ROAD HOGS: When the Who or Led...

ROAD HOGS: When the Who or Led Zeppelin or the Eagles used to destroy their hotel rooms (or throw TV sets into the pool or permanently disable elevators), didn’t you always wonder how damage payments were assessed? In other words, if Keith Moon crashed his car into the hotel lobby, did Pete Townshend have to pay for the new set of furniture too? Apparently a new generation of rockers are still plagued by these same nagging dilemmas. Metal faves Megadeth recently embarked on a nationwide tour and the band--hoping to avoid “the paths of debt and destruction like the one we left in England”--has instituted a batch of new “Rules of the Road.” A few highlights from the document:

“In hotels we are sharing rooms. The responsibility for any damages will be shared by the roommates and $75 will be deducted from each roommate’s per diem.”

“The cost of damages to hotel hallways, lobbies etc. or dressing rooms or the bus will be split equally among the entire group . . . unless it can be determined who is the responsible person.”

“Please be on time. If you are more than 10 minutes late to the bus for an interview, a soundcheck or a show, you will be charged $10. The monies collected will be shared as bonuses at the end of each week.”

All well and good--but what happens to habitual offenders who cause so much damage that they run out of per diem payments? The last rule addresses that: “If you run out of per diems, your paychecks will be reduced.”