Category Archives: Hire Performers

Step back in time

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A great way to have a party with different genres of music is to hire some tribute bands. They can go all the way back to the 60’s up until the 90’s.  It would be fun to dress up to really make the evening really authentic. You may have a television company that need some by gone music to set your scene for your particular programme.

Music can be used to create nostalgia and to create the ambiance that you have been searching for, for whatever event you have lined up. Why not hire all types of music from all era’s and dance the night away to different decades, this is a great way to include all ages in your special event?

Tribute bands can also be hired which would be another great choice for your event again they can be tributes to the 60’s 70’s 80’s or 90’s or why not book all four!!!  

There is nothing better than the sound of a ‘big band’ where a crooner could be crooning along to some of your all-time favourites.

The thrill of the ‘big band sound’ wowing your guests being an altogether great event and just takes the edge of just about everybody else.  Why not be a talking point within your circle of friends and show your corporate guests a really good time.

Big Band and Swing are known for class and will be a firm favourite for young and old alike.

When you think of Brass musicians you think of the dulcet tones of the Salvation Army playing thought-provoking tunes and raising a bit of charity for the needy, or you could be thinking of a Marching band, whatever your memories or thoughts of Brass musicians, you cannot fail to love the sound.

If you needed some brass musicians at your event for a focal point or to raise some cash for a good cause then why not hire these great musicians, that are truly unforgettable and sheer joy to listen to. 

Character musicians bring a little bit of personality into their performance whilst playing an instrument or a number of instruments.  For example, it could be a ‘one-man band’ entertaining your guests at your corporate event.

It could be a comedian playing a piano very badly or a group of character musicians having a big of professional fun.

Be safe in the knowledge that all the musicians you see advertised on the Red Masque directory are of the most highest quality and are truly very professional and one of a kind.

What does Christmas mean to you?

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What does Christmas mean to you? From the first day in January to the last day in December, not a single day goes by where you’re not dreaming of mince pies, planning your festive wrapping paper or writing your wish list to Santa. So it’s pretty safe to say we at Red Masque are passionate about what we do! Because here at Red Masque we love Christmas, which is why your party ideas are here on our website.

The office Christmas party is a tradition looked forward to by many and is a great way to say thank you to your staff for all their hard work over the year. Whether you’re looking for an exclusive fully themed extravaganza, a table at an awe inspiring shared party where you can mingle with other groups or a selection of Christmas party venues where your staff can enjoy nibbles and a few drinks! We only advertise the most trusted and respected acts and suppliers, you’re safe in the knowledge that your party is going to be one to remember. 

Throughout the year we always keep abreast of any new event industry trends and we take great care in making sure that current acts, and suppliers always are rated with the level of excellence that we believe clients deserve. We’re continuously looking to source new suppliers, entertainers and venues for our website; ensuring that our themes and offerings are new, fun and fresh every year.

Exclusive events give your employees a chance to really bond with each other. Think about organising a bespoke party which can see personal touches and your own branding brought to life in an event just for you. 

Best time to book a Christmas party

If you want to book the perfect Christmas party then it really is best to book early, particularly if you plan to go bespoke. We recommend booking in the summer months.  Now we know that sounds early, especially when it’s BBQ season and sunny, and we know that during the summer, Christmas events are the last thing most people think about but it really is the best time to book: you get first pick of all the new packages and themes. Long story short, the sooner you book, the more choice you’ll have and the more perfect your party will be!

How about a Ronald Dahl themed party?

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Many private parties and corporate events love theming parties around two staples in particular – a Midsummer Night’s dream and Alice in Wonderlands (Madhatters tea party). But with many other books available. We’re looking into the wonderful world of Roald Dahl party ideas.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

What a wonderful party this would be! There is no doubt a brilliant opportunity for caterers to get imaginative and conjure up all sorts of delicious treats for guests it also presents a brilliant theme for entertainment as well. Why not hire dancers to be oompa loompas and you could also hire a magical act to truly make you feel as though you’ve stepped into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Matilda

The Natural History Museum’s Hinze Hall would be a wonderful setting for a Roald Dahl themed party, certainly a large enough room for some of the magic that will undoubtedly take place as a Matilda event reaches its peak. A graffiti artist would be a wonderful addition (referencing the chalk-on-blackboard scene) whilst magicians would be an obvious addition to the occasion. Illusions on the stairs amongst Dippy the Dinosaur will surely be a must see! Just make sure you avoid Miss Trunchbull, the scariest of all costumed characters!!

The BFG

Imagine attending a party where everything is giant-sized! That’d certainly make Roald Dahl party games more fun! From the chairs made out of cotton reels to a scone the size of a table, this is sure to be a 2016 party theme to celebrate the release of the Steven Spielberg film! Wouldn’t that be fun? Giant pencils and mugs can function as theming props whilst the BFG himself can lurk outside a window. But what of the entertainment? With some sneaky production, it’d be possible to magnify the image of a band or circus act so that giants are really performing at your event!

