Philadelphia Weekly

MUSIC

Ever Wonder What Your Favorite Bands Require Backstage?

We comb through the hospitality riders of acts coming through Philly, and print the most interesting ones.

By Michael Alan Goldberg

Add Comment | Comments: 4 | Posted Aug. 10, 2010

To be provided backstage for Megadeath

Great news! Thanks to the miracle that is modern medicine, Slayer frontman Tom Araya is recovering nicely from the back surgery (an “Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion,” to be more specific) he had in January necessitated by decades of serious headbanging and thrashing (seriously—that’s what his publicist told us).

And now that he’s feeling better—perhaps via a deal with the devil as well as a deal with his doctors—you know what that means ... yes, Slayer’s much-anticipated, postponed “American Carnage” co-headlining tour with Megadeth, which was originally slated for Feb. 13 at the Susquehanna Bank Center over in Camden, is back on! Get it? Back! On! Anyway, the rescheduled Philly date is Aug. 15 at the Susquehanna Bank Center. Testament will open the show.

In related news, we’ve gotten a hold of Megadeth’s hospitality rider—the portion of the contract dealing what amenities are required backstage—for the “American Carnage” tour. Some excerpts:

• Twenty-four boxes of Kleenex.

• Random assortment of DVD movies. Drama, action, and slapstick comedies are acceptable genres. Rock music documentaries are not. The following titles MUST NOT BE INCLUDED: The Crying Game, Cry-Baby, Boys Don’t Cry, Cry Freedom, Tears of the Sun, Cry Wolf, Sob Story, Bedtime for Sniffles, or any movie starring Jon Cryer.

• One EACH voodoo-type doll in the likeness of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, to be made of soft material such as a cotton-stuffed sock or mattress foam wrapped in terry cloth. Photos of the faces of Mr. Hetfield or Mr. Ulrich may be glued (but NOT stapled) to the “heads” of said dolls, which MUST be accompanied by a set of carbon-steel, nickel-plated sewing needles, a pair of hair-cutting scissors, a butterfly knife, a surgery scalpel or other extremely sharp instrument.

• One deli platter with an assortment of premium meats; one dessert platter with an assortment of cakes, cookies and fudge. The deli platter MUST NOT contain any Danish ham. In fact, there must be NOTHING Danish whatsoever in the catering area. No Danish pastries, no Danish cookies. Even a little Danish will upset Mr. Mustaine.

Sat., Aug. 15
7pm
With Testament.
$39-$57.50
Susquehanna Bank Center
1 Harbour Blvd.
Camden, N.J.
856.365.1300
livenation.com