DOCUMENT: Celebrity

Drivers Beware: Don’t Stare At Katy Perry

Singer’s tour rider offers 23-point wheelman "policy"

Katy Perry

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Katy Perry Rider

MAY 19--As she prepares to embark next month on the U.S. leg of her 2011 world tour, Katy Perry will be carrying a 45-page concert rider that outlaws carnations, details very specific furniture requirements, and outlines a 23-point “principle driver policy” for chauffeurs in towns the 26-year-old singer visits.

According to Perry’s rider, excerpted here, the performer’s dressing room (which has to be draped in cream or soft pink) needs to be outfitted with two cream-colored egg chairs, one of which should have a footstool. It is unclear whether Perry requires original Arne Jacobsens or cheap knockoffs. A coffee table needs to be “perspex modern style.” A pair of floor lamps should be in “French ornate style.” And the singer’s refrigerator must come with a glass door.

As for the dressing room’s flower arrangement, Perry wants “White and purple hydrangeas, pink & white roses and peonies.” If those flowers are not available, Perry will settle for a “selection of seasonal white flowers to include white orchids.” However, promoters are advised, “ABSOLUTELY NO CARNATIONS.” That warning is, of course, underlined.

In a commendable effort to curb the environmental impact of plastic bottles, Perry’s rider notes that water dispensers must be provided in all dressing rooms and production offices, and that tour personnel will be supplied with “SIGG drinking bottles.”

When it comes to hotel provisions, Perry requires a “1 bedroom presidential suite” in a “5 star property.” And free Internet service and a complimentary breakfast must be provided to the performer and her touring party.

Chauffeurs, the rider notes, are not allowed to “start a conversation w/ the client.” Wheelmen are similarly barred from conversing with Perry’s guests or fans. They also are directed not to stare at the backseat through the rear view mirror. Drivers should also not “ask for autographs or pictures, and especially not while driving!” Finally, Perry’s ride should be outfitted with four water bottles (presumably in the event she forgets her Sigg).

The rider also alerts promoters that they may be required to hold back tickets for concerts so that Perry & Co. can provide the ducats to “resellers” for “distribution to the public” on the “secondary market.” In other words, Perry reserves the right to pocket some of the proceeds from the sale of tickets--not made available at face price to her fans--scalped at inflated prices by these brokers.

The quantity and location of tickets earmarked for these secondary markets will be determined by Perry’s “Personal Manager,” according to the rider, which was provided to TSG by our pal Jester. (6 pages)

Comments (88)

