Van Halen made its name across the world through ridiculous antics, a flashy stage presence, and edgy music. Behind the scenes the band was even more demanding, often placing ridiculous requests on performance venues. For the uninitiated, bands get to put together rider lists with a set of demands that venues most meet. You can check out this hard rocking infographic by Sonos, and get the details in this article! Read on!
The band had every detailed laid out and their backstage rooms probably rival the average middle class home! First, the band needed their own private band room equipped with sofas, a bed, chairs, and other amenities. Beyond this, the band also needed a separate tuning room kept as the same temperature as the stage, a separate changing room, and another large room for their crew.
Not only that but every single room (even the tuning room) needed to be equipped with a private bathroom! That really blows my mind, I mean why would a tuning room need to have a bathroom? But hey I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go.
The band also expected to be provided with a meal after the concert (with vegetarian and Chinese options). It’s interesting to note that the band really focused on having a lot of healthy foods, like vegetables, fruits, and a ton of other things. On the other hand the band also threw in a long list of booze, including Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort bourbon.
But you know the strangest thing? The Band wanted a whole lot of M&Ms but insisted that not one (not one!) M&M be brown. Could you imagine having to sort out every brown M&M by hand?!
Of course, when you’re a super star I guess you get to demand what you want!
