Most intimidating drumline ever?

[Tone Quality Matters]

How could I possibly forget Crossmen 91' ?

[JMS0527]

Early 80's Bridgemen

Yes..

without question

God those guys were good

[Cardman]

94 BD gets my vote.

[johnnytech]

This is a very interesting subject, but for me it's not about the field performance but what happens in the parking lot.

I unfortunately never saw the two drumlines in the parking lot I most would want to go back in time and see. Bridgemen 81/82 and Blue Devils 86. It's also a product of your age. 88 Blue Devils were intimidating to me because I was young when I saw them. Also, there is a distinct change in modern day corps attitude. I remember when I was young I knew some drum instructors who cursed other drumlines, and was a product of their marching days in late 70s and early 80s. Times have change (for the good) in this regard and for me so has the "intimidation" of parking lot lines.

Here's what would have intimidated me had I ever seen a line like this (and I think both Bridgmen 81 and BD 86 qualify for these). Is everyone in the line at least 6 feet tall. Do they have at least 8 snares, preferably 9 or 10. Are all the snares level exactly the same (87 BD has the smoothest height of snares and tallest consistent snare line ever). Are all the quad players 6.5 feet tall with low tenors, no tenors up by your elbows (well, Bridgemen did have slightly high tenors). Did they all wear tie-dye pot smoking shirts, and not all dressed nicely and trim in the "pre uniform" uniform that everyone does now. But the most important factor of all is the presence they project in warmup in the parking lot. Do they all have eyes burning holes in the trees in front of them. Do they intimidate me by the way they "don't" look at me. How snobbish or put off are they of the audience.

In 89' I was in an aggresive line I remember several warmups where I just wanted to bit the heads off of people and I projected it. It wasn't for show, it was hype of how I survived and played clean. The section leader purposefully told us to lower the hype level later in the season. I remember him telling us to stop this grunt we use to do as we approached the starting line up. I think the intimidation days of old are not the same as you get now.

[RickCogley]

Bridgemen were pretty intimidating, as were SCV. BD were laid back and relaxed, I thought, and their intimidation came from being very, very clean. I remember 27th being intimidating when I was outside the line, and when I was in it, we worked on being intense that way.

[johnnytech]

Rick, good point on BD being more relaxed than intimidating. But, I've always been curious about 86 in particular. Did you see them in the lot in 86? Did they have the intensity like you mention 27th worked at having?

Bridgemen were pretty intimidating, as were SCV. BD were laid back and relaxed, I thought, and their intimidation came from being very, very clean. I remember 27th being intimidating when I was outside the line, and when I was in it, we worked on being intense that way.

[mikekhs]

'79 northstar

[mikekhs]

'79 northstar

[4MalletJim]

1981 Bridgemen....mm mm mmmm...yummy.

2003 Vanguard

2002 Crossmen

1994 Blue Devils

1996 Vanguard

2006 Phantom

2000 Blue Devils

[Jay B]

1977 Sacramento Freelancers.