Like a library

pjj365

Well-Known Member
#41
Glad at least one other person is seeing what I'm seeing
Obviously depends where you sit - I don't see this

One thought though - there are some good chants/songs at away games which don't seem to find their way back home. Maybe traveling fans are too spread out for home games
 

Hedd Wyn John

Well-Known Member
#42
The Devils could definitely do with some decent chants apart from the standard “duh x2 duh x3 duh x4 Devils!” Chant & the occasional (when we’re winning) “Ole x5 Devils x2” we don’t really have anything.
 

Devil94

Well-Known Member
#43
The obvious thing to do is have a standing block with the drummers, and try and get the noisy fans all in there. The question is where in the rink this would be possible.

But we saw with visiting CHL fans how just one standing block can completely change the atmosphere in the building.
 

Foxy

Well-Known Member
#44
Wagstaff - the game was very popular, and as much as I want as many Devils’ fans to be able to watch the team as possible, I think the fact that Cov fans weren’t given first bite at the tickets is disappointing. It’s a big rivalry and I’m sure there would have been more from you guys if we kept it as an away fans section only.

With regard to the noise I see quite a few factors. The first one being that the drummer reacts to the crowd instead of drives it. In Bern the drum didn’t stop unless a goal was scored (and then only for our goals), and it drove the crowd on, instead of waiting for someone to start something up.

Inhibitions being what they are the job of a drummer/megaphone wielding lunatic/crowd enthusiaser is to get the crowd going. Joining in when three people are chanting is difficult, joining when the noise is constant and you think you’ll get lost in it is a lot easier.

There is also the fact we don’t have as many fights. But hockey has moved away from that in general, due to the professionalism of the teams and the fact that we don’t need set play fights for excitement.

When they are organic they are much more exciting.

Regardless, I think a big old bass drum, and a drummer who leads the way, would make a big difference
To be fair to the club i dont think the away block seats are sold till the last few days.

If the game looks to be a sell out then the club from a financial position are not going to hold tickets back on the off chance that away fans will buy at the door. The away club are normally informed via social media that they should book in advance if that is the situation.
 

Slartibartfast

Well-Known Member
#45
Maybe its a change in the demographic . I started watching the Devils when I was 22. I loved getting involved in the chants, it made me feel part of something amazing. I even brought an air horn a few times. The atmosphere was more important than the skill. (which in comparison was very low)
Now as I knock on the door of half a century I rarely join in the chants. I don't feel the need. But I go because I love watching the speed and skill of this great game. I always jump up when we score because I still find it exciting.
Over the years I have also regularly seen posts like this saying the atmosphere is not what it was but maybe we are looking back with rose tinted glasses. The WNIR was like a library when we lost 13-0 to the Durham Wasps but when we came back from 6-1 down to win 8-6 against Murrayfield was electric.
If its a good tense game the atmosphere comes. If not just sit back and enjoy the skill and speed.
 

Milky

Active Member
#47
Great post and something ive been thinking about for a while. It’s a combination of things really.

Firstly, You can’t compare the away atmosphere with home games as everyone is penned in together at away games compared to being spread out at home. I’ve asked some people their thoughts on having a dedicated section for drummers / singers and there isn’t a huge amount of interest in moving seats. I totally respect that. If you have a good seat in a middle block for example you may not want to move for a worse view (certainly the comments I’ve had from several people). Fair enough.

Having a dedicated section would make a huge difference though but would require people moving voluntarily or being moved by the club. That is bound to disrupt and annoy some fans and if there’s one thing we know Todd doesn’t like to to its that. Goes back to the farce of the seating list when we moved into the rink in the first place. It should have been an option then in hindsight. Not sure of the solution there.

Secondly, the building itself doesn’t help. I had a tour when it was being built by the previous rink manager and was told the roof was covered in a sound insulting covering. If true then that’s going to stop sound carrying well. I sit in block 19 and can rarely hear chanting starting off. When a good few people join in then we can hear it then and try and join in.

Thirdly, I don’t think our break in play music is up to much. Judging by people’s reactions around the rink it doesn’t seem to get much of a response. Maybe some different tunes might help?

Finally, our chants!!! The most insipid and uninspiring things I’ve ever heard. ‘Devils clap, clap, clap’ or ‘Let’s go Devils clap, clap, clap, clap, clap’. Complete lack of imagination. And the fact that we have had two superb players called Joey for over 4 years now and we can’t come up with a different song for each of them. Tragic.

