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.

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