11 Mar David Lee Roth & Judgement Day For The Brown M&Ms
We all hear about celebrities and their extravagant demands when touring. For David Lee Roth and Van Halen there’s a stipulation in their contract that there must be a bowl of M&Ms, but with all the brown ones removed.
I hear you – don’t they all taste the same?
Of course they do! So why? Is it because of an allergy? Wrong again. Is it because they don’t like the colour brown? Nope.
It seems that Article 126 is the key to understanding this bizarre request. Buried deep in the many pages of their contract covering all the do’s and don’ts for their equipment and huge technical productions is Article 126. It stipulates that should a brown M&M be found, the band will be entitled to forfeit and with full compensation.
For David Lee Roth, Article 126 is his quality control check. If the band finds a brown M&M backstage the question becomes – what else has been missed in putting together their massive show? They then go back and check EVERYTHING. The whole production; line by line. And he guaranteed they always found a problem. In Colorado, the local promoters failed to read the weight requirements which would have precipitated the staging falling onto the arena floor.
Personally, I love a Checklist and now can be out and proud about it! And all because of a few brown M&Ms. You’ve gotta love a rock star story.
#The Checklist Manifesto
David Lee Roth memoir ‘Crazy from the heat’