Limerick INTERNATIONAL Band Competition

Poxyshamrock

I just have to say how bad the band parade was this year.
There was only 1 international band and the rest (7) were from Ireland (all Limerick bar Tallaght).

Compare this to Band Parades in the 90's when you had bands from America, Canada, England, France and even Japan one year.
Why does it seem to be going backwards and losing the reputation it has as a really good competition?
God only knows how bad the parade will be tomorrow

I think Futureama productions have a lot to answer for.
Even their website is embarrassing.

Berty

The recession has likely discouraged schools and colleges/unis from spending lots of money sending over 100+ kids to Ireland.

phog

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I just have to say how bad the band parade was this year.
There was only 1 international band and the rest (7) were from Ireland (all Limerick bar Tallaght).

Compare this to Band Parades in the 90's when you had bands from America, Canada, England, France and even Japan one year.
Why does it seem to be going backwards and losing the reputation it has as a really good competition?God only knows how bad the parade will be tomorrow

I think Futureama productions have a lot to answer for.
Even their website is embarrassing.

I'd guess that a worldwide recession had something to do with it.

Poxyshamrock

phog wrote: »

I'd guess that a worldwide recession had something to do with it.

It was bad last year too.

ninty9er

There weren't 600,000 Americans a month losing their jobs last March. I imagine that and the weak Sterling have an awful lot to do with it.

zuroph

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I just have to say how bad the band parade was this year.
There was only 1 international band and the rest (7) were from Ireland (all Limerick bar Tallaght).

Compare this to Band Parades in the 90's when you had bands from America, Canada, England, France and even Japan one year.
Why does it seem to be going backwards and losing the reputation it has as a really good competition?
God only knows how bad the parade will be tomorrow

I think Futureama productions have a lot to answer for.
Even their website is embarrassing.

Is the parade on Monday instead of Tuesday or something?
EDIT:
nope, typo obv..

TUESDAY 17th MARCH
Parade will begin at 12 noon and assembly will be from 10 am at the top of O'Connell Avenue .

The Parade route will be down through O'Connell St and passed the viewing stand which will be situated outside Penney's.

The parade will then turn right and enter the MICHAEL STREET AREA, the designated dispersal zone.

phog

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

It was bad last year too.

What planet are you on? Last year may have been bad but this year finiancally wise is close to a disaster the world over.

Poxyshamrock

phog wrote: »

What planet are you on? Last year may have been bad but this year finiancally wise is close to a disaster the world over.

I was referring to the Band Parade...and not the economic climate.

cooperguy

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I just have to say how bad the band parade was this year.
There was only 1 international band and the rest (7) were from Ireland (all Limerick bar Tallaght).

Compare this to Band Parades in the 90's when you had bands from America, Canada, England, France and even Japan one year.
Why does it seem to be going backwards and losing the reputation it has as a really good competition?
God only knows how bad the parade will be tomorrow

I think Futureama productions have a lot to answer for.
Even their website is embarrassing.

Futurama had its hands tied with the recession. People probably just couldnt travel from all over this year. If I remember rightly Futurama were over the successful parades in previous years too.

And no im not connected to them in anyway!

phog

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I was referring to the Band Parade...and not the economic climate.

Sorry, missed your point then but I was there last year and I thought is was a good day, maybe our expectations differ.

metamorphosis

As someone who has marched in this parade every year since 1998, this year was by fat the worst. absolute shambles like! smalest amoujnt of participants ever, which in hindsight was probably due to the economy. every year their were 1 or 2 giant American high school bands with 100+ members marching. This year was just the one and it was small at that.

Pity. I remember the days when there was 20+ bands. Look what it has come too-an embarrasment. Really is not futureamas fault imo. Bands just cant afford to travel for a 1 day competition at the moment

TheLoc

The amount of advertisments in the parade was unbelievable. they should be banned. A parade should be about unusual things not some silly goose driving in a truck that you see everyday in town with a banner saying "half price sale" somewhere. thats a joke. a complaint should be made

oh well

didn't see Paddy's Day parade but went to see the band one. so disappointed. there were alot of overseas bands in the country at various venues yesterday. I wonder was there any marketing done to entice them all to Limerick. There weren't even bands from our neighbouring counties. Fair play to all the Limerick bands though - didn't even know there were that many here. Years ago all the bands would play in Limerick first and then head off to the other parades for Paddy's Day. Also think that for the Paddy's Day one there should be some sort of obligation on the entrants to make some kind of float. Scouts could make a mobile campfire type thing on a float with a tent on it, sports clubs - mobile goalposts and big gigantic paper maché sliotars, rugby balls, etc. Big outsized Treaty Stone type thing at the front of parade. There must be loads of ideas out there.

