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Cape Town - American super band the Foo Fighters will snack on bacon in vanilla-scented dressing rooms while touring in South Africa in December.
Ticket sales to the rock band’s stadium concerts in Johannesburg (on 13 December) and in Cape Town (on 10 December) opened at 09:00 earlier on Thursday, with prices ranging from R350 to R1 085.
City Press took a sneak peek at their backstage rider – a 26-page document that outlines their pre-performance whims – and found some bizarre requests.
The Foo Fighters were formed in Seattle in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl.
Now, they demand six backstage rooms – "architecture willing" – for their entourage of 78 people, including 18 vegetarians.
They want 24 large bath towels – and "if they are new and unwashed you will receive a wedgie", concert organisers are told.
The document, which starts out with: "Here you are again reading the famed Foo Fighters hospitality rider" details the band’s love of bacon.
"Bacon, I call it ‘god’s currency’! Hell, if it could be breathed, I would. Bacon in any form is great, not as an entrée, but just in general," says the document, which, in all likelihood, was written by their tour manager, Gus Brandt.
'Chicken boobs'
The rider ridicules chicken breasts or "chicken boobs". It goes on to say that they prefer fried chicken – "fried anything, really".
But then it notes a preference for vegetarian soup over meaty options as their "fat" roadies are prone to flatulence.
"Please make arrangements for leftovers to be collected by a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter or our roadie who looks like Osama bin Laden," states the document.
Before the shows, they require a bottle of vodka and Jägermeister each – and also two vanilla scented candles – "no flowery scents as we’re men, after all".
The rock stars also have different wants on different days of the week.
Their Cape Town show falls on a Wednesday, which means they will require eight packs of organic breakfast bars backstage.
Meanwhile, in Joburg on Saturday, they would prefer Thai food. Also, four DVDs – "used ones are okay, choose wisely or we’ll make fun of you" – and four magazines, but not Rolling Stone, People or Spin.
The band has sold an estimated 25 million albums. Its eighth album is due for release in November.
Their rider concludes: "Just another band trying to make enough money to fuel our private jet, please help!"
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