Show Tips: What You Need To Know About An Artist’s Rider

talent network show tips : Artist’s Rider
By David Sedelmeier
Owner/Operator of talent network, inc.
Offering 30 years of insight and knowledge

Don’t believe everything you read… that’s my advice when looking over the hospitality section of an Artist’s Rider. An Event Producer often feels like it’s more food than any one human can eat when they see the dressing room or backstage area packed with every item listed on the Rider. We just did an event with a Solo Artist and his Rider included four bottles of wine – he doesn’t drink – as well as coffee, tea, fruit, cheese, twelve bottles of water and countless other items no one touched, all costing the buyer over $1,000 in unnecessary expense.

Depending on Venue and Setting, we suggest making it a solid practice to do a food buyout with Artists, especially Bands. These deals are much more cost effective for the Buyer and often more appealing for Artist, allowing them to dine at their leisure. Plus, they get what they want when they want it. With a food buyout, dressing room amenities for the act are still needed, but you can talk with the Artist’s Road Manager about what the Artist really needs versus what is actually on the Rider. Once the Artist and Road Manager arrive onsite and get the lay of the land, they often don’t need many, if not most of the items on the catering section of the Rider. I never suggest making costs a priority over giving an Artist what they are requesting…just paying attention and doing a little investigation into what an Artist likes can go a long way into making them feel appreciated and a little at home while on the road.

With talent network, we feel it all begins with the Production Company you hire. If you use a top-quality Company, who provide the best sound, lights with skilled tech crew, then all the Road Manager’s worries will be assuaged. Once the Road Manager is comfortable in the show quality, he/she is often very willing and flexible on everything else.

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