James and the Giant Peach

Ok, perhaps not a real peach but for a James and the Giant Peach party, we think repurposing a circular venue such as the Royal Albert Hall, the London Planetarium or the Round House will be perfect. After that, we can then work on the entertainment. If it’s fruit-themed ideas you’re after, what about hiring a cocktail waiter that can shake up some alcoholic or non-alcoholic fruit cocktails?

The Twits

As any fan of The Twits will tell you, there are a number of moments in the story that stick out to a reader, not least the finale where The Twits believe they’re upside down. As such, how about sticking everything to the ceiling of your venue and having an ‘upside down’ party? With bird pie on the menu (or not, as the case may be), various practical jokes provided by top comedians and magicians and a few costumed characters to play the titular characters, there is more than enough here to create a brilliant (albeit highly expensive and unsafe) event. But hey, The Twits themselves would probably enjoy it!

And if your event doesn’t go to plan?

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It’s the nightmare we’ve all dreaded. The band that you have your heart set on can no longer perform at your event. They were perfect in every way but alas, are already booked/ill/otherwise engaged.

So what can you do now? They were all you ever wanted! Well, here are a few tips.

Don’t Panic

It may be cliché to say it but let’s calm down a moment. Let’s think this through rationally. It’s just that the music won’t be provided by your first choice band. But nobody except you knows that. ‘Don’t Panic’ is the number one rule in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for a reason. Because panicking causes rash decisions and you definitely don’t want to do that. So breathe. In, out. That’s it. Now you’re getting it. Let’s think about what we can do to ensure that your event is just as perfect as you imagined.

Listen to the Band Again

Although you don’t realise it right now, this is shrewd advice. Listen to the band perform again with an analytical ear. Watch the videos. What is it about this band in particular that you liked? A three-piece? Acoustic? Their style? See if you can pinpoint exactly what it was that made you fall in love with their music in the first place.

Look on the Red Masque Directory

We have a wealth of party and event entertainment that you can book. Just look on our gallery. It’s true, some of our most popular acts are hugely popular for a reason and may not be available, but there are many bands who are just as good, ready to perform, aren’t quite as well known and may even save you a bit of a cash along the way. How’s that for a good deal?

But you want only the best

We only advertise the best event entertainers and we wouldn’t advertise a band you won’t be happy with. Just because some bands are more expensive than others, doesn’t mean they are necessarily better musicians. They may be just starting out they may be seasoned musicians who are starting a new band or they may have recently lowered their fee for a multitude of reasons. Either way, be assured that you are getting an incredible deal on your event entertainment.

Relax

In the days preceding your launch party, wedding or event, you may be fretting that this band still aren’t totally perfect but come on now, it’s time to think about something else. Sure enough, the day arrives and the band go down a storm. And that extra £200 can go behind the bar for all to enjoy. What a day, eh? All’s well that ends well.

Entertainment that will wow your guests

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Events are meant to be fun but also inspiring. Seeing the same sort of act at each function can perhaps make things a bit samey, so here are a few imaginative entertainment ideas that your guests may not be expecting.

Cirque du Cabaret

A unique act they are proud to be a source of unique kinetic cabaret sights, sounds and delights Cirque du Cabaret incorporate vintage circus themes to create visually arresting stage shows unlike anything you may have seen before. It is an imaginative act that has to be seen to be believed.

Cirque du Cabaret performed at the Canterbury Festival in 2014!

Living Statues

The ultimate in terms of a fun, imaginative, wandering act that will have even your most sullen of guest smiling, living statues are exactly what the name suggests. The living statues could be shaped as almost anything but imagine the surprise when what appears to be human-shaped hedges are in fact hedge-shaped humans.

A wonderfully creative act with detailed costumes, the strolling performers are sure to be a talking point for any evening.

Tropicalia

Tropicalia is a multi-award winning London based dance group. This high-impact dance show which can feature anywhere from 2 to 20 dancers.

These Brazilian and Latin dancers, singers, musicians and performers are all available to entertain you and your guests. They are all choreographed superbly and whatever the weather you can bring a bit a sunshine to any event.

D.J or V. J’s

VJ’s interact with DJ’S which brings together sound, lighting and video controls into a single user interface.

With 40 carefully selected snippets of sounds, players select and mix bass, drums, melodies and vocals by moving an object across a surface to create one of 10,000 possible playable combinations.

A must for any club or new bar on a weekly or promotion.

The Cheek of it

This international Burlesque star certainly has a lot of cheek!! She can mix and mingle with your guests or model your product. Lady cheek is very versatile and of course very unique.

