DCI 1982

[84BDsop]

Sue;

It may have the feel of urban legend...except that Jeff Pearson was in SCVs bari line that year.

Also consider this...the margin of victory was 1.7...a figure we all know to be gigantic at the top levels. This was also under the old timing gun...it had gone off, so no matter how good or bad the music was it wouldn;t effect the score.

They were going for pure GE...and they couldn't've GOTTON more GE if they tried! The phasing was immaterial to the crowd reaction.

Had the phasing not happened, BD still would've won and the scores would still be the same...

[Malibu]

I think this is the stuff of (urban) legend; the legend, and the reasons why it happened, seem to grow in the telling. I've read so many theories on RAMD about why this happened. The most obvious problem was the echo inside Olympic Stadium, combined with the crowd noise, which was the perfect recipe for a train wreck. I'm actually surprised there wasn't a lot more phasing than we heard that night. What also amazes me is that the guard was able to hold it together as well as they did. They had to have been watching the drum major, rather than listening to the corps.

One of the things I remember reading on RAMD was this explanation by Scott Williams:

Dunno if there's any truth to that, but it's another theory. Any way you look at it, it must have been a heartbreaking turn of events for the corps. I know people like to say, "Oh, but it was such a great thrill for the audience!" True, and I don't mean to take away from that. It's just one of those things that, had it gone right, it would be truly legendary. Instead, many people remember the phasing. If you're a perfectionist--and let's face it, most of us who marched corps are--that hurts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sue, there was a bad echo in that stadium, but those corps were familar with it since finals was held there the year before. The first year in the Olympic stadium, they let all the finalist have a "sound check" the morning of finals. The echo was worse with an empty stadium....BUT it taught us to listen and watch.

I wonder if SCV's guard does what I tell my guard, focus on the drum line.....that way if things start to fall apart, you'll all at least be with them.

[bd5times]

That was a fun night in Montreal!

The roar of the crowd when Vanguard did the Bottle Dance was AMAZING! We were behind the back stands in some tunnel waiting for retreat when that thunderous roar rained down. Man........

I've heard the hat toss thing from many people (all SCV Alumns). Something about it was tossed on the wrong beat. Regardless....I think the timing would've been off anyway because there was no way that horn line was going to be able to hear due to the crowd.

Cool Beans to Vanguard!

[PhillyDCIMontreal]

Sorry guys,coming in a little late on this......

Here comes the story from a guard member that night.

Things did not go well in 82 as it did for 1st surprise Bottle Dance for finals in 1979.

Now, back in those days, SCV always stayed in hotels for DCI Finals. (1982 was the last year for hotel stays.)

Gail told the us we would put in the Bottle Dance for finals about 3 days before that night.

Lenny Kruszecki, our guard instructor, had us (the guard) up at 3 am, down in the hotels banquet room taking one side of the 50 at a time learning the Bottle Dance and move going in to the salute. *We were not a happy bunch of gals the next few mornings.

Yes, we were told to always go with the drum line if need be.

Here is the picture:

Hornline on their knees - front side line

Behind them -Guard

Behind us -Drum line...

Zap (Mike Zapanta, DM) threw his Aussie off and came back in on the wrong beat.

The horn line with the echo and now Zap on the wrong beat, the train wreck began.

Knowing the drum line was right behind us you would think the guard still had a chance...... ha ha ha.

I could Not hear a thing! Drum line? What drum line? The roar of the crowd was so loud we just held tight and I know I felt the line move to the two different beats.

Now there was a good chance of the line falling. I watch the DVD and there is terror in some of those faces. That line was not moving as one.

It came to an end... the line did not fall. This, my age out year. What a way to go out!

[GGarrett]

We (Madison) toured up to finals with SCV for the last week or so. We did DCI North, DCI Canada and a few shows in between together. When I joined Madison, there was already a profound and obvious admiration and respect for SCV that hung thick in the air obviously established over the years of competition, and they were the corps to beat because of that admiration. As the tour worked up to Montreal, we were very familiar with their show. It was pretty much the only one we could ever actually watch due to our performance positions, anyway.

Most of us were under the stands in Montreal by the end of SCV's show at finals, and I can vividly recall hearing the stadium absolutely erupt with crowd cheering. It was deafening, and resonated under the stands where we stood. We all kind of looked at each other , like "what the ???" Most of the corps gathered under the stands ran to the opening and fences to try and get a look. It was chaos! I personally just looked up at the stands and the crowd. It was amazing, with arms up in the air and people jumping up and down.

The fact they lost timing side to side was absolutely irrelevant to the fact they were doing the Bottle Dance. That in itself was what the people wanted...

