Rider (theater)

Last updated

In theater, dance, and live musical performances, a rider is a set of requests or demands that a performer sets as criteria for performance, which are typically fulfilled by the hosting venue. Types of riders include hospitality and technical . [1]

Contents

Since the 2010s, inclusion riders, which provide for certain levels of diversity in casting and production staff, are used in the film and television industry.[ citation needed ]

Hospitality rider

The hospitality rider is a list of requests for the comfort of the artist on the day of the show. Common requests are:[ citation needed ]

Technical rider

A document which specifies the types of equipment to be used, the staff to be provided, and other arrangements directly relating to the performance.

For live music performances, technical riders usually include:

Typical requests are:

Piano

Sound

Lighting

Backline

Other

Unreasonable requests

On occasion, an artist's rider may be seen as unreasonable or excessive for a given performance. It is often the case that such riders were devised for larger or more complex performances. In situations like these, the stage manager would talk with the band manager about alternatives.

Some requests or requirements are used to avoid certain conditions and small venues. Such clauses make it difficult to put on a show and/or limit production quality. An example could be a ballet choreographed for a 60 feet by 60 feet stage. Adapting to a smaller stage could require removal of vital parts of the performance. Another example is asking for an unnecessarily large power supply.

Some rider requirements are attempts to avoid specific problems from previous shows. Some venues cut corners to save expense, leaving the touring crew with inedible food, etc.

"Unreasonable requests" (if legal) can be contractual obligations. Failure to meet such terms can compel performance fees to be paid without a performance.

Notable rider requests

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stage management</span> Theatre or event coordination and organization

Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including overseeing of the rehearsal process and coordinating communications among various production teams and personnel. Stage management requires a general understanding of all aspects of production and provides complete organization to ensure the process runs smoothly and efficiently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lighting design</span> Person responsible for lighting on a stage

In theatre, a lighting designer works with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create the lighting, atmosphere, and time of day for the production in response to the text while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety, and cost. The LD also works closely with the stage manager or show control programming, if show control systems are used in that production. Outside stage lighting, the job of a lighting designer can be much more diverse, and they can be found working on rock and pop tours, corporate launches, art installations, or lighting effects at sporting events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stagecraft</span> Technical aspect of theatrical, film, video production

Stagecraft is a technical aspect of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes constructing and rigging scenery; hanging and focusing of lighting; design and procurement of costumes; make-up; stage management; audio engineering; and procurement of props. Stagecraft is distinct from the wider umbrella term of scenography. Considered a technical rather than an artistic field, it is primarily the practical implementation of a scenic designer's artistic vision.

An electrical lighting technician, or simply lighting technician, are involved with rigging stage and location sets and controlling artificial, electric lights for art and entertainment venues or in video, television, or film production.

A technical director (TD) is usually a senior technical person within e.g. a software company, engineering firm, film studio, theatre company or television studio. This person usually has the highest level of skill within a specific technical field.

In theatre, the running crew are members of the technical crew who supervise and operate ("run") the various technical aspects of the production during a performance. While the "technical crew" includes all persons other than performers involved with the production, such as those who build and take down the sets and place the lighting, the term "running crew" is generally limited to those who work during an actual performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Television studio</span> Installation in which video productions take place

A television studio, also called a television production studio, is an installation room in which video productions take place, either for the production of live television and its recording onto video tape or other media such as SSDs, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the special requirements of television production. A professional television studio generally has several rooms, which are kept separate for noise and practicality reasons. These rooms are connected via 'talkback' or an intercom, and personnel will be divided among these workplaces.

Television crew positions are derived from those of film crew, but with several differences.

The set decorator is the head of the set decoration department in the film and television industry, responsible for selecting, designing, fabricating, and sourcing the "set dressing" elements of each set in a Feature Film, Television, or New Media episode or commercial, in support of the story and characters of the script. The set decorator is responsible for each décor element inside the sets, from practical lighting, technology, art, furniture, drapery, floor coverings, books, collectables, to exterior furnishings such as satellite dishes, Old West water troughs, streetlamps, traffic lights, garden furniture and sculptures.

A tour manager is the person who helps to organize the administration for a schedule of appearances of a musical group (band) or artist at a sequence of venues. In general, road managers handle tour details for their specific band, while tour managers are used to oversee the logistics, finances and communications for tours as a holistic entity. So, on any given tour, there may be road managers taking care of each band as well as a Tour Manager responsible for caring for the entire tour. The Tour Manager may also be the headlining band's road manager.

