Hey, Katy Perry doesn’t want to be called a diva because of some her backstage demands!
These backstage rider demands are contained in a 42-page document, which includes healthy stuff like “fruits (two large baskets, one must be tropical) and vegetables (at all times), hummus and Kombucha” during the afternoon.
Just before she goes on, requested a bowl of whole fresh organic fruit, dried and unsweetened apples or pears, freeze dried strawberries, chips and salsa, Newman’s Own high protein pretzels as well as Snyder’s of Hanover honey mustard and onion pretzels, with a range of wine and soft drinks.
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Egg Chairs
So far quite sensible. But on her 2011 US tour, La Perry also demanded her dressing room draped in cream or soft pink, two cream-coloured egg chairs, a “Perspex modern style” coffee table, a pair of floor lamps in “French ornate style”, and the refrigerator had to have a glass door.
As for flowers, first choice is “white and purple hydrangeas, pink & white roses and peonies.” If not, a “selection of seasonal white flowers to include white orchids.”
But, in full caps, “ABSOLUTELY NO CARNATIONS.”
Staying at the YWCA is no option. Just a presidential suite in a five star hotel with free internet access.
Limo Drivers
Limo drivers can’t talk to her, her entourage or fans. Nor will they glance at her in the rear view mirror. Requests for photos and autographs are dodge balled.
Promoters must also give her manager some tickets to be sold to secondary market ticket retailers and profits going to Katy’s company Kitty Purry Inc.
Perry, when confronted about these demands, rejected that she was a diva.
“I’m sorry, if you lived on the road every single day and were out of different hotel rooms, don’t you want comfort? Don’t you want some sliced turkey? I want some sliced turkey. And some baby wipes.”
Crazy Demands
There are some crazy demands. Motley Crue wanted a sub machine gun, a 12-foot boa constrictor, and a list of nearby Alcoholics’ Anonymous sessions.
KoRn wanted the number of a “rock friendly” lawyer, just in case, and 72 towels.
On US tours, Men At Work requested no Fosters beer. Cher wanted a room just for wigs, for herself and her dancers.
After her 2014 split from Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez gave instructions that any of her crew named Justin had to use another name.
Mannequin With Pubic Hair
Lady Gaga wants a mannequin with “puffy pink pubic hair”, and someone in Justin Timberlake’s entourage has to disinfect the doorknobs of his hotel room or backstage venue every two hours.
According to Complex, Drake requests two specific brands of body care items: Nivea chapstick and Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap, as they “tingled the body and clear the mind.”
Mary J Blige ensures that her “Do Not Disturb” sign has 26 exclamation points, while Prince expected a doctor backstage to give him B-12 injections and, before his 2007 show in London’s 02 Arena, wanted his own house built on the grounds.
Police Escort
Lil Wayne insisted on a private jet and a police escort. Jay-Z is very specific: a state of the art huge luxury Maybach (’57 or ’62) with tinted windows, and Pharrell Williams wants a Rolls Royce.
During Mariah Carey’s visit to China, promoters were told to have four vehicles to carry her 60 pieces of luggage… including 350 pairs of shoes.
$12,000 African Theme
During a lengthy run at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Elton John wanted his dressing room changed to have an “African theme”, at a cost of $12,000.
Bush requested that 10% of venue security be female. On his promo comedy tour for Semi Pro, Will Ferrell wanted an electric scooter, a painted rainbow on wheels and a 15-foot-tall fake tree.
A = AC/DC OXYGEN
Angus Young turned 69 years old in March, and Brian Johnson was 77 last month.
Senior citizens shouldn’t exert themselves, especially when cranking out masterful power riffs.
Akka-Dakka need three oxygen tanks and three masks.
Before the show they indulge in “fun size” candy bars and a selection of imported English cheese and crackers before a concert.
They are to be provided with one case of Heineken but, in caps, “NO BEER IN DRESSING ROOMS PRIOR TO SHOW.”
They wanted three dressing rooms, with sofas, armchairs, lamps, coffee table, end tables, live potted trees and rugs/carpets.
B = BEYONCE’s $900 STRAWS
If you manage to sneak past her brickhouse security team into Queen Bey’s backstage quarters, the first thing you’ll notice is that it’s kept at 78 degrees.
If you’re asked to dine, you get chicken legs heavy on fresh garlic, season salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper, Pepsi (not Coke), hand-carved ice balls and alkaline water sipped through $900 titanium straws.
Each bathroom she visits must have a new toilet seat.
C = CAKE FACE
House DJ superstar Steve Aoki began throwing cakes into the audience from 2011 while spinning the track “Turn Up The Volume” by Autoerotique, whose video depicting candles blowing up after someone blew out the candles went viral.
The cakes aren’t made by Aoki as a symbolic gesture to his tribe, or bought at the local supermarket.
According to Billboard, the “Cake Face” white sponges have to be made by a baker in each city, to a specific recipe, size (12 x 16 inches), ingredients (25% cake, 75% whipped cream frosting) and served on expanded polystyrene foam board so they don’t injure the crowd member.