What Perry has in her privisions rider is typical, usual stuff. There's nothing major about it except that the pages shown had a total of 19 misspellings and 11 grammatical errors. The real reason (shame on you, Smoking Gun, for not elaborating) Perry's rider on the chauffer says "do not look at" her is that often drivers get star struck and will automatically keep looking back at their famous passenger(s) and not keep their eyes on the road. Same with the cell phone use. The cell phone can also be used to take pictures & record (to later sell) private conversations a celeb is having with her parents, manager, etc. If you want to see strange contacts, look at Dionne Warwicks', Diana Ross', and Shirley Jones'. Talk about demands! OY! They're uppity divas for a reason and their (average) 100 page riders prove it. The best rider I've ever seen is by U2. In the food provisions section it simply says, "just feed us."
star struck professional limo drivers? *burst into song...* "BRIGHT LIGHT, BIG CITYYY!!!!!"
Hope someone sends this article to the IRS. I am sure they are not declaring the income they are getting from scalping their own tickets which is illegal. What a douche bag who scalps her own tickets to make more cash off her loser fans.
I gotta admit, I like some of KP's music. Although I do think she's taken a scanky turn for the worse. I always thought that van halen's m&m thing was because he didn't like black people. It's something I heard, cause there's no way I could make something that rediculous up in my head. I've never heard so many hilarious comments on one topic. Those who are non KP fans, loved every word. The comment about "hitting a wall of text," classic. You sarcastic people are right up my ally. Feel free to find me on fb.
As a Katy Perry fan, it doesn't surprise me with some of the requests, especially with the "no carnations" rule since Katy Perry is extremely allergic to them. The driving policies just ensure that the driver isn't preoccupied with driving a celebrity, but ensuring that the person that hired them gets to the destination in a timely and safe manner. Also, saying that Katy Perry is a brat because of this is ridiculous. Katy Perry is one of my idols, and I had the pleasure of meeting her. She was so warm and nice and even encouraged me to come out as a lesbian. She has saved my life and has made me a better person. Just because she wants extra things doesn't mean that she isn't a good person. She has worked hard enough to earn this right.
So, you're a ***..big deal.
She hasn't worked hard at all. She has most of her songs written for her by Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cathy Dennis. How did she save your life? Did she pull you from in front of a bus? She was warm and nice because it wouldn't come over very well if she was rude and obtuse to one of her fans now would it? If KP is one of your idols, you need to stop watching MTV. It's warping your tiny little mind.
Yes Dexter! Thank you!
Apparently not too many people know the purpose of a rider, regardless of the act. It's not about the performer's personal vanity or pleasures, it's about them knowing that the crew and people responsible for setting up the performance are doing their jobs and paying attention. It started with Van Halen - part of their famously huge rider stated very small, mid-way through that each dressing room was to have a bowl of M&Ms, with all the brown ones removed. If they arrived backstage and found their bowl with brown candy in it, they'd then wonder "what else didn't they pay attention to?" This would cause them to have every element of the production - stage, electric, lighting, and all other technical aspects - checked for safety and perfection. They did it as a means to watch out for themselves and know that every last detail was being followed. That's not to say "stars" like Katy Perry don't also use them to get what they want as a perk of the situation, but it's not the true goal of a rider. The more complicated they are, the more attention they require, and the more confident the artist can feel in the show.
Yeah, having a specific colored room with specific colored chairs isn't about vanity at all . . .
Wow. After being a total dufus in the Proactive commercial (could she laugh and look any goofier?), she should go into hiding. I can't fathom why she has even one fan or her inflated ego.
I'm gonna punch someone in the throat if I have to hear "I'M TALKING ABOUT ZITS HERE PEOPLE!" one more goddamn time. Hopefully that someone will be her.
A shiatty singer who's husband was tossed out of Japan. A world tour? I doubt that. She's headed to XXX DVD
She has a nice rack and so-so ass and had that song about her kissing a girl and then carpet munching. So that's why Katy is where she is and her face is perfect for a pearl necklace. Tops 1 more year then time for XXX.
Interesting that the worse the artist, the more demanding the tour rider. Clearly Ms. Perry is a brat, a talentless one at that, who is taking out her anger where she can. I LOATHE her music. So much garbage with cotton candy window dressing. I can only imagine she must have given out many sexual favors in order to achieve her current success. It's been proven that anyone who can barely croak out a note can become a recording artist, thanks to tricks like autotune. The promotional people behind Ms. Perry are to be commended for polishing this turd so brilliantly that the public have rewarded her with sales and adoration.
Ditto that!
@turnelbup: LOL!!! AWESOME!
who is katy perry? what does she do? and who cares after all that.
she's one of the biggest women in music right now. who are you?
Looks pretty skinny to me.
Why is this even making news what so ever? This is not only normal, but no big deal. She can afford it. She wants it. So she gets it. these requests are MINOR for a star on the road. The only part that is news worthy is the ticket sales, if that is in fact accurate. I read this thinking she was requesting outrageous things, but chairs she likes to sit in and a specific type of water is really nothing to make news over. Especially the hotel part, what star doesn't get the best room on the best property where visiting?! As for the flowers, good for her, I hate carnations too. I am no Katy Perry fan, at all, however feel she's being thrown under the bus for no apparent reason. Her requests are normal, and actually quite moderate compared to most touring pop sensations.
If that's true then most touring pop sensations are asshats. I can only imagine what that baby-douche Bieber is demanding from his venues.
Thank you. finally someone who uses their brain!
