Every tour has a rider. It's the document that tells a venue what our show needs to happen... power, stage, rigging, labor, catering, dressing rooms, all of it. The local rep reads the whole thing, and after our advance call, they share what they need to with their team.
So the rider has to be right. And the rider I sent has to be the rider they're reading.
That sounds simple. It isn't always.
One Rider Won't Cover It
I version my riders by date, tour, and show type. There's a separate rider for amphitheaters, arenas, festivals, and stadiums. For one-offs and private or corporate shows, I'll usually build a one-off tech rider, and we scale the hospitality based on staffing.
One rider can't cover all of those days. I wrote about that in No Two Days Alike... every venue type changes the day. It changes the paperwork too.
The Stage Is the Difference
The biggest difference between my amphitheater rider and my arena rider is the stage.
We don't carry a stage for arenas. The building has to provide it. We do carry a thrust, and it has to tie into the house stage. The height is crucial. Our thrust has an automated piano lift in it, and it only works at 5'6" or taller. That leaves room for a "garage" underneath to store a piano that comes up on the lift for one song.
We use the same thrust in amphitheaters, but we usually have to build a step up or down to it. You can't change the height of a stage that's usually poured concrete.
Arenas also get a bigger rigging ask. The grid is usually higher, and the riggers tire quicker pulling that extra height.
None of that shows up on an amphitheater rider. All of it has to show up on the arena one.
One Line
Riders change in the middle of a tour too.
Last year we had a big one. Our automation power needs nearly doubled because of a change in winch type for some of the automated trusses.
In my riders, the power for each department is listed on its own, and it's very specific. So on paper, it was a one-line change. But that one line could've been detrimental to the show if I hadn't made the change and made sure to highlight it on every call for the first few weeks.
None of the buildings had a problem with the new ask. We're playing A market rooms, and they all have plenty of power. But nobody would have known to check if that one line had slipped by.
What Changed, and Why
When a rider changes mid-tour, it goes out in an email with the new version attached and specific notes about what changed. More importantly, why.
The why matters. Without it, a change can look like a mistake that's being quietly fixed.
And if it was a mistake, that's fine. Own it. Mistakes happen. Don't try to hide it, because that's what costs you trust with the local rep. Especially if you can't back up your claim that it was a real change and not an oversight.
Everybody on the Same Docs
What happens when the wrong rider shows up on show day? Honestly, if I do my advance right, it doesn't.
It starts before the advance. Get with management and the booking agent before you start any advance work, and make sure everyone is working from the same docs. When you make a change, it's on YOU to share the new version with those folks too.
Then, on every advance call, ask the buyer or the rep one question.
"Which rider do you have? Is it the one I sent you?"
It takes five seconds to ask. It's the cheapest insurance to make sure the show goes off without a hitch.