Any mistake in their making results in the promoter fined $5,000.
D = DUMBELLS
“When I’m performing I have to keep my wind up,” Eminem says.
“It’s never cool to be out of breath — anywhere, doing anything — but especially onstage. So I ran and did regular sit-ups and push-ups. For a while I even got into boxing.”
Which is why Eminem needs to be supplied with 25 pound dumbbells, alongside 24 bottles of Diet Coke, 12 cans of Diet Coke, 6 cans of sugar-free Red Bull, 6 Verner ginger ale soda, 12 oz bottles of spring water (“no Evian”), bread, large fresh jumbo shrimps with cocktail sauce and plenty of lemons, and a jar of banana pepper rings.
E = EXERCISE
U2’s in-the-round 360° World Tour (2009–11) had a stunning production, with the largest ever stage production (164 feet or 50 m tall) with the four legged space age The Claw structure, each of the three sets costing between £15 million and £20 million, and needing 120 trucks.
Backstage was as spectacular. Before the extensive tour, the four had toned themselves up with treadmills and healthy buffets.
Bono, then 48, asked for a gym, sports area, and a footy pitch built at every venue.
Health Chefs
Also set up in each city was a health restaurant with “top health food chefs to prepare them low-carb snacks and high energy protein shakes”, said a source.
These included white egg omelettes, low-carb chicken salads, energy drinks and stir-fried vegetables.
F = FOO FIGHTERS AND THEIR FAT ROADIES
Foo Fighters had one of the funniest riders yet, topped by the instruction that their “fat roadies” be fed as soon as they arrived to boost their energy for “their arduous 70 to 90 minute work day.”
To avoid smelly farts, they requested the crews be given vegetarian soups.
The 2008 rider also wanted one bag of Pirate Booty (puffed corn and rice snack food), a selection of cereals not recycled from “last night’s Dio show”, four bottles of Gatorade in “wacky colours” and DVDs that don’t feature Jamie Kennedy, Martin Lawrence or sports.
G = GOATS, SNOW WHITE
Slayer’s rider was a hilarious send up of outrageous demands by puffed-up rock acts.
High on the list were “100 snow-white goats for slaughter” along with 50,000 live bees, ten cases of children’s yoghurt Gogurt, a fitness training equipment Bowflex, and a human skull filled with Red Hots candy.
H = HOPE, BOB
Iggy Pop’s 18-page rider from 2006 ranks among the best ever for ridiculous demands.
One was a somebody dressed as Bob Hope to do the dead American comedian’s “jokes about golf and Hollywood and Bing Crosby.”
If they couldn’t get one, promoters could try “Seven dwarves, dressed up as those dwarves out of that marvellous Walt Disney film about the woman who goes to sleep for a hundred years after biting a poisoned dwarf, or maybe after pricking her finger on a rather sharp apple… or something.”
Morbid Obese People
He wanted a copy of USA Today which included a feature story about morbidly obese people.
“I get paid enough to buy my own drugs and dinner. So I would like you to donate, say, 50 US dollars to a local homeless charity in lieu of the stuff I could possibly have consumed.”
Interesting
He added to the promoter: “You know what would be really nice? If you could make this room look less like a typical rock & roll dressing room and more sort of… interesting? Are you with me?”
“Just let someone loose with a little bit of artistic flair… Er, do you know any homosexuals? And am I allowed to say that? Probably not.”
He was specific about his food and drinks. “1 case of coke in cans. Well I think it’s disgusting stuff.”
“Like McDonalds predigested sandwiches. Do you know, if I had to choose between a McDonalds with coke, and having my tongue ripped out and placed inside my own colon, I’d probably be licking my own arse right now…”
He ended up with, “I think that’s about it… (pause)… “Oh yes. A Yamaha MT03 motorcycle for me would be nice. To keep. With a full tank, and a helmet. Well, you can’t blame me for trying.”
I = INTERNATIONAL PHONE LINES
On her 2012 MDNA tour, Madonna wanted the living room furniture of her New York apartment shipped off to each show, so she could feel at home.
A roadie recounted it took six hours to set it up.
Once inside, rather than use her mobile, she wanted 20 international phone lines installed so she could call her friends wherever they were.
J = JUNK FOOD
Wanting KFC are/were 50 Cent (two buckets, to go with four gallons of juice), One Direction, Queen Latifah and Take That.
Britney Spears also likes the Colonel’s chickadee but also likes McDonalds cheeseburgers but without the buns.
For her 2011 show at London’s 02 Arena, she asked for a framed photo of Princess Diana along with fish and chips.
K = KANYE
Kanye West’s various requests have included a barber’s chair, a Coke and Hennessy slushy machine, Versace-only towels to wipe himself mid-show, and specified his limo drivers wear a 100% cotton suit and avoid “man-made fibres”.
