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Finals Observations


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BLUEDEVILS (4th): Clean as they get. Has anyone else mentioned that the hornline in that corps can downright play?? If only they played a bit more often. Very, very dissapointing... so much talent, so little playing. Nothing else to say.

If you meant to say "if only they used vocals a bit less often", then you should have just said that. You'd be hard presed to tell me that the Blue Devils hornline played any less than in any other year this century. Now that the recordings are out, you can go back and see this for yourself. At most, the vocals last the length of a common pit or drum break, and the hornline comes right back in. You can see this easily, because the corps never stops playing, even while the guy speaks. Sometimes it's even the hornline that makes an entrance before the words have stopped.

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im not a big fan of how BD used vocals...it seemed more like "lets just do something for the sake of taking advantage of this rule change"...it was abrasive.

furthermore, im a fan of scott johnson, and i know they play clean, but BD percussion seems to get more abstract with each passing year...man they love those 16th notes and that outlandish pounding too....its interesting writing, but at times the nuances and details get lost or distorted.

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  • 3 months later...
Another reason why Blue Knights are one of my favorite corps: their awesome website!

Here's the head-to-head results for 'Coats and Scouts over the last few seasons:

2005

Overall: Madison 11, Bluecoats 1 (1 Tie)

Finals week: Bluecoats 1, Madison 1 (1 Tie)

2004

Overall: Madison 6, Bluecoats 3

Finals week: Bluecoats 3, Madison 0

2003

Overall: Bluecoats 10, Madison 1 (1 Tie)

Finals week: Bluecoats 3, Madison 0

2002

Overall: Bluecoats 15, Madison 0

Finals week: Bluecoats 3, Madison 0

2001

Overall: Bluecoats 15, Madison 2

Finals week: Bluecoats 3, Madison 0

Bloo really dominated those last few, but I can see what you mean about 2005 & 2004. Madison never lost to Bloo during the season, only to lose out in the end at finals. In 2004, Madison won all six meetings until the corps got to Denver, where Bloo came out on top every time.

Wow, that is interesting, I didn't realize it really was ONLY a finals week thing.

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clearly billparlan is not a Scouts fan and is a Bluecoats fan. But by your disection of the Scouts show you are obviously an expert. Scout will rise above this year. Please be kinder next year little mr somebody. After further review, ..........

RF

Thanks... I think? (slightly confusing wording)

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Geez, Mr. Bill, you totally forgot to rip apart their horns and drums. What happened? Finger cramps? </sarc>

FWIW, Madison had an insanely difficult visual show. Apparently not executed to your standards, but give them some credit.

Nice review but I think you got the performace evaluation wrong between Madison and BC. Madison marched poorly (for them) sat nite. When you get your dvd, take a look at the sequential drill move that leads the focus back to Carmen's entrance. It was very sloppy. Same with their other big move at the end of the drum solo- they had trouble covering the shrinking columns. These are just two of many spots which were not as clean as the night before. BC had two hot runs and that consistency was the difference.

In addition, Madison's guard although improved this season was not up to the task of supporting the climatic moments. More than once a huge musical moment was not supported by equipment work but rather only by some relatively ineffective dance sequence or even worse, some appropriate but again, relatively ineffective play-acting. The last flag sequence at the end of the show was, relative to the demands of the competition, a mess.

The three in a row championship format separates the good from the very good shows. The smoke and mirrors (again relative to their brutal competition this year) of Madison's guard, their sub-par marching performance on the night of record, and finally, the two solid performances by Bluecoats added up to the Bluecoats taking all but one caption from Madison as well as all the subcaptions except for that one percussion sheet. That kind of judging slam dunk isnt a fluke or politics or a mistake, it's about as close to correct as the system can come up with.

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You say BD was clean...

In what sense?

Musically, I thought BD had some insane horn parts, but they had trouble playing together. Although, they hit dynamics pretty good. However, I found both their percussion and hornline dirty during the show.

Visually, BD sucked. I wished Dave Gibbs went back to teaching them visual. There are some people who insist that BD can't march anymore. I don't believe so. BD in 1999, 2003, 2004 = Serious stuff. However, BDs feet were sloppy and upperbody control. I thought I was watching the Cadets' upperbody at one point! Overall visual was rough and seriously sloppy. Thats what happens when you march with bad technique. I believe Madison could've beat them.

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You say BD was clean...

In what sense?

Musically, I thought BD had some insane horn parts, but they had trouble playing together. Although, they hit dynamics pretty good. However, I found both their percussion and hornline dirty during the show.

Visually, BD sucked. I wished Dave Gibbs went back to teaching them visual. There are some people who insist that BD can't march anymore. I don't believe so. BD in 1999, 2003, 2004 = Serious stuff. However, BDs feet were sloppy and upperbody control. I thought I was watching the Cadets' upperbody at one point! Overall visual was rough and seriously sloppy. Thats what happens when you march with bad technique. I believe Madison could've beat them.

Wow, I hope you have a bit more experience than that "06 Div II Mellophone" with all of the trash you just talked.

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