Pop Evil replaced the Victors???
As many are aware, The Team took the field yesterday to a (previously unknown) local heavy metal band, Pop Evil. Without getting too into the weeds of "are they a good band or not" (one could always check and learn that they play at awesome venues like "O'Shea's Irish Pub"), I'm curious as to thoughts on Dave Brandon's decision to replace the Michigan Marching Band with Pop Evil for the team's entrance.
Now, I'm no historian (I know we have some here) but I assume The Victors has been played for the team's entrance for ages. I imagine this is the first time the team has touched the banner to a song written, when...last week? If Michigan State can rise up to avoid a logo re-vamp, Michigan should be able to rise up to avoid a MMB replacement. There are certain Michigan traditions that shouldn't be tossed away. "The Victors" as the entry song is one such tradition. I realize that on TV, it sounded as if The Victors was playing, but that was after the team had entered.
Am I alone is finding this change to be such an offense? Thoughts of the people...?
September 4th, 2011 at 5:22 PM ^
Was only 2/3's full after the rain too.
September 4th, 2011 at 5:47 PM ^
We lost the dead weight aka the greek system. The Student Section still had more people than everyother section after the rain drops.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:06 AM ^
That song has no place in that stadium and no real ties to Michigan football what so ever. I really don't think " hot topic" core music meshes well with our brand.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
I agree that the song sucks and that they shouldn't play it, however it obviously does have ties to the stadium and team, considering they had inside access to use the stadium during the entire music video, the lyrics, and are with mike martin during it.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^
It was turrible. turrible. I had to explain to my brother in law, who is an ND fan, what the hell that racket was and why it was so ridiculously cheesy. It's a good thing Kelly is such a donkey and lost yesterday or I would never hear the end of that.
September 4th, 2011 at 6:02 PM ^
Did you by any chance take a walk through the golf course yesterday? That song could be heard playing from every third tailgate. To say it has no business in the stadium is just silly. Obviously the fanbase has taken to it, and IMHO rightfully so. I could take it or leave it, but your sentiment is certainly not that of the majority.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:06 AM ^
it was a problem of timing. I don't mind that stuff just before the players take the field, but it should be better coordinated that it goes to the band when the team runs out. I believe they tried to do that and the music did shut off, but annoyingly a bit late.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
Apparently they didn't do the Team speech at all? I was really looking forward to that this year, especially with the new emphasis on the Michigan of old. Hopefully UTL will have the team speech play at the tunnel entrance.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
FALSE. I was there in section 28. Pop Evil was played as the pump up song as the team lined up to run onto the field. The Victors was played as the team ran and jumped to touch the banner.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:11 AM ^
I agree that the timing was the issue. I like that while waiting to run out the tunnel they played it and also thought the victors was being played when touching the banner.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:11 AM ^
I agree that the timing was the issue. I like that while waiting to run out the tunnel they played it and also thought the victors was being played when touching the banner.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
Also, as far as playing RAWK as the team emerged after the rain delay... well, the band wasn't on the field or in the stands at that point, so othe options were RAWK or nothing at all.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^
The band definitely played The Victors as the team touched the banner. The fans were just so loud that it was hard to hear the change until the fans quieted down a bit.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
That just isn't the case. The band only began playing well after a large portion of the team had already touched the banner.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:45 AM ^
WRONG yet again. The band was definitely playing the victors as the band started to run on the field. However, the victors could hardly be heard due to crowd noise (a nice problem to have after the years of Michigan Stadium sounding like a tomb).
September 4th, 2011 at 12:19 PM ^
With ESPN world class coverage. I can confirm The Victors being played. I didn't hear POP Evil at all yesterday. FWIW ESPN coverage went out twice and I almost had to buy a new tv.
September 4th, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^
As I mentioned, on television, the Victors was more prominent (likely a matter of their mic placements). That wasn't the case in the stands (at least from my seats). There were many "what the fuck is this" comments in the stands.
September 4th, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^
The band never ran on the field.
September 4th, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^
my bad a typo.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
Dude, you are outnumbered and wrong. Give it up.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:50 AM ^
suggestion - try and focus on the positive
September 4th, 2011 at 11:23 AM ^
Oh, wait.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
September 4th, 2011 at 12:43 PM ^
The hatred for Pop Evil is not just Brian inspired. It's anyone who values our tradition and is concerned about cheesy marketing intruding on and violating that tradition for the sake of a few more bucks. Anyone with a respect for the talent involved in making good music (regardless of time period or genre) can also understand why so many of us want Pop Evil to be banished to Bolivia. It must be killed with fire.
September 4th, 2011 at 2:08 PM ^
...is not remote enough of a location. Think further south and less populated. The Antarctic Ice Sheet will do.
September 4th, 2011 at 10:37 PM ^
Right, because everyone should like the same music. I don't generally agree with the "get off my lawn," crowd a lot, but I do think that some things should be untouchable. The band playing The Victors while the team runs out of the tunnel being one of those things.
September 4th, 2011 at 1:52 PM ^
Just spend any amount of time on YouTube and you'll find that everyone under 30 is making their own video, from clips or their own footage, and then applying a song to it. It's not just for 10 year olds, but for students and people who will soon be students. These are the "customers" of the University, and it is the market segment that Brandon and the entire University of Michigan is trying to target.
