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Troopers 2016


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I do like it when marchers can put to a vote which design of a new uniform they want,... or not want.

In the public school realm, that can be disaster!!!! lol

esp considering revenue streams and longevity expectations

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What was it like when Bridgemen changed their uniforms in 1976? With some it was the end of the world, far too radical. It's hard to say which bothered people more, the uniforms or what would have been considered an irreverent nod to drum corps traditions. It wasn't the innovation. This would have been the time of Blue Devils and "Channel One," and 27th's nonstop guard. I was only 13 at the time, but I can remember all kinds of comments positive and negative at the time. Now Bridgemen is a beloved old school corps. With the younger crowd, Bridgemen had a fan base similar to that of Crown or Bluecoats but traditionalists had issues.

Oh man... did they. LOL.

"Those #### Bridgemen with those banana coats.. they're ruining drum corps" was one of the phrases I heard back then. One of the printable ones. :innocent:

Now, you read some of the FB groups and some of the old-schoolers are praising the Bridgemen from that era as being "real drum corps" compared to today's product. Maybe some of the same folks who were trashing the "Bananas" back then.

Go figure. :tongue:

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Hoping those look better on the field, spread out. I think they might

I also believe they are waiting on gloves? Brown?

Bunched up in parade formation is seems like a lot of the light color, spread out on the field it might make the corps look taller and larger?

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Oh man... did they. LOL.

"Those #### Bridgemen with those banana coats.. they're ruining drum corps" was one of the phrases I heard back then. One of the printable ones. :innocent:

Now, you read some of the FB groups and some of the old-schoolers are praising the Bridgemen from that era as being "real drum corps" compared to today's product. Maybe some of the same folks who were trashing the "Bananas" back then.

Go figure. :tongue:

I doubt it. Most of the few fans that were critical of the Bridgemen back then tended to be fans of Corps that were pre DCI.... most were over age 40 back then around 1975, which would make them either deceased today or so incapacitated in their mid 80's now, that they havn't been to a DCI show in over 20 years in which to " compare today's product " with that of the early 70's Bridgemen from that era. So I really have no idea who these 80 year olders are that are on your facebook log ins that you are supposedly seeing their posts compare the early Bridgemen to " todays product ". Also bear in mind that the Bridgemen were only a couple of years removed at that time from the St. Andrews Parish sponsorship, The St. Andrew's Bridgemen had a wonderful, cadet style uniform, that was colorful, classy, splendid in design, and well liked by many people at the time. I preferred that classic St. Andrew's Bridgemen Cadet style uniform over the Bayonne Bridgemen's yellow ones that had them look like derelict, low class, male street pimps, imo. However, the music the Bayonne Bridgemen played was fun, recognizable to most, and passed the toe tapping requirement, that the over 40 year olders at the time seemed to like in their Drum Corps. So for them, this was the " real Drum Corps " most of them were referring to in my observations in the early to mid 70's with this. But its true, the new yellow Bayonne Bridgemen uniform when it first came out had both its detractors as well as its fans. Same as any uniform style that a Corps decides to adopt as a matter of fact.

Edited by BRASSO
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Re: Bridgemen Uniforms, ca. 1970's

When you're putting Jim Brady front and center, it wouldn't matter if the Corps was dressed as Tarzan.

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I doubt it. Most of the few fans that were critical of the Bridgemen back then tended to be fans of Corps that were pre DCI.... most were over age 40 back then around 1975, which would make them either deceased today or so incapacitated in their mid 80's now, that they havn't been to a DCI show in over 20 years in which to " compare today's product " with that of the early 70's Bridgemen from that era. So I really have no idea who these 80 year olders are that are on your facebook log ins that you are supposedly seeing their posts compare the early Bridgemen to " todays product ".

Saw at least a few posts on two Facebook groups commenting on a picture of the 1970s-1980s "banana coats" Bridgemen as "now there's a real drum corps"... or words to that effect. And the comments were in the context of a discussion about modern-day corps (those "DCI marching bands" that you like...LOL) vs. "back in the day."

No, I do not have those comments handy. Since I'm not the subject or target of any investigation, I don't archive every word I've read. LOL.

All I know is... in NJ, where I lived at the time, I heard a variety of negative comments, back then, about the "new Bridgemen." And those comments weren't coming from "get off my lawn" 40-somethings.

Hey... I heard what I heard, and I read what I read, and I experienced what I experienced. Anecdotal evidence? Absolutely. But since you are not a mind reader, and didn't know me back then (or even now), and didn't know the same people I knew, or had the same drum corps interactions/experiences I had... no need to get all huffy here. Sheesh. :tongue:

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Now for a totally different topic: Troopers are getting in on the french horn game this year. I am excited for this.

https://www.facebook.com/TroopersDrumCorps/photos/a.10154238181052996.1073741895.46584577995/10154250335637996/?type=3&theater

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Oh man... did they. LOL.

"Those #### Bridgemen with those banana coats.. they're ruining drum corps" was one of the phrases I heard back then. One of the printable ones. :innocent:

Now, you read some of the FB groups and some of the old-schoolers are praising the Bridgemen from that era as being "real drum corps" compared to today's product. Maybe some of the same folks who were trashing the "Bananas" back then.

Go figure. :tongue:

Actually, what I find more ironic is that some of those who think the 76 Bridgemen were cutting edge and all that are bemoaning today's corps that are doing much the same.

And I do agree...I was at many shows in NJ in 76, and lots of fans...not all 40+...hated those uniforms, the dancing guard, and the humor built in to the show. They felt the Bridgemen were no longer drum corps.

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Now for a totally different topic: Troopers are getting in on the french horn game this year. I am excited for this.

https://www.facebook.com/TroopersDrumCorps/photos/a.10154238181052996.1073741895.46584577995/10154250335637996/?type=3&theater

This should not be surprising with DVD supervising the music. Do you remember Star of Indiana/Brass theater version doing the concert French horns for encore piece, complete with the plexiglass resonator panels behind them?

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