Rider (theater)
In theater (and musical performance), a rider is a set of requests or demands that a performer will set as criteria for performance.
Hospitality Rider
The hospitality rider is a list of requests for the comfort of the artist on the day of the show. Sometimes this document is provided along with the technical rider; other times, it is provided much closer to the performance date. Some common requests are:
- Specific foods
- Particular beverages (sometimes alcoholic)
- Towels
- Transportation and hotels
- A runner (person or persons hired to act as personal shopper for band and crew needs and as personal driver for band and crew needs.)
- A number of 'comp. tickets' or guest lists (free tickets for friends and family)
- Security and/or locking rooms.
- Ice
Technical Rider
A document which is sometimes separate is provided in advance for a show, defining the types of equipment to be used, the staff to be provided, and various business arrangements.
Typical requests are:
Sound:
- PA system, generally terms such as 'a professional quality 3 or 4 way active system', frequency response (e.g., 20 Hz-22 kHz) and power (either in wattage or dB SPL) are also common.
- Sound desk - it is normal for engineers to specify a list of preferred desks and also minimum requirements (such as number of channels) from other desks as a backup. Requests for recording equipment or feeds for recording are sometimes included here.
- Outboard - the number and quality of gates, compressors and effects units required.
- Channel/input list - a list of the instruments being used, including preferred microphones and inserts.
- Monitor requirements - often included alongside the channel list, detailing the number of wedges and mixes required, a section similar to the front of house requirements detailing the need for monitor desk, graphic EQs and other outboard. If a monitor engineer is to be provided by the house it is generally requested here.
- If large amounts of equipment are being toured in (such as the PA system) then power requirements are likely to be stated here.
Lighting
- Depending on the size of the production this can vary between 'provide a front wash and x kW of back lighting' to specific lighting plots of equipment the venue should provide (along with house lighting technicians) to power requirements and truss weightings when the entire lighting system is provided by the touring production.
Backline
- Some bands will not tour full backline due to the expense of transport (generally if playing a few in-house produced gigs in each country/area) and may have the venue provide some to all of it. Larger items like amps, cabs and drums are more likely to be requested than guitars which many musicians treat more personally.
- Risers - a riser is a raised area of stage, the size and positioning of risers for musicians (such as drum risers) are specified here.
Other:
- Crew - productions will specify the amount of local crew the venue should provide as well as any techs.
Unreasonable requests
On occasion, an artist's rider may be seen as unreasonable or excessive for a given performance. It is often the case that such riders have been devised for larger or more complex performances. In situations like these, the stage manager would liaise with the band manager to discuss alternatives.
- While some requests may still be seen as unreasonable, it is extremely unusual for a performance to not take place due to a lack of rider adherence.
- Some requests or requirements are used to avoid certain conditions and small venues(if required to perform as a condition of grant money), that will make it difficult to put on a show and/or that might other wise limit the quality of production for the show. An example could be a ballet choreographed on a 60 feet by 60 feet stage trying to perform on a 20 feet by 20 feet stage. The size limitations may require removal of vitals parts of the performance but that issue is not enough to prohibit a performance, so other tricks are used.
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- An example is asking for a larger power supply that far exceeds the amount of electrical current and amps used with all lighting, motors, band equipment and sound equipment at full power usage. The number and separate sources for power between stage lighting and sound becomes an issue of quality of sound and the removal of equipment that may cause a hum to be heard from the speaker and/or monitor cabinets.
- *Another example is asking for "furniture to be all white in color". This contract clause may be used to have clean and sanitary conditions, not because a performer is a diva and wants outrageous demands. A white couch backstage after possible activities from different shows will be stained. This makes it harder to hide where vomit, body fluids from sexual activities, spilled food and/or drink, amongst many other conditions and situations that may cause stains. The inability to remove these stains shows the possible level of sanitary, germs, with other disgusting and/or unhealthy conditions on the surfaces and interior of padding/cushioning. Due to limitations on how to specify, define, determine and enforce a clean environment, odd and/or strict contract conditions. Getting sick while touring often moving everyday makes getting medical care difficult for even simple things like sinus infections. Bottle water is often requested to avoid the body reaction to different municipal water supplies for what is and is not filtered out.
