Student newspaper leaks Jack White's guacamole recipe, now he wont come back

[downtown]

So this is an interesting story.

Jack White played a concert at the University of Oklahoma. Using the Freedom of Information Act, the Oklahoma student newspaper obtained a copy of White's contract, including the technical details of the show and the concert. Like most rock stars, the contract contained some unique details, like White not wanting to see Bananas anywhere in the building, and his guacamole recipe. The newspaper published the entire contract here.

This made White, and his booking agency, really mad. So mad, in fact, that they said that they're blackballing Oklahoma from White and any other artists in the company until they make rules to protect those documents.

Those who are familiar with the music business know that it isn't uncommon at all for Riders to have some silly (or very specific things) written in them as a way of verifying that the venue has actually read the entire thing, seeing as the documents contain very specific technical details for the show layout. The food listed in the rider isn't just for White, but also the band, roadies, and other tour personnel.

I use FOIA to obtain documents that I publish fairly regularly, and I think if I had been on the newspaper staff, I would have sought to obtain and publish the documents too, although perhaps in not quite a mocking tone. Others might think that these documents, including the financial terms disclosed, should be kept secret.

What do you think? Should the newspaper not have published what they found? Is White's company in the right to do this? Do you even like guacamole?

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Why is White and the booking agency so mad? I though everyone knew about silly contract stuff ensuring complete compliance.

Guacamole is pretty tasty, I guess.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

I think concerts of so-called stars are often not just about the music but also about projecting a fantasy image of the star. Knowledge of a specific contract can shatter that illusion quickly and badly, as it turns the star into a normal petty human. Regardless of weather it is general knowledge that such contracts exist, because as with human suffering, the specific case is what will usually move us, not an abstract idea.

I can state my personal sentiments: I dislike star worship greatly, so I am very much fine with that getting dented in. But if I was a star, I probably wouldn't like it either. And it is always problematic to have your private affairs all-exposed for the world to see.
I don't know by what metric I should judge this right or wrong. But bottom line - I like it.

 

[El_Machinae]

Everyone is correct. The newspaper should seek to entertain. White should exercise his offense by forgoing profits. The newspaper and its readers benefit to the detriment of the fans and White.

The world is a better place, net appreciation for bananas rises.

 

[Whomp]

DT--why are contracts like this important information? Jack White may have overreacted but it seems like making this public information is a colossal waste of FOIA (except for the guac recipe).

 

[classical_hero]

Where is the don't care option?

 

[uppi]

Why was the concert organized by a state-run organization, anyway? That should have been organized by a private organization, which would not be subject to freedom of information laws.

 

[warpus]

Why is White and the booking agency so mad?

The guacamole recipe is actually an encoded list of locations of every single drug stash the band has hidden around the world. It was accidentally appended to the contract during an out of control after-party.

 

[Perfection]

Jack White is too Catholic for that.

 

[warpus]

Then it's an encoded list of locations of hidden holy relics and/or chil-.. chilli dogs.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

What do you think? Should the newspaper not have published what they found? Is White's company in the right to do this? Do you even like guacamole?

What I think:

1. Who is Jack White? I never heard of him before reading this thread. He sounds awfully arrogant (not as bad as some people, but still arrogant).

2. Seems a waste of trees to publish such trivia, but if the newspaper thought it newsworthy... meh.

3. While financial details and details about personal lives and the performer's family should be kept private if the performer wants them private, I see nothing private about some silly recipe (unless it's some trade secret/intellectual property he sells elsewhere or if he invented it and doesn't want anyone else to cash in on it).

4. No, I do not like guacamole.

 

[downtown]

DT--why are contracts like this important information? Jack White may have overreacted but it seems like making this public information is a colossal waste of FOIA (except for the guac recipe).

Important? Perhaps the only *important* tidbit would have been the cost of the operation, and who paid for it. A student newspaper, I assume, would want to keep close tabs on the spending and budget habits of their activities board, student government, etc.

But I'm not sure that "important" is the benchmark for whether it goes in a newspaper. Given the context of the story, I think the authors may have missed an opportunity to educate their readers about concert riders in general, or how this compares to other contracts that the university signs with performing artists. A subtle mocking tone misses part of the story. But the recipe, or the bit about bananas? Those are great anchor quotes for a story.

