Fort Report

Pretty good night for the Revs on Saturday.  Winning 4-1 with a hat trick by a rookie is nothing to sneeze at.  The new look Fort went better than expected for the first week.  I’ll use a time-tested method to give my snapshot ratings:

Face: good, solid 7 1/2

Body: good, solid 7 1/2

Personality: good, solid 7 1/2

Can you believe Rosie O'Donnell is funny in this obscure reference?

Nobody expected the new setup to go off flawlessly, and it didn’t.  However, the area behind the North goal (which I’m starting my one man crusade today to call it “Fort End”) did look much more visually appealing than it had in the past.  This is due to both the team tarping off the top of the section and the new supporter group “The Rebellion” spreading out the Fort across 141.  And the overflow went into the sections to the right, so there was plenty of places to sit in 140 and 139.  That’s a big upgrade from filling all 38 rows of section 143 and the crowd slanting downwards.  More fans were closer to the action, a very good thing.

I think everyone agrees that the capo stand is a good idea, but it’s much too low.  The two people who volunteered to take up that position (Midnight Riders own Monty and Garrett) should be commended.  It takes balls to get up there and try something new, knowing you will be on the spot.  The big thing I think we learned is that the capo needs to be more of a visual lead than an audible one.  Even with the new police standard megaphone on the way (how Rev Army got one, don’t ask), I think it’s so much more important for the capo to be a visual aid.

Here’s some suggestions for future capos:

1. Utilize assistants in various parts of The Fort. I believe this is one of the serious ideas that came out of the meeting of the minds during the off season.  I think it’s important for these folks to get with the capo before each half and make sure they are on the same page as to how chanting will be communicated.

2. Number the song sheet and use those numbers to alert section on impending songs/chants. This would save a lot of the “what chant is he starting” confusion from sections 143 and 141.  A lot of times on Saturday, the Midnight Riders and Rebellion only got wind of chants when they were almost done.

3. Use a baton to synchronize the drummers. I think this is an excelsior idea.  Basically, something as large as a thunderstick (but definitely not an actual thunderstick) that the capo can pound on the capo stand.  Maybe a thin plastic pipe surrounded by foam.  It doesn’t have to be used for every chant (maybe some sort of a bag up there is in order to keep the props), but the ones which it can be helpful for are obvious.  Hold up the stick for “Rev-o-lution” and then pound the capo stand for the clapping.  Point the stick towards you for the call portions of songs like “Oh when the Revs”, pointing it to the crowd for the response, and then pound the capo stand to synch up the drums for the part where we all sing.

Shout belligerently, and carry a big stick!

Before I go forward, what is a “capo” anyway?  Is it a musical term or a soccer poseur name for a captain?  Either way, the assistants should be called “captains”.  “Assistant” makes you sound like a wuss.

Anyway, the thing I see key for the capo is having him/her (I’m being nice, we’ll never follow a girl as they make lousy leaders of cheer) a visual aid.  I think certain times in the game need to be set aside for certain songs and when key chants are being started, hand signals used to pass along as to what chant.  As the capo, you shouldn’t have to start every chant.  If you hear one being started, something that can be done is point the baton to the area of The Fort doing it while holding up a number signal as to which one it is.  Continue pointing until a verse ends and then pick right up doing the visual signals you would normally use for that specific chant.  Basically, the capo can also act as a facilitator as well as a leader in The Fort.

As for as the captains, they should really try to be the ones getting the clapping going, hopefully while keeping an eye on the baton to keep the beat.  Some of the leaders also have drums.  That’s great, too.  Just try to stay synchronized and have others nearby keeping the clapping going.

Speaking of drums, I like them.  They keep the noise going during downtime and can be an excellent focal point.  The issues we always have is keeping them from being offbeat, confusing some that want to participate in chants.  The capo can act as a way to get the drummers in alignment.  There’s a few ways to do this.  The first is getting a few drummers right in front of the stand, basically blowing away any competing beats.  Not a bad idea, but we should welcome everyone who brings a drum to support the Revs.  The capo should be on the lookout during down times for such beats being started by drummers in remote areas of the supporters section.  If possible, point to them in the same fashion I mentioned to facilitate chants to get the attention in that direction, and then start banging the baton in that beat.  A gesture like that can be the difference from a supporter feeling left out and ostracized to one who will be willing to promulgate what we are trying to do in those sections.

There’s a few more methods I think could work.  But if these ideas make sense to a lot of people, I would like to volunteer to be capo for the first half of the Colorado game to implement some of these ideas.  I’ve often watched a lot of the games on the scoreboard while turned away from the action trying to get chants aligned.  I don’t mind facing that way.  I had decent success keeping rhythm on the base guitar in my youth, and I would like to think I’ve been around long enough to know how The Fort ticks.

Anyway, we have nearly two weeks before the next match.  There will probably be a lot less pedestrian traffic next time, it would be an opportune time to work on some improvements.