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Manic-mike-logo - Disco and live performance

Welcome to the Manic Mike Blog

Step inside the world of Manic Mike and explore the stories, tips, and behind-the-scenes insights from a life spent entertaining. From the golden hits of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, to disco, ska, and country, the blog is your go-to place for everything retro, musical, and fun.


Whether you’re a fan of classic tunes, planning an event, or just love hearing stories from someone who’s spent decades in live entertainment, there’s something here for you.


The blog is also where Manic Mike shares news, updates, and personal reflections from years on stage, giving you a unique perspective on what goes into creating nights full of music, laughter, and memories.


Take a look, dive in, and get inspired—you never know what musical memory might spark your next party!

Manic Mike | Disco and Karaoke Party Entertainer

Latest blogs

7 Wedding DJ Alternatives That Fill the Floor

7 Wedding DJ Alternatives That Fill the Floor

The first dance has finished, the photos are done, and the buffet is getting a serious workout. Now comes the...
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Can Hosts Take Song Requests at Your Party?

Can Hosts Take Song Requests at Your Party?

That moment when someone rushes over with a hopeful grin and says, “Have you got this one?” is often where...
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Kent Wedding Entertainment Guide for Big Fun

Kent Wedding Entertainment Guide for Big Fun

A wedding reception can look gorgeous, have a cracking meal and still lose its fizz by 8.30pm if nobody quite...
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25 Best Wedding Exit Songs for a Big Finish

25 Best Wedding Exit Songs for a Big Finish

Your wedding exit is not the time for a polite little fade-out. It is the moment the confetti flies, the...
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A Folkestone Care Home Singalong Example

A Folkestone Care Home Singalong Example

The best Folkestone care home singalong example is not a performer standing at the front firing out songs while everyone...
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Can DJs Handle Mixed-Age Crowds? Absolutely

Can DJs Handle Mixed-Age Crowds? Absolutely

A packed dance floor at a wedding in Ashford rarely happens because somebody pressed play on a ‘party playlist’. Can...
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Wedding Interaction Example Ideas That Work

Wedding Interaction Example Ideas That Work

The best wedding interaction example is not forcing Uncle Dave into a dance-off before he has finished his pudding. It...
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How to Create Mixed-Age Playlists That Work

How to Create Mixed-Age Playlists That Work

The quickest way to empty a dancefloor is to play an hour of music for one corner of the room....
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Top Corporate Away Day Entertainment Ideas

Top Corporate Away Day Entertainment Ideas

A corporate away day can look brilliant on the agenda and still fall flat by 3pm. The venue is lovely,...
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Canterbury Wedding Reception Timing That Works

Canterbury Wedding Reception Timing That Works

A gorgeous Canterbury venue, a room full of favourite people and a cracking playlist are a brilliant start. But Canterbury...
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Charity Fundraiser Event Entertainment That Works

Charity Fundraiser Event Entertainment That Works

A packed village hall in Kent can still feel flat if the room is waiting for somebody else to start...
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Do Corporate Events Need DJs? The Real Answer

Do Corporate Events Need DJs? The Real Answer

The quickest way to spot a corporate event that has missed the mark? The room is full, the bar is...
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Why Hire Hosted Party Entertainment for Your Do?

Why Hire Hosted Party Entertainment for Your Do?

The playlist can be perfect and the room can still feel flat. You have seen it before: a DJ plays...
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How to Run an Accessible Karaoke Session

How to Run an Accessible Karaoke Session

A karaoke night only works when people feel they are allowed to join in. Not pressured into grabbing a microphone,...
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How to Coordinate Holiday Park Entertainment

How to Coordinate Holiday Park Entertainment

A holiday park evening can go one of two ways. The venue fills up, the kids are dancing before tea...
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Can DJs Provide Event Hosting? Yes, Properly

Can DJs Provide Event Hosting? Yes, Properly

A packed dancefloor is brilliant. A packed dancefloor where nobody knows when the cake is being cut, who is giving...
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Disco Versus Playlist: What Fills a Dancefloor?

Disco Versus Playlist: What Fills a Dancefloor?