Clearly none of you have ever been famous. Do you enjoy people staring at you all the time? Imagine not just one person on one occasion, but everywhere you go people always stare at you. Is this something she needs to have to endure on the way to her job? I'm not Katy, nor am I affiliated with her anyway, but I am well known and wherever I go, people stare. It does get old after awhile--disconcerting at best, often disturbing at worst. Most of the items in her rider related to the driver seem to be about safety, i.e. no cell phones, no speeding, etc. It makes perfect sense that Katy would not want someone staring at her while his eyes are supposed to be on the road. Can you imagine having a driver staring a hole in you while swerving through lanes of traffic and ramming your limo directly into an oncoming 18-wheeler?? Get real, folks! It's a safety issue, not a narcissism thing. The only narcissists I see here are the people who think folks like Katy ought to allow them to do any retarded thing they want, because apparently the artist only exists to give you autographs, take pictures with you and listen to your inane stories. Artists are people too, people who the general public seems to presume have given up their basic human rights because of their fame, when in fact protections like these are needed not only to give the artist some basic consideration, but also to keep their lives out of danger. Last of all, this rider is hardly the worst I've ever seen. It's positively tame compared to artists like Jennifer Lopez. And it's completely necessary. Someone mentioned the Van Halen rider and the color of M&M's. They do this so they can tell if attention has been paid to detail. Van Halen's staff knows that if the M&M's are taken care of, then also the proper grounding will be done on stage equipment so that Eddie and Alex don't get electrocuted to death.
Oh come the hell on! First off your "story" is BS! Secondly SCALPING YOUR OWN TICKETS TO POCKET GOUGED PRICES!?!?! THAT isn't narcissistic? She isn't bad looking and I admit I like a FEW of her songs, and I have seen outrageous riders before and I understand the reasoning behind them....but this is just f#@king retarded! And for you to defend it?!?!!? I wanna push the BS button on your "I'm not Katy, nor am I affiliated with her anyway, but I am well known and wherever I go, people stare." comment! You are either Katy or one of her suckups that she has working for her. Now go ahead and reply to tell me I am wrong, cuz we ALL know and expect that to come.
I get that you don't know how the business works. Yes, I have no problem with Katy or any other artist getting their cut from the scalpers. Scalpers hurt the business. This part of the rider is made specifically to discourage scalping. It's not so much to gouge prices but to discourage it. Of course you know nothing about the entertainment business. You're a nobody, and you probably always will be. And no, I'm not Katy, Russell, or anybody affiliated with her. I'm proud of her success and happy for her. I don't need to be her. I have my own crowd to run with and perform for. You wouldn't understand unless you've been there and had to deal with countless nobodies like yourself who get behind a keyboard and suddenly know every little thing about the industry and enjoy spreading their ignorance through the internet.
Okay, so you're Ke$ha?
Russell?
They have their own roadies who do the electrics dumba$$. And if they don't do the electrics, they test them themselves before hand.
There are thousands of other things that can go wrong besides electrical issues. Do you imagine that roadies also somehow make sure the stage is properly constructed? Do roadies also install wiring?? Van Halen's rider is just one example, but David Lee Roth correctly stated that "if you find brown M&M's then if you go line-by-line throughout the rest of the contract, you will undoubtedly find other things not done."
OMG. As if she didn't know all that going in. What are we supposed to do then, feel sorry for her? For doing exactly what she wanted to do? Dude, grab a brain. She wanted to be public and famous, the crap goes with it. Maybe you should argue that she's really a plant instead of a mammal and made to sit in the window against her will. I'm sorry, but your post is one of the most retarded things I've ever read. Hey, wanna buy some swamp-land?
Just because someone decides they want to pursue a career doesn't mean that they should be treated poorly. They don't have to put up with abuse or poor venue management. That's ridiculous. That's like if your boss down at the bus station told you that because you clean the bathrooms you have to eat at least five pieces of feces per shift. I'm sure you have some swamp-land available, but I doubt you'll get any takers on farming out your flab folds.
"...so that Eddie and Alex don't get electrocuted to death." Now, would that really be a big loss?
It would be to their families.
Why even Miss Daisy allowed her driver to speak to her. Katy's too uppity for her own good.
Who is Katy Perry?
Isn't she Matts' sister?
Luke's too!
The vitriol here is something to behold -- what does KP's talent, or physical being, have to do with the rider? If I didn't know the context I'd swear I was reading 13 year old pubescent girls bitch about the cool girl in class. Nasty. The demands in the rider relate to how she lives her life while on the road. And unless you've spent 7 months away from your home on business, living out of a suitcase, in a different town every few nights, you probably don't get what it's like.
Jeeez Louise is she for real? Someone please tell me what this hag's talent is besides riding Russell Brand and sucking face with chicks??? I will vote for her on Dancing with the Stars 2 yrs from now on their Dlist edition.. Trust.
Um... I hereby offer my services to the Katy Perry people as a PROOFREADER! The spelling and grammar are atrocious!
Someone needs to take her into a backroom somewhere and just beat the living crap out of her. She is no more better than you or me.
I'd hit it.
Whoever wrote this is a real moron. Plus, no one spell checked...they spelled "stare" as "stair"...why am I not suprised. She is a no talent hack, isn't her 15 minutes up yet?
she has a talent, please tell me what it is? sounds pretty stuck up to me.
I'm pretty sure the article didn't say she was the only person who has excessive rider demands. And for the folks who thinks she didn't know what was on the rider...c'mon, her name's on it, she should know. I'm just amazed that this talentless skank has the nerve to demand that the help don't speak to her on top of her stupid demands. It's pretty sad that people think she or anybody for that matter deserve all of this on top of the insane amount of money they get for lip synching and rack flashing.
Sorry for double posting, this interface is a little buggy, lol.
WTF......the only decent thing I've ever noticed about this hag is her rack.
Someone needs to post Neil Diamond's demands- I think that he has Katy Perry beat. In 2 experiences with his appearances, once as a security guard at the venue, we were instructed to turn and face the wall if we encountered him in a back stage area, and then years later working in a hotel where he was staying, they needed 2 extra workers to keep up with his demands, keeping his food requirements and demands up to date every second, and the same applied- if he came out of his hotel room and you were restocking the food- DON"T LOOK AT HIM! After being available to him and his people 24 hours a day, there was no extra compensation, and there was no money made because the gratuity on the bill had to be divided up between many more people than should have been needed for that size group.In the giant scheme of things, with all the problems in the world, and what some people are enduring, I think these stars demands are RIDICULOUS!
"Don't look at me!! DON'T YOU LOOK AT MEEEE!!!!!!!!"