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In the 80s, when Van Halen was the biggest and baddest band in the world, the LA rockers were famous for their disdain of brown M&M's. You see, their concert rider called for, among myriad other items, a bowl of M&M's to be procured for backstage enjoyment. However, all the brown ones had to be removed for the M&M bowl to be acceptable.
It was this particular demand that came to define rock star excess, not to mention Van Halen's sense of fun danger (or dangerous fun?). Obviously, catering crews at venues would have to manually remove brown M&M's from the Special Van Halen M&M Bowl. And bear in mind that in the 80s, fewer M&M colors existed - the were far more brown M&Ms than there are today. Those crazy rock stars!
 Concert riders, then, can be a fascinating reflection of the artist. So wouldn't it be intriguing to check in on Van Halen's 2008 tour rider? Yes, it would. Luckily, The Smoking Gun got their hands on a VH rider used back in May. Is it as unhinged as the 80s model? No, but it's still worth a peek. Items!
David Lee Roth's Dressing Room
All of the members (Dave, Ed, Wolf and Alex) get their own rooms, of course. But Diamond Dave's must be free of carpet. Why? Because he practices martial arts, of course. Also, he would prefer to be as far from the others as possible. Given the years-long estrangement that preceded the reunion, this isn't a bad idea.
Wolfgang Van Halen's Study Room
Let we forget, bassist Wolfgang is a teenager. And still in school. So of course, he needs a room in which to study. The room is meant to house Wolf, his tutor, and study materials. And it must be quiet, dammit. Of course, the pursuit of knowledge is a trial and error affair, hence the request for two, not one, wastebaskets.
Ed Will Drink No Wine Before It's Time
Being a band with a history of alcohol abuse enjoyment, it's no surprise that the rider holds very little in the way of adult beverages. HOWEVER, Eddie's onstage cooler calls for four mini-bottles of Gallo Twin Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. So what does he do - chug these things onstage? Pour them into little plastic cups?
Red Bull, Sugar Free Red Bull, Tall Red Bull
Man, this Van Halen band, they sure love their Red Bull. All four request Red Bull, of varying size and sugar option, in their onstage cooler. All but Wolfgang also request Red Bull for their dressing room. The old timers presumably need a constant stream of Red Bull throughout the day, while Wolfgang only needs it onstage. Plus, an afternoon Red Bull would leave him too wired to study.
Overall, it's one healthy rider, full of fruit, organic stuff, granola bars, fat free cottage cheese, etc etc. The old Van Halen would be horrified to see all of this healthy crap. But at least the band is doing all they can to ensure a vibrant performance. And if it's a good show, maybe Ed will split a mini-bottle of Cabernet with you. |
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