A playlist can provide the tunes. A proper disco provides the reason people stop chatting by the buffet, put their...
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How to Host a Themed Disco in Folkestone

How to Host a Themed Disco in Folkestone

A themed disco should feel like the moment your guests walk through the door, not a playlist with a few...
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How to Host a Themed Disco in Folkestone

How to Host a Themed Disco in Folkestone

A themed disco should feel like the moment your guests walk through the door, not a playlist with a few...
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What Songs Suit Anniversary Parties? Pick the Hits

What Songs Suit Anniversary Parties? Pick the Hits

A couple celebrating 25 years together probably do not want the same soundtrack as two people marking their first anniversary...
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What Songs Suit Anniversary Parties? Pick the Hits

What Songs Suit Anniversary Parties? Pick the Hits

A couple celebrating 25 years together probably do not want the same soundtrack as two people marking their first anniversary...
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Karaoke Versus Jukebox for a Better Party

Karaoke Versus Jukebox for a Better Party

A jukebox can keep a room pleasantly busy. Karaoke can turn that same room into a full-blown Friday-night spectacle, complete...
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Corporate DJ Service Review for Kent Events

Corporate DJ Service Review for Kent Events

A proper corporate DJ service review should never begin and end with, “Did they play good songs?” At a staff...
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Corporate Event Trends That Get People Involved

Corporate Event Trends That Get People Involved

A packed room can still feel flat. You have booked the venue, sorted the food, sent the invites and got...
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Best Kent Conference Entertainment That Gets Involved

Best Kent Conference Entertainment That Gets Involved

A conference can have a brilliant venue, sharp speakers and a buffet people actually talk about - then lose all...
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18 Best 1970s Dancefloor Classics for Parties

18 Best 1970s Dancefloor Classics for Parties

A proper 1970s set does not begin and end with a mirror ball and three Bee Gees tracks. The best...
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Pub Entertainment Ashford That Fills the Room

Pub Entertainment Ashford That Fills the Room

A quiet Tuesday can turn into a proper night out when the entertainment gives people a reason to stay for...
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10 Best Corporate Party Themes Kent Teams Love

10 Best Corporate Party Themes Kent Teams Love

A corporate party can go one of two ways. It can be a polite drink, a few people checking their...
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Ashford Venue Disco Setup That Fills the Floor

Ashford Venue Disco Setup That Fills the Floor

A great Ashford venue disco setup is not about wheeling in a pair of speakers, pressing play and hoping someone...
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DJ Contracts: What Your Booking Should Cover

DJ Contracts: What Your Booking Should Cover

A great party can be remembered for the wrong reasons if the details are left to a few messages and...
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How to Build a Corporate Event Playlist That Works

How to Build a Corporate Event Playlist That Works

To build a corporate event playlist that genuinely works, you need more than a folder of popular songs and a...
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Themed Party Host vs Solo DJ: Which Fits?

Themed Party Host vs Solo DJ: Which Fits?

The cake has been cut, the bar is open and your guests are looking towards the dancefloor. This is the...
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12 Office Party Entertainment Examples That Work

12 Office Party Entertainment Examples That Work

A work party can fall flat long before the buffet has gone cold. You know the scene: a polite cluster...
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Maidstone Awards Night Hosting That Gets Applause

Maidstone Awards Night Hosting That Gets Applause

A great awards night has two jobs: make the winners feel like stars and make everyone else glad they came....
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How Long Disco Setup Takes Before a Party

How Long Disco Setup Takes Before a Party

The hall is booked, the invitations are out, and somebody asks the question every organiser needs answered: how long disco...
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Folkestone Holiday Park Entertainment That Works

Folkestone Holiday Park Entertainment That Works

The difference between an alright holiday-park night and one guests talk about at breakfast is not a bigger speaker. It...
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Guide to Corporate Event Hosting in Maidstone

Guide to Corporate Event Hosting in Maidstone

A corporate event can have a smart venue, decent food and a perfectly printed running order, yet still fall a...
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15 Wedding Guest Participation Ideas That Work

15 Wedding Guest Participation Ideas That Work

The best wedding guest participation ideas do not make people feel as though they have wandered into a game show...
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Wedding Reception Entertainment Examples in Kent

Wedding Reception Entertainment Examples in Kent

The best wedding reception entertainment examples Kent couples can choose are not necessarily the biggest or most expensive. They are...
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Inclusive Event Planning That Gets Everyone Involved

Inclusive Event Planning That Gets Everyone Involved

A packed dancefloor is lovely. A room where the people who do not dance, cannot stand for long, dislike loud...
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Music Entertainment for Holiday Parks That Works

Music Entertainment for Holiday Parks That Works

The bingo has finished, the bar is busy, children are still buzzing around and grandparents have claimed the best seats....
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Create a 1980s Party Atmosphere That Pops

Create a 1980s Party Atmosphere That Pops

The first bars of Take On Me hit, somebody spots a Rubik’s Cube on the table, and suddenly even the...
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Mobile Disco Package Review for a Proper Party

Mobile Disco Package Review for a Proper Party

A mobile disco package review should tell you far more than whether someone owns a pair of speakers and a...
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When Should Evening Entertainment Start at Weddings?

