A rant about stadium sounds and music

[UCMarketing]

Thanks again for the input.

[DBrentonBuck]

UCMarketing,

First I would like to thank the marketing dept. for coming on here and listening to feedback from the fans.

Can you explain what the process is in picking the music that is played at every game? I am not talking about music that is played before the game; I understand that you aren't going to please 100% of the people no matter what you play with that.

What I am talking about are the songs which are played every game in certain situations like Fins and Cat Scratch Fever.

What is the intent of this music in your view? Do you see the music as being part of the game? I always felt like if the crowd is the 12th man then the music is the 13th man.

If you picture music as an extra player, then our music would be a kicker with a mullet and a Hawaiian shirt.

It seems like UC looks at the music as entertainment instead of part of the game experience. From the moment you walk into a stadium, the game should start. You build anticipation. You build an atmosphere that gives your team an edge. There is nothing like that for UC and that is why the fans are not into it.

As a fan, I want our stadium to be an intimidating experience for visiting teams. I want them to feel like at any moment these crazy hopped up Cinci fans might jump the rails and start a riot. Right now I think they would be more afraid we will start a random beach party and invite them over for fondu.

I am also a bit baffled by the statement that you are absolutely sticking with that music because you have gotten a good response from it. Who is giving you that response, because in the Lair I heard things like "Oh god they are bringing back the stupid Fins thing again" and "I am so sick of this music already"(during Cat Scratch Fever). Also, this board seems to be more against those kinds of songs than for them. From what I have read and heard at the game, it seems the fans are mostly on the same page.

I understand that Fins mentions the word Cincinnati in it. I get it, but it is also a song about someone leaving the city and is not really a pro Cincinnati song. It is about moving down to Key West where there was a very low female to male ratio in the 70s and 80s. I don't see how that in any way is a good choice for a song to play EVERY single game. I am not saying abandon it. I am saying it shouldn't be the song played at the beginning of the 4th quarter when in the Big East games are usually won and lost.

Cat Scratch Fever is the same way. I get it. I has the word "cat" in it. I understand the connection. I just don't think that sets the right tone for a kickoff. That song should send a message of "we just scored on you and our defense is about to kick your butt now"

You mentioned that when you played Jump Around no one jumped, but I doubt they did at Wisconsin at first either. You have to be consistant and give it time. I wouldn't want that song because it is identifiable as a Wisconsin song, but it is a good example of a good song that sends a message of "It is 4th quarter and we aren't tired, our fans aren't tired, we are coming to get you". Again, I ask what exactly is the message Fins sends?

You even mentioned you don't want to do Sandman because "that is VT's thing". Exactly! Their thing is a song about a boogie man who hides under your bed or in your closet and can take you at any time. Our "thing" is about a girl who moved to Florida and thinks the guys in the local bar are kinda creepy. Now that is intimidating.

That is what I don't understand. It seems like both the band and the marketing department have decided they are going to push this agenda despite what the fans want. I wish that you would at least do a survey at the Miami game asking people what kind of atmosphere they want and then publish those results, because with the exception of small minority, I can't imagine people like the direction we are going.

[Ding Chavez]

Let's bring in some Fade to Black. Or the fast part at the end of One. Metallica has a lot of uses.

[UCMarketing]

The FINS thing is in the same spirit as a HANG ON SLOOPY at Ohio State. No one ever said that this was supposed to be intimidation.

The UC Band plays CALL ME AL in this position... do you like this better?

How about we transition this discussion into what you would like to hear. Be a part of the solution and send some thoughts as to what you would like to hear or see.

As of today I have gotten one suggestion... a song from the 1960's from the Dave Clark Five - CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.

[udonkey]

I love hearing CALL ME AL, but I think that I'd prefer to hear it early on in the game, perhaps even pre-game. Its a fun song, but Paul Simon isn't exactly the kind of music that I would listen to to get excited.

As for suggestions, some songs that I personally listen to (at the gym, in the car, etc) that get me riled up (all of which have "fan friendly" lyrics or select parts can be played to avoid language):

Alive & Kicking - Nonpoint

Becoming the Bull - Atreyu (don't play this vs USF)

Devour - Shinedown

Riot - Three Days Grace (perhaps not appropriate for sake of crowd control - you could certainly use the guitar riff at the beginning, right before the singing - would make a GREAT intro song)

Back in Black - AC/DC (plus LOTS of their other songs) - its an overused sports song, but with the "come early, be loud, wear black" line, this is a no brainer to use EVERY home game - perhaps for an intro.

The Clincher - Chevelle

Get Some - Chevelle (particularly starting at 2:15 in the song)

Many songs by Rage Against the Machine, Motley Crue, etc.


I'm also in agreement with those above. I HATE the Fins song.

[DBrentonBuck]

The FINS thing is in the same spirit as a HANG ON SLOOPY at Ohio State. No one ever said that this was supposed to be intimidation.

The UC Band plays CALL ME AL in this position... do you like this better?

How about we transition this discussion into what you would like to hear. Be a part of the solution and send some thoughts as to what you would like to hear or see.

As of today I have gotten one suggestion... a song from the 1960's from the Dave Clark Five - CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.

I could give you tons of suggestions. When I was younger I used to mix tunes for theme songs for MMA fighters, boxers, etc. The problem is that you guys seem already settled in one direction no matter what.

If you want suggestions I have tons... here is one...

Team Entrance Through The Tunnel:

"Miseria Cantare (The Beginning)" by AFI.

