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How to keep the Foo Fighters happy

May 15, 2008, 04:56 PM | by Gary Susman

Categories: Food and Drink, Music

Foo_l The Smoking Gun's collection of concert tour riders, spotlighting the often outrageous, diva-ish demands for backstage food and hospitality items that top musicians feel entitled to make at every venue, is pretty amusing, but who knew such documents were an art form? Foo Fighters, that's who. One of their staffers (as was revealed today, it was tour manager Greg Brandt, a disappointing blow to Foo fans who hoped it might be Dave Grohl, second from left, or his onstage colleagues) actually made a point of trying to out-clever the Iggy Pop rider — perhaps to achieve everlasting fame on TSG, but also, as Brandt put it, to make the document "interesting to the woman in Oklahoma City who has to go out and get the hummus." Bonus points, then, to Brandt, for revealing the reason why it's a bad idea to serve roadies meaty soups, that bassist Nate Mendel (right) — and "not the guy from Nirvana" — is the band's true "people person," and that the musicians enjoy "big-ass kielbasas that make men self-conscious." Also, for managing to use the word "wookiee" (spelled correctly!) in a tour rider. Read the whole thing if you want to chuckle or to reaffirm your fondness for all things Foo.


tom teesdale Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 02:20 AM EST

First time I saw the Foo's rider, it was posted up on This Band "Oedipus'" website, who had played with them extremely funny. It specifically asks for no Pasta A la Promoter. Excellent. www.oedipusband.com

PUNKBOOKKEEPER Fri, May 16, 2008 at 05:55 PM EST

I've known Gus (not Greg) Brandt for many years and he's a sweetheart with a great sense of humour, so I'm not surprised...

PUNKBOOKKEEPER Fri, May 16, 2008 at 05:55 PM EST

I've known Gus (not Greg) Brandt for many years and he's a sweetheart with a great sense of humour, so I'm not surprised...

MsDaisy Fri, May 16, 2008 at 01:57 PM EST

Love a band that doesn't take itself too seriously. It is rock and roll after all.

Winona Fri, May 16, 2008 at 09:54 AM EST

I've always loved the Foo riders... it's nice to have a little bit of levity in a very long document. If only my band were famous enough to warrant requests beyond the traditional...

daisyj Thu, May 15, 2008 at 06:15 PM EST

I'm just blown away by the fact that if you are a rock star, you get free new socks every week. Every week! Throw some underwear on there and you'd never have to do laundry again!

Okay, maybe not never, but you'd do it a lot less often. And you'd always have some clean socks.

Minutiae Thu, May 15, 2008 at 05:40 PM EST

That rider is hilarious, and it's nice to see someone try to lighten people's boring days by doing something like this. Leave it to someone on the Foo's staff to be that guy...

Crystal Thu, May 15, 2008 at 05:13 PM EST

This whole thing is hilarious and makes me wonder what I would ask for if I was a rock star. My fav bit:

"IF SOLO CUPS ARE NOT AVAILABLE PLEASE FIND A STORE THAT SELLS 16 OZ PLASTIC DRINKING CUPS AND THEN OFFER THE SHOPKEEPER SOME CURRENCY IN EXCHANGE FOR SAID CUPS...No snippy ass, tiny tim, two drops of dew in a cup sized cup, please. (this seems to be a European issue, so redneck caterers, don't be offended) I WILL CALL OUT A CATERING JIHAD IF WE DO NOT HAVE THESE CUPS."

Haaaaa!


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