That's Fit

I'm not sure what to say about this news item regarding musician Paul Weller lighting up on stage at a recent London gig despite the smoking ban in that country. I think that Weller has every right to smoke cigarettes if he chooses to, but I also feel it's unfair of him to openly flout the ban in front of non-smokers in the crowd.

I even think it's kind of unfair to the smokers in the crowd who may have wanted to have a smoke as well but couldn't afford to pay the fine. According to the piece, the fine for defying the smoking ban is about $400US, which for a regular person in the audience would likely be a hefty chunk of change, but for Weller is likely a mere drop in the bucket.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if one person in the building isn't able to smoke then no one should be able to, but if the only deterrent is a fine, then what's to stop wealthy celebrities like Weller from defying the rules anyway?

I used to work in the music industry and as a part of my job, from time to time I would have to meet a band after a performance. I was always amazed by the amount and variety of food and drinks that had been procured for the group after being asked for in their rider (a list of requests made by the band and their people for anything from stage equipment to a specific kind of local microbrewed beer).

Some dressing rooms were filled with fruit, cheese and vegetable plates, while others were filled with chips, cookies and deli-meat sandwiches. One band even brought their own cooking equipment on the road in order to cook healthy, homemade food each night. Usually there was a mix of healthy and greasy snacks to satisfy a hungry crew before and after a show.

Ever wonder what some of your favorite singers request while on the road? Our buddies over at Slashfood recently put up a post about what the world's biggest divas demand to satisfy their cravings. If you think you know what your best-loved music-makers like to munch on after a performance, check out this quiz and see how high you score. Choose your answers carefully though as, while few will find it surprising that Britney Spears asks for Doritos, there are definitely a few celeb cravings that might throw you for a loop!