When Should Evening Entertainment Start at Weddings?

The moment the wedding breakfast ends can make or break the party. Ask when should evening entertainment start at weddings,...
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12 Community Event Entertainment Ideas That Work

12 Community Event Entertainment Ideas That Work

A village fête can have brilliant stalls, a worthy raffle and enough cake to feed Ashford for a week, yet...
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12 Wedding Karaoke Ideas Guests Will Actually Sing

12 Wedding Karaoke Ideas Guests Will Actually Sing

Your wedding dance floor is full, the photographer has packed away the formal group shots, and then your usually reserved...
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Best 60s Party Ideas for Care Homes That Work

Best 60s Party Ideas for Care Homes That Work

A great Sixties afternoon is not about sticking a few peace signs on the wall and hoping for the best....
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A Guide to Care Home Music Activities That Work

A Guide to Care Home Music Activities That Work

A favourite record can do more than fill an afternoon. It can prompt a story about a first dance, bring...
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12 Best Wedding Reception Icebreakers for Guests

12 Best Wedding Reception Icebreakers for Guests

The awkward bit is rarely the ceremony. It is the half-hour when your university mates are sat beside Great Aunt...
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12 Wedding Reception Singalong Ideas That Work

12 Wedding Reception Singalong Ideas That Work

A packed dance floor is lovely. A packed dance floor belting out a chorus like they have just headlined Glastonbury...
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What Songs Work for Karaoke Parties? Our Picks

What Songs Work for Karaoke Parties? Our Picks

The question of what songs work for karaoke parties is not really about finding the biggest hits. It is about...
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Karaoke Entertainment Canterbury That Gets Going

Karaoke Entertainment Canterbury That Gets Going

Some parties in Canterbury start well, then flatten out by half nine. The playlist is fine, the room looks lovely,...
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Karaoke Disco vs Standard Disco: Which Wins?

Karaoke Disco vs Standard Disco: Which Wins?

You can usually tell within twenty minutes whether a party is merely happening or properly alive. One has a decent...
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How to Choose a Party Host Maidstone

How to Choose a Party Host Maidstone

If you are looking for a party host Maidstone guests will actually talk about the next day, you are not...
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What Entertainment Suits a Mixed Age Party?

What Entertainment Suits a Mixed Age Party?

One minute Nan wants a bit of Motown, the teenagers are asking for chart hits, and your mate is already...
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7 Best Pub Entertainment Formats That Work

7 Best Pub Entertainment Formats That Work

A pub night can look busy at 8pm and feel flat by 9.15. That is usually the moment landlords realise...
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How to Book a Wedding DJ in Ashford

How to Book a Wedding DJ in Ashford

The moment your evening guests step into the room, your wedding either lifts off or sits there waiting for something...
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How to Entertain Wedding Guests Between Courses

How to Entertain Wedding Guests Between Courses

That little gap between the starter and the main can feel much longer than it looks on a running order....
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How to Run Themed Party Night That Fills a Room

How to Run Themed Party Night That Fills a Room

A themed night can look brilliant on a poster and still fall flat by 9pm. That is usually the bit...
Read more >
Interactive Disco Entertainment That Gets Crowds Going

Interactive Disco Entertainment That Gets Crowds Going

A full dancefloor is lovely. A room full of people actually joining in, laughing, singing and talking about your event...
Read more >
Top Wedding Evening Entertainment Alternatives

Top Wedding Evening Entertainment Alternatives

A wedding evening can turn flat surprisingly quickly. The meal is done, the speeches are over, and then comes that...
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Roadshow Entertainment vs Disco: What Wins?

Roadshow Entertainment vs Disco: What Wins?

Book a standard disco and you get music, lights and a DJ behind the booth. Book a roadshow and you...
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Themed Decade Nights for Pubs That Pack Out

Themed Decade Nights for Pubs That Pack Out

A half-empty pub on a Friday can feel flat before the first pint is even poured. Put the right soundtrack,...
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How to Organise Corporate Karaoke

How to Organise Corporate Karaoke

A corporate karaoke night can go one of two ways. It either becomes the bit everyone talks about for months...
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Party Roadshow Entertainment Hire That Works

Party Roadshow Entertainment Hire That Works

The room tells you everything within ten minutes. If people are glued to their chairs, politely tapping a foot and...
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Karaoke Host vs DJ: Which Fits Your Party?

Karaoke Host vs DJ: Which Fits Your Party?

You can usually spot the difference within ten minutes. One entertainer is keeping the tunes flowing while guests chat, dance...
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DJ or Live Band for Your Event?

DJ or Live Band for Your Event?

