[SpaceHobo]

I agree with you that to me "rock star" always connoted "bratty prima donna" to me.

I would point out that the weird contractual demands are often canaries meant to uncover a venue that has not read the contract closely enough to guarantee the safety of all performers and the audience. The famous example, of course, is Van Halen and the brown M&Ms:

http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/vanhalen.asp