Canada vs. Mexico, Seattle July 11/13, Pre-Match Planning Thread

[nolbertos]

Good luck to any Canadians going to the game in Seattle now. At least the Mexicans won't pick a fight with you guys in the stadium, once Canada gets demolished by Mexico, they'll be happy and drunk. At least the Panama - Martinique match sounds more exciting now to watch

[shermanator]

Although I am not going, I imagine beer and lots of it will be required pre-match

[rob.notenboom]

Although I am not going, I imagine beer and lots of it will be required pre-match

Pre, during, and post.

[Blue and White Army]

Sam, are you planning to print some of those chant sheets that you helpfully put together?

[Sam]

Sam, are you planning to printing some of those chant sheets that you helpfully put together?

Yup I can do that - how many will we need?

[Blue and White Army]

Yup I can do that - how many will we need?

Somewhere between 50 and 100, I would guess. Doubt we'll hit 100; 50 might be enough, but you might want to print a little bit more, just in case we meet some Canada supporters at the pub who won't be in our section (e.g. those who purchased tickets via the Whitecaps and will be scattered throughout the stadium).

[Sam]

Somewhere between 50 and 100, I would guess. Doubt we'll hit 100; 50 might be enough, but you might want to print a little bit more, just in case we meet some Canada supporters at the pub who won't be in our section (e.g. those who purchased tickets via the Whitecaps and will be scattered throughout the stadium).

Just packing now and realized I won't actually have space for these If anyone in Vancouver could help out they can take mine or make their own.

[Blue and White Army]

Just packing now and realized I won't actually have space for these If anyone in Vancouver could help out they can take mine or make their own.

Did you make a second version, or was it just that first one?

[ted]

Is there a PDF version? I print and bring LSBs songbooks. I could do some copies and bring a few with me.

[nolando]

I'm coming too and still holding an extra ticket in our section for anyone interested.

[Blue and White Army]

Is there a PDF version? I print and bring LSBs songbooks. I could do some copies and bring a few with me.

Sam made this PDF, and I posted a bunch of additional songs that could be added, if someone has time to make a second draft.

[Mapleblood]

As the rules do not allow bringing a full-size piñata of a Mexico supporter filled with plastic one-shots of Mezcal, I also have an extra ticket in the hardcore section. Fado looks like a good pre-game venue.

[Sam]

That looks way better than the one I made. Good mix of Vancouver songs and Canada songs from Toronto games.

[Blue and White Army]

EDIT: please have a look at the following attachment which is a .pdf file which should be printed double-sided and then folded into a booklet.

So one of mine, four of Sam's, and nine of your own, eh?

Personally I feel that "We will follow" & "I just can't get enough" have been done to death by every single MLS supporters group, and have become too common and generic. My advice would be to dump them.

The fruit-picking song is borderline (if not overtly) racist - not a bright idea since we'll be outnumbered 50-1. If one copy of that songsheet ends up in the hands of Mexican supporters, things won't get pretty. Ditch it.

And I assume that since the majority of the songs on your sheet are Victoria songs, that you're offering to capo? Having mostly Victoria songs but not a capo from Victoria seems like a recipe for a quiet night, if you ask me.

[Grizzly]

There are too many negative, anti-Mexico songs in the list. Negative songs can be good when two club teams really hate each other or even with countries that have a fierce rivalry but I think we have to be careful for Canada matches what type of negative songs we sing. It doesn't really give us a good image and we can't sing anti-Mexican or anti-Honduran songs and then turn around and wonder why Canadians with roots in those countries do not cheer for Canada. And I agree with BWA about the fruit-picking song, if we are going to mock something about Mexico I don't think it should be the fact that they have a lot of poor people who do migrant labour in richer countries like Canada.

There are also too many popular melodies with the words changed. Occasionally such songs work but for the most part they are just lame and make it sound like a group is unable to come up with any original or real football songs. One of the reasons that many of the MLS supporters groups suck is they use so many of these songs.

We should keep at least one of the French songs that Sam and BWA had. Being a bilingual country is part of our identity.

Yellow P-ussy Boots? What is the relevance of that?

[Soju]

Better just shout "YOU ARE POOR YOU ARE POOR YOU ARE POOR" for 90 minutes. Made me a lot of friends at the China v. Kazakhstan friendly.

[ted]

So one of mine, four of Sam's, and nine of your own, eh?

I would have used more of yours but there is no point doing lots of one or two liners. Song sheets are needed for longer, more complex lyrics. I simply tried to fill the sheet with songs that work.

Personally I feel that "We will follow" & "I just can't get enough" have been done to death by every single MLS supporters group, and have become too common and generic. My advice would be to dump them.

We need some "standards" that most people can follow. BTW what is "I just can't get enough"? Sorry I'm musically illiterate.

The fruit-picking song is borderline (if not overtly) racist - not a bright idea since we'll be outnumbered 50-1. If one copy of that songsheet ends up in the hands of Mexican supporters, things won't get pretty. Ditch it.

