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Drum Corps Bloopers!


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Thought this would be an interesting way to find out some trade (show) secrets...

What are some "not so well known" mistakes that have happened at finals (or during the season)?

Not the obvious please ie: 89 Devs soloist....(sorry that still hurts) huge fan!! But something about a show that was supposed to happen but didn't or a change in the show that was poorly executed and was immediately written out of the show....especially juicy if it was very little known......ok here’s mine....

92 - Velvet Knights

Yes we had what I believe is the biggest shark ever at finals! But in the ultimate disappointment, it never made it to its correct place on the field at finals.

The shark was supposed to make it to the 50 yard line - yup front and center, but never did. The tarp that was used to hide the shark became tangled in the wheels and was laid to rest about the 35-40 yard line. It was supposed to be in front of the snare line arc - dead center.

Having been in the snare line that year it especially hurt, because I new all cameras would be on the shark (perfect photo op) BUT IT NEVER MADE IT!! If you go back and look at the vid you'll see it struggle and stop. And the horn line members that were supposed to go to the sideline never made it. To some huge fans this might have been obvious - but I think based on the crowd reaction - they really didn't notice the flaw.

Having marched VK I know there were times that we tried many different jokes that we thought would be funny and the crowd never got them - they were immediately written out.

Again in 92 where we had one of our soloists "purposely" make huge mistakes and the corps stopped and pointed at him as if to say "what are you doing you screw up?" I think this was in a total of two to three shows before we realized the crowd actually thought he was screwing up and didn't really get the joke.

Believe me there were countless others......what were yours???

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Well the big one I have happened about mid-season. I can't remember the show site...maybe Alabama somewhere?

Myself and another guy were the side/backfield conductors for the opener in the '04 BK show. We did the usual warm-up with the corps and then made our way to our spots up front. We had to leave our mellos up front in the pit like most groups would do. The other guy, Frank, was on Side 1 to start. I was on side 2. I was always able to drop my horn off by myself but Frank always let techs drop his horn off in the pit.

Well you can see where this is going....

We decided early in the season that we would always put our horns under the same two field drums that were in the pit. Well it just so happened that the one tech placed the mello under the wrong drum that night. When we made our way up to the front to get the mellos and hop into the drill we noticed that something wasn't right. It took me a few seconds to process what was going on but by that time it was too late---we had to move it because we had everything timed perfectly. I thought about making some courageous "lunge and grab/toss the horn to Frank" but I thought better of it.

Keep in mind that there were field drums spread throughout the pit so the other mello, which was now closest to me, was about 5 yards away.

So we got into the drill. I had my mello and Frank had nothing. He marched the entire show without it. Once I started doing drill I started laughing. I thought it was so funny because here was Frank, marching and SINGING his part.

I'm sure this is more amusing to me but that was a big blooper in my book.

Oh and after that incident I was in charge of placing both of the mellos in the correct spot to start the show.

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Not technically a blooper, but a near-blooper.

Crossmen, not for sure on the year, but you'll probably know once I describe it. It was probably either '97 or '98.

A friend of mine from college was a mellophone player with Crossmen the year that the entire hornline started with flags and did a short routine before tossing down the flags along the sides of the field, picking up their horns and continuing with the show.

He mentioned that at finals, when they slam the flags down between their horns, he came about 2 millimeters from slamming the flag right down into his mellophone bell.

I don't think that would have been much fun to march finals with a horn bent in half.

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Cavies 93 during the percussion break in the opener. A bunch members fell flat. I think I counted like 5 or 6.

Cadets 96 tear in the closer. I actually never noticed it until my friend who marched that year pointed it out, he even played the Olympics version of the closer it became very clear that there was a big musical tear at finals. DM was not invited back the following season.

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Thought this would be an interesting way to find out some trade (show) secrets...

92 - Velvet Knights

Yes we had what I believe is the biggest shark ever at finals! But in the ultimate disappointment, it never made it to its correct place on the field at finals.

The shark was supposed to make it to the 50 yard line - yup front and center, but never did. The tarp that was used to hide the shark became tangled in the wheels and was laid to rest about the 35-40 yard line. It was supposed to be in front of the snare line arc - dead center.

Having been in the snare line that year it especially hurt, because I new all cameras would be on the shark (perfect photo op) BUT IT NEVER MADE IT!! If you go back and look at the vid you'll see it struggle and stop. And the horn line members that were supposed to go to the sideline never made it. To some huge fans this might have been obvious - but I think based on the crowd reaction - they really didn't notice the flaw.

Best

####-up .

EVER!!!

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92 - Velvet Knights

Yes we had what I believe is the biggest shark ever at finals! But in the ultimate disappointment, it never made it to its correct place on the field at finals.

The shark was supposed to make it to the 50 yard line - yup front and center, but never did. The tarp that was used to hide the shark became tangled in the wheels and was laid to rest about the 35-40 yard line. It was supposed to be in front of the snare line arc - dead center.

Having been in the snare line that year it especially hurt, because I new all cameras would be on the shark (perfect photo op) BUT IT NEVER MADE IT!! If you go back and look at the vid you'll see it struggle and stop. And the horn line members that were supposed to go to the sideline never made it. To some huge fans this might have been obvious - but I think based on the crowd reaction - they really didn't notice the flaw.

Props to Adrian C and Company for having the mindset to making it seem like it was part of the show by not panicking because they didn't make their final set.
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PhantomFroze.jpg

Galen, don't mean to be OT. But I have to give you props for making DCP entertaining no matter what the subject matter by your avatars/pics you add to your signatures. From Captain Obivious to Captain Kirk. But this one is fantastic!! :smile:

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Senior side but still in the all time Top 3 or 5....

1980 DCA Finals, Westshoremen tried to release two crates of doves from under a huge American Flag as a closure to the show. From the stands you saw a bunch of doves fly out which was neat. Then the corps left the field taking the flag with them.

.

.

And you could see almost two crates of doves still walking around the field. Ooops, birds don't fly at night. :smile:

Finals held up twenty minutes while Chief Judge Walt Kelly walks among the doves shooting the starting gun. Doves move to the left side to get away from Walt. Then as Walt tries to shoo them more to the left, they run back to where they were before. My mom had the line of the night "What happens if he runs out of blanks before the show is over?". Finally corps members came out to grab the feathered rats off the field.

For retreat, Westshores DM came out with two doves on his shoulders. :smile:

As a kicker it was the first time the corps broke into Top 5 at DCA and next year they sold a hooded sweatshirt with a dove on the sleeve. :smile:

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