Reason: This song is an awesome entrance song. It starts slow and builds up to a climax quickly. It has a very indentifiable beat which if you could get the people in the Bearcat Lair to bang on the sheet metal in time to the beat and the people in the student section to stomp to the beat, you would have an entrance like no one else in college football. The song talks about individuals all becoming "One Dark Flame" which goes along with the theme of us wearing black and all joining together to be the 12th man.

that is just a single suggestion... I could give you tons

[udonkey]

Also wanted to suggest:

Cowboys from **** - Pantera

Walk - Pantera

[UCMarketing]

Thanks for the suggestions...

[DBrentonBuck]

Also wanted to suggest:

Cowboys from **** - Pantera

Walk - Pantera

I also think cowboys from **** would make an excellent song for kickoff

[DBrentonBuck]

I would also like to suggest

Cult of Personality by Living Color for either team entrance, kick off or start of 4th quarter

[DBrentonBuck]

I could give you tons of suggestions. When I was younger I used to mix tunes for theme songs for MMA fighters, boxers, etc. The problem is that you guys seem already settled in one direction no matter what.

If you want suggestions I have tons... here is one...

Team Entrance Through The Tunnel:

"Miseria Cantare (The Beginning)" by AFI.

Reason: This song is an awesome entrance song. It starts slow and builds up to a climax quickly. It has a very indentifiable beat which if you could get the people in the Bearcat Lair to bang on the sheet metal in time to the beat and the people in the student section to stomp to the beat, you would have an entrance like no one else in college football. The song talks about individuals all becoming "One Dark Flame" which goes along with the theme of us wearing black and all joining together to be the 12th man.

that is just a single suggestion... I could give you tons

By the way... here is the song I am talking about for the entrance for the team.

If you want to hear the actual version that is on the CD you can hear it here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eTf9...eature=related


This will give you some idea of how cool it could be for a team entrance. AFI used it as their entrance on one tour in 2006. They don't even play the song anymore in concert for some reason. Notice the simple beat that is easy to stomp your feet to... also just to let you know he doesn't scream like that at the end on the actual album version, but here is an example of it being used as an entrance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=josQgndpRS0

The audio is horrible in this one, but the video is from the crowd and you can see how it makes a very cool entrance song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAegbBz9R9c

The other thing with this song it is simple... I think there are about 10 lines to the whole song. This is not even a band I would normally listen to, but this makes one heck of an entrance.

[udonkey]

By the way... here is the song I am talking about for the entrance being used as an entrance for the band so that will give you some idea of how cool it could be for a team entrance. Notice the simple beat that is easy to stomp your feet to... also just to let you know he doesn't scream like that at the end on the actual album version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=josQgndpRS0

The audio is horrible in this one, but the video is from the crowd and you can see how it makes a very cool entrance song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAegbBz9R9c

The other thing with this song it is simple... I think there are about 10 lines to the whole song. This is not even a band I would normally listen to, but this makes one heck of an entrance.

Right on...after a couple of games, I could see it catching on pretty well.

Maybe this is where you have the "mic man" (hopefully not the annoying guy that was on the field last year) getting the crowd going with a "LETS....GO....CATS...." or something similar, along with the beat, like the crowd is doing in the videos you linked.

Throw in some prompts on the video screen, along with some highlights, and I think you've got a winner.

[MDW79]

I would also like to suggest

Cult of Personality by Living Color for either team entrance, kick off or start of 4th quarter

Nice. I agree, the riff to that song is sick. Vernon Reid is a helluva guitar player and that song into is definitely something that should get some reaction and some people pumped.

[the_dude]

What does everyone think about these:

These may have to be checked for language/content, but I just threw together a list of songs from multiple genres, hopefully something for everyone. Some could be used for intro music, a portion of others for hyping up between timeouts/quarters. Some are a little more mellow for just killing time for long TV timeouts, halftime, etc...

oldies
-------
johnny cash - ring fire
louis armstrong - skokiaan
harry belafonte -jump in the line
jj jackson - but it's alright
jr walker - shotgun
kingsman - louie louie
animals - house of the rising sun
richie valens - la bamba
chuck berry - johnny b goode


classic rock
------------
who - baba o'riley
rolling stones - paint it black
bto - you ain't seen nothin yet
boston - more than a feeling
steppenwolf - born to be wild


80s pop/rock
---------------
ramones - blitzkrieg bop
def leppard - pour some sugar
dire straits - money for nothing
prince - lets go crazy
john cougar mellencamp - jack and diane

old school hip hop
--------------
run dmc - peter piper
sugar hill gang - apache
tribe - scenario
ice cube - bop gun
busta rhymes - woo haa
ll cool j - mama said knock you out
nwa - express yourself
digital underground - humpty dance
bboys - slow ride
bboys - brass monkey

90's rock/alternative
-----------------
rage - sleep now in the fire
rage - killing in the name
rage - bulls on parade
beck - devils haircut
sma pump - bullet
sma pump - rocket
bboys - sabatoge
soul couphing - super bon bon
flys - got you where i want you
filter - hey man nice shot

new(ish) rock/pop
--------------
korn - blind (first minute)
korn - shoot and ladders (could be too long)
muse - muscle museum
beck - clap hands
mute math - typical
audioslave - set it off
wise guys = ooh la la
smashing pumpkins - tarantula

new(ish) hip hop
---------
kanye - hey mama
kanye - good life
jayz - hard knock life
jayz - dirt off your shoulder
jayz - izzo
mike jones - back then (need the clean version)
joe budden - pump it up
obie trice - wanna know
dmx - up in here

[Scheids21]

Honestly I haven't heard of most of them haha so I couldn't really tell you. The classic Rock ones are the only ones I've consistently heard before.