I have one thought to last nights game in regards to the drums. I thought they might have been a little too much. Last night sounded like an orchestra. It seemed to drown out a lot of the Barra member's voices. What happened to one drum being pounded to any song? Anyone feel the same way?
Then you gotta consider when they didn't play everyone got stage fright and stopped singing. I have no voice today. There also seemed to be a distinct lack of fans last night. A large portion of the front row weren't singing or anything.
Actually, we were short drums along with bodies last night. Our last two matches with the Barra filled in three to four sections, the drum line filed row three (six or seven drums vs three last night). I think the lack of a few hundred Barra made for the drums being louder. We also have to educate the newer members that the drum intentionally stop and that is when our voices need to step it up.
I have noticed a lot of people not singing as well. Even when I'm running around taking photos I try to sing as much as I can, even if I don't know the words. I think some of the sickest parts of our chants are when suddenly the drums stop and its all voices for a verse and then BAM! The drums come right back it. Gets my blood pumping. I think part of it last night was the lack of energy from the players. It's a give and take relationship. We feed off the players and they feed off us. BOTH sides could have been more energetic last night though.
Yeah, this kind of sums it up. Though we have some peeps who bring it 100% all of the time it doesn't always pan out. I thought we were great at the Chivas game, a packed Barra and loud as a MFer. Last night I think us and the team took things a little for granted. Can't let that happen again.
I feel like we've reached the point of no return, where so many know it one way and there isn't a way back. A couple of times last night I got up on the backs of chairs and sang at the top of my lungs, emphasizing the difference in tones as best I could, but with little result.
I think everybody was off last night...chalk it up as Tuesday night...Superliga...yawn. Play the D squad Saturday...beat up on Houston next Tuesday...rest up for August. 08/10 - Sunday @ New York Red Bulls 08/12 - Tuesday New England Revolution 08/16 - Saturday @ Chicago Fire 08/20 - New England Revolution 08/23 - Saturday Colorado Rapids
Regular or extra crispy? WGAF, as long as we sing it loud and proud that's all that matters. It sounded awesome at the chivas game btw....
I am going to make a request. It is that time of year again when the drummers return later and later from the drum circle for the 2nd half. Grillmaster do you think it is possible we can try to get the drummers back earlier. I know after the circle you guys need a minute to get a drink and drain some drinks, but last night the 2nd half was 6 minutes in. Maybe if one or two of the drummers could be back on time it would hold the fort down until everyone else arrived.
Sure, we can get some of the drummers back. My question is why? If this were a league game, most of the drummers would be descending the steps as 2nd half started. Frankly, last night we put more effort into the first half than the players did. I was reluctant to leave the concourse because it was better up there than watching that miserable show -- and as has been mentioned, La Barra was sotto voice last night. I believe the delay that you refer to at this time of year are due to a Superliga of only medium interest to some. Still, I'd like to know why it's critical to have drummers back in place at start of 2nd half? Shit, seems like we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. GM
I wasn't there, but I'm guessing because Victory and the others need to keep the row reserved until you (or "we" on those occassions when I join in) get back. There are more and more newbies lately, and a lot of them don't get the "reserved for drummers" thing. At which point, of course, we kindly ask them to get the ******** out.
i agree with you grill......we did put forth more effort, but i think Jay was just saying for the future during games people and players actually give 2 shits about.
I can sort of feel for the players after reading that if a MLS team wins the Super Liga, the players get to split $150,000 of a $1,000,000 purse. However........you still gotta play for the colors and the badge. And.......we gotta be there in full voice for the same reason.
I came when my voice was thrashed from saturdays game and I sang my lil heart out for as long as I could. But what I noticed wasn't that people didn't want to give 100%, but that the sections would start singing different songs at the same time. Nobody knew which one to go with and by the time everybody got back on the same page and the rhythm of the drums and people got back in alignment, a new song would start. Some of the people don't know some of the spanish verses either. so the drums would stop and it would come to the last line of the La Barra ******** song and voices would drop out.
Just goes to show you how things vary game to game. Like I said earlier, at the Chivas game we were loud and proud. Shit happens, we'll do better next time.
You may not appreciate it (because you are always with drum) but the difference in singing volume when we have a couple of drummers vs. no drummers is huge. It seems the Barra starts the second half flat and have trouble getting going when we have no drums at the start of the 2nd. Even 1drum loud enough to get the beat going would really help. Point taken about Superliga. I hate it to. Hell man you work your ass off playing the drum during the game, trying to keep the other drummers on beat, listening to Rob/Me/Others try to start, change and kill the drums during chants, and play the drum circle on top off the work you do at the tailagte. I guess what I am saying is that you have an entitlement to do what you want. I know that was a little off topic but I do not think some people realize just how hard you work during games.
And moving over just a section or two can change your perspective. I stand near the front between (I think) 136 and 137 and just try to echo the chants coming from the loudest yellers near the drums. Lots of people around there join in with minimal prompting. I thought we sounded better last night than we did against Chivas but that's probably because Atlante had very few fans present. Against Chivas there were very noticable lulls in the noise (from where I stand) for several minutes at the beginning of the 2nd half when folks were getting back to their sections and in the last 15 minutes after Jaime missed his PK. I have no doubt the Barra made more noise against Chivas but smaller crowds actually make our noise more intelligible outside the immediate Barra.
I'm in the aisle between all our sections constantly walking back and forth keeping an eye on all our members. The chants, cavese and all the songs were top notch during the Chivas game. Easily one of the best performances by the Barra this year.
at the chivas game, i was behind 138 helpin that section get goin and stay on cue. it took a few seconds to hear the song and jump in, but it sounded great. not having the croatian to follow was kinda hard too. i kept an eye out for pops.
I keep my eye over towards Rob, Jay, Paulie from where I stand in 137. I really seem to get on cue faster when I can see and hear, especially when Rob starts it up (No offense to the others, I just pick up on Rob's voice better.) I do need the eye contact on to see what is being started. I also look towards 137 and others like AJ working over that way for the same reason. We are picking it up quicker. I agree with Chico--we rocked during the Chivas match. The Barra likes the competition from opposing fans.