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In 1989, The Rolling Stones returned to the spotlight after a seven-year hiatus, playing a total of 115 concerts worldwide. The final show of the US leg of the tour was at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, broadcast on pay television and sponsored by Trump Plaza Hotel And Casino.
Apparently the band didn’t want to be associated with Trump even in the 80s. That’s why they made an agreement with their sponsor that he wouldn’t appear in a single advertising campaign and – no joke! – should also stay away from the appearance in Atlantic City.
So much for the common facts. But on March 17, it was revealed that the Stones’ unease with the billionaire led to a more than testy situation. Trump smuggled himself into the venue’s press room and secretly held a press conference there, as Michael Cohl, the Stones’ tour promoter, told “Pollstar”.
Cohl asked the entrepreneur to stick to the agreement and leave the room immediately. Although Trump initially listened, he was back in the room five minutes later. When Keith Richards got wind of what was happening, he immediately went to the press room, actually pulled out a knife, rammed it into the table set up there and said to Cohl: “What do I actually have you for? Do I have to go to him first and throw him out? Someone is leaving the building now – either him or us!”
Trump complied with the clear request, but the band still ensured that several crew members were equipped with crowbars and hockey sticks for safety so that the self-absorbed billionaire would not be allowed in along with a few strong guys.