News

Music's Most Ridiculous Riders

• 7th Oct 2010

In more Gaga News, I’ve just read that the singer demands an oxygen tank in her dressing room for every show. And it is also apparently vital that her personal backstage area is stocked with honey.

Quite what happens if there requests aren’t met is anyone’s guess.

But the point is that venues are forced to meet the increasingly bizarre demands of top acts. And you wonder how many of the items on their riders are actually necessary and how many are there just because these over pampered stars get so used to having their every whim met.

Most concert riders are fairly straightforward. They usually involve large amounts of alcohol and some food. Well, what else would you want before going on stage? Some will try for drugs, legal and illegal. But others stretch things as far as they can.

Rapper Jay Z is demanding. His rider includes bottles of expensive champagne and wine as well as peanut butter and jelly. And it has to be high quality peanut butter and jelly. Prince meanwhile needs a personal physician on hand to give him a vitamin shot before his shows.

US rock band Limp Bizkit insist that all the lamps in their rooms be dimmable, while Mariah Carey insists on having bendy straws as she will not use straight ones. And Madonna always demands a brand new toilet seat for her exclusive use. Can’t be too careful, can you?

This is not a new phenomenon though. Legend Johnny Cash used to demand a large US flag at every venue he played, while Van Halen were for many years the kings of the rider. The band demanded a large bowl of M&Ms be delivered to their dressing room – with all of the brown ones removed!

Providing all of these items means additional costs for venues. And how do they recoup their cash? Through higher ticket prices.

So at the end of the day it is the fans who pay for the demands of their favourites.