Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Superb marching band video. Military marching from the New Zealand Army Band at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Great choreography, the band still looks like a tight military-style unit with some more free-form stuff thrown in, including playing to the home crowd with a bit of a fling. Impressive volume from an ensemble of less than 40 players. Highlight moment - flirty kicks during the Austin Powers theme. Good stuff.

Oh, a little more digging on the net reveals that the passage in the middle when they put down their instruments is a traditional maori dance.

10 comments:

Meg said...

Oh, Phlegmy, thank you so much for this. We're looking at our 12th anniversary of coming to NZ, and it makes me feel so good to be a part of this country, (especially after a month-long "Damn, I wanna go back to the US" phase). Ben and I are feeling a bit emotional - especially with the Haka. Did you go to Edinburgh? Did you shoot this, or find it? This band being the NZ Army band, I tried to look for women, because I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few.

OK, something I've wanted to tell SOMEWHERE in the blog world: Kiwi is, among other thing, our national icon, that tiny flightless bird. New Zealand Air Force mascot/symbol? You guessed it. I don't know the story, but it's got to be a typical NZ joke.

Just Another Old Geezer said...

Meg, you mean not the fruit? Just teasin'.

Phleghmy, thanks for posting this. They remind me a bit of the Rice Univ MOB (Marching Owl Band). Except the MOB didn't wear uniforms. Although the NZ Army Band might strike Dave in Texas as a bit "faggy". he he

Meg said...

Myron, Dave in Texas must be the most macho bloke. Lots of Kiwi boys are 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation Brits, so they can't help themselves. Hee hee... (I hope other Kiwis don't check Fatale Abstraction...)

FHB said...

Love that stuff. Makes you want to hack someone in two with your claymore... or is that just me?

Christina RN LMT said...

Awesome.

Marching Band is the only reason I go to my daughter's high school football games.
She plays the clarinet.

Silly me, I had no clue what Marching Band was really about, until my daughter joined.

I went to a German high school, in Berlin, and they don't have stuff like that in German schools, or at least they didn't in the eighties, when I went.
So, when my daughter said "marching band", I literally thought that's all they did, march like in a parade! I'm such a goof.

Thanks for the show!

FHB said...

I love it! Loved the Scottish dancing too. And that Maori stuff is cool as hell. Wonder how the Maori feel about that? Don't you know that shit is a work out too.

Maven said...

Military Tattoos are so much fun to see, thanks for sharing!

phlegmfatale said...

meg - glad you enjoyed it -I'll bet this group is a great source of national NZ pride. Sorry you feel homesick for the USA, though - I know it's easy sometimes to view your surroundings only in light of their shortcomings, but NZ is the site of some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, too. I've been to Edinburgh but not during the Tattoo - I found this film on You Tube
and that is so funny - about the airline symbol being a flightless bird, but then again, people I've met from NZ have been very good-natured and fond of a good laugh
Oh, and I did see a hair-bun on one of the NZ band members, so there's at least one female.

myron - Glad you liked it - I thought it was fantastic and adorably choreographed

fathairybastard - you know, I awaken every day just longing to do some damage with a claymore, and that clip did nothing to dissipate that urge

christina - yeah, it's a lot of fun, isn't it? I love watching marching bands - glad you got to figure out what it's all about, beyond the parades!

fathairybastard - yeah - it was awesome - I think the Maori should be proud - they've got great style. Yeah, workout, indeed.

nuggetmaven - you're welcome - I'm glad you all liked it as much as I did. I watched it about 4 or 5 times.

Meg said...

Not to press on a point too much, but not air line - the Air Force!

Anonymous said...

Such a good video - it made me smile, and they did a "Haka" if thats how they spell it? I remember watching on TV but God how I wish I could have been there. Brilliant!!!