If recent reports are anything to go by, gone are the days of outlandish and demanding celebrity riders: these days, it’s all about ultra-balm tissues for Kings of Leon and a blender for Keane, Europe’s leading secondary ticketing company decided to poll their customers to see who in their opinion is still living the dream and keeping it real with diva-like behaviour backstage, on-stage and on-tour.
Mariah Carey topped the list with her diva behaviour, securing her place with demands that include having a new toilet seat installed in her hotel prior to her arrival. The star will bathe only in mineral water in a bathroom fitted with gold faucets and extends the same policy to her pet dog. However, the demand that surely won her the coveted top-spot is an assistant who accompanies her solely to take care of the diva’s used chewing gum before she goes on stage.
Jennifer Lopez came a close second, with demands that include having Egyptian cotton sheets, a room temperature of 26 degrees and a preference for white room decor. Here more inventive requirements include coffee stirred anti-clockwise and that her path be prepared with the scent of gardenias prior to public appearances.
Other nominees that didn’t quite make the list were Lady Gaga, whose 25 page rider submitted for this year’s Glastonbury Festival included the requirement for ‘non-smelly, non-sweaty cheese’ and Jay-Z’s rejected rider for his performance at the University of Arizona in May. The rapper allegedly requested a luxury car with tinted windows to help him get around town during his stay and submitted an extensive list of alcohol requirements for his dressing room alongside a request for good quality peanut butter and jelly. The latter he received, the former were declined.
The final top 5 in full:
1.) Mariah Carey
· Hotel bathroom suites must be fitted with gold faucets
· A new toilet seat must be installed prior to arrival
· Mariah’s own bed linen is delivered in advance
· Both Mariah and her dog only bathe in mineral water.
· Puppies and kittens must be on hand to keep the star entertained.
· An assistant must be on hand to take care of Mariah’s used chewing gum prior to shows.
2.) Jennifer Lopez
· Hotel sheets must be Egyptian cotton with a thread count of at least 250.
· Hotel rooms must contain two humidifiers and two oscillating fans to achieve the preferred room temperature of 26°C.
· White or red roses or white lilies are J-Lo’s flowers of choice.
· Jennifer’s coffee must be stirred anti-clockwise.
· Lopez’s path must reportedly be sprayed with the scent of gardenia before public appearances.
· The diva has previously requested a white hotel room with white flowers, white tables and tablecloths, white drapes, white candles and white couches.
3.) Prince
In advance of his stay at the Dorchester in 2007, Prince demanded:
· that everything in his room be black, from the walls to the furniture, curtains and carpet.
· a black M&M’s machine and an oxygen bar for his entourage.
· As a general rule, all items in Prince’s dressing room must be wrapped in clear plastic film to be unwrapped by the artist on his arrival.
4.) Britney Spears
In advance of her trip to the UK for the London leg of her Circus tour earlier this year, Britney issued a number of demands to the Dorchester hotel where she would be staying. She requested:
· a room that had never been smoked in
· several humidifiers
· that the room be lit with 100 watt light bulbs and contain fresh flowers
· that magazines, chick-lit novels and Marilyn Monroe movies be provided
5.) Van Halen
· The rider that started them all, making it OK for stars to be demanding: in the 53 page rider for their World Tour in 1982, Van Halen famously requested a bowl of M&M’s. With all the brown ones picked out.
