DCE Finals

[4181jay]

Just got back from a great weekend of beer and Drum Corps and felt I should put my thoughts down!

Another well run show and great fun meeting old friends and new outside the stadium. Still the best location I've watched a drum corps show in!

Besana- Maturing each year. Really like the way the Corps members project themselves. First appearance in finals and won't be the last! Small Corps but quite enjoyable!

Millenium- I usually love this Corps! I will confess though that they almost lost me this year. I'm not sure why a corps with 18 brass and 8 guard members needs a pit with 7 full size keyboards, 5 timps and a full drum kit. Please bring back the in your face passion next year!

The 6th- Half way through my wife leaned in to me and whispered, 'wag the flags and throw the rifles, I dont like this drama stuff.' I have to agree with her. A small guard shouldn't take a performer out to solo dance when a full unison flag twirl would give more effect. First time I've seen the 6th. Love the uniforms and the members gave a good account of themselves when we saw them in the stands later in the evening.

Starriders- always a treat to see this class act from Germany. Smaller than I've seen them but still very entertaining. Percussion had a good groove going on and the show projected well with the crowd. With more numbers I could see Starriders challenging for higher places. Nice to see a small, size of Corps appropriate pit too!

Black Knights- I dont know much about percussion but this group of drummers has a serious groove going on! 3rd year running BK has gripped me and entertained like only they seem to know how. If you had said 2 months ago that the show that entertained me the most would feature music by GA GA, Black Eyed Peas and Biffy Clyro I would have had you checked by a Doctor but BK continue to impress me with their catchy brass arrangements and grooving drum line. all of us in my group were seriously impressed with the Corps from Gravesend! Well Done! Dutting from the drum line was far too loud though, watch the Drum Major for timing please!

Beatrix- Huge guard! Love the Corps uniforms and the guard uniforms complement really well. Nice brass line. My attention was drawn to the 'dead contra player' at the back of the field too much though! Good energy! Snares set at an angle look absolutely spot on and very effective. Sloppy feet everywhere cost them a place at least.

Jubal- Stepped it up performance wise for finals after having a flat prelim performance. Show tailed off towards the end but the men in orange deserved their placement. I'd like to see more passion next year though. Still got the best t shirts in Drum Corps! Orange flags would work better for the guard, in my wifes opinion!

Julliana- Small Corps giving the other 2 dutch powerhouses a serious run for their money recently. Lovely high brass sound and hornline very tight all round. Well drilled unit with lots of class.

Kidsgrove Scouts- Large! Look amazing on the field and performed the show to within an inch of its life! Brass sound big and full. Percussion smoking hot. Guard clean and effective. Drill was clean and all over the field. Very effective show that got the Jubal 'orange army' to its feet with excitement!

The Company- Very, very clean. Very, very technical. Flute, 3 synths, bass guitar and vocalist? Not my cup of tea I'm afraid. I found the whole show quite clinical and lacking emotion. Couldn't tell if the sounds we were hearing were made by brass players or synth players. This Corps have all the talent to wow audiences and I'm sure that they would have got a much better reception without the 'toys'. The show is designed to win and thats what they did however I think the members work hard enough and are talented enough to deserve having the crowd go wild for their efforts. European fans appear to like their Drum Corps less clinical and more emotional which leads me to....

Jubal Alumni- Very large! Big hornline with some screamers laying it out for the crowd! Musical choices were recognisable and energy packed. With the home crowd going nuts they were never in danger of being golf clapped but what a reaction! I wish competing Corps would take a leaf out of the alumni corps and give the fans what they so very obviously want- power, pizzaz and massive doses of excitement!

All in all quite an enjoyable weekend spent with good friends however I think that next year may be my last trip if the competing Corps continue to choose 'concepts' that require explaining. Over the past 2 years the excitement level has gone down quite a lot as more Corps try to emulate the top DCI corps and tell stories instead of showing emotion. Not enough Corps appear to try to stay true to their own identities and with 1 or 2 exceptions, the top 10 could be described as 'DCI lite'. Also there are not enough soloists! I know that every Corps has talent so I'd love the arrangers to let some of it shine with a blazing solo or 2! Full ensemble work is all well and good but give us something to talk about!

Biggest shocker of the day- NO HIGH BRASS AWARD! DCE has high percussion but no high brass! What is going on in the world?

Its also a bit upsetting that buying tickets 5 minutes after the box office opens and paying for premium, top price seats only gets you sat between the 30 and 35 yard lines. After complaining to DCE reps we were shown the printout which showed that 150 tickets around the 50 were bought by 1 person as soon as the box office was opened! It still doesnt explain how a further 500 people managed to buy tickets closer to the 50 than us in 5 minutes though!

