The Strict Fish Rules Bob Dylan Demands When Touring

Since 1988, Bob Dylan has been performing on tour more or less perpetually. (It's often called the Never Ending Tour, although Dylan bristles at the name.) Sometimes a break is forced upon him for health reasons or because of a global pandemic; otherwise, you'll likely find the legendary musician on stage any given night, playing increasingly obscure songs from his 60-year catalogue. Many musicians cite grueling tour schedules as the worst part of their job — but not Dylan. His rider, where he makes specific requests against certain types of fish, likely makes matters a little easier for him.

Dylan's rider makes his stance on fish clear: if it's to be included, there should be no frozen fish, no tilapia (which is misspelled as "talapia"), and no trout. All other types of fresh fish are fine, including (but not limited to) salmon, tuna, and mahi-mahi (ideally grilled). His tastes extend to other kinds of meat as well, which he requests fresh and grilled without sauce. The rider hints that most venues typically provide either chicken or salmon and not-so-subtly asks venues if they can maybe serve something else. (Perhaps if they served fried chicken, which Dylan included when describing his ideal meal, it would be different.)

What else is on Bob Dylan's rider? Well, for himself, he requests a setup for tea – including lemon, sugar, and honey — perhaps for its throat-soothing quality. (Which raises the question of what the famously raspy-voiced Dylan sounds like when he hasn't fortified his throat.) He also requests two bottles of Evian spring water, specifically asking for 1-liter bottles rather than 1.5.

As for him and the rest of the band, they have some requests for breakfast as well. In addition to an espresso machine and good coffee, they want eggs and a mix of healthy and sweet cereals. For meat, they ask for sausage and bacon (except on Sundays when they opt for smoked salmon). As for starches, they ask for potatoes or grits. If all this sounds demanding, it really isn't — a tour is an enormous undertaking, especially if you're a legend like Bob Dylan, and everybody involved will do better if they're happy and well-fed. Just ask Bruce Springsteen, who requests no Budweiser at his concerts, or Frank Sinatra, who requested cans of Campbell soup for his dressing room.