Californian Reacts | Royal Marines Corps of Drums VS Top Secret Drum Corps - HM Royal Marines 

A comment which sums it up well from the original video, "I can only imagine the time and effort that goes in to putting something like this together. The music alone is one thing but the choreography...two different bands merging and playing and moving as one? Wow. Outstanding piece of work, gentlemen!" Couldn't agree more! Enjoy! :)

The reason the Royal Marines looked more militaristic, and the Top Secret Drum Corps were more flamboyant in their style is, the Top Secret Drum Corps are a civilian team from Switzerland. Although they are civilians they are regular guests at military events, as they are held in high regard by any military band.

This was not a Battle but a fantastic combination of teamwork

Not a battle - more a show of skills because often they come together which is amazing. The Royal Marines are fighting soldiers and the Top Secret Drum Corp are civilians from Switzerland who are either students or have day jobs. It is always a pleasure to watch them.

Not a competition, complimenting each other.

The Top Secret Drum Corps is a Swiss drum corps, not military, and it arguably the best of the best. They are definitely very dedicated and have appeared at the Edinburgh Tattoo, which brings military bands and others together from all over the world. Always a fascinating performance.

Top Secret are Swiss. Civlians not military they have day jobs. Some performances are literally on fire just amazing.

In the Secret Drum Corps the lead drummer is the centre two. For the Royal Marine the lead is the highest ranked one. Therefore the RM use more Tick Tock coordination. ( Tick Tock is moving the arms in unison with the other men at the same time and or one after the other). Both styles are then mixed together which is hard, to combine SDC and RM Tick Tock and lead drumming, which can be confusing for both. That's why its an impressive display.

It wasn't a drum line battle it was simply a joint performance at the Edinburgh military tattoo, the drum corps of the royal marines band, and the top secret drum corps from Switzerland

There was equal billing for both drum corps in this vid however it was edited down and the RM didn't get the same exposure as the Swiss TSDC, as a British army veteran i prefer the military style more but love what the Swiss lads do.

I don't know if they always have these with them, but one of those spare sticks (to be used when one drops or breaks) might actually also be a flute. I have seen at least one show where suddenly they put away their playing sticks, grabbed one of the "spare sticks" and started playing flute on them.

This is not a battle it's complimenting one and others ability to play the drums for our entertainment.

Not so keen on the Swiss guys style tbh. Bit too showy for my taste. Recognise the skills but prefer the military style.

A few things here. The Royal Marines bands are Professionals of which they wear their Uniforms with pride. The Royal Marines Bands are the WORLDS BEST

It never gets boring. Great video.

Have you ever seen "Stomp", they play everything from matchboxes to brooms to (quite literally) the kitchen sink. I went to a show of theirs and on the way out they sold drumsticks..............everything from walls to bins to cars got drummed on that night (not by me I might add, they were sold out by the time I got to the kiosk!)

NOT a battle, just one brilliant (the best) civilian band and one equally brilliant (the best again) military band with two totally different styles that they have worked on TOGETHER over the years to merge into one unique, and very definitely THE BEST, combination. They aren't competing, they COMPLIMENT each other and playing together they are quite simply, no argument, THE BEST DRUM CORPS THERE IS.

this is the true definition of being proud for your country

I'm a drummer and I envy these drummers and yes there back up sticks always carry 2 pairs with you or they might be nylon tip sticks for a different sound to the wood tip

Bass drums in the military bands are the timekeeper. Personally prefer slung drums of HMRM also has a more deeper tenor, however I do enjoy TS drummers as well.

typical American everything has to be a battle :) other commenters have explained more about the top secret drum corps but i will add this special performance had a lot of meaning, the culmination of which is the final line up with them all together performing what had become one of top secret drum corps most famous routines, which the royal marine band had learned to do in the Top Secret style as a sign of respect and admiration. that said this is very much the Top Secret drum corps doing one of their easier routines so the royal marines could keep up, when they go all out its amazingly spectacular.

The extra drum stick on the side of the drums are used some as fire sticks some as whistles.

