Venue Requirements for an artist’s show

FORUM Forums Lucinda Williams Lucinda in general Venue Requirements for an artist’s show

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  • #30110
    LWjetta
    Participant

    Thought everyone would enjoy this.
    This an excerpt from The Smoking Gun Backstage web site

    Quote “Over the past couple of years, The Smoking Gun has published excerpts from the backstage riders of a few dozen performers. But that assemblage has not been extensive enough for demanding TSG visitors, so we’ve gone out and obtained loads of new riders. So many, in fact, that our backstage collection now covers a whopping 257 acts–everyone from Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones to Kenny G and KC & the Sunshine Band.
    The contract rider includes specifications on stage design, sound systems, lighting rigs, as well as an artist’s wish list–from transportation and billing to dressing room accommodations and meals. In some cases, a promoter will refuse a demand (crossing out the request on the document), though stars usually get what they want, whether it’s clean boxer shorts (Jane’s Addiction), prune juice (Kansas), or an arrangement of tulips, roses, gardenias, and lilies (Janet Jackson).” End Quote

    Here is the link to click on the artist;s name, i.e. Lucinda or for Lafayette click on John Mellancamp as well.
    Please note the cross outs on Lu’s requirements.

    http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/index.html

    lwj

    #42260
    tntracy
    Participant

    Interesting stuff. Compared to some of the other’s lists, Lu’s looks quite reasonable (extremely so compared to some that are 6+ pages long!) to me (assuming it is legit – TO will have to verify). However, knowing Lu & what she likes to drink after a show, I imagine she was not at all happy with the two strikeouts! 😯

    Tom

    #42261
    TOverby
    Participant

    Looks legit to me but I believe that one is quite old -as we now have 13 people. It’s also another part of the business that has been affected–that is a pretty modest rider for 10 people and ours is probably even less now. Some promoters are cool about the rider, given that the $$ limits are set up front in the contract, and some still really nickel and dime day of show-even with contract. I’m glad the tour mgr has to deal with that :mrgreen:

    #42262
    tonyg
    Keymaster

    Who crossed out the wine?

    Did you see the Beatles rider? They asked for 150 cops. 😉

    #42263
    TOverby
    Participant

    More than likely it was attempted to be crossed out on the day of the show by someone at the venue who works with the promoter or the promoter if he was on site. It was probably “negotiated” back in by the tour mgr.

    #42264
    LWjetta
    Participant

    @tonyg wrote:

    Did you see the Beatles rider? They asked for 150 cops.

    AND 2 seven passenger Cadillac limos (air-conditioned if possible)

    John Mellencamp-lots of chocolate milk
    Celine Dion-Dressing room MUST remain at 73 degrees F

    And so on.
    These riders make for interesting reading. My question is how do they end up on the internet?
    A lot of them look like formal contracts.

    By the way, I found this when I googled Lucinda Williams memorabila.
    Still have to open a thread or add to this one called back-stage passes.

    lwj

    #42265
    LWjetta
    Participant

    @LWjetta wrote:

    Still have to open a thread or add to this one called back-stage passes.

    Found this backstage pass-web site says it was made from satin.
    I wonder what concert this came from.
    TOverby-Do you on occasion still issue these?
    Has Lucinda ever done a “Meet & Greet”?[attachment=0:3uqftl8c]LW backstage pass.jpg[/attachment:3uqftl8c]

    lwj

    #42266
    tntracy
    Participant

    Here’s a backstage pass from the “CWOAGR…Again – 2006” tour I picked up on eBay for a few bucks. As you can probably tell, it is laminated & hangs from a neck lanyard.

