30 Most OUTRAGEOUS Tour Rider Demands

Give us M&Ms – but no brown ones! So cried the rock band Van Halen and ever since, tour riders in which stars give concert promoters their list of demands have become notorious. Who needed a room just for her wigs? Which star wanted an all-white color scheme backstage? How many bottles of alcohol did a singing diva request? We’ve reported on celebrities’ backstage wish lists before, now check out RadarOnline.com’s guide to MORE outrageous, funny, and just plain weird tour rider stipulations.

Ke$ha: The “Tik Tok” singer put herself into rehab for an eating disorder in 2014. For her tour rider the year before, Ke$ha requested very little food—and four bottles of alcohol. As Perez Hilton reported, Ke$ha wanted vegetarian hand rolls without rice and NO mayonnaise, one raw vegetable tray, one tray of steamed vegetables or dried veggie snacks from Whole Foods if possible… along with one bottle of Don Julio or Patron Tequila, two bottles of “nice” Cabernet, and one bottle of vodka — Grey Goose preferred.

Miley Cyrus: The pop star told OK! during her Bangerz Tour she liked to rock out even in her dressing room. “In my tour rider I used to ask for Guitar Hero and Frosted Flakes. Now I just kind of want the Guitar Hero,” Cyrus said.

Kanye West: As RadarOnline.com has reported, Kim Kardashian’s rapper husband has made his own backstage demands, including wanting all-white décor in his dressing room. But now that he’s a dad, West is including riders for daughter North. The little girl reportedly needs a special $8,000 bed in the green room, plus a TV full of her favorite programs, and a personal chef on hand to prepare her favorite meals using only the finest organic ingredients, a source claimed.

Cher: “It’s A Woman’s World” indeed, at least if it’s Cher! While performing, the veteran diva wants the security of knowing she has a separate room just for her wigs.

Jennifer Lopez: The diva has reportedly issued a bunch of different tour mandates; according to the book The Little Red Riders Book: The Backstage Requests Of Rock 'n' Roll's Most Famous Artists, Lopez has requested white flowers, white tablecloths, white curtains, white candles, and white couches. J. Lo also wanted low-watt light bulbs and her coffee to be stirred counter-clockwise, sources said.

Taylor Swift: The singer was still a sweet country teen in 2008, as her tour rider revealed. Swift helpfully explained one of her needs: “1 Bag frozen Edemame (it's soy beans...in frozen vegetable section).” Too bad she misspelled Edamame! The star also wanted Starbucks’ grandes, and ‘Ben/Jerry's” pints delivered to her bus but her taste in spaghetti sauce was more simple--Ragu!

Gwen Stefani: She’s a judge on The Voice now and her tastes might have changed, but in 2007, while on her Sweet Escape tour, Stefani wanted her room bathed in bright white light. According to a website report, the singer also asked for 30 bottles of water and a pesticide-free buffet including an assortment of teas, fruit, cashews, almonds, vegetables and ranch dressing. And Stefani required ten white towels and four aromatherapy candles, all of which had to be the same scent.

Pitbull: The hip hop star has plugged Bud Light, but his 2010-11 tour rider on revealed he required promoters to provide him with a case of Corona beer. In addition to the 24 Coronas, Pitbull demanded three bottles of Ketel One vodka, and single bottles of Patron tequila, Hennessy cognac, and champagne (either Moët Rose Imperial or Moët Nectar Imperial).

Michael Buble: In an unusual request, the smooth Canadian singer, who is a big hockey fan, asked for “one local team hockey puck” in his dressing room in every city on tour as part of his rider contract.

Slash: The Guns N’ Roses guitarist’s tour requests have included a square melon, seven types of cheese, six lamps, a rug and two bear shaped pots of honey. Until 2010, Slash demanded that his dressing room to be all black and decorated with red and white roses.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Being in a rock band is stressful, at least that’s what the Peppers’ request for a backstage meditation room (carpeted floor to ceiling) indicated. Anthony Kiedis and the gang stipulated that the room could be any color except blue. In addition, the band mates wanted aromatherapy candles, fresh ginger root, fresh papaya juice and 24 one-liter bottles of still “glacier water” from either Hawaii or Australia.

Jay-Z: Sources said while on the Legends Of Summer Tour with Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z wanted a “gentleman’s club” atmosphere backstage. The hip hop titan had a full-time, on call cigar roller as part of his entourage.

DMX: The rapper apparently is a man with straightforward needs, according to his tour rider wish list, which included three boxes of condoms and one gallon of Hennessey!

