G7 Update

[cowtown]

As a dino, I’ve been told that I know how to appreciate $ub-par $how$

let's get back to drum corps and away from smoke and mirrors

[MikeN]

As a dino, I’ve been told that I know how to appreciate $ub-par $how$

let's get back to drum corps and away from smoke and mirrors

I know BD did mirrors, who did smoke?

Mike

[Tyler C.]

I know BD did mirrors, who did smoke?

Mike

1972 Kingsmen

1973 SC Vanguard

1974 SC Vanguard

1975 SC Vanguard

1976 Blue Devils

1977 Blue Devils

1978 SC Vanguard

1979 SC Vanguard

1980 Bridgemen

1981 Bridgemen

1982 Bridgemen

1983 Blue Devils

1984 Blue Devils

1985 Blue Devils

1986 Blue Devils

1987 Cadets

1988 SC Vanguard

1989 SC Vanguard

1990 Cadets

1991 SC Vanguard

1992 Cavaliers

1993 Star of Indiana

1994 Blue Devils

1995 Cavaliers

1996 Blue Devils

1997 Blue Devils

1998 SCVanguard

1999 Cavaliers

2000 Cavaliers

2001 Cadets

2002 Cadets

2003 Cadets

2004 SC Vanguard

2005 Cadets

2006 Phantom Regiment

2007 Blue Devils

2008 Phantom Regiment

2009 Blue Devils

2010 Phantom Regiment

2011 Cavaliers

2012 Blue Devils

[Michael Boo]

This is fallacy. Blast just finished a VERY successful *14 month* run in Japan. They'll fire up the machine again someday when they feel like it, not according to some annual schedule.

You are correct. Blast! is still doing quite well. After touring the USA for a number of years, they went to Japan, where they were treated like rock gods. They've been back to Japan several times and I'm guessing they'll be back to the USA when enough time has passed that they'll be able to play to a new generation. It's kind of like Broadway musicals that do the circuit and then go elsewhere for awhile, and when they return, people get excited all over again.

I suspect a lot of people want to see the same show that they saw on video or PBS, which is why the show doesn't change much at all from one year to the next. When you've got a formula that works, you need to go elsewhere with it once in awhile to keep it seeming fresh. That's one concern we don't have with drum corps since the shows change every year. But if even the best corps didn't take their acts on the road, but stayed in the same stadium night after night, attendance would rapidly drop off.

[Michael Boo]

1972 Kingsmen

1973 SC Vanguard

...

Okay, I'm missing something here. Would someone please enlighten me?

Edited January 11, 2013 by Michael Boo

[Fran Haring]

You are correct. Blast! is still doing quite well. After touring the USA for a number of years, they went to Japan, where they were treated like rock gods. They've been back to Japan several times and I'm guessing they'll be back to the USA when enough time has passed that they'll be able to play to a new generation. It's kind of like Broadway musicals that do the circuit and then go elsewhere for awhile, and when they return, people get excited all over again.

I suspect a lot of people want to see the same show that they saw on video or PBS, which is why the show doesn't change much at all from one year to the next. When you've got a formula that works, you need to go elsewhere with it once in awhile to keep it seeming fresh. That's one concern we don't have with drum corps since the shows change every year. But if even the best corps didn't take their acts on the road, but stayed in the same stadium night after night, attendance would rapidly drop off.

I saw the Blast! touring show last winter in NJ.... it played to a full house at this particular venue. I agree, they are alive and well.

[Stu]

Okay, I'm missing something here. Would someone please enlighten me?

Most of those shows were 'smokin' hot! :thumbup:/>

Edited January 11, 2013 by Stu

[BRASSO]

Not at all.

My point is that ranking "1st" in a pool where the top score is a 75 is not the same as ranking 1st in a pool where the top score is a 95. Ranking is a relative value not a measure of excellence.

If DCI splits, noone really has any idea at all what the quality levels will be of the Corps. Noone can say with any level of Confidence at all as to what ( for example )the Bluecoats ( who go ) or the Madison Scouts ( that stay) levels of quality will be like, 1,2, 5, etc years down the road and into the future. This applies to Corps who both go and those that stay. It will be a brand new Drum Corps world entirely. Anyone that automatically assumes that the levels of quality of these Corps that they have now will be such in 1,2, 5, etc years into the future is not dealing with a new reality in such a new environment, imo. Corps levels could get better or much worse, or something in between, between what their levels are now, and what they might become.

Edited January 11, 2013 by BRASSO

[skywhopper]

This is utter nonsense (and why these threads rapidly devolve into a theater of the absurd).

The G7 have been doing TOC shows for a couple years already so obviously most fans who did NOT attend a TOC show have completely forgotten that BD,Crown,PR,Cadets,Bluecoats,SCV and Cavies exist. OH THAT'S definitely true. No one remembers these corps.

I think you severely overestimate the extent to which your average show attendee follows the activity. I overhear so many people clearly unaware of which corps are still alive and which have folded, and of how good particular corps are. So many big name corps have failed over the years that if someone doesn't see a corps for five years in a row, they may wonder if they haven't folded, but they aren't going to spend time figuring it out. And the vast majority of the high school attendees may swoon over the performance but they don't follow things after the show is over.

[SkyRyder_FMM]

+1 to you sir!. Refreshing to see real content instead of just more mob theater.

Please elaborate on the 44 pax vs 55 pax bus leases. As I recall when the member size was bumped up to 150, the clear rationale was that bus companies were replacing most of their coaches with 55 pax vehicles. Corps at that time were effectively paying for empty seats in their leases/fuel costs, so why not increase the membership to 50x3 coaches and at least get some income back from those empty seats.

I'd also like to see you elaborate on the savings a corps might incur in food,etc... vs. the additional dues income received per member. While clearly uniforms and instruments are 1:1 linear costs, one might conclude that net increase in food cost is far outweighed by the increase in dues income for those empty-seat members.

For the top corps, uniforms for the corps proper do not cost them anything. Guard uniforms are an expense the corps must absorb. Larger guards mean more expense. Uniform changes mean more expense.

Instruments depends on your vendor contract. You either buy at a discount and sell them used (there is a cost to the corps for this option, though it is not all that significant relative to the cost of full ownership), or they borrower equipment and return it to the manufacturer. If you purchase and sell the equipment, there is a cost for additional members - particularly if you are adding tubas. It is next to impossible to purchase tubas and sell them for a profit.

If members are paying around 40% of the cost of participation, the more members added, the more money the corps must raise through other means.

The primary driver is the need to move to a larger bus. Once you make the move, filling every seat with a dues paying member makes sense. If the size is limited so that the smaller busses can be used, there is substantial cost savings. Once the limit is raised, corps cannot choose to not grow - they must to remain competitive. If the limit were set at 128, that would level the competitive landscape, and all corps could move to a smaller bus size and save money. If a corps wanted to choose to lease the large busses even though they didn't need the space, they could do so. But there would not be competitive pressures to do so.

There are plenty of 45 passenger busses available for lease, so this is not an issue.