I'm still mourning the death of psychobilly rocker Mojo Nixon, who died almost a month ago onboard the Outlaw Country Cruise, after performing a terrific show. Here's an excerpt from the bio that Consequence posted after his death:
Mojo Nixon was born Neill Kirby McMillan Jr. in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on August 2nd, 1957. Together with his collaborator Skid Roper, Mojo Nixon recorded six albums during the 1980s. They'll be most remembered for their Elvis Presley tribute song "Elvis Is Everywhere," which became an unexpected hit on MTV following its release in 1987. Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper were subsequently hired by MTV to write and record satirical songs lampooning celebrities including Rick Astley and Debbie Gibson.
After splitting with Skid Roper in 1989, Mojo Nixon continued to release music, including collaborative LPs with X's John Doe and Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafro. He also pursued a career in acting, appearing in films such as Great Balls of Fire and Super Mario Bros.
Shortly after his death, Mojo Nixon's tour rider (Nixon calls it a "Very Reasonable Rider to Contract") also began making the rounds again on the internet. It's so terrific, and terrifically funny—Consequence calls it "maybe the best tour rider"—I wanted to share it here, in his memory. Here are some of my favorite parts:
Be Nice: (A) Elvis was always polite; (B) Have a good time; (C) Don't beat up rowdy fans unless absolutely necessary.
Beer, Snacks, Beer, Dinner and Booze: (A) Snacks in dressing room for soundcheck. Cheese crackers or such; (B) One case of Budweiser on ice. More beer if we need it. Sometimes we do.
Dressing Room: (A) Big enough for four grown people at least; (B) Bathroom or three piss jars.
Loaders: (A) Just a couple of guys or gals to help carry stuff from van to stage and back again.
I love that Mojo Nixon's first request was to "Be Nice". I also love that he loved "cheese crackers or such" and that he'd settle for piss jars if a bathroom wasn't available. Just makes me love him even more!
Read the full rider on Facebook or X/Twitter.