The moment this question lands on the table - dj or live band - you are not really choosing between...
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How to Choose Wedding DJ Kent Couples Trust

How to Choose Wedding DJ Kent Couples Trust

Your wedding DJ can make the difference between a polite little shuffle after the first dance and a room full...
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Kent Care Home Disco Service That Lifts Spirits

Kent Care Home Disco Service That Lifts Spirits

The difference between a flat afternoon and a room full of smiling faces usually starts with the first song. A...
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What Is a Roadshow Disco and Why Book One?

What Is a Roadshow Disco and Why Book One?

If you have ever been to a party where the DJ did more than stand behind a booth pressing play,...
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Why an Event Host Kent Crowd Loves Matters

Why an Event Host Kent Crowd Loves Matters

A packed dancefloor can vanish in ten minutes if the room goes flat. That is exactly why choosing the right...
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What Is Included in DJ Hosting Packages?

What Is Included in DJ Hosting Packages?

If you have ever booked a DJ and then discovered that "hosting" meant little more than someone pressing play and...
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Maidstone Karaoke DJ for a Proper Party

Maidstone Karaoke DJ for a Proper Party

If you book a Maidstone karaoke DJ and all you get is a bloke pressing play in the corner, you...
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How to Choose Party Entertainment in Kent

How to Choose Party Entertainment in Kent

If you've ever watched a party in Kent start full of promise and then flatten out by 9pm, you'll know...
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Kent Corporate Entertainment Packages That Work

Kent Corporate Entertainment Packages That Work

If you have ever stood at a corporate event in Kent watching a polite crowd hover near the bar while...
Read more >
Ashford Party DJ That Gets Everyone Involved

Ashford Party DJ That Gets Everyone Involved

Some parties in Ashford have a full dancefloor by 8.30. Others have a few people guarding the buffet, one uncle...
Read more >
How to Entertain Mixed Age Guests Properly

How to Entertain Mixed Age Guests Properly

The quickest way to flatten a party is to play only to one corner of the room. The teenagers drift...
Read more >
A Guide to Corporate Evening Entertainment

A Guide to Corporate Evening Entertainment

The room tells you everything within ten minutes. If people are glued to their phones, hovering by the bar, or...
Read more >
How to Entertain Care Home Residents Well

How to Entertain Care Home Residents Well

A quiet lounge at 2pm can feel very long indeed. Get the entertainment right, though, and the whole room changes...
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How to Plan Karaoke Night That Gets Everyone Singing

How to Plan Karaoke Night That Gets Everyone Singing

Some karaoke nights are electric from the first chorus. Others die the death because nobody wants to be the poor...
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Kent Entertainers Who Actually Lift the Room

Kent Entertainers Who Actually Lift the Room

A packed dancefloor in Maidstone can go flat in ten minutes if the entertainment gets the room wrong. Too loud...
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Maidstone Wedding Party Host for a Full Dancefloor

Maidstone Wedding Party Host for a Full Dancefloor

Your evening reception can look perfect on paper and still fall flat by 9pm. The food has been lovely, the...
Read more >
Kent Nursing Home Entertainment That Lifts Spirits

Kent Nursing Home Entertainment That Lifts Spirits

A quiet lounge can change in minutes when the right song starts. One resident taps an armrest, another starts singing...
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What Does a Mobile Disco Include?

What Does a Mobile Disco Include?

You have booked the venue, sorted the food, and now comes the bit that can make the whole night fly...
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Kent Party Entertainment That Gets Guests Involved

Kent Party Entertainment That Gets Guests Involved

A packed dancefloor looks great in photos, but it is not the full story. The real test of Kent party...
Read more >
Interactive Party Entertainment Kent That Works

Interactive Party Entertainment Kent That Works

A packed dancefloor is lovely. A room full of guests actually joining in, laughing, singing, taking part and talking about...
Read more >
Kent Pub Entertainers That Fill the Room

Kent Pub Entertainers That Fill the Room

A quiet pub night has a look about it. A few people at the bar, a couple half-watching the telly,...
Read more >
Care Home Music Entertainment That Lifts Spirits

Care Home Music Entertainment That Lifts Spirits

You can feel it in the room within minutes. A familiar chorus starts, one resident taps the arm of their...
Read more >
Kent Pub Entertainment That Fills the Room

Kent Pub Entertainment That Fills the Room

A pub night can go flat in under ten minutes. The music is fine, the bar staff are grafting, the...
Read more >
15 Best Wedding Reception Entertainment Ideas

15 Best Wedding Reception Entertainment Ideas

The bit couples remember most is rarely the chair covers, the napkin fold or whether the favours matched the flowers....
Read more >
Kent Care Home Entertainment That Gets Involved

