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Drum Corps horror stories


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The wooden bleacher seats in McGill stadium for prelims. Fantastic backdrop of the city but the yelps from the splinters were many.

Southern Rebels ( New Orleans ) had a bus break down on the way back from Ft. Meyers, so they loaded the whole corps on ONE bus for a 20 hour ride home.

Again, Southern Rebels, lost headlights on a bus somewhere in Mississippi and made it home following the other bus and two kids holding flastlights pointed out of the windshield

Bleu Raeders ( or was it Stardusters ?) had a back window blow out of a bus and the guy sleeping there fell out and rolled down a hill.

The flies at the Fairgrounds in Springfield Ill.

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In 1989 Star of Indiana was on their West Coast tour; the corps was in southern Oregon heading to the Portland area where I was hosting them at Forest Grove HS for a couple of days. On the way up there, one of the staff vans was in an accident and rolled. James Mason, Star's director was on that van and ended up with a broken collar bone. From what I can remember, that was the most serious of the injuries, but it could have been so much worse.

A lighthearted "horror story" to add to this; while watching Star rehearse at my school that weekend, imagine MY horror when the sprinklers go on during the rehearsal. Nothing beats sitting on a large inverted garbage can on the 50 to make the water go away. LOL good times....

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  • 4 weeks later...

Des Plaines ( Chicago Junior Corps ) Vanguard Drum Major died at rehearsal after being struck by lightening in the mid 60's.

Several marchers over the years have died in car accidents after leaving practice or on returning home from a show competition.

(Man, this is a joyful thread, huh ? )

Or on their way to perform at a competition or parade. I am speaking of Dave Rinaldo of the 1976 Hawthorne Muchachos who along with three other members of the corps were on their way to perform in a parade in Patterson, N.J. right after an early morning practice when they suddenly encountered a disabled car in the left (fast) lane that was changing a flat tire. Dave swerved to miss the disabled car and colided with a propane truck. David was taken two days later due to injuries sustained in the incident. One other member spent about 3 weeks in the hospital. The other two sustained only minor injuries.

Edited by Cubeth77
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  • 2 weeks later...

Joel "Lothat" Magnuson (sp?) passing away on the field during Kilties 05 prelims performance at DCA.

In a way, I'm glad SoCal Dream didn't make the full corps trip that year...I don't think I could've handled that if I'd been at the show.

I marched Brigs (just Honor Guard - new baby boy!) that was sad. The other corps were so classy, everywhere you looked on finals night, someone was wearing Tartan. DCA gave them the option of advancing and they chose to perform anyway. One baritone pointed out the missing man in the opening set - this is what drum corps is all about. One the field, its intensity at its best, off the field, if you are involved, you are brethren!

Just my 2 cents..

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I never marched corps, but I remember Pacific Crest's drum major getting killed in a car crash on the 60 freeway three years ago. This hit me hard because I live close to that area.

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Met some Boston Crusaders people who once told me that the last couple weeks of the 1983 tour were rough financially--popcorn and kool-aid dinners, members were chipping in for gas. They were so dedicated that they didn't throw in the towel. My understanding was that Bill Cook helped make it possible for them to get home from Madison.

Well there is a bit of a myth here and with another similar response too. Here's the deal; BAc did have severe money issues. No one was ever clear on how money vanished but it did. It was in 1982 not 1983. BAC went to Europe (France, Belguim, Holland and England). No money no drill. It was a disaster. When they came back,with the help of former members and the State Department, the very last of the MM's money was collected to pay for busses. This was their spending money. Tour money had already been paid. The corps headed out, missing the Whitewater show and by the time they got to Canton, OH, the money was gone and the bus company was about to leave them there. Sound familiar Teal?

To make a long story short, BAC almost packed it up in Canton, OH. The director was displaced and a new interim director (believe it or not it was Tony DiCarlo current DCI show coordinator)took over with the approval of DCI. The corps through sheer will and love from many people maade it to Nationals. After which the corps again almost folded. But a new former member and a group of former members and corps staff met and put it all back together. The hit the field in 83 with 51 MM's. And made DCI Associate Member. Samallest corps to ever do that. The committment then was to never let one person control the corps. They did not subsist on kool-aid and actually for a while started a tradition of staying in hotels at Nationals. Oh yeah they got into a major street brawl just before going on in prelims just outside of the orange Bowl, when some locals jumped the DL when they were warming up for the show. 82 sucked. 83 was amazing; and it finally led to where BAC is today.

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I never marched corps, but I remember Pacific Crest's drum major getting killed in a car crash on the 60 freeway three years ago. This hit me hard because I live close to that area.

Was that 2010 or 2009? I remember the story, since I had a friend marching there. It was rough for everyone in California drum corps

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Magic of Orlando doing PB&J for every meal a few times on tour?

I've heard rumors of horror stories coming from the Tarheel Sun organization about members getting screamed at by the staff and some staff abuse happening.

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Was that 2010 or 2009? I remember the story, since I had a friend marching there. It was rough for everyone in California drum corps

It was November 2009.

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