Do we need a new "Bridgemen" or "Velvet Knights" t

[drumlaw80]

May be interesting

Yes! Drum corps is a much healthier and fan-friendly activity with diversity among its corps.

[JOHNNY_A]

Yes. But nobody will be able to pull it off like Bridgemen or 2 cool V.K.

[84BDsop]

Yes. But nobody will be able to pull it off like Bridgemen or 2 cool V.K.

Surf didn's seem to do so bad a few years ago...

[Tyler C.]

Perhaps I'm too green to notice the difference here, but I think several corps (Crown, Cavis, BD, for top 6 examples) have had comedic elements in their shows lately. I laughed when Crown's tubas waved to the crowd, I laughed a couple different times at "Constantly Risking Adsurbity" (although I personally believe VK made fun of drum corps better from a thematic stand point :P ), and going back a couple years, I laughed at the Cavi sop doing the robot in '06. I've heard some stories about VK, and while I think there is comedy today, I would love to see VK rise back to World Class and show the best corps in DCI how "class clown"-ing is done. I vote yes.

[84BDsop]

Perhaps I'm too green to notice the difference here, but I think several corps (Crown, Cavis, BD, for top 6 examples) have had comedic elements in their shows lately. I laughed when Crown's tubas waved to the crowd, I laughed a couple different times at "Constantly Risking Adsurbity" (although I personally believe VK made fun of drum corps better from a thematic stand point :P ), and going back a couple years, I laughed at the Cavi sop doing the robot in '06. I've heard some stories about VK, and while I think there is comedy today, I would love to see VK rise back to World Class and show the best corps in DCI how "class clown"-ing is done. I vote yes.

Comedic elements are one thing...a lot of corps do that...building your program AROUND those elements is something different....and something Bmen and VK both did very well....but in order to truly sell it, you have to perform the musical portion well.

If you sell teh music and play it well, you can get away with a lot.....if you can't even play the music passably, you come across as a corps that is either desperate for some reaction or are trying to distract from the lack of musicality....again, something that didn't really apply to VK ro Bmen.

[CrunchyTenor]

Comedic elements are one thing...a lot of corps do that...building your program AROUND those elements is something different....and something Bmen and VK both did very well....but in order to truly sell it, you have to perform the musical portion well.

I'm not sure I agree completely with the assertion that the shows were built around comedic elements. In the case of VK, the music and marching came first, and most of the "funny" stuff you saw evolved during rehearsals and over the course of the season. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bridgemen experience was similar. But I will confirm your last sentence, and we knew it from the beginning.

If you sell the music and play it well, you can get away with a lot.....if you can't even play the music passably, you come across as a corps that is either desperate for some reaction or are trying to distract from the lack of musicality....again, something that didn't really apply to VK or Bmen.

Towards the end of the original VK, I often felt that they had indeed started to try to be funny, instead of just letting it happen. Things felt forced.

Garry in Vegas

Edited March 2, 2009 by CrunchyTenor

[84BDsop]

I'm not sure I agree completely with the assertion that the shows were built around comedic elements. In the case of VK, the music and marching came first, and most of the "funny" stuff you saw evolved during rehearsals and over the course of the season. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bridgemen experience was similar. But I will confirm your last sentence, and we knew it from the beginning.

Well...they didn't shy away from teh comedic stuff. Perhaps the REAL point is that the stupid stuff that happens during the course of teh season MADE it to the field instead of "staying in Vegas."

IN other corps it probably happened once in a while....the eternal chord at the end of Madison's 97 show (Pirates of Lake Mendota) was ajoke the corps played on the staff on the runthru on Finals day, from the story I heard. The staff liked it and put it in. That would be an exception in most corps...in VK or Bridgemen I'd imagine it more MUCH more common.

Towards the end of the original VK, I often felt that they had indeed started to try to be funny, instead of just letting it happen. Things felt forced.

And that's the hard part about comedy...really good stuff flows naturally....you can't try too hard to be funny. The new corps seems to have the right idea.

[Jim On The Move]

NO! That era is over. It wouldn't fly today, because it would be be old hat. Differerent generation of kids did the funny drum corps. The Bridgemen pulled it off, because it was a NJ/NYC type vibe. Most of the kids came from the same region. When Bridgemen and VK did it was unique. Leave it alone. Let BOZO STAY DEAD!

[84BDsop]

NO! That era is over. It wouldn't fly today, because it would be be old hat.

The crowd response to the new VK, as well as the growth in the corps (in a VERYdense area for drum corps) proves you wrong...very very wrong.

Differerent generation of kids did the funny drum corps. The Bridgemen pulled it off, because it was a NJ/NYC type vibe. Most of the kids came from the same region. When Bridgemen and VK did it was unique. Leave it alone. Let BOZO STAY DEAD!

Funny is funny...regional origin is meaningless.

Why don't you go to a VK practice and tell the kids there that they should leave the field because you don't approve?

If you don't like it, get a hot dog....your mistake, tho.

Not all drum corps has to be the serious stick-up-the-### type.

[bspeakman]

This might as well be as good a time as any to say it...

For the life of me, I've never understood the position which claims that antics such as a shark eating a singing fat lady or Pee Wee Herman riding a bike across the field are considered "necessary" or at the least are dearly missed, while also claiming that recent rule changes (yes, such as amplification and electronics, but also even the switch to Bb horns) are bastardizing the activity. If the sanctity of drum corps has indeed been lost, then the first shots were fired over a generation ago, before I was even born.

For the record, I'm a big fan of both. I'd love to see another class clown that still performed at a World Class Finals level, just as I love the possibilities present by amplification and electronics. I just have a hard time understanding the double standard.

The key here is "perform at a world class level". It works when it's done very, very well...Fans rarely went to the hot dog stand when VK or Bridgemen were on the field...even if they were not "top 5". I miss that fun!