The Smoking Gun's collection of concert tour riders, spotlighting the often outrageous, diva-ish demands for backstage food and hospitality items that top musicians feel entitled to make at every venue, is pretty amusing, but who knew such documents were an art form? Foo Fighters, that's who. One of their staffers (as was revealed today, it was tour manager Greg Brandt, a disappointing blow to Foo fans who hoped it might be Dave Grohl, second from left, or his onstage colleagues) actually made a point of trying to out-clever the Iggy Pop rider — perhaps to achieve everlasting fame on TSG, but also, as Brandt put it, to make the document "interesting to the woman in Oklahoma City who has to go out and get the hummus." Bonus points, then, to Brandt, for revealing the reason why it's a bad idea to serve roadies meaty soups, that bassist Nate Mendel (right) — and "not the guy from Nirvana" — is the band's true "people person," and that the musicians enjoy "big-ass kielbasas that make men self-conscious." Also, for managing to use the word "wookiee" (spelled correctly!) in a tour rider. Read the whole thing if you want to chuckle or to reaffirm your fondness for all things Foo.
