great Gatsby-inspired corporate party or events with a vintage theme. A wonderful experience for those who love film nor or if you’re looking for something a little different. Not sure on the vintage look? This act is also available without the theming!

Contact Jugglers

A little bit different to juggling in the traditional sense of the word, contact jugglers have an incredible ability to make balls apparently levitate in the air. Well, not ‘levitate’ exactly, but making it appears as though a silver ball or two has a weightless quality. Very difficult to describe but just as hard to ever forget, hiring a contact juggler is one of the finest decision an event planner can make if they want an unforgettable experience for their guests!

What theme will you go for?

Posted on by

A theme will generally make a party or event a lot more memorable for those who attended, so in a lot of ways, we strongly recommend going for a theme. Not only that, but once you have settled on an idea, the party becomes a lot easier to visualise.

Would you hire circus performers in your venue ordinarily? Perhaps not. But if your theme is perfect for them then there’s an instant chance to wow your guests! Just think about the possibilities! We love the idea of ‘dare to be different’. Nobody wants the same thing all the time, so why not have a go at making your event or party extra special? Very few successful people got to where they are today without doing something a little differently.

With this in mind then, what theme should you go for? That is of course up to you! You may wish to go with something broad that is in keeping with the time of year or commemorating the reason for the event in the first place.

The most memorable corporate and private parties however, tend to be those with a clear theme like the Harry Potter, or 70’s themed inspired parties. These will be the most memorable that you probably will recall but anything goes with costumed characters and all acts decked out in superb Victorian/Sci-Fi clothes. Would you theme your event when it could look like that? We’ll leave that up to you!

Do you need some inspiration?

Posted on by

We at Red Masque entertainment have a limitless amount of options and inspiration. But what if you don’t have the time, will power or experience to trawl through the 17,500 female solo singers that Google throws up? Well, then it’s time to call in the professionals. And that’s where an entertainment agency can come in handy.

What’s the one thing you remember about a great party, above all else? As a guest, you’re there to have a good time. And if it’s a good time you want your own guests to have, then you need to put a little thought into the entertainment.

Gone are the days when you had to book a one-man DJ to play 70s floor-fillers all night. Now, you can find entertainment that keeps your diverse range of wedding guests happy, making the party start with a bang.

If you’re in the process of planning something big, using a party entertainment directory uses only the best out there that are reputable and highly acclaimed

The best musicians aren’t necessarily the best hype men; the most amazing magician won’t necessarily be the best web designer – one of the changes in entertainment since the internet has been the focus on promo material rather than word of mouth or reputation. That means the bands with the flashiest websites and the slickest videos often get more attention than their less media savvy counterparts. Consequently, there are plenty of hidden gems out there who, instead of improving their Search Engine Optimisation or video editing techniques, have focused on just being great performers.

We, like many entertainment directory’s, make it our business to know as much about our entertainment as possible. by reading up on new performers and much more. We know the best act for your event and 5 equally brilliant alternatives if the first choice isn’t available.

It just goes to show there’s only so far your own web searches will take you. If you want something a bit different, something to appeal to all the ages and tastes of your guests, something to get your party started as it means to go on, Red Masque is definitely a good way to avoid a headache. After all, it’s your party too.

Reliable wedding organisers

Posted on by

If you wanted to hire some reliable wedding planners, we are sure you will be able to locate some great organisers through our directory.

Wedding bands are highly required to make wedding receptions very lively. If you’re thinking of making your upcoming wedding event memorable; you really need to source for the best Wedding bands. You need to engage a reliable entertainment directory that offers quality entertainment at weddings and events. You don’t need to crack your brain just to locate the right band. You simply need a little time to make the right choice. Red Masque has a high calibre of party entertainment to hire so you will be guaranteed to find something that suits.

It’s important you consider the venue of your wedding reception when sourcing for the best band. Make sure you choose from a good entertainment directory such as Red Masque who advertises entertainment at weddings right from the venue of your wedding reception. Once you have chosen you are free to ask as many questions as you like and tailor make your wedding your way. A good point to remember is; you can easily make the right choice by asking proper questions.

When searching for quality however, we can assure you that we have vetted all of our
entertainment and have had trusted reviews from each and every one. Of course you can easily find what you are looking for online but do they come highly acclaimed and are they from a trusted entertainment directory?

In any case, if you succeed in locating the best wedding bands, you can take another step by getting in touch with them. You can send emails or call them on phone. You can speak with the managers or the artists themselves. You need to ask them several questions before you make the right choice. You have to ask about their charges, style of music, duration, expertise and so on. You can easily pick the best from the responses you’ll get at the end.

In all, take your time when sourcing for Wedding music. You need to start looking for the right agency like Red Masque ahead of time. You really need to pick the best band that will make your wedding glorious. You’ll succeed if you choose the right directory in the first place – which by the way is Red Masque directory.