 

[Whomp]

Ok those are good and important enough reasons for me. I like Jack but in this case I think he's overreacted.

 

[Hygro]

Awesome riders should always be published. The quality of your rider is most definitely part of your legend. A little outlandish, but also a bit humble. They should be specific to ensure quality stage production and for taking care of the touring crew, but not so aggressively that it runs over the people working the venue. A rider reflects your current status as a performer while also reflecting your future aspirations as one.

Being so embarrassed by your own rider, particularly one with a dope guac recipe, is the worst thing you can do. Rock stars should want their riders leaked.

 

[schlaufuchs]

Awesome riders should always be published. The quality of your rider is most definitely part of your legend. A little outlandish, but also a bit humble. They should be specific to ensure quality stage production and for taking care of the touring crew, but not so aggressively that it runs over the people working the venue. A rider reflects your current status as a performer while also reflecting your future aspirations as one.

Being so embarrassed by your own rider, particularly one with a dope guac recipe, is the worst thing you can do. Rock stars should want their riders leaked.

The best rider I've ever heard of was Van Halen's. Their rider stipulated that in their green room they must be greeted with a bowl of M&M's in which all of the brown ones had been picked out. The purpose, as DT noted, is to ensure that the contract was actually read. As the contract contains a lot of important technical details about the stage setup, security arrangements, and other things to ensure the concert is run safely and smoothly by veritably responsible promoters, having specific riders helps to ensure that all of the other more important arrangements have been taken care of. You cannot buy M&Ms without the brown candies. This means someone must be specifically tasked with pouring a bowl of M&Ms and very carefully removing all the brown candies. If the band gets into the green room and sees a bowl of M&Ms with brown candies in it, or no bowl at all they know that either:

a) the promoter didn't read the contract at all
or
b) the promoter is half-assing the contract

Either way it tells the band right away that the stage and security aren't going to be set up properly and the promoter might not necessarily be forthcoming on paying the band/crew. Meaning the band can bounce right away rather than having to wait until they got on stage to discover the promoter's jerking them around and thereby expose themselves to danger.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Isn't that the most famous example of such musical contract riders?

 

[Hygro]

The best rider I've ever heard of was Van Halen's. Their rider stipulated that in their green room they must be greeted with a bowl of M&M's in which all of the brown ones had been picked out. The purpose, as DT noted, is to ensure that the contract was actually read. As the contract contains a lot of important technical details about the stage setup, security arrangements, and other things to ensure the concert is run safely and smoothly by veritably responsible promoters, having specific riders helps to ensure that all of the other more important arrangements have been taken care of. You cannot buy M&Ms without the brown candies. This means someone must be specifically tasked with pouring a bowl of M&Ms and very carefully removing all the brown candies. If the band gets into the green room and sees a bowl of M&Ms with brown candies in it, or no bowl at all they know that either:

a) the promoter didn't read the contract at all
or
b) the promoter is half-assing the contract

Either way it tells the band right away that the stage and security aren't going to be set up properly and the promoter might not necessarily be forthcoming on paying the band/crew. Meaning the band can bounce right away rather than having to wait until they got on stage to discover the promoter's jerking them around and thereby expose themselves to danger.

Yeah that's the one that tells the whole story. Their concert was huge and the electrical and acoustic component required terrifying precision to ensure that a) nothing exploded and b) the concert was awesome.

I think nowadays since the "remove the brown M&Ms" is such a classic, venues are looking for it, so it's probably not as much of a tell they're on their game as it used to be (i.e. being one of many little things).

I think the trick is to have really subtle, not outlandish bits. "The knife has to be sharp" seems like a preference of convenience, one that can be fudged. It cannot.

Isn't that the most famous example of such musical contract riders?

It is.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

Of course Jack White is overreacting, but let's be honest... this is a dude who is pretty famous for his eccentricity and his tendency to go off the deep end about little things like this. Best thing for it is for him to just refuse to play there again and everyone can go on with their lives. I hope it was worth it for the newspaper to ensure one of the hugest rock stars of our era never plays there again in order to sell a few extra copies.

 

[Whomp]

Right on. Why would anyone make an effort to go to Norman, OK to begin with?

 

[gay_Aleks]

Sigh. The several posts above were much better when I imagined that by "rider" they meant "medieval knight on horse".