18 Unusual Backstage Requests From Famous Musicians’ Tour Riders

Tour riders are contract addenda that spell out what a promoter must provide, from staging and safety requirements to dressing-room furniture, food, and drinks. Because unusual examples often circulate without dates or source documents, even genuine requests can lose important context.

The requests below come from published rider excerpts or contemporary reporting and mostly date from the 1990s through the 2010s. They should be read as historical snapshots, not necessarily as the artists' current habits. In several cases, unusual items served practical, safety, or performance purposes rather than being simple celebrity whims.

For this slideshow, 24/7 Tempo reviewed original or reproduced rider documents, including The Smoking Gun's backstage rider archive, along with contemporary reporting from established outlets. Where no primary rider was publicly available, the wording identifies the claim as reported rather than confirmed.

Pharrell Williams' 2015 tour rider required "1 Framed Picture of Carl Sagan" in his dressing room. The published rider documents the request for that tour and reflects Williams' interest in the astronomer and "Cosmos" host, but it does not establish that the photograph appears on every current rider.

Van Halen's 1982 rider really did instruct promoters to provide M&Ms with "absolutely no brown ones." David Lee Roth later explained that the detail acted as a quick check on whether a promoter had read the band's lengthy technical requirements, many of which concerned staging and safety. Brown candies were a reason to inspect the rest of the setup, not simply the trigger for a backstage tantrum.

AC/DC's 2008 tour rider called for two live potted trees in its dressing-room specifications, along with three oxygen tanks and three masks. Singer Brian Johnson later said the oxygen was carried as a precaution for extremely hot, airless stages. The rider described tanks, not "bottles of pure oxygen."

A published Aerosmith rider specified fresh corn on the cob cooked for three minutes only. It was one detail in an extensive catering section that also prohibited pressed meats and alcohol. The request is historical and should not be presented as the band's current touring practice.

A rider from NSYNC's 2000 world tour listed Sega game cartridges among its backstage supplies. The document supports a request for Sega games, but not the broader claim that the group always demanded the newest console available. Lance Bass later recalled that the members played video games for hours on their tour bus.

Prince's riders included two documented details from different eras. A contract quoted by the Los Angeles Times said dressing-room items had to remain covered in clear plastic until Prince uncovered them, while a 1990s rider called for a doctor to administer a vitamin B-12 injection. Neither source supports speculation about his personality or motive.

A published Bon Jovi rider called for a large urn of homemade, low-fat chicken noodle soup in the artist dressing room, accompanied by French and Italian bread. Because Bon Jovi is a band, the request should not be attributed solely to Jon Bon Jovi unless the document does so.

Korn's rider requested 72 full-size towels as well as access to "Rock Friendly" lawyers, doctors, dentists, and chiropractors. Seventy-two towels sounds extravagant, but a rider covers the needs of an entire touring production, not necessarily one band member at one moment.

Reports published during Beyoncé's 2013 Mrs. Carter Show World Tour attributed a request for hand-carved ice balls to an unnamed insider; no public copy of the relevant rider was cited. The reports said the ice was intended to soothe or cool her throat after performances, not simply to chill drinks. This item is best labeled as a reported request rather than a confirmed rider clause.

A published Billy Idol rider included I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! among a much longer food list. This was a documented historical catering request, not evidence that the specific brand remains on his current rider.

Mary J. Blige's 2006 rider required a private toilet with a new seat. However, a 2015 rider no longer included the demand. The item is accurate as a past request but outdated if presented as an ongoing requirement.

Jimmy Buffett's archived rider included a carton of Snickers bars to be kept frozen. It also requested a sit-down dinner for 60 people so the band and crew could share a home-cooked meal, context that makes the candy request less like an isolated celebrity whim.

Christina Aguilera's published rider included Flintstones chewable vitamins among a long list of dressing-room supplies. The document confirms the request; it does not establish why she wanted them or whether she believed they would prevent illness.

Iggy Pop and the Stooges' 18-page 2006 rider did mention a Bob Hope impersonator and seven people dressed as the dwarfs from "Snow White." But the document was intentionally comic and full of jokes, so these lines should not be treated like ordinary, literal hospitality demands.

Celine Dion's 2008-09 tour rider specified that her medium-size dressing room be kept at 73 degrees Fahrenheit. The date matters: this is a verified requirement from that tour, not necessarily a standing preference today.

Paul McCartney's 2002 tour rider called for 19 leafy 6-foot plants and four leafy 4-foot plants, making 23 plants in all. It also specified full plants such as palms, bamboo, or peace lilies and stated, "No trees please!" The original version omitted the 19 taller plants.

Mötley Crüe's assistant tour manager described a 2005 rider that listed a 12-foot boa constrictor and a submachine gun, along with details such as specific condiments and information about local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. The items are documented as requests from that tour, but the surviving reporting does not show that venues actually supplied the snake or weapon.

A 2012 rider attributed to Steve Aoki requested two medium-size cakes marked "DIM MAK" and an inflatable boat or dinghy. Both had a show purpose: Aoki became known for throwing cakes into the crowd and riding over audiences in inflatable rafts. These were performance props as much as backstage indulgences.