Bizarre Tour Rider Requests

Simone Joyner / Frazer Harrison / Jo Hale, Getty Images

Before you judge this list of bizarre tour rider requests too harshly, think about it — you’re a rock star! You’ve amassed a certain amount of fame, and with that comes the pull to request whatever it is your heart desires. Venues and promoters all over the land will move heaven and earth to get it for you just so you’ll come play your hit songs for audiences in their town. What would you ask for?

This is where the tour rider becomes all-important. It’s a list of instructions from a band on how the venue should be prepared for their arrival. Details range from the technical (see Cheap Trick‘s staging requests and what might make them reconsider) to the personal (really Peter Gabriel, a hippie massage?).

As you’ll learn, even the most seemingly bizarre demands (Van Halen, why are you hating on the brown M&M’s?) turn out to have reason and value. So without any further adieu, let’s look at some of the most bizarre tour rider requests:

Read the First Bizarre Tour Rider Request