84BDsop Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 When Garfield's horn line started going down at the end of the show, BD members who were in the end zone began cheering. Nice touch. Speaking as one who was there...no we didn't. I wasn't there, but I clearly remember a discussion about this on RAMD (ironically, in a thread nearly identical to this one) in which a couple of Blue Devils members admitted that they laughed and cheered when this happened: Embarrassing drum corps moments After my "no we didn't" post I was PMed by someone who was there and did see some cheering...then I read the thread you referenced . To be quite honest, I don't remember cheerng myself, nor do I remember others doing it, but I may not have been near them. Apparently, I stand corrected... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbl Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 When Garfield's horn line started going down at the end of the show, BD members who were in the end zone began cheering. Nice touch. Speaking as one who was there...no we didn't. I wasn't there, but I clearly remember a discussion about this on RAMD (ironically, in a thread nearly identical to this one) in which a couple of Blue Devils members admitted that they laughed and cheered when this happened: Embarrassing drum corps moments After my "no we didn't" post I was PMed by someone who was there and did see some cheering...then I read the thread you referenced . To be quite honest, I don't remember cheerng myself, nor do I remember others doing it, but I may not have been near them. Apparently, I stand corrected... Sam, I wonder if this was finals or the afternoon prelims in 84? At prelims we were still warming up when Garfield went out and if I recall we went on after Suncoast sound. In the evening we went on before SCV and if you remember the hornline had their wings clipped by Moxley becuase of the antic we pulled that afternoon (barking at Garfield's colorguard). I'm like you I don't recall cheering or anyone around me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffernbus3 Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 (edited) My own personal moment of embarrasment came not on the field but at the Disneyland Christmas Parade down Main St. in 1968. I was on leave from The Army and filled in for one of my corps buddies (Anaheim Kingsmen) in those silly "knight" costumes: gold lame shirts, plastic helmets.....and these old carousel horse things that used to be on the Mickey Mouse Club back in what? the Fifties? They were hung on suspenders and had skirting covering up ones "human" feet underneath the phony horse legs. We came marching out of Snow White's castle in our little formation playing "March Of The Olympians." Bari players, due to the size of the horn, had to play at an angle over the phony horse's head. The deal with the "horse" was that, if you took too big a step, you'd tread on the front of the skirting, pulling the horse forward on its suspender-axis and, due to the clumsiness of the whole set-up, you could NOT, repeat: COULD NOT!!! recover your balance and would literally be pulled over and fall! ...and you could NOT get up without help from some Dismal-land worker....... Of course, I stepped on the skirt and fell! As I was going over, I managed to yell "Oh, F----------k!" at the top of my lungs: words which are NEVER to be uttered in The Tragic, er, Magic Kingdom (this being at a time when no facial hair was allowed nor long haired hippie-freak commie weirdo's able to find employment with The Mouse).....I made this little kid cry, too, I saw him out of the corner of my eye and I'm sure he thought "the man was dead!" So I hit the ground HARD! on my side----saved the horn!----and had to wait about 5 minutes in a strict, military pose, heels locked at a 45 (good Kingsmen training!)---except for being flat on the ground, that is!---waiting to be helped up by park employees. ...and then had the chagrin of having to catch up with my buds a coulpa units farther up the route by semi-trotting that horse up the side of the street, passing other units, without falling over...again. Mission accomplished there, at least. (Tom Finklea, Kingsmen soprano, by the way, was the official park Mickey Mouse, due to his small stature allowing him to fit the costume--he and and Rocco are pictured on the xkingsmen.com website in one of the early years. Serves me right for flinging quarters at his big bass drum during earlier parades, now that I think of it.....retaliation from the Head Rodent, I guess?) Ahhhh, another magic moment in show biz! I would much rather have marched outta me trews in front of the entire drum corps world at a national contest 'cause at least it would have been a better story, but, ya plays da cards yer dealt, I guess! My entire 12 years of junior corps performances went off without a hitch, by the way, or at least that's how "I" remember it! I'm sure that I wll hear from my homies about "other times!" RON HOUSLEY Edited September 3, 2003 by