This vivacious lady has wowed audiences with her captivating storytelling and silver screen elegance with a little comedy thrown in.

If you also wanted to learn the art of Burlesque, Lady Cheek has trained over 700 ladies each year the art of being fabulous.

A perfect talking point for your event – you won’t find better.

The Bo Diddlers

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So if you thought you knew all about Morris Dancing, think again…

This group of Morris Dancers calling themselves The Bo Diddlers are a new kind of Morris Dance act who are ‘experimenting’ using a blend of contemporary and folk dance. And do you know what? It really works well.

They put a humorous touch in their act (it gets quite physical) with live music the group creates something quite mesmerising and downright funny, so if you were expecting the traditional Morris Dance (which can be a bit bland) you will be more than pleased you booked these guys

They have created an hour long show called Stump and it has been put together especially for the theatre, it gives a traditional outdoor event an exciting twist whilst having a sense of being theatrical

The Bo Diddlers have performed at the Brighton Fringe Festival and danced at the Royal Court Theatre as well as other prestigious events.

So if you want an event to be a bit different in and unexpected then you should book The Bo Diddlers. At your corporate event which will break the ice and get people taking, this is a definite act to hire.

The unexpected is always good and a seemingly ‘ordinary’ event which is custom for you to go to year after year and where the entertainment is always quite ‘samey’, this act will certainly be a wonderful surprise.

So if you have been put in charge of organising this years’ corporate Christmas party and you wanted to be in your CEO’s good books, we believe you are looking at the main act of the year!!

Tips for the perfect children’s party

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Plan a blowout birthday bash for your little one — and stay sane while doing it! These simple children’s parties tips and tricks are guaranteed to turn any event into THE party all the kids will be talking about on the playground. Watch the video and read the tips below to get the party started.

Send out Invitations;

Hand make them or if your child is arty let the make their own.

Schedule it around the kids and keep it short;

Pick a time that works around a child’s schedule: avoid parties late in the day or during naptimes. And keep it to two hours max — short and sweet so children don’t get restless.

Base the cost on the head count;

Figure out the number of children you want to invite, then pick the location, and food based on the head count.

Pick a party helper;

Designate a close friend, family member or babysitter to help you during the bash so you can have fun with your child on his or her special day.

Make the activities do double (or triple!) duty;

Plan activities that can work as decorations too — for example, set up a photo booth or create a craft station.

Choose child- and parent-pleasing food;

Offer a mix of healthy snacks, not just pizza and cake.

Remind your child to say thank you — and keep a gift list;

Talk to your child beforehand about being polite … and keep a list of gifts for thank-you cards.

Capture and share the memories;

Take plenty of pics and video, then organize and share them with a photo- and video-sharing app

Send digital thank-you cards after the party;

For thank-you messages, refer to your list of presents and personalize the thank-you card with a photo of your child and the friend from the party!

Bonfire Night Event ideas

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The 5th November! Bonfire Night is the perfect time for wrapping up warm and getting together with friends. You may be going to one of the many firework displays across the country or planning a party at home. Here are a few ideas for hosting your Bonfire Night party outside

Wrap up warm with lots of layers and have plenty of extra gloves and scarves handy. If you are hosting the party at home, provide blankets for guests to spread across their knees if they are gathered outside around a bonfire.  Hand warmers in Knitted covers for coat pockets will be very welcome too – they’d work well too as a party favour for each of your guests.

As well as the focal point of the bonfire – complete with the Guy on top – delineate the party area with strings of outdoor lights, garden torches and lantern bags, so that people can easily see where they are going. If little ones will be in attendance, then LED candles or tealights are safe alternatives to normal candles. Torches and head torches will come in handy if you’re letting off fireworks. If you have a few tables and chairs in the heart of the action, light them using tealights; you can have lots of fun making homemade tealight holders with everyday household objects.

Keep guests insulated from the inside out, with flasks of hot drinks and tasty, comforting food. Bonfire Night is high time for a hot spiced cider punch, or simply a full-bodied red wine from bottles warmed by the fire.  Serve drinks in plastic glasses to avoid breakages.

When catering for a crowd, go for something easy to make ahead and in one pot. A bowl of rich, spicy chilli con carne with sour cream, cheese, guacamole, salsa and tortilla chips is easy to hold and eat with just a spoon or fork. Set up a buffet serving table inside, not far from the kitchen, so that people can help themselves. Another idea could be fish and chips in boxes or chips in cones with little forks. For something sweet you could make some homemade popcorn, serving from this adorable stall

As well as the all-important fireworks display and bonfire, have a few activities ready to keep everyone warm. Packets of sparklers are essential, and glow sticks and glow necklaces are also fun to distribute.  There’s little doubt that childhood favourites are still popular, so why not set up a sweetie bar for your guests to help themselves to. Be sure to include marshmallows for everyone to toast on sticks over the fire – perfect with a little hot chocolate laced with rum, cinnamon or chilli!

