Will an announcement help?

[OMH]

I haven't seen this rant this year, so I figured I'd start it.

The annual hope is that folks will read and adjust.

I've been to two shows this year so far; Annapolis and Westminster.

Both times I'm TOO CLOSE to these people who talk loudly and continuously during the corps performances.

I'm not taking about the occasional outburst of appreciation (which I support), I talking about full-blown LOUD TALKING.

At Annapolis, I'm right in front of two "band moms" who apparently where chaperoning a group of school kids who were obviously at their first corps show. OK, maybe I can cut the kids some slack for continuously running UP and DOWN the steps DURING performances. But these AUTHORITY FIGURES never stopped talking.

I'm trying to hear Crown's ballad and all I hear instead is "I wonder how they know how to keep their flags in order"; "yeah, OUR BAND wouldn't even be able to carry all those flags"; "ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha".........

Way to teach the kids, ladies.

At Westminster I got a double-dose. In back of me are a group of young girls who just couldn't stop commenting about the boys! "I wonder how old HE is" giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle "I THINK I know somebody who knows somebody who knows his sister" giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle. They were talking (of course) when Phantom's Drum Major pulled the traditional baton from his uniform, then spent the next FIVE MINUTES trying to figure out what the rest of us had clapped for. My friend and I kept "shooting them looks" but I think they thought we were dirty old men. IN FRONT of us were three middle-aged woman who would just decide to gossip whenever the urge struck them. In the middle of Phantom's ballad, one of them whips out the new Cadets shirt she just got and shows EVERYONE. "Oooh, look at what I got!!!!" "That's a nice nice shirt, honey" "Ohhh yes, that's the best one for sure",,YACK YACK YACK YACK YACK YACK YACK. I didn't hear ONE NOTE of the ballad clearly.

I think an announcement before the show about etiquette would go a long way to prevent these people, who I don't think really MEAN to be rude, from ruining other's people enjoyment. I think most of the "newbies" figure if it's in a football stadium, then football GAME etiquette must apply. Heck, even when you go to the movies you hear an announcement about turning the cell phone off, etc....

Am I wrong to be so annoyed at this?

[dciguy01]

Absolutely not. There is nothing worse than when an audience member displays poor etiquette during a performance. I don't care if it's in a concert hall or on a football field. They should show some respect for the people they paid to watch and came to see.

[Zeke]

I hate to say it..but sometimes you almost have to outright tell them to SHUT UP!!...snearing at them can work also. Sometimes in those instance when other around wont do anything..you have to be the necessary evil of the 2.

[bawker]

Am I wrong to be so annoyed at this?

Hell no.

You're well within your right to either tell them to cool it (some people are way too dense to get a dirty look) and shame them into shutting up, or to get someone from the event staff to tell them that.

I had to do this at a small show in eastern NC in 2000. Band kids that thought it was time to hoot and holler about everything kept laughing, talking and being very loud through the first two corps performances. I mean, it was to the point where they were yelling at each other during the show and laughing loudly when they saw something they though they could do better. (Eastern NC has maybe three high school bands that are pretty good, and without naming names....this sure as hell wasn't even close to one of them.)

I got up, went and asked a kid in concessions who was running the show, and found one of the show sponsors.

After the next corps, he came over and talked to that group, and an announcement was made over the PA concerning "show etiquette". They stopped almost immediately after.

Your mileage may vary with this, but it can't hurt to try.

[Lancerlady]

Yes we've had this discussion plenty of times on here about manners and every time people come on and tell me that's just the way it is these days, that society doesn't teach manners to kids and adults don't care either. They basically say we just have to deal with it (I guess).

But I won't.

Maybe an announcement of etiquette by DCI before the shows might be something to consider. They do talk about cell phones and not entering or leaving during shows. It's sad that it's come to this. I might send a letter and ask them what they think can be done about these problems.

I had a similiar experience at a Kennesaw show a couple of years ago and got lambasted by folks on here. We tried to get them to stop talking and asked them nicely etc. Not only we're they constantly talking during shows but the band director that was with the group and parents just sat there like bumps on a log not having any control over them.

