Them's Fightin' Words

You guys ever heard the famous story of Van Halen and the clause in his concert contract that said if the band found a single brown M&M in the bowl backstage they could cancel an appearance on the spot?

It’s gone down in rock legend as one of the most self-indulgent, childish clauses in a backstage rider contract ever. What a bunch of egotistical douchebags right?

Wrong. As it turns out, that clause was specifically written into their contract amidst literally hundreds of other highly technical clauses as a way of seeing whether or not the technical specifications of the contract had been thoroughly read and complied with.

I mean we’re talking about a band that toured with nine 18-wheeler trucks full of gear. In one famous incident at a university in Pueblo, Colorado, Van Halen found brown M&Ms backstage and hey presto, halfway through the gig the staging sunk through the brand new flooring in the arena where they were playing.

Ever since I heard this story, I’ve wondered what other artists request in their backstage riders and now, thanks to Henry Hargreaves who is a seriously awesome photographer who comes up with some sick ideas for photography projects, I know the answer to that.

So here, in no particular order, are the foods huge bands and famous performers request in their backstage riders.

Dig it:

Crazy hey? Frank Sinatra was the real winner here if you ask me. Fuck was he planning to do with all that booze? Drink himself into cough drop-flavoured coma?

Good times I tell ya.

Good times

-ST