Biggest messups in DCA history?

[The Oz]

This is not really a mess-up and lots of details are missing, but I think some parts of my long-term memory are still functional.

Don’t know where and when is also open to debate (likely in the late 60s), but Hawthorne was playing Cherry Pink and a soprano had a short scream solo. As I remember, there may have been a minor dustup before the show or maybe a rehearsal injury, but just as he hit the note, his lip split and blood comes spraying out the bell.

Sort of “screeeeeeeeee-floop”.

From the stands, it just sounded like he missed it.

[bushdm86]

It was Montclair in 1985 regarding Steel City. There was a problem with judge Walter Kelly, not exactly sure what and Steel City decided to performed a second time. What I remember was Steel City put on even a better performance, which under those circumstances was impressive.

[Jaminbenb]

OH GOD!! I remember that show! It was something that Larry set up a year previous when we were supposed to do some parade and had to bag it at the last minute, then he promised that we would stop and do a show...It was on the way back from The Rochester show and I remember everyone getting TOTALLY drunk because it was just a quick warm up and exhibition!

I can see the hornline falling over now! hahaha!

I remember being about 10 yards off on a set and Manson going ?"hey, I think we're supposed to be there"..and just started walking...so we all shrugged and followed!

I remember that thw whole town gave us the Hero's welcome and they had food for us and everything!

yeah know...I was going to post something about a show in NY where most of the hornline was too drunk and a couple guys fell over when turning around during Big Noise but....that's a Westshore disaster too !!! Geez, are we the only ones that will admit to failures ?? OR-was there more to the jinxed pink plumes than we knew about?

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[AlbionNY Drum Line]

hahahahahahahaha.....thanks for the laughs guys

[JimF-LowBari]

I remember being about 10 yards off on a set and Manson going ?"hey, I think we're supposed to be there"..and just started walking...so we all shrugged and followed!

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LMAO TOTALLY - I forgot about Manson.....

First time I heard someone call him Manson I asked if that was his name.

Answer was "No he looks like Charlie"...

[boomboom]

LMAO TOTALLY - I forgot about Manson.....

First time I heard someone call him Manson I asked if that was his name.

Answer was "No he looks like Charlie"...

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That was Jim Helsel...and I will never forget that guy..his rookie year after Serenade we went over to the party at the Moose-the good old days when it was still on State street a block from Forum-and he was so trashed...imagine that ! He was dancing to "staying alive" with me and one minute he was boogeying on down and the next BAM ! on the floor passed out cold...laying in a puddle of beer.

Ben, I forgot about him doing that on the field at that horrible Show ! You were right, it was on the way home from Rochester. I was too busy listening to Donny S talking on the field and laughing..."huh huh huh-that *sshole Bowling just fell down huh huh huh" "Look, he's stepping on his friggin cape huh huh huh" "Where in the #### are the hashmarks-####, I'm just gonna stand here, I ain't moving no more-it's too hot"

Edited August 25, 2005 by boomboom

[Fran Haring]

1977, Kingston, NY, on a Sunday afternoon, late August:

At the end of one our songs, one of our soprano players snapped his horn down, and it fell out of his hands. In one quick motion, he reached down and picked it back up.

Oops!

The timing and penalties judge was right there in front of him. A one-tenth penalty for dropping the horn (dropped equipment) and a one POINT penalty for picking the horn back up!

It seems no one in the corps had ever thought to tell the sop player (who was new to drum corps that year) about the rules regarding dropped equipment that year. So we felt as bad about the situation as he did.

But amazingly, even with the 1.1 in penalties, we still won the show, by a tenth over the Caballeros. It was a HUGE win, since it was the last time we would see the Cabs before DCA's that year. So our soprano player was off the hook!

Edited August 25, 2005 by Fran Haring

[BariBone]

Well, speaking of penalties and the Cabs, in 1982 during the DCA prelims, the Cabs were warming up in the park across the street from J Birny Crum. Just so happened that the warmup number was building to the hit in Evita and the corps let it fly while there was a quiet moment in the Matadors prelim performance. Richtie Price, the soloist actually turned around and had a "what the ? " expression on his face. I think it was least a one point or more penalty backing the Cabs into 6th after prelims. Finals was the same night so the corps came out and took out all the frustration with one of the most electrifying perfomances (literally if anyone ever remmebers the old magic cube flash at the end of the rumps) in their storied history moving up 2 places in finals. The reporter for Drum Corps World reported 7 standing ovations throughout the show. Keith Griffin, who played the soprano solo in Land of Make Believe for the '76 Bridgemen reprised his solo in the '82 Cabs. Keith was on fire the whole show. He nailed every note. A year later, in '83 Westshore had the penalty in prelims dropping them in 4th. If you listen to Westore in '83 finals, they also gave an incredible emotionally power packed performance.

