Forget sex, drugs and rock’n’roll: kale and kombucha take over touring

Backstage looks different these days, according to Susan Heymann. The rock’n’roll staples of an open bar and “lots of tequila” are still rusted onto artist’s riders, but wellness fixtures including masseurs, personal trainers and therapists are now taking up a larger chunk of a touring budget.

Fresh off the back of a stream of blockbuster sell-out concerts including Taylor Swift, Pink and Ed Sheeran, the Frontier Touring executive said the rise of streaming and social media, and the increasing profitability of touring relative to other income streams, have sparked a seismic change in the industry.