The 16 Best Musician Rider Requests of All Time
Summer tour season has officially started, so to celebrate our favorite musicians being on the road again, let's take a look back at the most ridiculous things they've reportedly (please let these all be true!) ever demanded be put backstage. From Mariah Carey asking to perform alongside 20 white kittens and 100 doves to Madonna hiring post-show acupuncturists, please allow these artists to school you in the art of believing that you're #WorthIt.
Ed Sheeran
While he may not be the most insane in his requests, Ed Sheeran is very big on fluids. According to the NME, Sheeran's Glastonbury rider was a bottle of Robinsons Squash [a British fruit drink], a six-pack of Coca-Cola, a six-pack of Diet Coke, a six-pack of Fanta Orange, a six-pack of Sprite, and a jar of Manuka Honey.
Jack Johnson
Perhaps the least likely celebrity diva, Jack Johnson gets demanding when it comes to wasteful concert practices. "RECYCLING MUST NOT BE THROWN AWAY WITH THE TRASH," his rider SCREAMS. But he's just getting started: More requests include that the venue install energy-efficient light bulbs, provide bike valets, and that 100 percent of show profits go to nonprofit organizations.
Rihanna
"You never know what mood you're gonna be in," Rihanna explained to Ellen earlier this year. Turns out, hers is usually hungry: backstage snacks include regular Cheetos, hot Cheetos (you know, for variety), Oreos, Golden Grahams cereal, Cup Noodles, red and white wine, vodka, soda, Frappuccinos, and garlic olives.
One Direction
For their 2015 On the Road Again tour, the band members asked that their backstage area to be stocked with beer, KFC, and a ping-pong table, because they are BOYS.
Katy Perry
If being a diva is wrong, Katy Perry doesn't want to be right. In 2015 she said, "People like to do this like, exposé, like, 'Katy Perry's tour life, she's such a diva,' but, I'm sorry, if you lived on the road every single day and were out of different hotel rooms, don't you want comfort? Don't you want some sliced turkey? I want some sliced turkey. And some baby wipes." Simple pleasures, especially compared to her 2011 rider, which demanded that her dressing room be decorated with "white and purple hydrangeas, pink & white roses and peonies" but "ABSOLUTELY NO CARNATIONS."
Coldplay
In perhaps the least rock 'n' roll (but, okay, most adorable) request of all time, the members of Coldplay ask for postcards from each city they tour in to collect as souvenirs for their children.
Justin Bieber
In 2013, the Biebs' (pretty tame) rider requests included three packs of socks and four packages of plain white T-shirts, all in varying sizes, because...your guess is as good as ours.
Kanye West
When it comes to skin care (and music and money and Kim Kardashian and just about anything else), Yeezy doesn't mess around. Turns out his backstage regimen includes Carmex lip balm, L'Occitane soap, Neutrogena face scrub and dandruff shampoo, and Nivea moisturizing lotion.
Madonna
What's the point of being Madonna if you can't get a little suuuuuper demanding?? For her 2012 MDNA Tour, The Queen of Pop required that "all furniture be removed from the rooms and replaced with her own pieces that she has shipped in." What's more, her entourage consists of 200 employees, including "30 bodyguards, an acupuncturist, a yoga instructor, an on-site dry cleaner, and several personal chefs."
Beyoncé
Despite being, you know, Queen Bey and everything, Beyoncé is consistently cited as one of the easiest artists to work with. But sometimes a girl just needs some hand-carved ice balls to cool her throat. Or $900 titanium straws to drink alkaline water through. And a brand-new toilet seat for each bathroom she visits. It's fine.
Britney Spears
For her 2011 show at London's 02 Arena, Britney asked that a framed photo of Princess Diana be put backstage, along with fish and chips. Never one to forget her American roots, she also asked for McDonald's cheeseburgers (without the buns).
Ne-Yo
In 2011, Ne-Yo famously asked that his dressing room come stocked with Ketel One, to be used for "cleaning." I put that in quotes because it comes straight from his tour rider, but yeah, sure thing Ne-Yo, it's for "cleaning."
Mariah Carey
For an appearance at a London mall just before Christmas, Carey asked to be surrounded by "20 white kittens and 100 white doves," because life is for dreaming. Unfortunately, the request was denied in the most British of ways. "We did manage to source the doves that we were going to release into the sky, but the kittens proved terribly difficult. In the end, it was made clear that for health and safety..." the Brits ruined Christmas.
Prince
In case you needed any more reason to mourn the Purple One, here's badass Prince factoid #438 trillion. Before playing the 02 Arena in 2007, the singer simply requested that the venue's owner, AEG, build him a damn house on the site's grounds. And way back in 2004, Prince insisted, "All items in dressing room must be covered by clear plastic wrap only to be uncovered by main artist. This is absolutely necessary." Absolutely necessary, people.
Queen Latifah
We all had wild youths, but Queen Latifah's lives on in her legendary 1993 rider. The then-rapper, now actress-producer, requested that her dressing room be stocked with "1 dozen Lifestyle or Rough Rider condoms." She also asked for a 12-piece bucket of KFC, but made it clear that KFC alone "is not [enough to be] considered dinner." And sometimes, we agree.
LL Cool J
According to VH1, the rapper requests "two long-stem roses and a bottle of baby oil" be kept in his dressing room. Aaaaaaaand you know what? I'm going to leave it at that.
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