I don't think its all because of the economy because even in the last few years its been getting worse and worse. Think alot of it is really just couldn't be bothered putting effort into it. Get the kids involved in making the accessories and you'd be seeing alot more colour and activity. Get all the artists to put thought into mobile projects, big colour.

Limerick really needs a PR person to take the city in charge and make the best to everything it has to offer.

TheLoc

This is proof that there was no advertising. I actually presumed this was about the parade haha. didn't even know there was a band competition.

E.L

It was disapointing, hardly any bands and a five minute gap between them.
The actual St Patricks day parade was excellent .

bazz26

We counted 8 or 9 bands in total on Sunday, dreadful. Apparently there was only 1 from outside the country.

Parade was not much better, as already said too much advertising. Sad thing is if there were no advertising floats it would have been over in ten minutes.

The only reason we went was for my child's benefit.

Poxyshamrock

oh well wrote: »

there were alot of overseas bands in the country at various venues yesterday. I wonder was there any marketing done to entice them all to Limerick.

See, it's not the recession's fault now is it?

Futureama just didn't bother their arse asking them to come down.

Eightball did a much better job with Paddy's day and....
...don't get me started on last year's riverfest...not even fireworks.

phog

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

See, it's not the recession's fault now is it?

Futureama just didn't bother their arse asking them to come down.

Eightball did a much better job with Paddy's day and....
...don't get me started on last year's riverfest...not even fireworks.

That's some statement to make, can you back it up?

Poxyshamrock

phog wrote: »

That's some statement to make, can you back it up?

I can yeah.

ninty9er

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I can yeah.

Please do. I'd like to read how you know.

phog

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I can yeah.

We're waiting........................

Poxyshamrock

phog wrote: »

We're waiting........................

It was a terrible Intl. Band competition, and Futureama were in charge. They should be doing more to attract bands [who aren't being kept out of Ireland due to the recession and were present in Cork, Galway and Dublin on March 17th] to Limerick. It's been done before and this year they didn't do it, so it appears as if they're not doing the best job at making it a proper event and not a little stroll down O'Connell st with one band at Leavys and the next not visible it's so far up O'Connell st.

And as for the main parade....if it was advertised as being a celebration of Treaty Cabs, wheelie bins and Adare shutters then fair enough...but I still can't get my head around how a van promoting school lunches can claim to celebrate our national saint.

They're not doing a good job.
And I'm not alone with my opinion either.

zuroph

oh lord, who's in charge of riverfest? thats my favourite weekend of the year. please dont let em f it up.

phog

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

See, it's not the recession's fault now is it?

Futureama just didn't bother their arse asking them to come down.

Eightball did a much better job with Paddy's day and....
...don't get me started on last year's riverfest...not even fireworks.

phog wrote: »

That's some statement to make, can you back it up?

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

It was a terrible Intl. Band competition, and Futureama were in charge. They should be doing more to attract bands [who aren't being kept out of Ireland due to the recession and were present in Cork, Galway and Dublin on March 17th] to Limerick. It's been done before and this year they didn't do it, so it appears as if they're not doing the best job at making it a proper event and not a little stroll down O'Connell st with one band at Leavys and the next not visible it's so far up O'Connell st.

And as for the main parade....if it was advertised as being a celebration of Treaty Cabs, wheelie bins and Adare shutters then fair enough...but I still can't get my head around how a van promoting school lunches can claim to celebrate our national saint.

They're not doing a good job.
And I'm not alone with my opinion either.

Hearsay and opinion is all you seem to have. I'm not arguing that the Band Parade was good but you cant just say the organising company didn't bother their arse without some evidence.

goingpostal

I thought the Intl bands parade was good. I love the marching band music, i've missed it for the last few years so was glad to see it again. Sammy Benson is a legend. It would have been nice to see a few more bands but fair play to all the bands that took part. Futurama's website is a joke, it looks like it hasn't been updated for about ten years, doesn't say much for them when they are supposed to be a promotions company. I wouldn't let them organise an orgy in a brothel, they'd probably forget the hookers.
I didn't bother with the st patricks day parade, it is a joke, if i want to watch ads i will put on the telly. No companies should be allowed to advertise at it. Usually all they do is drive their branded truck down the road with some smug tosser at the wheel and some dolly birds hanging out the window with their chats hanging out. Shocking stuff. All them bums down at city hall should be horsewhipped for being lazy, ah-sure-it'll-do gimps. They'd probably enjoy it, mind.