He also wants Carmex lip balm, L’Occitane soap, Neutrogena face scrub and dandruff shampoo, and Nivea moisturising lotion.
L = LEATHER
Animal rights activist Paul McCartney bans meat backstage, limos must not have leather seats, and no furniture with animal skins or prints.
The area must be surrounded by flowers ($200 each with white lillies, white and pink roses) and six-foot plants and bomb sniffing dogs for a pre-show search.
M = MARLBORO LIGHTS
According to extensive report on riders by The Smoking Gun, Marlboro Lights seem to be the cigarettes of choice by most rock stars, ranging from Adele to Keith Richards.
M = MICHAEL JACKSON
Los Angeles caterer Shelley Kinnon told Billboard “For Michael Jackson at his ’89 L.A. Sports Arena show, they were measuring the table cloths because they had to be a certain length.”
“Somebody had to taste all his food before he ate it. We even had to set up a separate dressing room for Bubbles, his [chimpanzee], who was wearing a frickin’ suit.”
N = NO TALK
Lars Ulrich recalled to the Club Random podcast of the time Metallica opened for The Rolling Stones.
“So we’re sitting backstage, and – and this is in no way a judgment on the Stones, this is really more about us – at one point a personal assistant or whatever comes and says, ‘Mick Jagger’s gonna walk through here in a couple minutes.”
Private Gym
“He’s going over to his private gym in his truck, and he’s going to warm up before the show. When he walks through here, please don’t make eye contact with him or talk to him.”
O = ONE HUNDRED DOVES
At an event to turn on the Christmas lights, Mariah Carey asked for hundred white doves and a dozen kittens.
Officials nixed it for health and safety reasons.
One explained, “There was no way we could have the animals at Westfield. We do not allow pets into Westfield – that rule would apply for everyone.”
P = PANTERA
Before Pantera do their encores, a roadie is packed off to Taco Bell to pick up 12 bean burritos, 24 tacos, three taco salads and a “big bag” of hot sauce waiting for them when they steam back into the dressing room.
Q = QUEEN LATIFAH
The Queen’s 1993 rider expected to be supplied with “1 dozen Lifestyle or Rough Rider condoms.”
R = RECIPE
On the road, Jack White misses his homemade guacamole so much that he gives the caterer at each stop the exact ingredients for the recipe.
S = SOUP
Among the usual snacks and drinks, Bon Jovi asked for “one large urn containing hot, homemade, low-fat chicken noodle soup.”
T = TAYLOR SWIFT
On her Eras Tour, Tay-Tay expects to have delivered each day a Starbucks iced Americano to her hotel room.
On the road to the venue, there must be two silver SUVs, one to act as a decoy.
Backstage there must be:
1 Quart 2% Chocolate Milk
1 Bottle Welch’s Grape Juice
1 Bag Tostitos Tortilla Chips
1 stick Butter
1 Jar Pace Picante Sauce (mild)
1 (2 cup) Bag Kraft Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3 Boxes Kraft Macaroni/Cheese
1 Bag of Twizzlers Red Licorice
1 Pint Ben/Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
1 Pint Ben/Jerry’s Chocolate Brownie Frozen Yogurt
1 Box of microwave Popcorn (buttered)
1 six pack Diet Pepsi
U = US FLAG
Johnny Cash wanted on stage a US flag on a pole stand “in full view of the audience throughout the show.”
V = VAN HALEN
They started the nonsensical demands with the brown M&M’s taken out of the group bowl… but only because they had a huge list of requirements and they wanted to see if promoters were paying attention.
W = WRONG NAME
Stevie Ray Vaughan’s name was always being misspelled. So the deal offered to promoters was this.
If it was spelled wrong on ads, marquees, tickets and media releases, the promoter had to pick up the hotel tab for the guitarist, band and his entourage.
It happened a number of times, apparently. One unlucky promoter framed a poster with the wrong name and hung it on his office.
X = XCHANGE RATE
Chuck Berry, so embittered got so ripped off throughout his career that he would insist on being paid before he went on, in US dollars regardless of where he was in the world.
The contract called to play just for an hour, and that’s what he’d do, to the exact minute. To do an encore, he’d ask for more money.
Fender Amp
He’d only bring his guitar to the show but had to be furnished with a Fender Dual Showman amp, or slap organisers with a $2,000 fine.
Through that career, any sloppy or smartass promoter who tried to pay in local money would be threatened with a no-show unless they rushed out and got the right currency.
Y = YOGA INSTRUCTOR
Yoga played a big role in Madonna’s life – to give her self discipline, fitness and stage moves.
One tour stipulated that she be supplied with a yoga instructor, along with “30 bodyguards, an acupuncturist, an on-site dry cleaner, and several personal chefs.”
Z = ZZ Top
These Texas boys were specific about their food, said The Smoking Gun.
Their list of drinks and snacks included a full jar of jalapeño peppers and specific recipe and preparation instructions for a bowl of cocktail franks.
