festive Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I think their egos got too far in front. Judges have egos, too. I wouldn't want to be told by someone purposely trying to tweak my nose that I "don't get it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Tan Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 (edited) This thread should've ended after my first post. Edited July 25, 2006 by Studio Tan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobrien Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I dunno, but I see the problems being NOT the material chosen (the "what" of their show) but a myriad of really counter-productive design choices in presentation that are hobbling them (the 'how" of their show). For ex, for an entire drum solo, you have the horn line either moving tables around, or standing near tables, all of them over on the stage left side of the field. Then, when the tables are used as launching pads for some individual members, the staging positions them in a somewhat random assortment of locations across the back of the field with the performers launching themselves away from the audience. It's actually a really cool use of the table - and staged in such a way that is presents nearly ZERO impact. If those tables were in a sunburst pattern around the drum line in the center, and the performers were launching themselves in sequence from backfield to front, with the last two coming from behind the tables and launching themselves right toward the pit, it'd be a huge audience moment. Now it's a "hey did you notice what they did?" moment, with the drumline down in front playing yet another version of the same friggin tag they've used the last 20 years or so...(ok, maybe it's only 5 years). :P The question is whether the Cadets staff understands what they can do to upgrade the presentation and whether they'll have the balls to go ahead and admit some big mistakes and fix them in time for Madison. They could still fix a lot of things in this show and move themselves up several spots, so I hope Bluecoats and PR aren't getting too comfortable where they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortAndFast Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I was listening to Dan Potter's interview on SP with George Hopkins (I think it is on DCI.org for free) and I heard something interesting. Here's the quote, "It's obviously not in line with the status quo I guess, obviously this show isn't. It's characterization, voice, singing. We obviously purposely set out to do someth... We feel the responsibility. We are the World Champions. You have to do something. Just can't comeback and do the same stuff over and over again."The line I found intersesting was the line that George swallowed and did not finish. "We obviously purposely set out to do someth..." Here is the issue. The Cadets design team decided to purposely do something with their show this year; make a statement to the Drum Corps world. You fill in your own idea of what that statement was. I personally think they wanted tweak the nose of those who had problems with their show last year by being even more outrageous, while executing the heck out of the show. I think their egos got too far in front. Someone esle labeled it correctly - sequel-itis. That is my opinion. Very possibly wrong. But what else did he mean by the half sentence that he thought better of saying? Why did he decide not to finish it? It is revealing in itself as it is. Well, I'm sure they did set out to say something with this year's show, just like last year's. Both shows were amp-intensive and were plainly intended to make a statement about how amps can and should be used in DCI. George's comment that you can't just "do the same stuff over and over again" is what I love about the Cadets, and whatever else you want to say about it, these last two years have not been the same old stuff. I think the difference is that in 2005 they were able to back their statement with a world-class show design and a corps that performed it at the very highest levels. You couldn't ignore their statement because they were the best corps on the field. This thread has done a pretty good job picking apart the design & performance problems that are keeping the Cadets' 2006 statement from being effective. Note that the design problems are not really about the amps - they are about staging, pacing, a poorly-told storyline, unengaging music and drill, and so forth. But it's much easier to ignore or reject the "statement" this year, because it's being made via a less-than-stellar product. As a long-time Cadet fan, I don't feel this is the first time their design efforts have let them down. 2002-2004 were not great design years either. I see 2006 as more the reversion to the norm. The Cadets this decade have simply not been able to produce championship-caliber designs as consistently as they did in the 80s/90s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Just trying to keep you honest - to the casual reader your post looked like we had been miccing singers for decades. Thankfully that is not the case.Mike - the chances of you and I agreeing on this haven't changed much, have they? Consistency is an admirable thing..... Nope...haven't changed a bit! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 so - most laughable Cadet score yet - last night's drum score...Way behind Cavaliers, Bluecoats - heck Boston beat them too! Only tenths ahead of Capital Regiment in percussion. Uh huh. Good grief. "Judges ADP?" I could hear the drum judges tape now - "Wow guys - snare line you rock my world... simply incredible drumming guys... unfortunately I don't like the design of the backdrops so I'm putting you in 4th." I don't know, George - those are three pretty good drumlines. Don't you think it's possible that they just plain outperformed the Cadets that night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cire Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 no.. it cant be THAT! who knows.. maybe they just had a bad night.. or maybe they were just outperformed. we will see in the next few weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbc03 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 I would love to know how former Cadet members feel about this show. I love it. The narration doesn't do that much for me, but it doesn't ruin the show either. When it's balanced correctly the ballad gives me chill bumps, and while I hear they dropped History Repeating at the beginning I really liked it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cire Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 wonder how the current members feel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbc03 Posted July 26, 2006 Share Posted July 26, 2006 wonder how the current members feel I haven't talked to any of them since Westminster, but at that time the ones I talked to really liked the show Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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