10 Things That Really Happen Behind The Scenes At Concerts

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  • 1/10
    Performers use teleprompters more than you think! You can kind of understand when they've got 50-60 songs that they can choose from how they might tend to forget a verse in maybe one of those songs. So, to save the embarrassment that could be brought upon them by forgetting the words, they use a teleprompter
    1/10 Performers use teleprompters more than you think! You can kind of understand when they've got 50-60 songs that they can choose from how they might tend to forget a verse in maybe one of those songs. So, to save the embarrassment that could be brought upon them by forgetting the words, they use a teleprompter
  • 2/10
    They use backing tracks. Depending on the artist, this could be used as an actual backing track, or sometimes lip syncing. Some drummers have clicks fed into their ears so they can keep rhythm
    2/10 They use backing tracks. Depending on the artist, this could be used as an actual backing track, or sometimes lip syncing. Some drummers have clicks fed into their ears so they can keep rhythm
  • 3/10
    They put textured tape on their shoes so they don't slip on the stage. Although, as we can see with Demi Lovato, sometimes the tape doesn't exactly work all that well.
    3/10 They put textured tape on their shoes so they don't slip on the stage. Although, as we can see with Demi Lovato, sometimes the tape doesn't exactly work all that well.
  • 4/10
    Bad lighting will probably cause them to fall anyway. Sometimes with all of the spotlights around, it's hard to see. One pop star said "I did Gwen Stefani's tour where the set had, like, a 6-foot high-rise that the band was on. At the end of the show, when the band was taking their bows, one of her keyboard percussion players was right at the edge of the riser and he couldn't see. He took a step and he went right down off. Luckily he was OK, but it could have been disastrous."
    4/10 Bad lighting will probably cause them to fall anyway. Sometimes with all of the spotlights around, it's hard to see. One pop star said "I did Gwen Stefani's tour where the set had, like, a 6-foot high-rise that the band was on. At the end of the show, when the band was taking their bows, one of her keyboard percussion players was right at the edge of the riser and he couldn't see. He took a step and he went right down off. Luckily he was OK, but it could have been disastrous."
  • 5/10
    Personal Chefs join the stars on tour. Imagine if you had to eat takeaways every night when you were on tour, some tours go on a year! So, because of that, and to keep eating healthy some celebs take a personal chef on tour with them.
    5/10 Personal Chefs join the stars on tour. Imagine if you had to eat takeaways every night when you were on tour, some tours go on a year! So, because of that, and to keep eating healthy some celebs take a personal chef on tour with them.
  • 6/10
    One of the crew is normally tasked with decorating the backstage area. Most arenas celebs play at are normally just sports arenas, so backstage is literally a dressing room used by sports teams. So, to make things a little fancier, 1 of the crew members will go backstage and decorate it. They might put some candles in the room or a rug, something to make it a little more home like.
    6/10 One of the crew is normally tasked with decorating the backstage area. Most arenas celebs play at are normally just sports arenas, so backstage is literally a dressing room used by sports teams. So, to make things a little fancier, 1 of the crew members will go backstage and decorate it. They might put some candles in the room or a rug, something to make it a little more home like.
  • 7/10
    Some stars, are Divas! There used to be a TV show called Top of the Pops in London. I was there with an artist and there was another very high-profile artist coming in the following week. I can't say who it was, but the people at the show were complaining about how they had to repaint all of the dressing rooms a specific paint color, they had to buy these 1,000 count Egyptian cotton sheets. There wasn't even a bed in the dressing room! And they also required specific floral arrangements. It was pretty outrageous.
    7/10 Some stars, are Divas! There used to be a TV show called Top of the Pops in London. I was there with an artist and there was another very high-profile artist coming in the following week. I can't say who it was, but the people at the show were complaining about how they had to repaint all of the dressing rooms a specific paint color, they had to buy these 1,000 count Egyptian cotton sheets. There wasn't even a bed in the dressing room! And they also required specific floral arrangements. It was pretty outrageous.
  • 8/10
    Riders are sometimes used as a negotiating technique. It's not always the stars that make the call on what goes in the rider. With so many people surrounding a band or an artist, it's sometimes the crew that asks for these things. "The big thing people used to make fun of was Van Halen [wanting] no brown M&Ms. Sometimes, though, there are weird little things in contracts like that, that are kind of like an out. If all else fails, and things are really messed up and the show can't happen, that kind of gives them the out of like, 'Oh, you didn't meet our rider, you didn't meet our requirements, so we can't do the show.'"
    8/10 Riders are sometimes used as a negotiating technique. It's not always the stars that make the call on what goes in the rider. With so many people surrounding a band or an artist, it's sometimes the crew that asks for these things. "The big thing people used to make fun of was Van Halen [wanting] no brown M&Ms. Sometimes, though, there are weird little things in contracts like that, that are kind of like an out. If all else fails, and things are really messed up and the show can't happen, that kind of gives them the out of like, 'Oh, you didn't meet our rider, you didn't meet our requirements, so we can't do the show.'"
  • 9/10
    If band members are bickering, they're separated. If it gets really bad, their manager will step in and send them to their own separate dressing rooms, just like naughty kids.
    9/10 If band members are bickering, they're separated. If it gets really bad, their manager will step in and send them to their own separate dressing rooms, just like naughty kids.
  • 10/10
    Sometimes they have to use the pee bucket. You're putting on a huge show, people have paid hundreds for their tickets, but part way through the show, you need to go! It would be rude to put the show on hold for 5 minutes while you duck out the back to answer the call of nature. So, they sometimes have to use a bucket that is strategically placed near the side of the stage or near the back somewhere.
    10/10 Sometimes they have to use the pee bucket. You're putting on a huge show, people have paid hundreds for their tickets, but part way through the show, you need to go! It would be rude to put the show on hold for 5 minutes while you duck out the back to answer the call of nature. So, they sometimes have to use a bucket that is strategically placed near the side of the stage or near the back somewhere.

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You've probably seen pics of Katy Perry reading her lyrics from a teleprompter at a concert, or maybe Miley Cyrus doing the same thing, Hey, with so many songs it must be hard to remember all of the words to all of those songs, plus dance and put on a show.

So we got to thinking about things that actually go on behind the scenes at concerts, and some of them, will have you feeling a little ripped off.