Ongoing History Daily: Weird dressing room riders
A contract rider is part of a contract that specifies what the promoter must provide to a band on the day of a gig. There are all kinds of stories about contract riders: the items the promoter must supply to the artist backstage before and after a concert.
The group Danzig once insisted on having ten attractive women between the ages of 18 and 24 who were well-versed in politics, religion, and sports and who lived no further than a five-dollar cab ride from the venue.
At the other end of the scale, here is what Morrissey demanded when the Smiths were touring in 1985: Salt and vinegar chips, a bottle of red wine, Corn Flakes, Cocoa Puffs or Special K, a pint of milk, two green apples, a packet of cashews, cheese sandwiches and a cupcake.
