View Full Version : Suggestion for drums
Unorthodox Yank
25 Jun 2007, 04:08 AM
I mentioned this briefly to Roush after the game today, but I think the Cauldron should seriously consider moving the big ass drum (and thus whatever snares or auxiliary percussion people bring) more towards the center of the field (ie - closer to the aisle that separates 102 and 101).
My reasoning is as follows:
The best the Cauldron ever sounds is when everybody - Argentinians included - is in on the same chant.
To make for a successful chant/song/whatever, the rhythm needs to be at least relatively solid.
It's really hard for drummers to keep in sync with each other when they're several seats/rows away.
The Argentinians are always going to arrive late, and nothing is going to change that. In fact, I think it's kind of an endearing tradition.
It's a hell of a lot easier to move 1-2 drums BEFORE the game as opposed to moving several rows of people DURING the game.
It's also not really realistic or necessary to "Reserve" seats for these guys since it's GA and that goes against the entire purpose.
Both groups (Argentinians and the rest of the Cauldron) will still start chants spontaneously, and nothing is going to change that.
Thus, you might as well make it easier for both groups to have a good time and sound awesome in the process.We can still keep the very general back-and-forth pattern that we've been going with the last few games (which I personally enjoy quite a bit), but this way all the percussion can be on the same page - so we don't get as many problems with their drummers trying to follow along with our stuff, and vice versa.
I'm not trying to separate out the groups and make for a more polarized Cauldron. I'm just saying that 90% of the communication problems we've been having with the new regulars have been rhythmic, and a TON of that can be solved with just a little planning.
Of course, as I said, it's just a suggestion.
PezJunkie
25 Jun 2007, 11:08 AM
Additionally (and even slightly related...)
We have to lose the other vowels in the "Italian" chant and just stick with 'O' the whole time. 'O' is the only one that is loud enough & carries well. Just from one side of the Cauldron to the other, I could barely hear A & E... and about that time the Argies would start a new chant because it sounded like the Italian chant was dead/dying.
BloodEagle
25 Jun 2007, 05:09 PM
i think we may have too many drums. and id like to have chants without drums as well but whatever. a lot of times you cant hear everybody over the drums.
kuhnscoot
25 Jun 2007, 05:14 PM
i think we may have too many drums. and id like to have chants without drums as well but whatever. a lot of times you cant hear everybody over the drums.
we usually try to at least get acapella verse of our chants in, personally I like the accapella ones a lot. The thing is, 1) we use the drum to try and keep everyone organized and make more noise 2) good luck getting the Argentine's to stop ;)
Abracadabra
25 Jun 2007, 11:26 PM
we usually try to at least get acapella verse of our chants in, personally I like the accapella ones a lot. The thing is, 1) we use the drum to try and keep everyone organized and make more noise 2) good luck getting the Argentine's to stop ;)
The snare killed us on Sunday. Just way too loud, and as a result we couldn't hear each other. IMO that was the root of the disorganization on Sunday. We need to just dial it back a bit. There were times when I could see lips moving and I heard general vocal noise, but that was about it.
KCBearcat
25 Jun 2007, 11:29 PM
The snare killed us on Sunday. Just way too loud, and as a result we couldn't hear each other. IMO that was the root of the disorganization on Sunday. We need to just dial it back a bit. There were times when I could see lips moving and I heard general vocal noise, but that was about it.
I think the majority of the problem with the snare in the 2nd half was it wasn't Alex that was playing it... He took over the bass drum because I was about to pass out...
szazzy
26 Jun 2007, 03:07 AM
Additionally (and even slightly related...)
We have to lose the other vowels in the "Italian" chant and just stick with 'O' the whole time. 'O' is the only one that is loud enough & carries well. Just from one side of the Cauldron to the other, I could barely hear A & E... and about that time the Argies would start a new chant because it sounded like the Italian chant was dead/dying.
Can someone give me one good reason we go through the vowels in the first place? Do we need a refresher?
StuBentley
26 Jun 2007, 07:28 AM
Can someone give me one good reason we go through the vowels in the first place? Do we need a refresher?
Not sure how it started but it's how we've done it for as long as I remember. That said, I completely agree with Pez - as large as the group has gotten, sticking with "o" sounds the best and is the easiest to keep going.
ojsgillt
26 Jun 2007, 11:34 AM
Not sure how it started but it's how we've done it for as long as I remember. That said, I completely agree with Pez - as large as the group has gotten, sticking with "o" sounds the best and is the easiest to keep going.
Thank god this is finally being talked about. Hated the vowels ever since we have been doing it. Just give them the "O" face.
StuBentley
26 Jun 2007, 12:38 PM
Thank god this is finally being talked about. Hated the vowels ever since we have been doing it. Just give them the "O" face.
Well, the first step in getting help is admitting there is a problem. ;)
I think overall we're doing better with keeping a chant going longer, but we do fade at times and as Pez mentioned, if this happens, that void will get filled. The loudest chant I know of right now is "Oh, KC Wiz." I swear that between the voices and the drums, my ears were ringing from that one Sunday.
And don't forget, if there is someone around you who is silent and/or standing like a lump, it is your duty to push them to do something (note - this does not mean you have to be a d!ck about it). The Argies have no problem with grabbing someone and telling them to jump or get loud. I nearly passed out from the heat and trying to keep up with them. Watching the replay on MS, what really comes across are the drums and the motion (jumping, waving scarves and flags, etc). The voices come across now and then, but as they pan across the motion is awesome and you could always here the drums. So if you think the drums are too loud, take it as a challenge...just yell louder.