[harrold99]

Just got back from a great weekend of beer and Drum Corps and felt I should put my thoughts down!

Another well run show and great fun meeting old friends and new outside the stadium. Still the best location I've watched a drum corps show in!

Besana- Maturing each year. Really like the way the Corps members project themselves. First appearance in finals and won't be the last! Small Corps but quite enjoyable!

Millenium- I usually love this Corps! I will confess though that they almost lost me this year. I'm not sure why a corps with 18 brass and 8 guard members needs a pit with 7 full size keyboards, 5 timps and a full drum kit. Please bring back the in your face passion next year!

The 6th- Half way through my wife leaned in to me and whispered, 'wag the flags and throw the rifles, I dont like this drama stuff.' I have to agree with her. A small guard shouldn't take a performer out to solo dance when a full unison flag twirl would give more effect. First time I've seen the 6th. Love the uniforms and the members gave a good account of themselves when we saw them in the stands later in the evening.

Starriders- always a treat to see this class act from Germany. Smaller than I've seen them but still very entertaining. Percussion had a good groove going on and the show projected well with the crowd. With more numbers I could see Starriders challenging for higher places. Nice to see a small, size of Corps appropriate pit too!

Black Knights- I dont know much about percussion but this group of drummers has a serious groove going on! 3rd year running BK has gripped me and entertained like only they seem to know how. If you had said 2 months ago that the show that entertained me the most would feature music by GA GA, Black Eyed Peas and Biffy Clyro I would have had you checked by a Doctor but BK continue to impress me with their catchy brass arrangements and grooving drum line. all of us in my group were seriously impressed with the Corps from Gravesend! Well Done! Dutting from the drum line was far too loud though, watch the Drum Major for timing please!

Beatrix- Huge guard! Love the Corps uniforms and the guard uniforms complement really well. Nice brass line. My attention was drawn to the 'dead contra player' at the back of the field too much though! Good energy! Snares set at an angle look absolutely spot on and very effective. Sloppy feet everywhere cost them a place at least.

Jubal- Stepped it up performance wise for finals after having a flat prelim performance. Show tailed off towards the end but the men in orange deserved their placement. I'd like to see more passion next year though. Still got the best t shirts in Drum Corps! Orange flags would work better for the guard, in my wifes opinion!

Julliana- Small Corps giving the other 2 dutch powerhouses a serious run for their money recently. Lovely high brass sound and hornline very tight all round. Well drilled unit with lots of class.

Kidsgrove Scouts- Large! Look amazing on the field and performed the show to within an inch of its life! Brass sound big and full. Percussion smoking hot. Guard clean and effective. Drill was clean and all over the field. Very effective show that got the Jubal 'orange army' to its feet with excitement!

The Company- Very, very clean. Very, very technical. Flute, 3 synths, bass guitar and vocalist? Not my cup of tea I'm afraid. I found the whole show quite clinical and lacking emotion. Couldn't tell if the sounds we were hearing were made by brass players or synth players. This Corps have all the talent to wow audiences and I'm sure that they would have got a much better reception without the 'toys'. The show is designed to win and thats what they did however I think the members work hard enough and are talented enough to deserve having the crowd go wild for their efforts. European fans appear to like their Drum Corps less clinical and more emotional which leads me to....

Jubal Alumni- Very large! Big hornline with some screamers laying it out for the crowd! Musical choices were recognisable and energy packed. With the home crowd going nuts they were never in danger of being golf clapped but what a reaction! I wish competing Corps would take a leaf out of the alumni corps and give the fans what they so very obviously want- power, pizzaz and massive doses of excitement!

All in all quite an enjoyable weekend spent with good friends however I think that next year may be my last trip if the competing Corps continue to choose 'concepts' that require explaining. Over the past 2 years the excitement level has gone down quite a lot as more Corps try to emulate the top DCI corps and tell stories instead of showing emotion. Not enough Corps appear to try to stay true to their own identities and with 1 or 2 exceptions, the top 10 could be described as 'DCI lite'. Also there are not enough soloists! I know that every Corps has talent so I'd love the arrangers to let some of it shine with a blazing solo or 2! Full ensemble work is all well and good but give us something to talk about!

Biggest shocker of the day- NO HIGH BRASS AWARD! DCE has high percussion but no high brass! What is going on in the world?

Its also a bit upsetting that buying tickets 5 minutes after the box office opens and paying for premium, top price seats only gets you sat between the 30 and 35 yard lines. After complaining to DCE reps we were shown the printout which showed that 150 tickets around the 50 were bought by 1 person as soon as the box office was opened! It still doesnt explain how a further 500 people managed to buy tickets closer to the 50 than us in 5 minutes though!

Hi,

Great review, thank you.

They changed the brass award into "field music"