Yes, they carry 3 sticks in a holster at the side of their drums. 1 stick is actually a Pfeiffer & 2 spares. Mostly in case one is dropped to afford them a seamless recovery. They're well trained on their kits 😎 endless hours+

8:00 That would be because the Top Secret aren't military. They're all bankers and shopkeepers back in Switzerland; they do this in their free time. And, much as I hate to say it: if this was a battle, I think we lost. As anyone does when they go up against the Top Secret.

Don’t know if stated already but they have extra sticks in case some break but usually it’s if a stick is dropped or not caught when they often do their stick throwing to one another. They can’t miss a beat thus they can’t miss a stick. ❤

Agreed all round, loved it too, just something about drumming.. 🤔🥁😁💯🥰✌🌏🕊 Thank-you for sharing! Blessing's love and light! 🙌💙🌞😇🙏😇🌞💙🙌

The coordination is superb! 👍

Watch the Royal Marines drum line in the Beating Retreat ceremony and make your own mind up. Top Secret are bit of a circus act, if you want to see some authentic military precision watch the 2013 cast bar performance at Basel Tattoo on here. Thanks.

As others have said the Top Secret are not a military unit but guys doing it as a passion. In some shows the 'spare drumsticks' can be flutes and even a flaming torch they drum with. Some shows the Top Secret name under the drum illuminates as well as illuminated hoops around the sides of their drums. So yes, to the purist they are too showbiz but by hell they are entertaining. Cheers.

Please watch KNOW your ALLY BRITAIN it's the sort of thing that you like.

The Royal Marines are the best Military drum corps in the world. Top secret are a civilian group who are more flamboyant as they are not working military, and the reason they had more air time is because they were guests at the Royal Marine concert at the Royal Albert Hall, and the RM's would never upstage guests even though they could! However add them together and the RM Corps can just slot right in to the TS way of playing. The two groups have played together many times at many events around the world.

The prescription of a Swiss Rolex and guess what,it’s a British Swiss company.

In regards to your comment about the drumsticks on the side of the drums, they are for some other tricks they do such as fireworks and flames while drumming. You will need to see other shows Top Secret, have performed to see them You should see what comes out of the flags.

Marines drummers are all Commandos that can do very clever things with a GPMG and a tripod.

the drum battle they did at this years jubilee was brilliant.

It’s not a battle, it’s a collaboration

And those drums the RM have will probably have all there battle honours

You must remember that the Top Secret guys do not play with a band whereas the RM corps of drums perform with the marching band as well as these concert performances. They memorise their drum parts of music. They also have a military role in the field and learn how to handle and fire weapons as well as operating as battlefield casualty handling.

Everyone of those guys would kill someone before they even knew they were dead.. Those lads don't just beat drums.

Those extra drumsticks are if the accidentally drop one.

8:36 don’t think it’s exactly a competition tbh mate…more like a joint show really

It better live

it would be better if you put you up at top so we can see the drumming close up,

Top secret are entertainment only. Whereas the Royal Marines are trained fir military and battlefield drumming only.

The medals should be a give away to the big difference between these two. You won’t get time to practice drumming in Afghan

Most of them, if not all of them, serve/-ed in the swiss army!

Is this a European thing or does America have something similar? Hello from Holland

Not so much "versus" as a "compliment"

I prefer the RM's bearing in mind they're front line serving troops and don't dedicate all there time playing the drums, they have other duties also unlike the Swiss drummers who are not.

They are Swiss.

Top secret are better no doubt but the point is they are drummers this is what they do where as the marines are just that, marines you see theyre tour medals.

Top Secret Drum Corps are Swiss

Chalk & cheese. The civilian Swiss in their pseudo uniforms are extremely skilled in their circus performance. The Royal Marines on the other hand have a proud history of continuous service from 1664. These are serving soldiers - try and count the medals on their uniforms. In military history drums have been used as a means of communication for centuries on land and afloat. Whilst I can enjoy the skills of the showmen I will never respect them for their money paying hobby compared to the "real thing"

Why do the Royal Marines have to sniff their drumsticks?

The Top Secret Drum Corps are the Swiss Military drummers.