Jeff Ream Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 What I mean is that most fans really don't notice the difference. Horn lines yes. Most batteries and front ensembles sound pretty similar to Joe Hotdog in the stands. It depends on how you feature them. We were designed to be shown off...hell, 2 long drum solos in 96, plus we had Awesome Alley in the pit...can't hide them. Often our fear was that we took away from everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 Joe Hotdog wants notes out of the drummers...plain and simple...doesn't matter if they are clean or well placed..just notes! For horns, he want's HIGH notes and LOUD low brass... (and guards they want cleavage...LOTS of cleavage!) :rolleyes:/> My parents (rest their souls) would never have understood the placings at a DCI show. (so I never took them to one) oh hell, I go to DCI shows and don't always understand it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 oh hell, I go to DCI shows and don't always understand it Yeah, but this was late 70's early to mid 80's.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 It depends on how you feature them. We were designed to be shown off...hell, 2 long drum solos in 96, plus we had Awesome Alley in the pit...can't hide them. Often our fear was that we took away from everything else. Yes- they notice the GREAT ones that kick everyone in the Spheres. They notice the ones who sound like a crush roll is dropping a bag cans of Orange Crush on the heads. But if yah ask Joe, "Okay. You found the best drum line and the worst. Now rank second through 9th out of the ten...." Nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 Yes- they notice the GREAT ones that kick everyone in the Spheres. They notice the ones who sound like a crush roll is dropping a bag cans of Orange Crush on the heads. But if yah ask Joe, "Okay. You found the best drum line and the worst. Now rank second through 9th out of the ten...." Nope. well...less so today than back then, but staging had to do with a lot of it. the drumline was ALWAYS behind the brass, unless it was drum solo time. They weren't integrated visually in ways that allowed you to notice them......and really this trend continued until about 10 years ago except for a few corps. With many corps, it WAS all about the screamers. It WAS all about blasstissimo volumes. Hell, even today there's a DCA corps or 3 that still operate that way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 "oh hell, I go to DCI shows and don't always understand it" Prime case in point, 2012 BD. I seem to have been one of the few individuals who actually get that show, (I LOVE Dadaism) and this should come to no surprise to those who regularly read this topic and who have known me for decades. And even i will say, yeah-- that sucker was VERY way out there lunatic crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 well...less so today than back then, but staging had to do with a lot of it. the drumline was ALWAYS behind the brass, unless it was drum solo time. They weren't integrated visually in ways that allowed you to notice them......and really this trend continued until about 10 years ago except for a few corps. With many corps, it WAS all about the screamers. It WAS all about blasstissimo volumes. Hell, even today there's a DCA corps or 3 that still operate that way What's funny is that I pretty much figured out the three guilty parties pretty quickly. Take for example last season-- I'm not cheating by calling up the ordinals-- Pretty much obvious Reading had THE Percussion section bar none. Followed by MBI. Then there was a grouping of Cabs, C2, and Hurcs who obviously had their acts together but not to the level of the top 2. Throw in Empire below those 3. After that in the top 10, Fusion prolly at the bottom because their battery was young and still learning, they're all pretty much an indistinct blur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 well...less so today than back then, but staging had to do with a lot of it. the drumline was ALWAYS behind the brass, unless it was drum solo time. They weren't integrated visually in ways that allowed you to notice them......and really this trend continued until about 10 years ago except for a few corps. With many corps, it WAS all about the screamers. It WAS all about blasstissimo volumes. That's one thing for which I don't think the '96 Westshoremen corps ever got enough credit... I thought the visual program was terrific, especially in terms of staging and coordination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 "oh hell, I go to DCI shows and don't always understand it" Prime case in point, 2012 BD. :satisfied:/> I seem to have been one of the few individuals who actually get that show, (I LOVE Dadaism) and this should come to no surprise to those who regularly read this topic and who have known me for decades. And even i will say, yeah-- that sucker was VERY way out there lunatic crazy. Regardless of what any of us thinks about their music choices, BD out-designs and out-performs everyone on a regular basis, IMO. I love Carolina Crown... best drum corps brass line I've ever heard. I hope the corps wins the DCI championship some year soon. But last year at the Thursday semifinals show at the theater, when BD went on after Crown, it was obvious... at least to me... that the Devils are on an entirely different level than any other corps, anywhere, ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 10, 2013 Author Share Posted May 10, 2013 That's one thing for which I don't think the '96 Westshoremen corps ever got enough credit... I thought the visual program was terrific, especially in terms of staging and coordination. the guard was slightly ahead of DCA's times. Sun was ###### good in 96, but it was a lot of good old fashioned equipment work...we were a little more into the dance and body. as for the visual well....we had feet issues. I won't name names, let's just call them Baritones :ph34r:/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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