The Most Outrageous Rider Demands Musicians Have Made

Tour Riders

When musicians go on tour they have something called a tour rider. These riders are contracts the act signs with the venue owners and operators in which they lay out specific things they want and need for them to do the show. 

There will be stuff in the rider about the lighting, the sound, set up, and other aspects of the actual show. But what we're more interested in here are those weird, crazy, funny and often outrageous backstage demands.

Van Halen: No Brown M&Ms

This might be the most famous rider of all time, and for years people thought Van Halen were being total rock star divas for demanding that a bowl of M&Ms be backstage with all the brown ones removed. 

But they actually had a good reason: Van Halen got the idea that a lot of places didn't read the rider, so they put the rule in as a test. If they walked into their dressing room and they saw brown M&Ms, they'd know if the venue had read the rider. Pretty smart right?

Warner Records, Wikimedia Commons

Van Halen: KY jelly

The same rider that had the "no brown M&Ms” on it also demanded the band be provided, "1 large tube of KY jelly". We don't know if that was also just a test for the promoter or something they really needed.

Abby Gillardi, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Beyoncé: 78 Degrees

No, that's not some Nick Lachey knock-off band, that's the temperature Beyonce wants her dressing room kept at. She can also only be seen with Pepsi products (nothing Coke).

Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Aerosmith: 3-Minute Corn

After Aerosmith got sober, there was no more booze ever allowed backstage. However, they did demand a keg of draft root beer and fresh ears of corn on the cob that had been cooked for precisely three minutes.

Photography Stock Ruiz, Shutterstock

Axl Rose: Wonder Bread

You might think a rockstar would request some fancy bread that can only be found in like three bakeries across the country. But not Axl Rose! For one of his riders in the past Mr. Rose demanded a bunch of Italian food (pizza, pasta, etc) and white bread on the side. But not just any white bread. It had to be Wonder Bread.

A.PAES, Shutterstock

Jay-Z: A Late Model Maybach ('57 or '62) With Tinted Windows

If Jay-Z is going to need transportation, it's got to be a Maybach. I'm the same way.

Brian Friedman, Shutterstock

Jay-Z: 7 Dressing Rooms

Jay-Z's entourage is so big that he demands seven dressing rooms as part of his rider.

Debby Wong, Shutterstock

Bush: Female Security

For one of their tours, rock band Bush made sure that at least 10% of the security personnel at their show was female.

J.A. Dunbar, Shutterstock

Kanye West: Cocktail Slushy Machine

On his Saint Pablo tour, Kanye needed a slushy machine in his dressing room with Coke and Hennessy as well as Grey Goose and lemonade mixes.

Jason Persse, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Rihanna: Very Specific Drapery

Besides white drapery to cover any lockers or bricks in her dressing room, RiRi also requires the venue to “Pipe and Drape the room in Dark Blue or Black drapes with Icy Blue Chiffon draped nicely on top”

Debby Wong, Shutterstock

The Beatles: Integrated Audience

When the Beatles crossed the pond to tour America in 1965 they asked for stuff like clean towels and a portable television set. However, the most significant thing in their rider at the time (remember, this is 1965 America), was that they would not be "required to perform before a segregated audience".

United Press International, Wikimedia Commons

Korn: 72 Towels And A Lawyer

Korn didn't just demand a lawyer, they had a clause requesting "access to a 'Rock Friendly' lawyer". And while asking for towels isn't crazy at all, how did they decide that 72 was the perfect amount of towels they would need? That’s what we want to know.

Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Katy Perry: NO Carnations

We don't know what carnations did to Katy Perry in the past, but we do know she doesn't like them. She wants plenty of flowers in her dressing room, and she has specific color requests as well. 

When it comes to the white ones, hydrangeas, roses, peonies and orchids are all good. But ABSOLUTELY NO CARNATIONS.

Ali Shaker/VOA, Wikimedia Commons

Johnny Cash: American Flag

This wasn't for his dressing room. Instead Cash had to have an an American flag on a pole, "in full view of the audience throughout the show."

Heinrich Klaffs, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Billy Idol: I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!

If you were wondering who eats I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, well, we know at least one person... Billy Idol. The White Wedding singer knows what he likes and along with asking for Doritos cheese chips and Chips Ahoy chocolate cookies, he also put it in his contract that I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! needed to be there.

possan, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Trent Reznor: Corn Starch

On an episode of Friends, Ross found out how sweat and leather pants don't work well together. This is obviously something Trent Reznor has known for a while given that one of his rider clauses is two boxes of corn starch. No chaffing for Trent!

monophonicgirl, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Foo Fighters: No Martin Lawrence

While the Foo Fighters have been cool with venues providing used DVDs for their entertainment in the past, all they asked was that the movies provided don't include any sports titles or Martin Lawrence. 

Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ozzy Osborne: Oxygen and a Doctor

We're going back to 1999 for this one. With his crazy, younger wild days behind him, what Ozzy Osbourne wanted on this tour was oxygen tanks available at load-in and an ear, nose and throat doctor.

