Many in our industry have heard the legend of Van Halen’s tour rider with the “No Brown M&Ms”. Some know it well and know it’s origins, but many do not. In this video David “Diamond Dave” Lee Roth explains the origin of this rider clause and how it was used to catch promoters who didn’t read the band’s tour riders and to ensure production safety needs were meet.
We thank Parnelli Award-winning Lighting Designer, Rob Koenig, who is out with the European leg of Metallica’s M72 World Tour, for digging up this insightful video. “You get to a point, being in your line of work for so long, of being desensitized by the many stories that shaped our business,” comments Koenig. “You just assume everyone from the oldest to the youngest knows these stories. Take a few minutes, and watch David Lee Roth from Van Halen tell probably the most famous folklore tales in live music touring. Love the way he tells it.” Kudos to Rob for keeping these stories alive.