    My wife & I saw the first two shows listed on the back in Malibu & Vebtura, CA…

    Tom

    #42267
    DavidinMaine
    Participant

    Yes, the backstage pass is made of satin with the one I have was issued and I used for a meet and greet in or around 2001 (I tend not to perseverate around the details although my ticket stubs do). My best recollection is that it was from Lucinda’s first leg and offering of her Essence tour, hence the flower motif, when Bo Ramsey and Doug Pettibone were involved in her touring outfit–in fact, this might have been Doug’s debut in terms of touring with Lucinda (not show, but tour). I do know that the concert was November 12, as listed on the pass, at the now closed State Theater in Portland where I was lucky enough to attend the meet-and-greet (yeah, she was doing many in those days) along with sitting with Lucinda, her manager and a few others on her bus for an hour or two after the meet-and-greet (of course, complete with red wine). Great concert, tour, memory, and conversation. Saw several shows on the tour and always sat in front of Doug as he was helping Lucinda call the shots and her quarter-backing. Here is an ad-hoc review of the concert from the archives (not from my pen!):

    Subject : Lucinda in Portland, Maine

    I had the good fortune of seeing Lucinda Williams at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine last night. It was a very good show. I believe the whole band was new for me, with the exception of the masterful Bo Ramsey of Greg
    Brown fame. I’d seen LW with Bo before at the Tramps concert in NYC on the debut date of the Car Wheels release. I missed the other lead guitarist’s name tonight, but he was quite solid. Together, the two guitarists made one
    plus one = 10. They screamed. The entire band was smoking, but the two lead guitars in unison stole the show. I like bass sounds and thought the bass guitar was relegated to more of a background role versus previous concerts.
    I thought he could have been more pronouncedly involved in several of the songs, particularly CWOAGR. I liked some of the new arrangements, at the very least because they were new, but my gut is the originals were superior.

    Lucinda was great as well. Her voice was raspy on some songs, but I liked it. I hope it was done for effect and not a sign of vocal chords tired from touring. We were in the upper balcony so we couldn’t see if she was straining. If she is tired, hopefully she will treat herself to good old natural rest.

    I think before “JOY”, she started talking about what a bummer these times are. She talked about going inward in tough times. Good advice always.

    She then started talking about folks crimping her JOY and at one point, mentioned the “President of the United States”.

    She talked of the blues, and how these were tough times.

    But then she did a song that was “as relevant today as it was some 30 years ago” — Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War”. At the end of the song, the audience’s previous steadily exuberant applause was a bit muted. Many got up and left at this point. I could not clap at the end of that song, and I noticed a several people around us not clapping as well.

    Now had she addressed the song to the terrorists that killed thousands on September 11, it would have been different. Rather, the only prelude as to who it might have been aimed at was her earlier remark about the President
    of the United States.

    She then did a song called Broken Butterflies that she said was about forgiving your enemies.

    Then she made some comments about realizing this was not Portland, Oregon, a “Hippy Town”, but alas, Portland, Maine, “not a Hippy Town”….

    #42268
    LWjetta
    Participant

    @DavidinMaine wrote:

    I do know that the concert was November 12, as listed on the pass, at the now closed State Theater in Portland where I was lucky enough to attend the meet-and-greet (yeah, she was doing many in those days)

    Nice report and silk souvenir David.

    How did you get invited to this meet and greet?
    This was how Lucinda and Tom O met many years ago as per a newspaper quote below.

    Q How did you and Tom meet?
    A We met when I was on tour for the “Sweet Old World” album, which would’ve been ’91 or ’92. He was working for Best Buy in Minneapolis. He remembers it, but I don’t. It was some kind of a meet-and-greet. It was one of those, “Hey, how ya doing?”

    Let’s bring em back for us fans.

    lwj

    #42269
    DavidinMaine
    Participant

    Not a problem, LWJ. Several years ago, I continued my involvement in music and concerts via writing reviews along with helping promoters with hospitality and artist handling. One in particluar that I remember was helping Bob Wier and Rob Wasserman (of Ratdog) two days after Jerry Garcia died, but that’s a different story–it was hectic with the amount of fans trying to get access to Bob in light of Jerry’s passing… Thankfully, this visit with Lucinda was one where I wasn’t officially “working” so I really enjoyed the evening–although I did help with a few things in terms of the hospitality end of things (mostly keeping the micro-beer selection fresh and cold). In addition, I was actually at the concert that was referenced in your quote although not the meet-and-greet. I really value and enjoy my music/event memories as I can frame some artists differently and more realistically (humanly) as a result. Glad you enjoyed the additional dialog as did I. Enjoy the day.

    David

    #42270
    Lafayette
    Participant

    Mellencamp’s rider is dated 1998, listed at bottom of contract. Not sure on that chocolate milk thing. Interesting, indeed.

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