Really? We used that one against teams from the Okanagan all the time in the PCSL. It is racist to suggest they play so badly they should do manual labour? Where exactly is the racism?

Of course that is my opinion so I will accept whatever the consensus is before I print something with the Vees name attached.

And I assume that since the majority of the songs on your sheet are Victoria songs, that you're offering to capo? Having mostly Victoria songs but not a capo from Victoria seems like a recipe for a quiet night, if you ask me.

I will do what I can. I usually lead a good portion of songs. All it takes is someone to get things started.

[Grizzly]

Go home and pick some fruit? Better just shout "YOU ARE POOR YOU ARE POOR YOU ARE POOR" for 90 minutes. Made me a lot of friends at the China v. Kazakhstan friendly.

What country were you shouting it at? Both?

[ted]

There are too many negative, anti-Mexico songs in the list.

We are playing against Mexico. What are we supposed to sing? "We love you Mexico"?

There are also too many popular melodies with the words changed. Occasionally such songs work but for the most part they are just lame and make it sound like a group is unable to come up with any original or real football songs. One of the reasons that many of the MLS supporters groups suck is they use so many of these songs.

Riiiiiight, they suck like the supporters in England who do the same thing. "Filk" songs have a long and glorious tradition in large part because people know the tune and only have to learn the words. There is no way we are going to teach complex lyrics AND melodies to a bunch of drunken supporters in the pub Thursday afternoon.

We should keep at least one of the French songs that Sam and BWA had. Being a bilingual country is part of our identity.

Love to. Which ones have actual been sung by a number of attendees so they can be taught to us in the pub? I know three standard high school French songs and none if them seem to be on the sheet.

Yellow P-ussy Boots? What is the relevance of that?

Yeah, just kinda random filler. Here in Victoria we don't like bright yellow or orange cleats so it amuses us. Happy to replace it with something more relevant.

[Lord Bob]

If there's one lesson I've learned over the years, it's that trying to do francophone chants with a bunch of people who don't really know the chant and aren't really bilingual is a recipe for failure.

[Grizzly]

We are playing against Mexico. What are we supposed to sing? "We love you Mexico"?

We should be singing songs supporting Canada. As I said negative songs can work if there is a strong rivalry between the teams and countries but the only country we have a relationship like that to is the US. When that is lacking you end up with songs that are borderline offensive because they are playing on stereotypes or ones that are just generic like your bonfire song for which you could substitute any country in the world for Mexico and Panama.

Riiiiiight, they suck like the supporters in England who do the same thing. "Filk" songs have a long and glorious tradition in large part because people know the tune and only have to learn the words. There is no way we are going to teach complex lyrics AND melodies to a bunch of drunken supporters in the pub Thursday afternoon.

If England is your ideal of support that is the problem right there. There was a time when England had one of the best supporting cultures in Europe but that was killed off in the name of fighting hooliganism and corporatizing the game. Regardless, the occasional song with changed words can work, when it is 3/4 of the songs it is lame.

Love to. Which ones have actual been sung by a number of attendees so they can be taught to us in the pub? I know three standard high school French songs and none if them seem to be on the sheet.

The Massive on Sam's sheet is very easy to learn.

[Bully]

Go home and pick some fruit? Better just shout "YOU ARE POOR YOU ARE POOR YOU ARE POOR" for 90 minutes. Made me a lot of friends at the China v. Kazakhstan friendly.

Hahah gold

[ted]

...ones that are just generic like your bonfire song for which you could substitute any country in the world for Mexico and Panama.

Hell-o! That is the point. We use that one every game changing the locations for the opponent in front of us. That is how it's supposed to work.

Look, I appreciate your point but there is a huge difference between club supporters who get together regularly and can come up with original chants. I would much prefer all original chants but the reality is we have to use known tunes or we are just going to revert to endless repetitions of "Oogie Oogie Oogie, Oi Oi Oi" and "Let's go Canada, let's go <clap clap>".

If England is your ideal of support that is the problem right there. There was a time when England had one of the best supporting cultures in Europe but that was killed off in the name of fighting hooliganism and corporatizing the game. Regardless, the occasional song with changed words can work, when it is 3/4 of the songs it is lame.

Sorry I don't speak German or Dutch and have the time to translate and teach to small groups of Voyageurs across the country. And just for the record, the lower leagues of Britain are home to some of the most dynamic and active supporters you will find anywhere on the planet.

The Massive on Sam's sheet is very easy to learn.

Awesome, I will add it back in.

EDIT: There is no tune for "The Massive", which is why I did not use it. Is there a video somewhere or is someone going to be in Seattle @ Fado who can teach us?

[ted]

All right, second draft:Voyageurs_Songbook_2013_v2.pdf

Better?

[madmonte]

Go home and pick some fruit? Better just shout "YOU ARE POOR YOU ARE POOR YOU ARE POOR" for 90 minutes. Made me a lot of friends at the China v. Kazakhstan friendly.

Ouch. If "go home and pick some fruit" comes up on a song list, expect me to go silent for a few bars.