[Jaminbenb]

Keith Griffin! Oh man I love Keith he is such a trip! I haven't heard from him in a few years! I'll never forget the look in his eyes when I was driving somewhere with him and some guy cut me off, so I said "ok f***er" and started hitting buttons on my computer console (had a car with a bunch of unneeded bells and whistles) and then hit the headlight button (had headlights that hid) and they popped up. he LOOKED at me like HOLY S***! with his big eyes! He thought I was going to ZAP the dude!

A strange story about the 83 show, a LOT of us were fed up with the year, we thought we were hot but on one else did (memory doesn't serve me well enough to know what our deficiencies were, to be objective) and we thought we did the performance of a lifetime at prelims, but dropped to 4th. Everyone had this "f*** it" attitude, we're done, that's it, why bother we're going to end up 4th so why get nuts about it. As a paralell, a LOT of people were planing on "retiring" after this season (me included) so it was a "ok, so I don't win DCA, but I'll just go out with a good show and have fun) I'll also not forget someone ( I think John Bowling) knocking on my hotel door and telling us to stop partying (I guess the smell was wafting under the door...hey it was the 80's) ok... that just sets up our attitude...

So with all of this going on, no one felt PRESSURED to be good, go out and win since there was nothing on the line etc. and we went out and played the t*t's off of it (and still came in 4th which proves that the Finals judges have an easy job)

At least we sounded good on the record!

Well, speaking of penalties and the Cabs, in 1982 during the DCA prelims, the Cabs were warming up in the park across the street from J Birny Crum. Just so happened that the warmup number was building to the hit in Evita and the corps let it fly while there was a quiet moment in the Matadors prelim performance. Richtie Price, the soloist actually turned around and had a "what the ? " expression on his face. I think it was least a one point or more penalty backing the Cabs into 6th after prelims. Finals was the same night so the corps came out and took out all the frustration with one of the most electrifying perfomances (literally if anyone ever remmebers the old magic cube flash at the end of the rumps) in their storied history moving up 2 places in finals.  The reporter for Drum Corps World reported 7 standing ovations throughout the show. Keith Griffin, who played the soprano solo in Land of Make Believe for the '76 Bridgemen reprised his solo in the '82 Cabs. Keith was on fire the whole show.  He nailed every note. A year later, in '83 Westshore had the penalty in prelims dropping them in 4th. If you listen to Westore in '83 finals, they also gave an incredible emotionally power packed performance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[boomboom]

Keith Griffin!  Oh man I love Keith he is such a trip!   I haven't heard from him in a few years! I'll never forget the look in his eyes when I was driving somewhere with him and some guy cut me off, so I said "ok f***er" and started hitting buttons  on my computer console (had a car with a bunch of unneeded bells and whistles) and then hit the headlight button (had headlights that hid) and they popped up. he LOOKED at me like HOLY S***! with his big eyes!  He thought I was going to ZAP the dude!

A strange story about the 83 show, a LOT of us were fed up with the year, we thought we were  hot but on one else did (memory doesn't serve me well enough to know what our deficiencies were, to be objective) and we thought we did the performance of a lifetime at prelims, but dropped to 4th.  Everyone had this "f*** it" attitude, we're done, that's it, why bother we're going to end up 4th so why get nuts about it. As a paralell, a LOT of people were planing on "retiring" after this season (me included)  so it was a "ok, so I don't win DCA, but I'll just go out with a good show and have fun)  I'll also not forget someone ( I think John Bowling) knocking on my hotel door and telling us to stop partying (I guess the smell was wafting under the door...hey it was the 80's)  ok... that just sets up our attitude...

So with all of this going on, no one felt PRESSURED to be good, go out and win since there was nothing on the line etc. and we went out and played the t*t's off of it (and still came in 4th which proves that the Finals judges have an easy job)

At least we sounded good on the record!

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Of course, Steve M saying , "do it for Benny Behrens and Norm " was what made it so emotional for me. I remember turning around from warm-up with tears in my eyes over that one. It was very intense ....that and the "smell" from under your hotel door !

Edited August 29, 2005 by boomboom