The Rolling Stones: According to the book The Little Red Riders Book: The Backstage Requests Of Rock 'n' Roll's Most Famous Artists, the veteran rock band wanted the following on tour: shepherd's pie, paintbrushes, a snooker table, a TV capable of showing cricket matches and a toilet on wheels.

James Brown: The R & B icon died in 2006, but his bizarre backstage requests will never be forgotten: “Two girls under the age of 21 and a ladies' hair dryer.”

Marilyn Manson: The shock rocker likes to stay cool, as he’s demanded air-conditioning always on full blast in his dressing room. Manson’s food needs included Haribo gummi bears, Doritos, and microwave popcorn—along with a bottle of absinthe. In a no-doubt joking request, he also asked for “a bald hooker with no teeth.”

Prince: Food safety was apparently on the diminutive “Purple Rain” singer’s mind. One of his tour riders stipulated all his dressing room food must be covered in clear plastic wrap.

Motley Crue: Ah, the life of a rock band! A tour rider revealed for Motley Crue, it apparently includes mayonnaise, Grey Poupon Dijon mustard, creamy peanut butter, a 12 foot long boa constrictor, a sub-machine gun and local Alcoholics' Anonymous meeting schedules.

David Hasselhoff: The Little Red Riders Book: The Backstage Requests Of Rock 'n' Roll's Most Famous Artists claimed that the Baywatch star, who hit it big as a singer in Germany, wanted a life-size cut-out of David Hasselhoff near him.

Britney Spears: It might not be much of a surprise that the pop star has asked for junk food during her Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood. Star magazine reported, “Britney is insisting on Fruit Loops, Pop-Tarts, Cap'n Crunch, Gatorade, Doritos and potato salad,” said a source. “Plus In-N-Out cheeseburgers without buns, a life coach on call 24/7 and 200 fresh towels a day.” When Spears was briefly a judge on X Factor USA, her rider included four pints of potato salad.

Beyonce: Queen B stayed true to the products she represented, mandating Pepsi products only backstage, as well as Honey Nut Cheerios, ginger root, a two-man love seat, and her toilet scrubbed with disinfectant. The singer banned sweets and chocolate or crisps from her dressing room. But another report noted she’d once asked for juicy baked chicken, HEAVILY seasoned with fresh garlic, season salt, black pepper, and Cayenne pepper.

Elton John: TheSmokingGun.com reported that the flamboyant “Rocket Man” asked for 74 towels to be provided for him, as well as fresh flowers (but NO chrysanthemums, lilies, carnations or daisies).

Barbra Streisand: Memories…of a real diva! Streisand reportedly asked for rose petals to be scattered in her dressing room toilet.

P Diddy: The dapper hip hop mogul known for his luxury lifestyle had a LOT riding on his tour, said The Little Red Riders Book, including 204 towels, 20 bars of soap, two bottles of Hennessy cognac, two bottles of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, two bottles of Veuve Clicquot, a bottle of Dom Perignon, Grey Goose vodka, a boom box, a bouquet of white flowers, cheddar cheese, sour-cream chips, Sweet Tarts and a $300,000 bullet-proof Maybach.

Metallica: The heavy metal band kept things sizzling backstage by requesting bacon! The rockers reportedly noted that bacon was “very important” and should be available for every meal while they were on their 2004 tour.

Christina Aguilera: Picky, picky! The singer and The Voice judge has an environmentally conscious rule that no styrofoam or plastic goods shall be used while preparing her food backstage. But it has been reported that Xtina also requires a small bottle of “Flintstones” vitamins with extra vitamin C, Carnation Malt-Flavored Instant Breakfast and a container of Chocolate Nesquick.

Ozzy Osbourne: When he was touring with Black Sabbath in 1999 and trying to stay healthy, rock’s ‘Prince of Darkness’ requested three oxygen tanks to be available along with a “real ear, nose and throat doctor” for when Osbourne arrived at the concert venue to give him a B-12 shot for energy. 

Kid Rock: The rocker asked for the usual snacks in his dressing room at concerts – but in a more wacky demand, Kid Rock also asked venues for a selection of Fruit of the Loom or Hanes underwear, including a pack of white T-shirts (with pocket), a pack of white tank tops, a pack of white boxer shorts (size medium), and a pack of white crew socks. Never let them see you sweat?

Pharrell Williams: What makes him “Happy”? The singer allegedly once asked for a troupe of belly dancers backstage.

Coldplay: TheSmokingGun.com has frequently exposed celebrity tour riders and the website published a 2003 document for Chris Martin’s band. The guys wanted vodka, Red Bull, cotton socks and various snacks. But Martin (long before his split from Gwyneth Paltrow) and his band mates also had a sweet request for pre-stamped local postcards so they could send them to their family members from the road.