ffernbus3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbl Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 (edited) oops Edited September 3, 2003 by jbl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 Sam,I wonder if this was finals or the afternoon prelims in 84? At prelims we were still warming up when Garfield went out and if I recall we went on after Suncoast sound. In the evening we went on before SCV and if you remember the hornline had their wings clipped by Moxley becuase of the antic we pulled that afternoon (barking at Garfield's colorguard). I'm like you I don't recall cheering or anyone around me. Finals was where the Wipeout ocurred...strange what sticks out in the memory after 20 years...and what doesn't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 One for myself this year... 1st year as a DM after years (nay, decades) of fantasising about it (I conduct in the car!). Glendora, CA show...#4 on the tour. We set up...I climb the podium...because of the conductor's baton in the back of my shirt pocking me in teh back of the head, I bow my skull a little and do not see that our guard hasn't quite finished setting up yet...not that I ever looked before (my bad)...do my salute turn around...Steve brings the contras up to the carry...I do the Phantom baton bit, then fling it off the podium and count off...the guard runs like #### and starts the show...only missed a few counts...Skywench slaps my hand HARD after the show and the whole guard's p.o.ed!! I didn't even realize it until we finished trooping the stands! I'm amazed the guard leet me live...and THAT'S why I turned and said "not yet...we're old" at future shows when asked if we were ready...that and I was watching Darla to wave her arms to tell me they actually WERE ready! I'm sure I'll be hearing about that one for years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffernbus3 Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 Incurred the wrath of Jan and the guard, eh? Ooops! YOUR BAD! RON HOUSLEY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byline Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 (edited) I had two other embarrassing moments during a show besides the one I mentioned in the RAMD thread (see page 5 of this thread). During our '79 concert number, the guard did this wraparound move, circling the flag around our waist by catching it behind our back and then continuing the wrap to a catch position in front. I've got short arms and wide hips, so naturally the "catch behind my back" part of this move was difficult for me. Anyway, at one show, I dropped the flag behind me. And there's just no good way to pick up a flag that you've dropped on the ground behind you, because you have to turn around and bend over to pick it up. Argh! That happened my second year with Oakland (along with the "synchronized swimming" our entire guard experienced at the Atlanta show in '79; see the RAMD thread link for that one). My first year with Oakland, 1978, we rehearsed all day one Saturday and then went to a show that night somewhere in Ontario, I can't remember where. There was a major drill change being taught that day, and many of our out-of-towners didn't arrive until later in the day. So guard members were assigned to march their spots, learn the change and then teach it to the horn line member once they got there. One by one, all the out-of-towners arrived . . . except mine. I kept marching my spot, and finally, late in the afternoon, my horn player got there. I showed the horn player the drill change, then trotted over to where the guard was wrapping up rehearsal. Unbeknownst to me, our guard instructor had completely rewritten our concert number and taught all the changes that afternoon. I was the only one in the entire guard who didn't know the changes. And, of course, nobody had bothered to let me know this was going on, just let me keep marching that blasted horn spot. I tried to learn the changes, but I'm not that quick. As we marched on the field that night, I had this sad sense of fatalism because I knew once we got to the concert number, I wouldn't be able to remember the revised work. And, of course, I was right. I was the one people point to at shows and go, "Well, she's lost." Yup, I was. Not a happy experience, and certainly not one of my favorite memories. Edited September 3, 2003 by byline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted September 5, 2003 Share Posted September 5, 2003 Here's a quick one from me. This year, in Madison's OTL, the person right in front fell behind the line about one step, and went out of step for the final 4-6 counts in the OTL before it broke to correct it. Eeeesh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellobear1 Posted September 5, 2003 Share Posted September 5, 2003 I was in Phantom 93, going into the wedge, and went the wrong way the first time we did a full run through with it. Not quite a performance, but the old director had a ton of #### to say to little old me. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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