"So, what do they really have backstage?"

I was surfing around earlier this afternoon, and came across The Smoking Gun: Backstage Pass page, which includes the riders for many music groups, past and present. For those that don't know, "riders," are instructions that many groups and managers of groups give to the people that book them. They are lists of what the group requires to have backstage. They can range from soft drinks or beer, to flowers, to empty boxes. Why anyone would want six empty boxes backstage is anybody's guess, but that's exactly what one group requires. I suppose that if the terms of the rider aren't met, the group may have the ability to refuse to play at a particular venue. I'm not sure. Anyway, I had lots of fun going through the various riders for several artists, such as Limp Bizkit, Moby, Prince (or whatever he calls himself today), and others. The groups listed range from country, to rock, to metal, to R&B, etc.

Not all of the pages will have readable text on them, much to my chagrin. Like some of the links for Metallica brought empty pages, other than the links to the various numbered pages. However, they must have a detailed rider, since their's was 24 pages long. But, many groups riders are accessible. Anyway, it's a great time kill, if you've got nothing to do or if you are trying to put off doing something. Enjoy.