Divas’ demands from whacky to weird and more
Some of the biggest names in music are due to touch down in New Zealand in coming weeks and lists of previous backstage demands suggest some are bigger divas than others.
Celine Dion will take the stage at Spark Arena for three sold-out shows early next month. Superstar Katy Perry plays two shows at the same venue on August 20 and 21.
Pop icon Pink plays five shows at the arena in early September. Her New Zealand tour starts with a show in Dunedin on September 1 and follows a 35-show tour in Australia.
Her relatively slim backstage requests include a bottle of whisky and — possibly tongue-in-cheek given that she has kids along for the ride — organic pacifiers.
Katy Perry, on the other hand, has gone on previous tours with 45 pages of demands.
The rider demanded her dressing room was “piped and draped in cream and soft pink”, and fitted out with two cream-coloured egg chairs, six folding chairs and a “perspex modern-style” coffee table.
Rules around flower arrangements were very specific — bouquets would ideally consist of pink.
White would be tolerated if her lackeys were not able to track down the right shade but carnations were prohibited from her dressing room under all circumstances.
Perry also had strict rules for her staff members. Drivers were not allowed to start a conversation with her, or her fans. Canadian singer Celine Dion had a history of requests on the unusual side.
A backstage rider dated back to 1998 showed Dion requested a choir to perform with her — ideally the best local children’s choir.
Other, more recent requests included potato chips — but definitely not the crinkle cut variety — and copious bottles of Fiji Water.