Celebrity "demands" (and other oddities while on tour...)

[Charade]

Dick Cheney wants his suite at a comfy 68 degrees. And, all the televisions must be preset to Fox News Channel.

Britney Spears demands mints, Doritos and 7 clean dressing rooms.

Jennifer Lopez demands that before public appearances her path must allegedly be prepared in advance with the scent of gardenia.

Destiny's Child refuses to drink from plastic or Styrofoam.

Bill Cosby says you can't advertise his concerts in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, or the Boston Globe.

Robin Williams ' contact says that he gets two cases of bottled water per show-and one case must have the labels removed.

Carrot Top's says on Monday, he must be served pork chops, Tuesday, glazed ham, and Wednesday, spaghetti. (what? No carrots?)

J-Lo's contract also specifies that she must be provided with: "White room, white flowers, white tables and/or tablecloths, white drapes, white candles, white couches."

Mariah Carey has a special attendant in her dressing room - just to hand her towels.

Carey also demands that all posters of Christina Aguilera be taken down at the venue.

Shania Twain brings her own bomb dog in case of bomb threats.

Julia Roberts demands a constant supply of organic milk in her trailer when filming.

Madonna wants darkness. During a recent stay at an Italian villa, she wanted every garden light to be turned off so she could see the stars.

Ricky Martin asks for orange tints in the lighting to highlight his suntan.

The Backstreet Boys require 24 peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches on every tour.

Marilyn Manson demands a box filled with kitty litter in his dressing room in case the bathrooms are out of order.

The Dixie Chicks specifically request arenas to take steps to turn some men's restroom into temporary women's facilities.

Jimmy Buffett insists that he'll be the first guy to eat backstage at his appearances.

Mary J Blige demands a brand new toilet seat is installed for her at each of her shows.

Rapper 50 Cent insists on Heineken, chilled shrimp and two boxes of condoms.

Ashlee Simpson demands Throat Coat tea, which is used by people who sing.

David Bowie wants a Mr. Coffee brand machine in his personal dressing room.

Bruce Springsteen demands a special security guard to watch over the band's guitars.

Paul McCartney won't ride in a limousine with leather seats.

Cher insists on watching Turner Classic or American Movie Channel in her dressing room.

Stevie Nicks wants spotlight operators who speak English as their first language

The Black Eyed Peas demand a "sober engineer" to handle the sound at their concerts.

 

[Nevergrow'nup]

I agree with the Dixie Chicks, there is NEVER enough ladies bathrooms!!

 

[escape]

The Black Eyed Peas demand a "sober engineer" to handle the sound at their concerts.

Now I think this is going a little too far! Geez, the things these people demand.

 

[Charade]

Now I think this is going a little too far! Geez, the things these people demand.

Really, next thing they'll want is sober fans!!!

 

[ducklite]

Actually none of these is too out of control. I've seen riders that were a lot worse. Barry Manilow's is one of them, Celine Dion's is another.

Almost everything on that list (except Jo Lo's Gardenia/White requests) are pretty standard, and I can see the reasons behind most of them.

Most acts have specific meals on specific days, otherwise they'd end up with penne pasta and baked chicken every day of the week.

Britney's food requests are far from over the top, and the seven clean dressing rooms would be one for her, one for her female singers/dancers, one for her male dancers, one for her male singers/band, one for meet and greet, one for musical warm-up, and the last could be any number of valid thing--dancers warm up, hospitality, etc.

Most performers have specific lighting requests, the hardcore band Bloodsimple only wants red lighting. Seether wants a lot of green. Years ago over half of Joan Jetts par cans had to be ungelled--no color.

Buffets desire to be first to eat is so that the local crew doesn't scarf up all the food first. Most bands rquire a security person to watch guitars and stage gear, as well as dressing rooms. As far as teh new toilet seat, if you've ever seen what some of those backstage areas looked like, you'd want a new one too. My guess is that the 24 PB&J's are "bus food", a sandwich for each member of the band and crew to have after the gig. If that's all they are asking for, they are being very kind.

All and all, I see very little outrageous requests on that list.

Anne

 

[Muffin]

Ashlee Simpson demands Throat Coat tea, which is used by people who sing.

Umm, why???

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Umm, why???

Good one!!

 

[blowinbubbles]

I've seen these documents at "The Smoking Gun." Talk about a time waster. . .I couldn't tear myself away from reading these things!

Oh, and my favorite one was the Jimmy Buffett one. . .hey, I thought he was supposed to be this mellow, laid-back kinda guy! <snicker>

 

[ktpool]

I've seen riders that were a lot worse. Barry Manilow's is one of them, Celine Dion's is another.

So spill it....what are the more outrageous ones you have seen? Especially Barry Manilow's, because he seems to be low maintenance, compared to Celine Dion, anyway

 

[ducklite]

So spill it....what are the more outrageous ones you have seen? Especially Barry Manilow's, because he seems to be low maintenance, compared to Celine Dion, anyway

Barry requires this "tunnel" like thing to be set up that runs between his dressing room and the stage. When he leaves his dressing room, no one is allowed to look at him until he gets onstage. He requires that everyone be out of the venue during his sound check. Most bands have "closed sound checks", but people who are working to set up for the show can be in the building. The food and souvenier vendors for example. he doesn't even want them there.

