For those that ask “was it really that loud?” The answer is double your expectations and that wont even come close. I marched in top DCI corps, and this closer had me screaming. And even now 35 years later, still gives me goose bumps and tears of joy remembering the sheer power of the corps back in the day
I actually came here to say that after all these years, Finally i know what it looked like. The camera director and their love at that end zone 45 angle shot. (eye roll)
Yes, our semifinals show was much cleaner. Finals night we were stuck in the tunnel for what seemed like forever for a TV timeout. We lost our warmup. Also, going into finals, we didn't know we had won semifinals. Not sure if it would of helped or hindered. We heard rumors that we had won semis, but we dismissed them out of hand.
after all these years I never knew ? ! ? ! Fascinating, and with all due respect, I agree. The semis performance had just a little more edge. But finals was still no match for anyone else.
The best show in the days of drum corps actually wanting to please the audience. Absolutely love this as my favorite ever. I saw it live in England while stationed there for the Scouts tour.
The first show I ever saw live - at Warwick Castle. It sealed my love for Drum Corps. Maybe it's about time DCI returned to the basics and Corps' dug out the best shows like this.
I was Director of a small Senior Corps and we held a watch party. RIght after Madison finished I said, well folks theres our winner. They all looked at me like I was out of my mind. Well I said, that book was no walk in the park and they were hitting on all cylinders. Brass and percussion was smoking hot! The guard were their typical strong selves. M&M from what I saw was stellar.....The looks on all their faces when Madison was announced as Champion still makes me smile and the number of how in the hells that were said.
Thanks for Sharing! So much style...Madison Style! We all knew that something special had just happened when we left the field that night. Cool, calm, electric. May You Never Walk Alone
Wow brings back such great memories. Madison back then was the best . Really really entertaining to the max’s . Just look at that drill fantastic. Thanks for sharing
Simply the very finest performance by any Drum & Bugle Corps in history EVER! The TOTAL energy in this show is nothing short of mind blowing - once seen you can't erase it from your memory, it lives on and on and on! Truly WONDERFUL!!! 👍👌👏💪⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is not only cleaner, but the tempo seems to be more driven. I've been wanting to hear what this performance sounded like for so long and it certainly does not disappoint.
Was lucky enough to be there both nights and had friends on the field. The semifinal show was simply unequalled in all my years watching DCI before and after. It took Madison from "maybe top 5" to being absolutely the favorite to win among everyone we talked to that day, including die-hard fans of other corps. The finals show was nearly as good and certainly blew away everyone else that night by a healthy measure. I'll never forget how loud the crowd got after the final solo and the wedge move at 11:52, nor the fact that you could still hear every note despite that roar. On the finals night audio you can hear one guy in the stands start to scream before everyone else, just absolutely losing his effing mind. It wasn't me, but his reaction captured what I was feeling at that moment, knowing I was seeing a once-in-a-lifetime moment of power and beauty.
This will never get old. Every section worked their ass off all summer and we ended up winning DCI. Show me a better marching corps in DCI history (OK Regiment 1980, full respect.) Golden memories of youth - what a beautiful show, and an unforgettable summer. A great way to age out. 10 years earlier I watched SCV's come from behind win on TV with my dad - and then 10 years later it was us. Epic, as the kids say.
@@henne2k well beyond this corps day man. Let him have it... Madison in the 80's was massively waiting for this and they finally got it. That sound is something that has never been reproduced since 1995. Benchmark work boys... well done. My mothers favorite and introduction to corps when I was a kid. I thank her every day. Happy birthday mom. Madison always wins on your birthday 🎂
Top 8 corps that year were really good. BD and SCV were just amazing all season, but Madison at semifinals was out of this world. You have to put things in perspective. Look at the show for what it was in that time period and not compared to the activity today. The Scouts marching was spot on. Clean as all get out visuals. The brass was on BD's level in semifinals. Percussion just laid it down. The guard was incredible and the GE was through the roof. The judges are not blind or deaf and they scored it as needed with Madison winning big in semis. I can only imagine the excitement of the crowd had they known going into Finals that Madison won big in semis. I know the surprise is great too. Still one of my favorite shows for sure.