We ended up having to get a guard to go talk to them. Just so things wouldn't get out of hand.

It's really sad..you can't enjoy a show anymore cause of rude people. I don't even go to movies anymore cause of it.

[cheezedogg 23]

I see your point and I think it would help. But this is something that drives me nuts. At my college I was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a music fraternity, and one of our jobs at the school was to stage crew every performance on campus. Well we gave a speech prior to performances "please turn of cell phones/pagers, don't' get up during performance, and no flash photography etc" I hated giving this announcement because to me it should be common sense, DON'T INTERRUPT THE PERFORMER WITH ANY OF THIS CHILDISH CRAP!!! But I digress. It seems the announcement is needed now-a-days because it appears people are not taught respect when they are young, they are taught more often "no one can tell you what to do" Rather than to give respect to other until they prove they don't deserve it, or something similar. But thats my take, i feel people should know not to run up and down stairs during a performance, or to talk constantly during one, or to turn off their phones, even at a corps show. But thats apparently just us that think that's a given.

So in short, I agree with you, an announcement would help, it just saddens my heart a little each time I hear such an announcement, that people are that ignorant.

[dccorpsfan]

I attended my first show about a week ago in Benson, NC and I must that I was angred by the behavior displayed by others, not only from my group, but just the people around me. I couldn't hear some of the music due to excessive talking.

Listen, I know this isn't at a concert hall and I know they can blast; but can the discussion on the dreamy guard fellow continue after the show's over?

[KingJoeVII]

I think it would be beneficial to differentiate at this point between two types of crowd interference.

the first type are occasional, reactionary comments and exclamations that are prompted by the performance itself. These are the people who say things like "OH , wow, I like that" or laugh at funny/stupid things, or ask the question "what kind of horn is that?" - I don't personally mind this type of crowd reaction, in fact I may say a few comments during the show myself. This type is a kind of interaction with the performance and adds to the interest and understanding of the crowd. I would even venture to say that the better shows elicit more audience chatter to this effect.

the second type is the constant chattering on issues that are not immediately relevant to the performance. Included in this group are some of the things mentioned above in the thread. This is the kind of chatter I find distracting and it really hurts my enjoyment of the show. I think we can all agree that this type is egregious.

It is kind of funny when you think about it - this idea of complete and full audience attention for performances. Back in the day (the 1700s) the opera was full of people who were extremely rambunctious and loud during performances. In fact, one would be hard pressed during that time to actually find a silent performance of music. People would freely chatter and comment as well as cheer on their favorite performers during the performance. I sort of see some parallels in todays Drum Corps performances.

[84skyrydr]

I think it is up to the people putting the show on to reign in the crowd. Ushers NOT letting people in during a performance and a public address anouncement made MORE than once. Be happy that you only had to tolerate people who don't know better. I was at Madison last night and got to listen to the Blue Star staff talk right behind me during their entire performance. THEY KNOW BETTER!!!!@#%%%&. All the other shows I have been to the crowd has been very decent. Rockford, Omaha, Lisle, and Madison , ^0^ #^$$&(* Blue Star staff. ^0^

[slamt3]

The last Show I attended was last summer. I remember at one point the folks in front of me turned around and asked me to be quiet. I was talking to an old friend who I had not talked to for awhile about everything non-related to drum corps, and we were talking in normal voices, not loudly. We felt bad at the time and allowed the people to enjoy the from that moment on. ...... People attend these shows for different reasons. Myself I go to see old friends from my marching days and to catch up while enjoying the sounds of the activity. Some people have family members or friends in the local corps and of course there are the true die hards who are trying to savor every moment of every corps. The people in front of us asked us respectfully to keep the talking down and we did. If their request would have been agressive and mean, eventually they probably would have chose to move.

Crowd noise is part of the activity, people are there to support only one corps or to be around the activity and see others of the same......My suggestion is that if you find yourself in a situation where someone around you is talking, let them know, but do not be dis-respectful, chances are they will feel badly and become quieter.