The raised stage one’s good- though might be tricky in practice considering some of the places we’ve played …..
Yes, but you include in the Rider:
If any of the above conditions are not possible, please discuss in advance with the management.
I once turned up to a gig and there was no food and no stage. This was at a University hall, where they could easily have got some rostrums. I could see an already drunken mob in the room, no way I was going to set up on the dancefloor.
So we refused to play.
The social secretary rang our agent thinking he would tell us to stop fannying around and do the gig, but luckliy he just told her to get us some Pizzas, beer and soft drinks and find a stage, or else just pay us, if not he'd sue.
We got the food and the (by now tearful) social sec found a rostrum within half an hour.
The thing is we'd just driven from Newcastle to New Cross with only one quick stop at Leicester. I didn't think we were being awkward by asking for what they had agreed to provide.
This was only ever a problem with amateur promoters, I'm sure you find the same. I think it's good when someone has obviously got little experience staging an event to just tell them politely in advance the rider is not just a few optional extras for the divas, it's a necessary part of the gig.