Concert Riders of the Stars

There's been plenty of talk over the years about musical artists' backstage preferences, as expressed in their contracts with the promoter and/or venue. Brendan Fitzgerald of C-Ville (that stands for Charlottesville) had a bit of fun with a statement in a 2003 rider for Crosby, Still, and Nash:

Things don't get too exciting until page 5, "Catering Requirements." And really, it's not as if these guys are Iggy Pop. But, in order for the talent (or "ARTISTS," as the rider reminds us in capitals) to be content, many riders are hyper-specific, which makes some requests inadvertently hilarious. Take, for instance, the Zen-like balance of temperature requirements for food: "When food or beverages are required to be hot or cold at a certain time, they must be hot or cold by that time, not heating or cooling."

And I bet that they always appear on stage right on time and are never delayed, either.

Apparently Charlottesville is really into concert riders. Fitzgerald mentioned that CvilleMUSE looked at Willie Nelson's concert rider:

1 gallon of Horizon Brand Organic 2% milk, 1 bunch of organic red grapes, 2 organic peaches, 1 dozen fresh free range eggs, 1 6-pack of Dr. Pepper, 1 pint of peanut oil, enough eats for a “homestyle” sit-down dinner for 32 people (easy on the fried foods!), 1 gallon of freshly squeezed organic orange juice, 2 gallons of George’s Always Active Distilled Aloe Vera, 1 cold watermelon, at least 1 dressing room with a lock and key, and there’s absolutely No Smoking.

Um...no smoking at a Willie Nelson concert? As the Smoking Gun noted when they shared the rider, "we're not buying it."

The New York Post reported that Miley Cyrus' backstage demands aren't all that demanding:

While some stars go over the top and demand scented candles, hothouse flowers and ribbed condoms backstage, an insider says the Hannah Montana star’s demands were downright simple during her recent trip to NYC to promote her album Breakout. In Miley’s green room, a platter of cheese and crackers, turkey and American cheese sandwiches on wheat, 12 Evian waters, 12 Vitamin Waters and 12 caffeine-free Diet Cokes were all that awaited the starlet’s prompt arrival.

Apparently Billy Ray hasn't let Miley tour with Iggy Pop yet.