From: R.Vincent.Lamb@um.cc.umich.edu
Newsgroups: alt.drumcorps
Subject: Anaheim Kingsmen (was Re: Snare Technology)
Date: 11 Nov 1992 13:12:47 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

In article <1992Nov11.050455.21282@hubcap.clemson.edu>, rwberry
@hubcap.clemson.edu (Robert W Berry) wrote (Re: Snare technology):
 
|>R.Vincent.Lamb@um.cc.umich.edu writes:
|> 
|>>That was the Seneca Optimists (Which the Anaheim Kingsmen called
|>>"Bananaheim" :-).  They used them in '77 for their "West Side
|>>Story" show.  They may also have used them in '76 and '78--
|> 
|>I thought that Senaca folded before the 1978 season.  I always wanted to
|>see what they did with "The Sorceror and the Latin".  I must be
|>confused.
 
You were confused :-).  Actually, they may as well have folded
in 1978--they were awful!  The low point of our season was being
beaten by them at CYO Nationals (late, lamented contest :-( ).
It didn't help having to leave the field after warmup because of
a thunderstorm warning and then setting up again in 10-15 minutes.
As for "Sorceror and the Latin", you didn't miss much.  Madison's 
version in 1979 was better.  Seneca finally placed 23rd at DCI,
marched in the Toronto Christmas parade (with ca. 20 horns) and
promptly folded.  I talked with a woman who was their bell player
in 1978 but marched in Squires in 1979 about it.  She said that
they were seriously considering merging with the Oakland Crusaders
but decided it was better to let the corps die.  She thought this
was just fine, because "Chokies are such scrubs!" 
|> 
|>Well, maybe this is a few years late, but I really think you got one of
|>the biggest screwings ever in 1978.  I saw you at DCI Midwest and
|>thought you were top-8 for sure.  It must have been a truly
|>dissappointing 13th place.
 
The whole season was a disappointment, so that particular placing
didn't hurt any worse than anything else.  My particular gripe
was that Kilties beat us.  I really thought that they sucked and had
no business in finals (either Midwest or Nationals!).  Good thing
that Royal Brigade didn't go to DCI that year, or *they* would have
been in 12th and AK in 20th (and Troopers unrecorded and VK not in
the top 25) (Make that good for us--bad for the fans and activity).
Thanks anyway for the compliment although we didn't think we did
all that well.
 
|>I always felt that not making finals in 1978 was a big part of Anaheim's
|>demise.
 
No shit!  The most astute members of AK figured that out 2 weeks
before DCI.  In Salt Lake City, our second best contrabass ripped
off a trumpet from the high school we were staying at.  The staff
found out and ejected him from the corps.  Tim Martin, who had
marched in the Auburn Purple Lancers and Cadets of Greece, objected,
saying: "Don't kick him out, we need him to make finals!"  The staff
said:  "But think of the reputation and future of the Kingsmen."  Tim
replied:  "If we don't make finals, there won't BE a Kingsmen!  Aren't
you guys paying attention to what's happening?  The corps is falling
apart in front of you!"  Most of the corps was in denial at the time
and didn't like him anyway (damned uppity import who--generally--
kissed the M&M instructors' asses), so we disregarded him.  He was
right, of course, and had the last laugh (or cry).
 
I could go on for hundreds of lines about this.  Suffice to say
that my terrible experience at Anaheim and much better experience
in North Star makes me identify with the latter and not the former.
 
Vince (proud to be a North Star)