'Diva' Scorpions pushed ticket prices up

The organiser of a Finnish rock festival claims the "diva-esque" demands in the Scorpions' 38-page rider forced them to add €30 to ticket prices.

The German outfit are said to have asked bosses at Lahti for five chauffeur-driven limos, porcelain toilets for each member’s exclusive use and a larger stage than anything previously built at the site.

In order to fulfil the band’s requirements, single-day tickets were hiked to almost double their usual price, causing a fan backlash.

But Allu Koskinen, boss of the Rockcock Festival, says he managed to match the Scorpions’ demands without taking more money from his audience at the weekend.

He told Savon Sanomat: “The extent is huge – we’re talking about tens of thousands of euros. But we can make them happen nonetheless.”

He refused to release the full rider document but said: “We don’t want to raise prices, even though the pressure is on due to those extra expense. We just have to hope for a great turnout.”

Scorps frontman Klaus Meine confirmed earlier this month that their three-year farewell tour had gone so well they’d changed their minds about splitting. The band have been touring with a stand-in drummer after James Kottak went to rehab following his arrested for a drunken incident in Dubai.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.