Describe your longest day in drum corps

[bluecoats88]

I think it was 1987 we practiced late into the evening the previous night then had to head over to the Canton civic Center to go through security and have our equipment set up in the stands of the auditorium. So the next day was the longest day since we had to get up at probably around 3:30 am and head over to the Canton Civic Center where we were performing for the Mayor's Breakfast event for the Hall Of Fame festivities in Canton. We were set up in the stands of the civic center with all of the diners at tables on the auditoriums floor and up on the stage. We performed our 1987 show, and then some small ensembles and soloists went down to the floor and performed as well. We had to stay in the stands through the whole event since it would be quite disruptive to have us moving about and moving our equipment during the speeches and such. So we were trapped there. Then after we finally got out of there I believe we then had to march in the Hall Of Fame Parade which is something like 5 miles long through Canton. and I believe we then hopped on the buses after that parade and headed out to a show somewhere that evening - usually the show was in PA and I'm thinking it was the erie show in 1987.

[The Other Mike]

Ok, this is a repost from RAMD

It was the early 70's

18 hour bus ride to Ft. Meyers Florida from New Orleans.

( no housing, just 18 hours there, do the show, load the busses and drive

back 18 hours with no showers )

Somewhere in Florida, one of the horn players FREAKS on the bus. Ok so we sit

in a hospital parking lot for 3 hours that seemed like forever. ( oh yea, like

he was sick uh huh, drop acid on a bus to hell, real smart )

We get there to find the stadium is a baseball stadium. Instead of squaring

the field to either 1st or 3rd base line, they basically use the line from the

pitchers mound to home plate as a base for the 50. This was when you only

had a fifty, the sidelines and and the endzones to go by.

The visual perspective from the field was like a fun house. There was no place

to guide to, so to speak. While the opener stayed intact, it vered way off and

we ended in a bizarre angle to the stands. The rest of the show went down hill

from there with forms getting split by 5 to sometimes 25 yards on all kinds of

different angles

It was like all of us were little kids that had just been picked up and swung

around in circles then set on a field and told to march.

After we leave the show, we get pulled over by the cops. A few idiots decide to

get off the bus and spread eagle on the ground yelling " don't shoot". After

about an hour of B.S. from the cops for THAT crap, we get on the road again.

Somewhere in the middle of NO F***ING WHERE FLORIDA, one of the busses breaks

down. Several hours sitting on the highway when they realize that the

mechanical failure is bad. Hey here's a good idea, lets leave the bus behind

and load everyone and all the equipment on one bus for the ride home.

We were lucky to have a corps after that. It's bad enough being trapped on a

bus to hell with people who are pissing and moaning all the time anyway without

loading another 40 people to stand in the aisle, waiting their turn in the

seats. Yea like it was not a steam bath on the bus.

Oh, just how fast could a 57 greyhound go with 80 people on it ? It was

something like 26 hours back. They would stop every 3 or 4 hours and let us off

and water us, just like cattle.

You gotta love drum corps to put up with this kinda ####.

Hey, I think I've figured out why I'm a BITTER old phart.

The Other Mike...................

PhD in BS

Proud member of the Old Pharts Brigade.......

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

1984 we did a show in Eastern PA. It was one of those hot, humid killer days, and we drove across State in our retired Burgundy and white School buses. It was a long day in general and then we warmed up for a good bit (in our polyester uniforms!) and being first on marched to the gate. Went to Parade Rest. A judge was late or something. So we stood there, and stood there.... And stood there... sweat pouring down into my eyes. To top it all off my back was seriously grinding (usually I only noticed it badly when just standing still). If playing I was ok, but that was the beginning of spinal stenosis, herniated discs, etc., but I didn't know it at the time. When we finally got started I played THE worst show of my marching career. I was never so glad to get that uniform top off!

[TRacer]

Any day that Chaz Anderson was in one of his moods which usually meant "landscaping", and I am using those quotes intentionally.