Kent Care Home Entertainment That Gets Involved

A quiet lounge, a half-watched television and a singer stood in the corner rattling through a set list can leave...
Read more >
Mobile Disco Kent for Parties That Actually Pop

Mobile Disco Kent for Parties That Actually Pop

If you've ever stood in a room where the DJ is technically doing the job but the dancefloor still looks...
Read more >
Kent Wedding Discos That Fill the Dancefloor

Kent Wedding Discos That Fill the Dancefloor

The quickest way to spot average Kent wedding discos is this - the lights look lovely, the deck is set...
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Kent Wedding Karaoke Host That Gets Guests Singing

Kent Wedding Karaoke Host That Gets Guests Singing

The moment the formalities are done and the food’s been cleared, every couple wants the same thing - a wedding...
Read more >
Kent Discos That Actually Get the Party Going

Kent Discos That Actually Get the Party Going

You can spot the difference in the first ten minutes. One of those kent discos has a bloke hiding behind...
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Wedding Evening Entertainment Guide

Wedding Evening Entertainment Guide

The moment the wedding breakfast ends, the room changes. Jackets come off, heels get kicked under tables, and the polite...
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All in One Party Entertainment That Delivers

All in One Party Entertainment That Delivers

You know the danger signs. The DJ sets up, the playlist is decent enough, but half the room stays glued...
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Audience Participation Party Entertainment

Audience Participation Party Entertainment

You can spot the difference within ten minutes. One party has music playing, a few people nodding along, and that...
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Why a Cabaret Style Event Host Works

Why a Cabaret Style Event Host Works

A flat dancefloor, a half-empty room and a DJ talking only to announce last orders - that’s how plenty of...
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Birthday Party DJ and Karaoke That Works

Birthday Party DJ and Karaoke That Works

You can always tell when a birthday party is about to go flat. The playlist is fine, the room looks...
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Interactive Wedding Entertainment That Works

Interactive Wedding Entertainment That Works

You can always spot the point in a wedding evening when the room splits in two. One half are ready...
Read more >
1980s Themed Karaoke Night Done Right

1980s Themed Karaoke Night Done Right

If you want a party that starts conversations before the first drink is poured, a 1980s themed karaoke night is...
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What a 1970s Disco Party Host Really Adds

What a 1970s Disco Party Host Really Adds

You can stick on a Bee Gees playlist and hang a few bits of silver tinsel, but that does not...
Read more >
1960s Nostalgia Show Hire for a Proper Party

1960s Nostalgia Show Hire for a Proper Party

You can always tell when a 1960s night has really landed. It is not just a few old favourites drifting...
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1950s Themed Party Entertainment That Works

1950s Themed Party Entertainment That Works

If you want a room full of guests to do more than sit politely with a drink and wait for...
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Care Home Musical Entertainment That Connects

Care Home Musical Entertainment That Connects

One song can change a room. You see it all the time with care home musical entertainment. A resident who...
Read more >
Holiday Park Entertainment Hire That Works

Holiday Park Entertainment Hire That Works

A flat atmosphere in a holiday park venue is hard to hide. Families drift back to their caravans, the bar...
Read more >
Pub Karaoke Night Entertainment That Works

Pub Karaoke Night Entertainment That Works

A flat karaoke night is easy to spot. The mic squeals, two brave souls sing early on, everyone else stares...
Read more >
15 Corporate Party Entertainment Ideas

15 Corporate Party Entertainment Ideas

You can book a venue with a nice bar, order decent food and stick a playlist on in the background...
Read more >
Karaoke Party Hire That Gets Everyone Involved

Karaoke Party Hire That Gets Everyone Involved

Some parties have a playlist. The best ones have a queue at the microphone, a dancefloor full of backing singers,...
Read more >
Mobile Disco for Weddings That Fills Floors

Mobile Disco for Weddings That Fills Floors

The moment that empty dance floor stares back at you, the mood can dip fast. You’ve spent months sorting the...
Read more >
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Contact Us

Manic Mike’s Disco and Karaoke Roadshow is based in Kent, but I cover a wide area across the South East and beyond. From Ashford to Maidstone, Canterbury to Folkestone, and Dover to Tenterden, I’m ready to bring the party to you. I also cover Hastings, Rye, Rochester, Chatham, Sittingbourne, Margate, Thanet, and East and West Malling.
So, if you’re looking for a night that’s packed with fun, interaction, and a whole lot of music, get in touch with me today! Let’s make your next event one that your guests will talk about for years to come.


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All my shows are LGBTQIA+ inclusive!
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