How to Get the Most Out of Your Corporate Entertainment

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There are plenty of acts and performers geared towards the corporate entertainment market, ensuring that businesses ‘stand out’. But to get the most out of your corporate entertainment you must make sure that:

• You pursue a wow factor or unique entertainment idea that will impress guests and ensure that the event is talked about.

• If the entertainment you require is for an exhibition or trade stand, that the acts or performers you book will increase footfall and draw guests to your stand.

• You use entertainment that can incorporate your logo or corporate message.

• You are aware of the latest entertainment trends to appear ahead of the game/up to date.

Some Corporate Planning Entertainment Ideas

Enquiries for cutting edge entertainment that use the latest technologies and techniques to impress corporate guests at events are increasing as businesses strive to stand out and stay ahead of the game.

These top corporate entertainment ideas will ensure that you make the most out of your corporate event, and that it is talked about for all the right reasons:

• IPad magicians offer cutting edge magic shows that use the latest iPad technologies and performance techniques (and humour!) to wow corporate audiences. Can incorporate products, messages and logos. A definite talking point.

• Corporate percussion groups are geared towards corporate clients and will perform using products i.e. ladders, machinery, etc. These shows also have added wow factor, as they are a fast paced, high energy performance.

• LED and laser shows are the here and now of corporate entertainment. These seriously ‘in’ corporate shows will incorporate logos and even interact with audiences. This is entertainment for businesses that want their event to stand out.

• Walking, talking Robots are great for corporate events that include trade shows, exhibitions and conventions, or as great walk around acts who can meet and greet guests. Interactive robots will impress all the right people whatever your corporate event.

• Video mapping dance groups are proving to be a big hit so far this year for corporate events. New technologies have allowed performers to take their dance/visual performances to the next level as humans and computers merge. These acts can incorporate specific music and graphics, as well as logos and corporate messages.

• Sand artists have been popular with corporate events since Ukraine’s Got Talent featured a female sand artist that took the internet by storm. These talented artists will perform custom made sand animations for a variety of corporate events. These shows have definite wow factor that will ensure your event is remembered!

In Conclusion

Corporate event planners must keep a few key points in mind to ensure that their event is a success. 

Entertainment for corporate events needs to be targeted specifically towards key target audiences, ensuring that it is suitable for guests and attendees. Event professionals dealing with corporate environments must continually strive to seek out the best entertainment that will make an impact and a lasting impression. 

The acts, shows or performers must be current, be able to incorporate logos and branding, but most importantly, they must be unique. Make sure entertainment is interactive for a truly personal experience, and this will go a long way towards impressing your guests. Event entertainment is big business. Event planners are simply spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing acts and performers for events, as there is a plethora of entertainment to choose from.

Bend me, shape me

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Find the best contortionists available for hire in the UK today. One of the most extreme circus disciplines, contortion pushes the the limits of the human form. With superhuman flexibility contortion artists will put on a amazing and memorable show and guarantee to astound your guests leaving them with an impression that will last a lifetime.

Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body. Contortion is often part of acrobatics and circus acts.  In general, contortionists have unusual natural flexibility, which is then enhanced through gymnastic training.

Skills;
Most contortionists are categorized as either front benders or back benders, depending on the direction in which their spine is more flexible. Relatively few performers are equally adept at bending both frontwards and backwards.

Front bending skills such as folding forward at the waist with the legs straight, or placing one or both legs behind the neck or shoulders with the knees bent (called a human knot). They may also pass their body through a ring or barrel while in a forward fold.

Back bending skills such as touching one’s head to one’s feet, or all the way to the buttocks (called a head-seat), while standing, lying on the floor, or in a handstand. A Marinelli bend is a backbend while supported only by a grip at the top of a short post that is held in the mouth.
Splits and over splits (a split of more than 180 degrees) may be included in front bending or back bending acts. An over split may be performed while the feet are supported by two chairs or by two assistants. 

Enterology is the practice of squeezing one’s body into a small, knee-high box or other container which appears to be much too small for a person to fit in. 

Dislocations of the shoulders or hip joints are sometimes performed as a short novelty act by itself. One example is lifting the arm to the side until it passes behind the head and lies across the top of the shoulders.

In the past, contortionists were associated almost exclusively with circuses and fairs, but recently they have also found work performing in nightclubs, amusement parks, in magazine advertisements, at trade shows, on television variety shows, in music videos, and as warmup acts or in the background at music concerts. In addition, contortion photos and digital movie clips are traded by fans on the Internet, and several web sites provide original photos of contortion acts for a monthly fee, or sell videotapes of performances through the mail.