11 Weird-But-True Rider Requests

iStock
iStock / iStock
facebooktwitterreddit

Celebrities are notorious for their extravagant requests, and perhaps none more so than musicians, who don’t go on tour without extensive riders detailing how they want to be treated and what they want to be waiting for them in their dressing room when they arrive at the venue. Here are some of the wackier demands musicians have made in their riders.

1. A ROOM OF HER (WIGS’) OWN

One iconic pop goddess demands an entire room be set aside for her wigs. She also asks that her dressing room have a TV that gets cable channels where she can watch classic movies before the show.

2. GERMAN PICKLES

A famous Detroit rapper asks for a very specific brand of German pickle in his rider, in addition to jumbo shrimp and 25-pound backstage dumbbells.

3. JUST THE RIGHT LIGHTING

A whiskey-loving, glittery pop diva asks for incandescent lighting in her dressing room, rather than fluorescent. It makes for great selfie lighting, surely.

4. A MEDICAL SPECIALIST

One of the original heavy-metal heavyweights has gotten a lot more health conscious in his old age. He requests an ear, nose, and throat doctor to be on-site, ready to inject him with vitamin B12. He also requests three oxygen tanks.

5. NO SYNTHETIC FABRICS

As part of her tour rider, one powerful diva reportedly requests new toilet seats, red toilet paper, and that the crew only wear 100 percent cotton clothing. Bow down, venues.

6. CORN STARCH

A group of industrial rockers asks for two “VERY IMPORTANT” boxes of corn starch, useful for making otherwise clean band members look like they’re covered in dust and grime.

7. A VERY SPECIFIC GUACAMOLE

One eccentric guitar god goes so far as to specify exactly how he’d like his guacamole made in a half-page recipe in his rider. Furthermore, there are no bananas allowed anywhere near the building.

8. NO CONVERSATIONS

One Christian-singer-turned-pop-diva isn’t so charitable with her chit-chat. She mandates that staffers keep silent before her show, not engaging her in conversation, much less requests for autographs. Her driver isn’t even allowed to look at her, according to her rider—although in interviews, she maintains that she’s much more easy going than the documents suggest.

9. CYLINDRICAL VASES

In addition to demanding three different lotion brands and a speaker system that was discontinued years ago, one notoriously outspoken rapper also mandates that his dressing room be filled with exclusively cylindrical vases. No corners allowed!

10. GIFT TABLES

One dearly departed musical genius asked that tables be set up at every entrance point to a venue so that fans could drop off any flowers and gifts they may have brought for him.

11. CARTOON-THEMED NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

According to the rider of one crooner, what a girl wants is kids’ vitamins. Back in 2000, the singer was requesting a bottle of Stone Age-themed multivitamins to go with her soy cheese, organic milk, and classic cola.

When you’re famous, you can demand just about anything. For an even more in-depth look at the world of celebrities, plus other everyday stuff we only think we understand, tune into an all-new episode of Adam Ruins Everything, Tuesday, 10/9C on truTV.