LancerLegend Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 Please allow me to describe the setting. For many years, 27th practiced behind a small strip mall in Revere. There was enough asphalt behind the strip - much wider than a football field and going the entire length of the stores - 4 or 5 football fields in length. There were no lights, except for at the loading docks of each store. We had to provide a flood light and twist it as we went through rehearsal. On the other side of the asphalt were sand dunes - an undeveloped portion of US Rt 1 that was to connect north to Lynn. The dunes provided a great buffer from our "noise." And on the other side of the dunes, was a salt water tributary from the nearby Revere Beach area. Several of the stores were small fast food places - Friendly's Ice Cream, etc., and each had a dumpster. What might a dumpster with waste food, and sand dunes, and ocean water have in common? RATS. Millions of RATS. Take one snare drummer named Tommy U., who had his father's Chevy, and one drummer named Michael D., who wanted to be either Starsky or Hutch. Take several other sick minded corps mates banging on the sides of the dumpsters, and let Michael drive that Chevy back and forth - over and over - and try to kill as many rats as possible that are running away. And this was all done while being stone cold sober !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGarrett Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I had this uncanny ability to imitate Bill Harty, the guard instructor for the Guardsmen back in the 70's. He had a strong, deep voice that carried over the practice field even while all the other sections were working things out at the same time. But Bill would work with the flags or the rifles a few at a time, and then piece it together as he went along. So he would shout out: "GUARD... READY... the guard would all snap in to place at attention... (begin clapping the beat) ... 1,2, ready, march!" SO, being the smart ### snare drummer I was, I was able to pretty much get that voice down in cadence and sound after hearing it, oh, the 1,000,000,000 times I did as the summer went on. I could get the guard girls to snap to attention from the ducked down and kind of hidden from view place that I was in inside the formation, much to the amusement of the rest of the drumline and of course myself. It was a few days before anyone could figure out (besides our drumline people) who was doing it, and I subsequently turned it over to a tenor drummer (Terry B ... went on to march Garfield when they were still Garfield), who was also able to imitate Bill pretty well. Bill Harty himself would just kind of smile about the whole thing, if he even caught it all. We were some real ######## in the drumline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 A bunch of us removed a heavy manhole cover and asked one of the rookies to go down the sewer ladder and "check it out" down there. Slide the cover back over the hole while he was down there and left. Haven't seen him since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 A bunch of us removed a heavy manhole cover and asked one of the rookies to go down the sewer ladder and "check it out" down there. Slide the cover back over the hole while he was down there and left.Haven't seen him since. Hey Bill, he finally surfaced in Kalamazoo, Michigan last year !!!! Boy was he p'd at you guys !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajedrummer Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 A very innocent one - I am sure many other corps did this as well. Pull up to a stoplight and do a 'full bus' Chinese fire drill around all three buses. It was great fun and a real good way to stretch your legs in the middle of a long ride! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 A very innocent one - I am sure many other corps did this as well.Pull up to a stoplight and do a 'full bus' Chinese fire drill around all three buses. It was great fun and a real good way to stretch your legs in the middle of a long ride! I would think this would best be done in a parking lot ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A27Lancer Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 There were no lights, except for at the loading docks of each store. We had to provide a flood light and twist it as we went through rehearsal. I also remember people watching rehearsal from their cars would park on the back sideline and turn their lights on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajedrummer Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I would think this would best be done in a parking lot ! What fun is that???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocko the Wonder Llama Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Back in'76, a couple of our horn players acquired a couple of M-80s. (For the uninitiated, an M-80 is a very large firecracker - think 1/3 of a stick of dynamite). While on break, these two sneak off to see just what it will do. As we were heading back to the field, I was asked by one of the marching staff: "Have you seen Jim and Don?" "No." "Where are they?" BOOM'' "Over there, I would guess." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdostie Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 (edited) I think it was in '77, we spent a night in Yellowstone national park. Four to a room. Apparently the drinking age there is 18, so somehow my cabin-mates got someone to buy some brewskies. I think we would have been about 15 then . . . Somehow we stayed out of trouble, but we got a little rowdy in our cabin. I remember thinking for sure that we were going to get busted. Any minute "MARALYN" (I think that was her name - our corps director) was surely going to knock on that door and we'd be in for it. I never spoke of that after that night, but the secret is out now. I hope Maralyn doesn't come and find me now. Edited March 29, 2008 by jdostie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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