Outrageous would be "has been" bands that want three cases of beer and a half a case of other assorted booze, plus a gourmet meal every night.

I've seen requests for cigarettes, tube socks, condoms that even specify the brand, rolling papers, on-call manicurists, chiropractors, masueses (sp?), specific types of wine--not just "a good quality cabernet", but they would specify down to the vintage. I saw a band refuse to go onstage because the caterer didn't have Hershey's syrup for chocolate milk.

I saw a grammy winning female singer who is a recovering alcoholic pitch a fit and throw a phone across a room because the caterer made a chicken dish with a white sauce that included wine--and we all know the alcohol was burned off in the cooking process...

I saw a platinum album singer throw a deli tray off a tour bus because there was balogna or liverwiurst or something on the tray.

Eddie Van Halen pee'ed on Shinedown's deli tray--I know, off topic, but the drummer from Shinedown told me that story and I thought it was really funny.

Someday I'll write a book.

Anne

 

[icebrat001]

What does Celine do? I love her..

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Now I think this is going a little too far! Geez, the things these people demand.

I know...for crying out loud! As far as Springsteen:

Bruce Springsteen demands a special security guard to watch over the band's guitars

I mean, I am sure the band's guitars are $20 WalMart specials. Get over himself already!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

If I were a celebrity, I would demand that Rick Springfield be waiting for me in my hotel room.

 

[ducklite]

What does Celine do? I love her..

Everything that J-Lo and the other diva's on the OP's list wanted, she's wants even more. She's VERY high maintenance. I haven't worked with her, although friends have. One quit before the tour started a few years back. She said it wasn't worth the aggravation.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Oh! I thought of another one. Years ago I worked for a Brazillian death metal band. The only thing they would eat is pizza. We were in Denver on Thanksgiving in 1989, and the promoter had arranged for a really nice Thanksgiving meals with turkey, stuffing mashed, veggies, a couple nice bottles of wine, he had it set up as a nice spread, and had really gone above and beyond what the bands rider required.

The band had a fit! They made this poor guy order in a half dozen pizzas for them. Two months of nothing but pizza. I kid you not. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, pizza. At some of the venues they'd give a buy out instead of a "catered meal." That means that each person in the band and on the crew got money--usually $8-20 depending on the tour. These guys would use their buy out money and go eat--PIZZA! (I loved buy-outs in some places where there were good restaurants nearby--the Lisner Aud at GW University for example.)

Anne

 

[olena]

I've got one. I worked a portable drink stand at an arena at an Ashlee Simpson concert last April. Beer is poured from cans.....always (all 10 of them we sold that night ). We also sell cokes in 24oz. bottles. Usually, we give out the bottles and have to keep the caps. The rationale is that if someone throws the bottle, some of the contents may empty in flight. For Ashlee Simpson, we had to pour the cokes, by order of her management. We thought "Somebody's paranoid!"

Last week, the Nickelback tour came through. I don't know what other acts were with them, but they had several tour buses lined up. Behind the Arena building where the buses and trucks are, there was one of those inflatable fort things. This was definitely not for public use. We guessed that some band members from the tour had kids and arranged for the fort. When we left that night, it was gone. It was interesting though.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

How about all those brides that are apparently demanding that gifts be purchased from the registry and of an equal or greater value to their plate of food (plus entertainment) at the reception. I guess they are kind of celebrities too!

 

[olena]

How about all those brides that are apparently demanding that gifts be purchased from the registry and of an equal or greater value to their plate of food (plus entertainment) at the reception. I guess they are kind of celebrities too!

Bridezillas

 

[ducklite]

I've got one. I worked a portable drink stand at an arena at an Ashlee Simpson concert last April. Beer is poured from cans.....always (all 10 of them we sold that night ). We also sell cokes in 24oz. bottles. Usually, we give out the bottles and have to keep the caps. The rationale is that if someone throws the bottle, some of the contents may empty in flight. For Ashlee Simpson, we had to pour the cokes, by order of her management. We thought "Somebody's paranoid!"

You're not kidding! The pouring beer into a cup and keeping plastic caps is pretty standard these days. but the only show I can think of that I've been to recently that didn't allow water bottles to be handed out was Disturbed on the Jag tour.

Last week, the Nickelback tour came through. I don't know what other acts were with them, but they had several tour buses lined up. Behind the Arena building where the buses and trucks are, there was one of those inflatable fort things. This was definitely not for public use. We guessed that some band members from the tour had kids and arranged for the fort. When we left that night, it was gone. It was interesting though.

Hmm...Nickelback, Trapt, and Chevelle. The only person in any of those bands that's got kids old enough to use something like that is Mike Kroeger, the bassist for NB. I know his kids do sometimes travel with him.

Anne

 

[4GBLC]

two boxes of condoms

WHATEVER!!!!!!!!!!!