- Some rider requirements are attempts to avoid problems that occurred on previous shows. Often the more specific detailed the rider is, the more problems and short cuts on quality & quantity have happed before to the rider's creator. Things like sandwiches must be made from a certain type of bread... ....meat must fit bread. The defining in detail is indicative of problems where inadequate completion of the terms of contract were met by wording but not intent. An example could be taking a sandwich on regular sized normal bread but is cut into 4 pieces making 4 sandwiches to cheaply fulfill the number required. This type of weasely behavior may cause the staff(who is unable to leave the venue) to go without food until they leave which maybe be 18 or more hours later. So time periods of when and where food and beverages are often included. Some meal requests are designed to encourage the buy out price option (staff gets an amount of money per person/meal)which is then used to buy cheaper and lesser quality of food and pocket the difference as profit. Often a "no pizza" clause is used to help get different food for the nutrition and variation. Fast food and bar food will take a toll on health for long tours.
- Some bands may try to be funny and/or make a mark(free publicity) for themselves by requesting weird and/or unusual items not related to the real production needs. They may also be engaged in a game of escalation to see how much they can get away with. The request for underwear and/or socks may be more due to a lack of facilities and/or time to do laundry. In addition to clothing being lost while on the road, T-shirts often are given as swag to the band. Such free clothing usually contains advertisements for venues, bands, equipment and/or other products. With jeans/denim being more durable, their life span holds up better and in addition certain pants/shorts/skirts may only be worn while on stage.
- Since riders are often reduced for requests and requirements, higher than need items,models,equipment,staffing will be requested with the awareness that a reduction is likely to happen. By demanding more, they can give the false appearance of working with the booking agent by sacrificing conditions to the levels they really need.
- Odd or rare requests are not always unreasonable. An example could be like 3 CDs by local artists in a certain genre similar to their own.
- The rider is a contract of desires sent to a promoter or booking department. Most times the rider will be sent back with changes to terms, which some maybe be altered or struck through completely(removed aka not supplied, especially on unreasonable requests). An example could be a request for a certain type of sound board or a number of channels and the venue has a different brand and/or may have more or less channels than specified or truly needed. A request for speakers to be flown from the ceiling may be denied when the performance space has a low ceiling. Certain lighting gels by one manufacture may have to be substituted when the venue stocks and uses a different manufacturer. Each venue is often different and adjustments must be accommodated, no rider can cover all venues and some have requirements that would be unreasonable at other venues. Some productions have a couple of different riders for venue size and/or if they are being flown in and need instruments rentals versus traveling with full production. Riders may go back forth numerous times until all terms are agreed to and both parties have signed. Unfortunately sometimes the touring personnel are not made aware of the final changes or limitations and walk into a venue expecting one set of conditions while another has been agreed to by their management. The ironic twist is the promoter/booking agent/venue who fills every clause in the rider treating the performers and road crew the best, gets penalized with higher costs and lower profits.
Even unreasonable requests (if legal by law) can be contractual obligations. Failure to meet such terms can cause the performance fees to be paid with no show. However this is the rarity, not the norm. It is usually in the best interests for all sides for the performance to happen. Due to refunds and upset patrons/fans.
Notable rider requests
- Van Halen requested in the technical rider that a bowl of M&Ms be provided in their dressing room with the brown ones removed. Failure to do so would not only mean that the band would not perform, but the venue would still have to pay the full fee.[1] The objective of this wasn't due to any excesses on the part of the band, but was a method to determine how much attention to detail the crew at a local venue paid to the requests specified in the rider. Should the bowl be absent, or if brown M&Ms were present, it would give band members reason to suspect other, legitimate, technical and safety issues were also being performed poorly or were outright overlooked. David Lee Roth stated in his autobiography that this request was done as a result of faulty workmanship at a venue on an earlier tour which nearly cost the life of a member of Van Halen's road crew, as well as $85,000 damage to the venue and their own equipment.[2]
- Queen requested a mud wrestling ring and wrestlers outside the dressing room for post-performance entertainment.[3]
- Paul McCartney requested a sweep of the venue by bomb-sniffing dogs before the show.[5]
- Elton John requires that his dressing room be kept at "60 °F in summer and 70 °F in winter."[6]
- Deadmau5 requests an inflatable pool toy at all of his performances for use during the show.[7]
- Laibach requested for a 1980s tour that the venue provide a deer head with antlers to use as a stage prop.
- Lady GaGa requested for her performance at Radio 1's Big Weekend that her dressing room be covered in Union Flag bunting, Pimm's and fish chips with battered Mars bars to be served and, most unusually, her staff to speak in Cockney accents for the entire event.[8]
- Michael Bublé who is a big hockey fan since childhood, requires "one local team hockey puck" in his dressing room as part of his rider contract to concert promoters in every city.
References
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