The technical rehearsal or tech rehearsal is a rehearsal that focuses on the technological aspects of the performance, in theatrical, musical, and filmed entertainment.

A theatrical technician, also known as a theatrical tech, theatre technician, or theatre tech is a person who operates technical equipment and systems in the performing arts and entertainment industry. In contrast to performers, this broad category contains all "unseen" theatrical personnel who practice stagecraft and are responsible for the logistic and production-related aspects of a performance including designers, operators, and supervisors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Control booth</span> Operational area in film and theatre

The control booth, control room, lighting box, technical booth, tech booth, or just booth used by television, film or theatrical technicians is the area designated for the operation of technical equipment, lighting controls and sound board. Often one or two followspots may be located in the booth as well. In a theater, it is generally an enclosed space with a large sliding window with a good view of the stage centered in the back of the house. It may be on the ground floor or at the balcony level. In a film or television production, it might be in a trailer or other space near the studio.

The 1984 Tour was a concert tour by hard rock band Van Halen in support of their sixth studio album 1984.

The Rose Center Theater is a performing arts theater within the Westminster Rose Center located in Westminster, California. It is part of the larger Rose Center complex that includes multiple ballrooms and banquet facilities. It is the home of the Vietnamese American Philharmonic Orchestra, TNT Productions, and the Westminster Chorale. It has also served as the host to many touring Broadway productions, dance companies, opera troupes, and was the temporary home of the Academy for the Performing Arts during the renovations of Huntington Beach High School.

The World Invasion Tour was a concert tour by hard rock band Van Halen in support of their third studio album, Women and Children First.

There are different types of theatres, but they all have three major parts in common. Theatres are divided into two main sections, the house and the stage; there is also a backstage area in many theatres. The house is the seating area for guests watching a performance and the stage is where the actual performance is given. The backstage area is usually restricted to people who are producing or in the performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backline (stage)</span>

The term backline is used in popular music and sound reinforcement system contexts to refer to electronic audio amplification equipment and speaker enclosures that are placed behind the band or the rhythm section on stage, including amplifiers and speaker cabinets for guitars, bass guitars and keyboards. Such equipment is often rented or leased by the band or their management, or provided by the venue. Speakers placed at the front of the stage facing the performers are also known as monitor speakers or "foldback". The main speakers facing the audience are sometimes referred to as "front of house speakers".

A touring theatre company travels to different locations to perform plays and musicals.

Wasting Light World Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Foo Fighters, in support of their seventh studio album Wasting Light. It began on January 28, 2011 at a secret show at Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara, California where they debuted the album in full. The tour included dates across Europe, Oceania, North and South America and included festival dates such as Reading and Leeds Festival as well a series of performances in hardcore fans' garages which was documented in their "Garage Tour" documentary on YouTube.

References

  1. Rosenfeld, Jennifer (3 January 2017). "What's a Technical Rider (And Do You Need One)?". iCadenza. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Tech Rider: How to write a good tech rider for live shows". Groover Blog. 2021-07-02. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  3. "RIGHTING THE WRONGS: Van Halen and M&Ms". 27 February 2008.
  4. "Craziest music rider". Telegraph. 17 January 2017.
  5. "Brown out". snopes.com. 19 January 2001.
  6. Danny Canak. "Outrageous Rock Star Demands". Sydney Unleashed. Retrieved 2021-02-09.
  7. Time Waster. "TSG Backstage: Johnny Cash". Thesmokinggun.com. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
  8. Time Waster. "TSG Backstage: Paul McCartney". Thesmokinggun.com. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
  9. Time Waster. "TSG Backstage: Elton John". Thesmokinggun.com. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
  10. deadmau5 (2010-08-31). "Deadmau5". Choleric-mau5.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2010-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. "Lady Gaga says staff must have English accents". CTVNews. 2011-05-10. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  12. "Michael Bublé". 12 June 2014.
  13. Musicrooms News Desk (2012-05-21). "Axl Rose asks for a square melon in his dressing room". Musicrooms.net. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
  14. "Dan 'Soupy' Campbell, The Wonder Years - #7of30". Rock Sound YouTube channel. 2014-01-09. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2014-04-23.