Kyle Overholtzer, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bon Jovi: Chicken Soup

We know it's good for your soul, but apparently chicken soup is good for Bon Jovi as well. For one of his riders there was the request for "one large urn containing hot, homemade, low-fat chicken noodle soup".

Rosana Prada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bruce Springsteen: Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

In 2002 Springsteen had young children, so his rider included food for them, like chicken fingers and tater tots. For The Boss himself though there was required no fewer than four cinnamon raisin bagels.

Stian Schløsser Møller, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Lil Wayne: Private Jet

Forget about a tour bus, Lil Wayne demands a PJ for his shows. As well as a police escort.

Megan Elice Meadows, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Cher: Wig Room

It isn't all the wigs that are outrageous, it's the fact Cher had a traveling room for all of them.

Raph_PH, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 

Mary J. Blige: New toilet Seat

Along with her own private bathroom, Blige requests a brand new toilet seat at every stop. 

Donna Lou Morgan, Wikimedia Commons

Cheap Trick: No Domino's Pizza

Domino's might be the biggest pizza chain in the country, but Cheap Trick doesn't like it and won't accept it in their dressing room.

Geoffrey Clowes, Shutterstock

David Bowie: Fruit Bowl

The crazy thing isn't that Bowie asked for a fruit bowl in one of his riders. The crazy thing is that that was the only food he wanted.

Tony Barnard, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Don Henley: No Undesignated People

The presence of anyone backstage who wasn't supposed to be there (even if it was just to bring in a coffee) would "CAUSE ARTIST TO BECOME EXTREMELY UPSET."

Derek Russell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Guess Who: Tim Hortons

Anyone who grew up in Canada (like the members of The Guess Who) understand the place Tim Hortons has in society. So, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the band had a coffee rider that stated it had to be either Starbucks or Tim Hortons.

RCA Records, Wikimedia Commons

Iggy Pop: The Seven Dwarves

We aren't sure how seriously to take this one. But In Iggy Pop's dressing room his manager requested an English language newspaper, as well as a Bob Hope impersonator and the seven dwarves from Snow White. And if the latter two weren't available, then a belly dancer would be fine.

taniavolobueva, Shutterstock

Jack White: Guacamole

But not just any guacamole. Jack White provided the recipe for venues to make guac just the way he likes it.

The White House staff, Wikimedia Commons

James Taylor: A Few Simple Things

All Taylor needs is Kleenex, Neutrogena soap, and a newspaper.

Ben Houdijk, Shutterstock

Motley Crue: A Boa Constrictor

Along with a 12-foot-long boa constrictor, the band (after they got sober) requested the locations of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Bjornsphoto, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Kid Rock: White Tank Tops

Of course we know that the white tank top was the signature piece of Kid Rock's look. However, we're kind of surprised he didn't have enough of his own and needed the venues to provide a pack of them backstage.

Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Madonna: Her Own Furniture

It must be tough being on the road for so long and away from your home. Well not for Madonna. Back in the day at least, she would have her home furniture shipped to every stop. 

She also demanded 20 international phone lines. We know that concept doesn't even make sense to today's generation, but back a couple decades ago, that was pretty ballin'.

chrisweger, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Sting: What's Available

In a rider from 2000 Sting did require some ginger root. But he was also pretty relaxed about some other things, even writing in the contract that they, "understand that in some venues we will have to make the best of what is available". Talk about shocking!

Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Sir Paul McCartney: Animal Free Products

This doesn't just include the food either. We're talking even the furniture should be made of animal-free materials. Sir Paul doesn't even want faux animal prints in the room. Also, the black stretch limo...no leather seats!

Debby Wong, Shutterstock

Mariah Carey: Drapes

It would appear that Divas love drapes. Just like Rihanna had specific requests for the drapes in her dressing room, so too does Ms. Carey. Every room must be draped for the singer (black drapes are fine). Yes, that means there is more than one room. 

Which leads us to another Carey rider that requires the entrance to open into the living space—not the dressing room.

Everett Collection, Shutterstock

Jeff Beck: Armless Chairs

We assume that's because it's hard to play guitar sitting in a chair with arms. Agreed?

Takahiro Kyono, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Grace Jones: Oysters

We know oysters aren't that outrageous a request. But we wanted to mention this one because we love the fact that while Ms. Jones asked for oysters, she made it very clear that she would shuck them herself. How awesome is that?!

Stu Collier, Shutterstock

Taylor Swift: Starbucks (If She Arrives Early)

If Swift is arriving before 11am she requires a very specific Starbucks order:

1 Grande ICED Caramel Latte w/ 2 sweet-n-lows

1 Grande ICED Americano w/ 2 sweet-n-lows with soy milk

1 slice pumpkin loaf

Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Drake: Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap

We aren't sure if he had it when he was starting at the bottom. But now that Drake has gotten "here," he loves him some Nivea chapstick and Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap. To quote the rapper: the soap "tingles the body and clears the mind."

musicisentropy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons