Music stars can be a little picky, especially when touring. A band’s tour rider is a great way to see the excess in all of its glory. Basically, a tour rider is a document detailing all of the on-stage and backstage demands of musicians the organizers must adhere to the day of the concert.
From taking a gander at some tour riders on the Backstage Rider section of The Smoking Gun’s website, viewers can see some pretty outrageous requests, including Van Halen’s infamous request that all brown M&M’s be removed from their dressing room candy dishes.
In all fairness to Van Halen, this request was just a test device used to measure how thoroughly concert organizers read through the band’s rider. Here are a few other tidbits I got by scanning through some of the site’s listed tour riders.
Aerosmith wanted their VIP guest room decorated in an “East Indian style.”
Backstage at her performance of the national anthem at the 2004 Super Bowl in Houston, Beyonce wanted baked chicken, with “fresh garlic, season salt, black pepper, and Cayenne pepper HEAVILY SEASONED!”
Blink 182 wanted an “X rated lesbian-themed magazine” and boxer shorts that were “J. CREW BRAND ONLY—NO SUBSTITUTES.”
For Mariah Carey’s tea, brewers “must use Poland Springs water.” She probably downed the tea with the box of bendy straws she requested.
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