KCWizMystic4Life
26 Jun 2007, 10:37 PM
And don't forget, if there is someone around you who is silent and/or standing like a lump, it is your duty to push them to do something (note - this does not mean you have to be a d!ck about it).
*Cough* Jason *Cough* :p :D
j_m_t
27 Jun 2007, 07:16 PM
*Cough* Jason *Cough* :p :D
dont be in the front f'ing row not doing anything then...i was nice to you but when 10-15 people are next to YOU in the front row not doing anything and barely doing a thing (watching the game included) i'm not going to be that nice about it especially in the heat just after getting off work...when the cauldron is sounding its worse all season...
plus if you dont like it you do something about it next time... i noticed you chanting a little by the way after i said something to you...and the others
plus i was only a dick under my breath and just shouted for the front row to do something, they were on the jumbotron just standing there...embarrassing
KCRulestheEast
27 Jun 2007, 07:36 PM
dont be in the front f'ing row not doing anything then...i was nice to you but when 10-15 people are next to YOU in the front row not doing anything and barely doing a thing (watching the game included) i'm not going to be that nice about it especially in the heat just after getting off work...when the cauldron is sounding its worse all season...
plus if you dont like it you do something about it next time... i noticed you chanting a little by the way after i said something to you...and the others
plus i was only a dick under my breath and just shouted for the front row to do something, they were on the jumbotron just standing there...embarrassing
I think that one of the reasons, along with the heat, for the weak showing was having a bunch of highschool kids up in the front row. I blame the GoldCup final for the domination of the first few rows by newbies and their girlfriends.
If we want the first few rows to set the example for conduct just be the first person into the seat. Theres no better way to force the lazy riff-raff to the back and get the good riff-raff up front.
j_m_t
27 Jun 2007, 07:39 PM
I think that one of the reasons, along with the heat, for the weak showing was having a bunch of highschool kids up in the front row. I blame the GoldCup final for the domination of the first few rows by newbies and their girlfriends.
If we want the first few rows to set the example for conduct just be the first person into the seat. Theres no better way to force the lazy riff-raff to the back and get the good riff-raff up front.
they were there nearly 2 hours before the match started...i dont remember when they said they went in to hang the banners but they were there at that time
and yes there are ways to get lazy teens out of the front row but i'm not going to stoop to that level...or i'm just a little to lazy...or dont want to make a bad impression...or start a fight...take you're pick
kuhnscoot
27 Jun 2007, 07:41 PM
I think that one of the reasons, along with the heat, for the weak showing was having a bunch of highschool kids up in the front row. I blame the GoldCup final for the domination of the first few rows by newbies and their girlfriends.
If we want the first few rows to set the example for conduct just be the first person into the seat. Theres no better way to force the lazy riff-raff to the back and get the good riff-raff up front.
Trust me it wasn't the Gold Cup. Robert was telling me the kids were already in there when they went to go put the banners up. And that was like an hour before the kickoff. I usually go in at least 30-45 minutes before kickoff, and this entire season there have already been some of the high schoolers in the front row.
That said, they are the future of this section if we can get them to be active during the game. We don't want to throw them off, and have them not come back.
KCRulestheEast
27 Jun 2007, 07:46 PM
Trust me it wasn't the Gold Cup. Robert was telling me the kids were already in there when they went to go put the banners up. And that was like an hour before the kickoff. I usually go in at least 30-45 minutes before kickoff, and this entire season there have already been some of the high schoolers in the front row.
That said, they are the future of this section if we can get them to be active during the game. We don't want to throw them off, and have them not come back.
Holy crap, I had no idea we were facing such a tenacious and annoying opponent.
I think I might need to take this fight to their ancestral lands of facebook and myspace to make an argument for stepping up the noise, or moving back.
j_m_t
27 Jun 2007, 08:33 PM
Holy crap, I had no idea we were facing such a tenacious and annoying opponent.
I think I might need to take this fight to their ancestral lands of facebook and myspace to make an argument for stepping up the noise, or moving back.
i'm confused by you're sarcasm, but i like it and i'm laughing...rep
KCRulestheEast
28 Jun 2007, 08:31 PM
A further note on the "O" chant:
Am I the only one who thinks we should change it to "Oh etc. (you know how it goes) and then throw a Wizards at the end. So the chant goes like, "Oh...WIZ-ARDS!" ?
StuBentley
28 Jun 2007, 09:46 PM
A further note on the "O" chant:
Am I the only one who thinks we should change it to "Oh etc. (you know how it goes) and then throw a Wizards at the end. So the chant goes like, "Oh...WIZ-ARDS!" ?
Yeah IIRC, that's similar to how it is done in Sam's Amry (ending with "US")...but then during that chant in Sam's Army I'm concentrating on not passing out. I'll never forget doing that one all the way into Crew stadium - up the ramps and all...ouch. But that kind of "do it over and over til you're blue in the face" mentality is what we need in the Cauldron.
mosoccergirl90
28 Jun 2007, 09:52 PM
hmmm i don't know exactly who you're talking about being lazy in the front row, but i was sitting in the front with those "lazy high-schoolers". i know for a fact that the kids i brought with me to the game were singing as loud as possible and paying attention to the game. we got there an hour before so we could get in the front row and see the game. i'm like 5 feet tall and the reason i go to the games is to watch. if i'm in the 5th row behind a big tall guy, i feel like i'm wasting my money because i can't see the game. we went all out for that game yelling and cheering. we go to the games, wear our wizards blue, stand, and cheer as loud as possible in the 100 degree weather. what more do you want from us?