Okay, we all know about Van Halen and the brown M&M rule.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Van Halen had in their contract that a bowl of M&Ms was suppose to be provided for the crew and band, but all brown M&Ms had to be removed. David Lee Roth later said this was a test. They had complex requirements: Certain number of electric outlets, certain requirements for the floor and ceiling, etc. If the requirements weren’t met, it could create a dangerous situation. The bowl of M&Ms was a test. If they didn’t see the bowl of M&Ms or there were brown M&Ms in the bowl, they knew the stage crew didn’t read through the details of the rider, and this meant the band better check the setup.
I saw the contract and rider with all the provisions. Most look pretty simple: Provide sandwiches and meals for the crew, comfortable rooms for tuning and practicing, etc. Some people joke about the liquor requirements (3 fifth sized bottles of Jim Bean, etc). However, I can see that if the band had people in the industry who’d they want to entertain, I’m sure they wanted to be able to provide these guys with a drink. (And, I’m sure between the 30 to 40 people involved in the band and crew, they could finish off that liquor without anyone having to drink to excess). Except for the bowl of M&Ms, most of it seems pretty standard for a group of a few dozen people who’d be spending weeks on the road.
However, there was one extra requirement that really stands out: A large tube of KY Jelly. Yes, I know what KY Jelly is suppose to be used for, but why would this be a requirement? I mean, the band didn’t list that they needed 10 dozen condoms or any other sex related item. You’d think they’d rather pack that with their personal belongings.
Was this another “brown M&M” test? Or, is there something else that Van Halen crew needed to use the KY Jelly for? I tried to Google this, but after looking at the first few results, I decided it’d be safer asking here.
Seriously, what would a Rock and Roll band like Van Halen want to use a large tube of KY Jelly for. I mean besides that!
Just guessing, but I could see using it to lubricate some equipment or another, or slathering it on your body or rubbing it into your hair to get a shimmer. Almost certainly there are better products than K-Y Jelly for those purposes, but that doesn’t mean someone won’t choose the K-Y just because.
I can’t imagine it was for personal use like for chaffing or hair cream. Even a very large tube of KY Jelly would only go so far between four (or was it five?) band members and possibly a crew of 30 to 40 people if you need to slather your body in order to get your suit on. Besides, you’d think they’d all would ask for their own individual tubes instead of sharing a single large tube.
I’m thinking it has to do something with setup, but what? Maybe something they would do right before going on stage?
Maybe they added it to the list just to ensure their wild reputation.
KY can be used to lubricate zippers, shine leather and untangle chain jewelry, but it could also very well have been put in the rider as a joke, or been intended for the obvious. Just because they only asked for one tube didn’t mean they all used it either. It could have been only one of them who wanted it.
ETA I just remembered another use, rubbing it on shoulders to prevent chafing from guitar straps.
I worked an event where Roth played during his solo days. His personal rider called for KY Jelly in his dressing room. It was not in his backing band’s rider. Based on the people I saw herded into the dressing room for the post-gig meet-and-greet (not a guy in the bunch), along with the condition of the dressing room after he left, it would be safe to say that the KY was used for it’s intended purpose.