skevinp Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 The first 4 words of the post title say it all. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I'm still waiting for someone to point out that Crown has a formula, too... nikerbaker please I mean bump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinO Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Heard here again the line that the Blue Devils are playing to the sheets and that's all that matters. Fans don't matter? The audience in the stands doesn't matter? I was at the Atlanta show and I can tell you from my 50 yard line mezzanine vantage point, looking both ways, that for the vast majority of the Blue Devils show you could have heard crickets. The audience was sitting on their hands. There was a several minute stretch during the Blue Devils show in which the audience had less reaction than they did for Pioneer. At the end of the show, I saw very few people stand, and most of them were wearing Blue Devils gear. So much for that audience connection DCI was touting. Furthermore, the Blue Devils show to me looks very much like a cheat. While random scatter drill and randomized performances might look really cool at times, they can't be judged for execution. Watch the show closely to see how many times they play and move fast at the same time. Extremely rare. I see a few moments in the drill here and there where they are flying, but in every one of those moments, the horns are down. Fast horn runs are always played standing still. Are they not capable of playing and moving fast at the same time? Strange, I know of about 5-6 other corps around them that can. The Blue Devils of late have become a corps that will push the envelope of challenge only so far, holding just back from the others around them, hide as many errors as they can, and win by executing a show that is deceptively easy as compared to the challenges the other corps place on themselves year after year. The shame in all of this is that the fans WANT to like them. I hear it from the comments all the time. They want the Blue Devils that knew how to entertain the crowd and win at the same time. They want the Blue Devils that challenged themselves and set the bar for excellence at the same time. I have no doubt with the talent pool they have to draw from every year that they are imminently capable. It is very obvious that the staff doesn't care. The ones I feel most sorry for are the members who must go out every night and perform an obviously controversial and unpopular show. What kind of victory is it going to be for them if they are crowned the winners at Indianapolis, only to be greated by a chorus of booes from the crowd like we had in Atlanta tonight? It's time the staff woke up and started giving the kids shows they can take pride in. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxfreq1128 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 (edited) nikerbaker please I mean bump. I'm just saying. Crown is doing what SCV did in the late 90s: taking a formula that has great potential and honing it into a championship -- to great effect (in both cases)! Every top corps does it. Heck, the Cadets gave us a literal sequel to their winning 2005 formula (unsuccessfully). And 'Turandot' feels, in many ways, like 'Spartacus II.' You can't reinvent the wheel every year, y'all. Edited July 29, 2012 by saxfreq1128 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 (edited) Heard here again the line that the Blue Devils are playing to the sheets and that's all that matters. Fans don't matter? The audience in the stands doesn't matter? I was at the Atlanta show and I can tell you from my 50 yard line mezzanine vantage point, looking both ways, that for the vast majority of the Blue Devils show you could have heard crickets. The audience was sitting on their hands. There was a several minute stretch during the Blue Devils show in which the audience had less reaction than they did for Pioneer. At the end of the show, I saw very few people stand, and most of them were wearing Blue Devils gear. So much for that audience connection DCI was touting. Furthermore, the Blue Devils show to me looks very much like a cheat. While random scatter drill and randomized performances might look really cool at times, they can't be judged for execution. Watch the show closely to see how many times they play and move fast at the same time. Extremely rare. I see a few moments in the drill here and there where they are flying, but in every one of those moments, the horns are down. Fast horn runs are always played standing still. Are they not capable of playing and moving fast at the same time? Strange, I know of about 5-6 other corps around them that can. The Blue Devils of late have become a corps that will push the envelope of challenge only so far, holding just back from the others around them, hide as many errors as they can, and win by executing a show that is deceptively easy as compared to the challenges the other corps place on themselves year after year. The shame in all of this is that the fans WANT to like them. I hear it from the comments all the time. They want the Blue Devils that knew how to entertain the crowd and win at the same time. They want the Blue Devils that challenged themselves and set the bar for excellence at the same time. I have no doubt with the talent pool they have to draw from every year that they are imminently capable. It is very obvious that the staff doesn't care. The ones I feel most sorry for are the members who must go out every night and perform an obviously controversial and unpopular show. What kind of victory is it going to be for them if they are crowned the winners at Indianapolis, only to be greated by a chorus of booes from the crowd like we had in Atlanta tonight? It's time the staff woke up and started giving the kids shows they can take pride in. not a BD honk BUT always defend any corps for what they choose to do..with that said and also a bus ride I don t care to have..here i am . are you describing flaws you feel are in the design of movement, staging or smart programming and design choice of theirs...I was also there and there was alot of approval for BD as well as people in amazement of desgin choices and writing.....of course the opposite also and the same sentiment of other corps. Dont worry about the kids themselves..they are very much ok with doing what they do and doing it every night...people said the same last year and BD tore it up in Indy....Also I have no doubt at all the kids are very happy and proud of not only of their show but of their staff and accomplishments ...and even the controversery Edited July 29, 2012 by GUARDLING 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azul Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I'm still waiting for someone to point out that Crown has a formula, too... They all do. Okay, back to Phelps Lochte. Refer to my "Bb chord at every impact" posts for the 2011 season. It's still happening even this season. Is it easy to tune as oppose to the other key signatures? Yes! But if you're tuning to the same key every freaking time, I think you should get docked in demand and possibly design for not taking the audience on a more (no phantom pun intended) harmonic journey. P.S I like the Blue Devils this year. Just take out the vocals and it's golden 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THeShadeOfNight Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 My largest complaint: getting dressed on the field. How do you judge this? DO they judge this? Its in the show, should they be docked for lack of (pardon this pun) uniformity of the manner in getting dressed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azul Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 My largest complaint: getting dressed on the field. How do you judge this? DO they judge this? Its in the show, should they be docked for lack of (pardon this pun) uniformity of the manner in getting dressed? I would say yes but we (Bluecoats) never got docked on our lack of uniformity during uniform change in 2009 so I would say no as long as it doesn't distract from the main visual focus of the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THeShadeOfNight Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I would say yes but we (Bluecoats) never got docked on our lack of uniformity during uniform change in 2009 so I would say no as long as it doesn't distract from the main visual focus of the show. That was behind flats and unreadable from the top. This is as plain of view as possible. You cant get more distracting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 That was behind flats and unreadable from the top. This is as plain of view as possible. You cant get more distracting. for a corps that loves props , obviously theres a reason and a purpose for the exposed change..you would have to ask them why but why wouldnt they bulid a prop to be behind unless it was diliberate..maybe the distraction is on purpose..study the individuals and whats happening besides the obvious and there may be an answer or the possibility is to diliberately cause a controversial moment 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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