[84BDsop]

Sorry guys,coming in a little late on this......

Here comes the story from a guard member that night.

Things did not go  well in 82  as it did for  1st surprise Bottle Dance for finals in 1979.

Now, back in those days, SCV always stayed in hotels for DCI Finals. (1982 was the last year for hotel stays.)

Gail told the us we would put in the Bottle Dance for finals about 3 days before that night.

Lenny Kruszecki, our guard instructor, had us (the guard) up at 3 am, down in the hotels banquet room taking one side of the 50 at a time learning the Bottle Dance and move  going in to the salute. *We were not a happy bunch of gals  the next few mornings.

Yes, we were told to always go with the drum line if need be.

Here is the picture:

Hornline on their knees - front side line

Behind them -Guard

Behind us -Drum line...

Zap (Mike Zapanta, DM) threw his Aussie off and came back in on the wrong beat.  

The horn line with the echo and now Zap on the wrong beat, the train wreck began.

Knowing the drum line was right behind us you would think the guard still had a chance...... ha ha ha.

I could Not  hear a thing! Drum line? What drum line? The roar of the crowd was so loud we just held tight and I know I felt the line move to the two different beats.

Now there was a good chance of the line falling. I watch the DVD and there is terror in some of those faces. That line was not moving as one.

It came to an end... the line did not fall.    This, my age out year. What a way to go out!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HI, TRISH!!!

I agree...what a way to age out!!

[johnric]

Well I didn't march finals in 81. I never had the experience of a "sound check" in 82. You would think they would have talked to us about this.

First note of Shaft and I realize "OMG I am the only horn player that is playing!!!" OMG what have I done??? until the wall of sound hits you smack in the face and for the next 10-15 seconds your just trying to figure out what the #### is happening?? That echo was brutal! You get so used to keeping in time by listening and glancing up at the DM, now your eyes are glued to the DM.. that was a very bad experience. What should have been fun, turned into a stressful situation.

AS for SCV I was off by the entrance on the right side of the field. You could hear the phasing. It was still great, but I feel bad for the marching members only because, as I previously stated, what should have been sheer joy, become hard work just to get through it.

oh, and Garfield's show that year is still one of my all time favs. The first time I saw it I was like "what the #### are they doing?" but when they got it all cleaned up it was soo good and soo far ahead of anything anyone else was doing. You knew the activity was changing right in front of you.

[uncle z]

ROFL!!!!  For a special Christmas present, once I get home from work, I'll point out where uncle z gets face time while rocking out as I play!!!!! <santa>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK--In the first movement of "Pines of Rome" there is a mallet break in the middle and there is a closeup of the mallet line--I'm on the vibes on the far left. :)

Then at the end of the first movement, a tymp player plays a gong--I'm right behing the gong. And later on, between where the drill form goes from two footballs to a cloverleaf there is another closeup of the mallet line, and again I'm on the far left.

Finally, during the horn solo in "Softly, As I Leave You" I get some more face time rocking out and playing the vibes--AND ALSO WATCHING THE DRUM MAJOR!!!!!

You heard that right--uncle z ALWAYS watched the drum major, and in 6 years of drum corps competition NEVER TICKED!!!!!! Well, I'll never admit to it, anyway!!! ^0^

[Malibu]

OK--In the first movement of "Pines of Rome" there is a mallet break in the middle and there is a closeup of the mallet line--I'm on the vibes on the far left. :)

Then at the end of the first movement, a tymp player plays a gong--I'm right behing the gong.  And later on, between where the drill form goes from two footballs to a cloverleaf there is another closeup of the mallet line, and again I'm on the far left.

Finally, during the horn solo in "Softly, As I Leave You" I get some more face time rocking out and playing the vibes--AND ALSO WATCHING THE DRUM MAJOR!!!!!

You heard that right--uncle z ALWAYS watched the drum major, and in 6 years of drum corps competition NEVER TICKED!!!!!!  Well, I'll never admit to it, anyway!!! ^0^

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now, I've got to go find that '82 video so I can see my uncle z! b**bs

[byline]

It came to an end... the line did not fall.    This, my age out year. What a way to go out!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agh, it hurts just to read this, so I can't imagine how it felt to you at the time. But thanks for sharing your memories of how it all unfolded. This is one of those things people will always ask about, so it's good to hear from someone who was there and part of it. As I said before, I've always wondered how the guard managed to hold it together. And yes, the fact that the line did not fall is a tremendous achievement! It's as if sheer force of will held you together. I'll have to watch again, keeping your words in mind.

Edited December 16, 2004 by byline