Now if Brian wanted to truly be considered a journalist he just needs to direct some of his staff it interview a range of people with some expert opinion in the matter. Specifically if Heiko could get an interview with Band Members about the game day exerience, I not only would read that front to back twice, but would consider it a true journalistic way to handle this situation.
I mean if you need more proof than the fact that Mike Martin has the video linked on his own YouTube page, but then again he's just a poor pawn of the Dave Brandon Marketing machine.
September 5th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
If Brian really wanted to be a journalist, he could find a couple band members who liked it, and a bunch that hated it, and then report the controversy, all the while keeping his own thoughts and emotions out of it.
No wait, that would suck.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:39 AM ^
GET OFF MY LAWN!!
September 4th, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
Attached is a video I took of the pregame. It sounds like the band didn't start until the players had already come out - or at the very least that the band was completely drowned out by the PA music and the crowd.
(I think the video embeds properly...but this is my first post, so my apologies if it doesn't)
Of course it didn't. Here's the link anyway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lTz9g3dcm8&feature=channel_video_title
September 4th, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-W6eL8dnc0&feature=related
This video also seems to make the case that the Pop Evil song stopped in time and then the band got off to slightly late start.
September 4th, 2011 at 1:50 PM ^
September 4th, 2011 at 4:29 PM ^
That's insanity. A few points...1) Watching the video will make you nauseous, 2) A large portion of the team is PAST the banner before The Victors even begins in the video, 3) You can't even tell when that shitty Pop Evil is playing because of the screaming of the guy filming, and 4) The Pop Evil was much more audible from the opposite sideline.
You can say, "I was wrong", but I was there and a large number of people heard the same thing. I wasn't asking if I "heard what I heard". I was simply asking if people are bothered by the Pop Evil as I was. Nice analysis though, Judge Judy.
September 4th, 2011 at 4:57 PM ^
"You can say, "I was wrong", but I was there and a large number of people heard the same thing. I wasn't asking if I "heard what I heard". I was simply asking if people are bothered by the Pop Evil as I was. Nice analysis though, Judge Judy."
Now you just sound all butt hurt that people are disagreeing with you. Stop crying and get over it, it's clearly a timing issue on the first game.
September 4th, 2011 at 9:23 PM ^
I believe you. I found another video that supports the notion that the Pop Evil song was still played as the players ran out. It seems as if the song isn't as loud, but it is still playing when players are running out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lTz9g3dcm8
The accoustics have to be funny in a stadium like that. It is possible for some people to think the song stopped and others to still here it. This video seems to still have the song going.
September 4th, 2011 at 5:15 PM ^
The guy filming (me) is not the one screaming in that video...its probably one of the hundreds of people sitting around me. I learned a long time ago not to speak while filming a video.
Secondly, have you ever tried to film something with a 200mm lens? Its not easy to keep it from bouncing around at that focal length - especially with all the movement around me.
This was filmed for my own memory more than anything...sorry it made you sick to watch.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:50 AM ^
September 4th, 2011 at 11:45 AM ^
September 4th, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^
As long as you're happy.
September 4th, 2011 at 4:30 PM ^
Curious as to your age...
I don't mean it as an insult, but I wonder if maybe you're not yet of college age (or a fan of dive bar metal bands)? I imagine most Michigan alums have an opinion which differs from yours.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
September 4th, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^
It was almost like they played it OVER the playing of The Victors.... whether on purpose or by accident..... either way it's inexcusable.
September 4th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^
This was my take on it. I felt like when they cut pop evil we were already half way through The Victors.
September 4th, 2011 at 12:03 PM ^
September 4th, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^
This is Michigan for Gods sake.
September 4th, 2011 at 7:56 PM ^
Get off my lawn.
September 4th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
People are really debating about the precise time some no-name metal band was pumped over the loudspeakers at Michigan Stadium? I feel like I'm in the fucking Twilight Zone.
Just look at what Dave Brandon has done in ONLY A YEAR ON THE JOB! Goofy faux-throwback jerseys. Diminishing the importance of The Game (while also attempting to change its date). Deciding the fans need even more infuriating RAWK!!! App State revisited. Corporate logos galore. Etc., etc., etc.
I cringe at what the future will look like after a few more of these ridiculous decisions.
September 4th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
Was more embarassing to me than Pop Evil, despite my intense dislike for Pop Evil. At least the Pop Evil song is unique to Michigan and terrible.
September 4th, 2011 at 7:08 PM ^
times a thousand. i don't mind 'new' traditions or whatever if they are unique and there is a portion of the fanbase that really enjoys them, but i dislike taking what every one else does and calling it michigan game day experience. but what i noticed this year, sitting as a grad student among freshman, is that they know no better and eat it up. the students did that penn state thing with seven nation army, and as far as i could tell they started it by themselves. i don't think there is a single song that is played that gets a more unified response than 'lose yourself'. i think they should provide tradition education to all student ticketholders. get off my lawn.
September 4th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
The song is awful, but it was a great move on their part. They are getting major bank and pub from this song/vid.