It’s not easy to be a concert organizer; not content to be stressed all the time at the idea that the public does not come or that the singers arrive drunk, we must conform to what the artist writes on his rider, the document transmitted to the room and stipulating his specific requests. And generally, the requests slightly exceed the “I would like to have a bottle of white wine and something to eat”. Slightly.
1. Marilyn Manson, quite specific requests
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Marilyn Manson, who is accused of harassment, moral and physical violence and rape by several women, basically needs two things before a concert. The first, very cute, consists of dozens of packets of Haribo chocolate bears; the second, less cute, is a bald toothless prostitute.
2. Jack White, banana obsession
The guy is very specific: he doesn’t want ANY BANANAS. On the other hand, he wants long champagne flutes and wine glasses, not short ones and made of glass, not plastic; no fluorescent light, but prosciutto and salami, no photo of him, but also a prime rib of beef and guacamole made with a specific recipe. BUT NO BANANA OTHERWISE.
3. Mötley Crüe’s big nonsense
Known for their eccentricities with concert organizers, the Mötley Crüe have already requested a machine gun, the schedules of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings taking place near the concert venue and the presence of a living boa constrictor in their dressing room. Why make it simple when you can make it complicated ?
4. Blur and M&M’s
Blur is known to ask for M&M’s in its dressing room, but no green M&M’s: the organizers have to scramble to sort it out. In this, the band pays homage to Van Halen who, in the 80s, had a similar request about brown M&M’s. The singer thus destroyed his dressing room completely after seeing a brown M&M’s lying around.
5. A simple trick for Guns N’ Roses
The guys want a melon. Nothing’s easier. Except they want a square melon. Not round. Square. Get over it.
6. Robbie Williams
What Robbie Williams says about his pre-concert rider is human madness. In his dressing room, he wants 280 towels, 3 fire extinguishers, 3 dressing rooms, 6 rooms for his staff and 5 offices. He also requires a personal masseuse, 6 cooks at his service and as many bodyguards. Ah, to eat, he needs 16 liters of milk, 24 donuts, 48 eggs. And for the good vibes a photo of the Dalai Lama, a bonsai and above all a live monkey. It’s a lot.
7. Jennifer Lopez, the rehire of service
Jennifer Lopez’s dressing room must look like a spa: white walls, white furniture, 24 white roses in a white vase and 24 bottles of thawed water. Jennifer Lopez also wants coconut milk, aloe vera and all that stuff, and fresh cinnamon. And 25 black napkins for the stage.
8. Elton John, a glasses problem
On tour, Elton John asks for a separate room for his collection of 4,000 glasses that he carries around from room to room. And this room must be heated to precisely 18 degrees and have a humidity controller. Moreover, Elton John insists on having silver cutlery with encrusted diamonds and exotic fruits imported from South America.
9. James Blunt, more alcoholic than he seems
Alcoholic and precise: the guy asks for 120 beers, 12 bottles of cider, 4 bottles of vodka, 3 bottles of white wine and 2 bottles of champagne for his dressing rooms. We hope it’s to share with his friends.
10. Aznavour, the trickster
In France, Charles Aznavour was known to ask for overpriced bottles of fine wines at his concerts; but he didn’t eat them, he put them in his business and brought them back to his cellar to serve them to his guests. Not con the Charles.