Thanks so much for sharing this. The editing and sound quality of this video is much better than the finals version (would love to have an original of this!). And WOW, this performance is certainly what put '88 Madison in the winner's circle (even more so than the finals, I think). This video certainly lays to rest the argument that '88 Madison didn't deserve to win. Both the technical complexity (especially the opener) and the performance level is vastly superior to Santa Clara '88 (at least, to anyone who can be objective about it). Loved both shows, but the sheer quality of this show outshines everyone else's that season. While I understand DCI's intention with rewarding "innovation" and promoting the "educational" aspect of this activity, it really lost something along the way when they decided that it's more important to "educate" musical students about technical complexity than to teach them how to ENTERTAIN. Your technical skill should get you to finals week; your ability to truly grab an audience's attention and keep it should get you the gold medal.
It was very telling…and sad when I remember Star’s drum major lamenting the fact that people didn’t like their 1993 show. He said, “I don’t understand why people don’t appreciate our attempt to educate them”. Dude….the average audience does not want to be educated, they want to be entertained. The activity has totally lost their way in that regard.
Saw this show in the uk in june 88... made my mind up that day to march Madison.. I like the different angles this recording gives and that Matt didn't always play the horn solo as both were brilliantly executed.. One of my all time favourite shows.. MYNWA
WOW. The corps and the crowd were *electric*. The immediate standing ovation starting before the last chord had even been played was amazing to see. I wish I could’ve been there…. but this was a decade before I was born.
I remember seeing them in Morgantown WV about two weeks before finals. When we watched finals, the move at 11:52 was ruined by the PBS camera crew, and I was never able to explain it properly. Thank you for whoever loaded this video, and the one from the European tour. Now, why are my allergies acting up...
I hope the future staff that currently run this corps watches this for future insight on what this powerhouse use to be and what it should RETURN to. Good 🤞
Had the pleasure of watching you early season at Luton (England)after i had marched with Concord.Awsome show on every level,Brass, percussion,Colour guard and drill.
I hate to criticize but one correction it was not a marching band it was a real drum and bugle Corps, today they are marching bands. Former member of the Long Island Sunrisers been involved with the activity since the mid-1950s.
Thank you for sharing this! I remember being fourteen and my band director showing us this performance. Malagueña was absolutely amazing but... the whole show was the full package!!!
Thank you. I marched in this show. I still can't watch it without tearing up. That whole summer was magical. Europe in June, this special show, that crowd, that win. It was amazing.
It's not weird that last night you dreamed Madison was performing this show in the backyard of the home you grew up in and they let you march in their last run though there right? Asking for a friend.....
Um...yeah, that WON and WON big in semis. Just an incredible performance top to bottom. And that closer...HOLY MOLY!!!!!! Now that's how you bring home the bacon at the end of a show.
Didnt win big. Geeze Bd had better show, scv should have won for sure. Madison had a iconic closer. First 5 mins of show sucked. Malagueña was 7 mins long. Hardly a winning show
Did anyone notice Carolina Crown did not make semi finals in this year ? Fast forward 25 years later when corps are writing shows to impress judges in the box and don’t give a rat’s ass about the crowd…field judges were half of the panel then, brass was in key of G with two valves and there is no amplification or cheesy circus like props on the field. The talent is still there today, but corps back in this decade were built on raw power. Performances were about guts and not about emotional soliciting or grandstanding the woke culture. This performance would still beat any corps hands down 25 years later.
So awesome. Does anyone know what the score was on this semifinals show? B/c if anything, it looks and sounds even tighter than the videos I've seen of the finals show.
Under today’s rules, Phantom would not have won best Guard (they did, because DCI only used the Finals number). Nor Madison. The corps with the highest average from Fri/Sat was… Suncoast Sound.
Mike C - Two wedges forming out of clusters, spinning together to become one power wedge....one wedge gets into it clockwise while the other wedge moves in counter clockwise. Plus, it’s not just a 360...each member did a moving pivot while spinning 360.... you can see it much better from the side camera view on the Finals video. We repeated the move the following year 89 (my rookie season) at the end of Slaughter! But admittedly, this is the superior version of the move!