I’m sure there are plenty of creative people in the fan base who could come up with some songs. Maybe we should create a thread for songs on here and see what takes off.
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#48
So what clubs has awesome chants, if we are that poor then surely some of the others can teach us, or are they as poor as us, and if so then we ain’t any worse than the rest of the league.
 

august04

Well-Known Member
#49
I’ve heard the same thing said for years. In my experience, you can’t force an “atmosphere”, it just doesn’t work. It either comes naturally or not at all. Fans react to what’s happening on the ice/playing field. And when that’s exciting, the atmosphere is as good at IAW as any other arena that we’ve had, despite the lack of soul in that building (which could be improved upon). We’ve experienced it in glimpses this season, the first period v Blaze being a case in point and the home CHL games in particular. Our style of hockey of late doesn’t help either, let’s be honest and I’m sure the addition of a physical character player might help, if we can get one. When we play hard, fast and hit, the atmosphere is great. When we don’t, the atmosphere reflects that too. It’s always been that way.
 

Milky

Active Member
#50
So what clubs has awesome chants, if we are that poor then surely some of the others can teach us, or are they as poor as us, and if so then we ain’t any worse than the rest of the league.
I have no idea, I’m not comparing us to other teams, I’m just commenting on us. Surely you don’t think that they are good?
 

Gough60

Active Member
#51
We did go with individual's chants like the "Oh Justin Fareyna" though sadly we cant use that one any more.
Bentie's i haven't heard for some time, or the "we got Haddad.............."
Another thing we have not done for some time to get more involvement is RED OUT THE RINK. May help kick start some noise
the next time there is a sell out.
 

BostonBart22

Well-Known Member
#52
We did go with individual's chants like the "Oh Justin Fareyna" though sadly we cant use that one any more.
Bentie's i haven't heard for some time, or the "we got Haddad.............."
Another thing we have not done for some time to get more involvement is RED OUT THE RINK. May help kick start some noise
the next time there is a sell out.
and the clappers
 

The_Puck

Active Member
#53
So what clubs has awesome chants, if we are that poor then surely some of the others can teach us, or are they as poor as us, and if so then we ain’t any worse than the rest of the league.
Belfast fans by far have the best chants. They have chants for nearly every player and most of them are more than 2 lines.
 

Wagstaff

Well-Known Member
#57
So what clubs has awesome chants, if we are that poor then surely some of the others can teach us, or are they as poor as us, and if so then we ain’t any worse than the rest of the league.
I think most clubs are quite generic these days, you used to come out with some quite unique ones “where’s your Danton gone?” Etc in my early days.
We’ve got people on Facebook trying to share lyrics, but it doesn’t seem very successful. Short n snappy may work but if I need to learn a song sheet.... it won’t work. I also hate it when we sing another teams song with Blaze spliced into it.
 

Temme

Well-Known Member
#58
I think a lot of the fans from the BBT era ended up a little bit split, so only in larger pockets do we get the noise (behind the benches being the loudest imo, i sit opposite)

However the product on the ice has changed greatly in the last 4-5 years, bigger rink, less physical, more speed and skill, less fights and violence, this in turn has a massive impact on fan interaction and excitement levels.

That is nothing to do with the Devils, it's just evolution of the game itself. We as a club are doing whatever it takes in the modern game to be successful.
 

Sheincar

Well-Known Member
#59
Wagstaff - the game was very popular, and as much as I want as many Devils’ fans to be able to watch the team as possible, I think the fact that Cov fans weren’t given first bite at the tickets is disappointing. It’s a big rivalry and I’m sure there would have been more from you guys if we kept it as an away fans section only.

With regard to the noise I see quite a few factors. The first one being that the drummer reacts to the crowd instead of drives it. In Bern the drum didn’t stop unless a goal was scored (and then only for our goals), and it drove the crowd on, instead of waiting for someone to start something up.

Inhibitions being what they are the job of a drummer/megaphone wielding lunatic/crowd enthusiaser is to get the crowd going. Joining in when three people are chanting is difficult, joining when the noise is constant and you think you’ll get lost in it is a lot easier.

There is also the fact we don’t have as many fights. But hockey has moved away from that in general, due to the professionalism of the teams and the fact that we don’t need set play fights for excitement.

When they are organic they are much more exciting.

Regardless, I think a big old bass drum, and a drummer who leads the way, would make a big difference
As evidenced by the Guildford drummer who just doesn't stop. Makes it hard chanting in Block 10 when you're trying to be louder than him.
 

Sheincar

Well-Known Member
#60
The obvious thing to do is have a standing block with the drummers, and try and get the noisy fans all in there. The question is where in the rink this would be possible.

But we saw with visiting CHL fans how just one standing block can completely change the atmosphere in the building.
I'm noisy. I have no wish to stand or be with the drummers.
 
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