Josh Linkner: A lesson [in bad research]

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20131021/OPINION02/310210026

Josh Linkner: A lesson from David Lee Roth
Oct. 21, 2013 3:15 PM
Written by Josh Linkner

David Lee Roth, the legendary lead singer for the band Van Halen, was the poster child for 1980s excess.He was chastised in the news media for demanding only blue M&M’s in his dressing room, the obvious sign of a narcissistic diva.

While his ego may have been the size of the stadiums he rocked, the M&M’s rule had nothing do to with self-aggrandizement. It was a business smoke detector.

Deep in the 100-plus page contracts, Roth included the clause about blue M&M’s as a quick detection mechanism to monitor the attention to detail of venue organizers.

If he walked into his dressing room and saw a bowl of blue M&M’s, he knew the venue staff read the contract carefully and that the lighting, sound, video and staging requirements were probably in good shape, too.

On the other hand, a bowl of mixed colors immediately alerted him that details were missed and gave him a warning signal that other, more important things were probably also askew.

When this occurred, he knew he had to double-check everything — from the wattage of the amps to the specifications of cable placement.