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MB History Question - 70/80s Drumlines & Aussies

Posted by AA on 6/7/2026, 1:36 pm

A quick marching band history question for everyone:

If you think back to many high school marching band performances from the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was common to see drumlines wearing aussies while the rest of the ensemble wore shakos.

What was the stylistic reasoning behind giving the drumline a distinct look? What where the typical visual design trends of the era, practical considerations, or some combination of factors?

I'd also be interested in hearing about any broader uniform and visual trends in marching bands during that period.

Thanks for the info!

Re: MB History Question - 70/80s Drumlines & Aussies

Posted by Me on 6/8/2026, 8:59 am, in reply to "MB History Question - 70/80s Drumlines & Aussies"

When I was in high school, our drumline didn't wear shakos for the first couple years. Not due to a style issue - but because the front ensemble doesn't wear shakos, and they wanted to match.

Re: MB History Question - 70/80s Drumlines & Aussies

Posted by NotInTheBusinessAnymore on 6/8/2026, 8:40 am, in reply to "MB History Question - 70/80s Drumlines & Aussies"

If I am wrong about this, someone will surely correct me.

I don't know how many high school marching bands did what you describe. But if they did, their inspiration was likely the 27th Lancers. The 27th Lancers were a founding member of DCI and were based in Revere Massachusetts. Unfortunately, they folded in 1986. They finished 2nd to the Blue Devils in 1980 in Birmingham.

Their uniforms were all based on British military uniforms and each section, the hornline, drumline, and color guard had a different uniform. With the Lancers, it was actually the hornline that wore the Aussie hats.

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