Rider

What Is a Rider?

When a band agrees to play a show, they sign a contract with the venue or promoter. A rider is a section attached to that contract. It lists all the things the band needs to perform and be comfortable.

If the venue cannot provide something on the list, they must tell the band before the contract is signed.

A rider is broken down into different sections. The two most common sections are the hospitality rider and the technical rider. The goal of the rider is to make sure the band is ready to give a great performance.

The Hospitality Rider

The hospitality section is all about comfort. Touring can be very tiring, so bands use this list to ask for food, drinks, and a good place to rest.

A hospitality rider will list what kind of meals the band needs. It will mention if anyone in the band is allergic to peanuts or if someone is a vegetarian. It also lists the drinks they want in their dressing room, like water, coffee, or juice.

Bands might also ask for clean towels, a private bathroom, or a quiet green room where they can relax before they go on stage. They might even ask for local maps or the password to the wifi. These small comforts make a huge difference when you are far away from home.

The Technical Rider

The technical section is all about the equipment needed for the show. This is often called a tech rider for short.

It tells the venue exactly what sound gear the band requires. It includes a stage plot, which is a map showing where everyone stands. It also includes an input list, which tells the sound engineer how many microphones to set up.

If a band needs a specific type of guitar amplifier or a special lighting effect, they will list it here. The venue uses this list to prepare the stage before the band arrives.

No Brown M&Ms!

You might have heard stories about famous bands asking for crazy things in their riders. For example, a famous rock band once asked for a bowl of candy with all the brown pieces removed.

While this sounds silly, it was actually a clever test. The band had a very dangerous and heavy stage setup. They wanted to make sure the venue read every single word of their contract to keep everyone safe.

If the band found brown candy in their dressing room, they knew the venue had not read the rider carefully. This meant the stage might be unsafe to play on. Most riders today are much simpler and just focus on basic food and safe equipment.