The Night I Fired Donald Trump

Pollstar 8/11/15

[www.pollstar.com]

Michael Cohl was in the middle of telling a story about The Rolling Stones’ Steel Wheels tour when he paused. “By the way, do you want to hear about the night I fired Donald Trump?” It was Cohl’s keynote address at Pollstar Live! this past February.

The theme was his great decisions and others that weren’t that hot, told in stories about his career as a concert promoter and Broadway producer. He went to the podium with four stories to tell involving Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones and Broadway’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark,” but got sidetracked during the Stones yarn.

he 1989 Steel Wheels tour was famous for many things, including its reunion of Mick and Keef but also for its profitability, grossing nearly $100 million – a tour manufactured by Cohl and one that changed the landscape of concert promotion. It wrapped with a $24.95 pay-per-view event at Atlantic City’s 16,000-capacity Convention Center.

The event was Dec. 19, 1989, a broadcast of the last of three sold-out shows. However, to make it happen, Cohl needed to shop the show around Las Vegas, hoping to find the casino that would pay The Rolling Stones’ performance fee (which, in this case, could be defined as a “casino site fee”). When that didn’t fly, Cohl resorted to Atlantic City. The event was ultimately broadcast in association with Donald Trump, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, and MTV. Jump-cut six months from Cohl’s speech and the story has a sudden resonance.

Michael Cohl:
By the way, do you want to hear about the night I fired Donald Trump? We have to figure out the pay-per-view event. I realized that when they did a big boxing match they would separate the promotion and the fight. For the fight, you’d get a site fee from Las Vegas. You’d get a dollar, a million, a billion. Whatever. You’d get a “site fee” and you’d get a worldwide closed-circuit. I thought, geez, if I can separate the Stones from their own gig, and just concentrate on the pay-per-view, then I might pull it off.

So I go to them and say, “Look, let’s do a worldwide pay-per-view. We’ll get a big site fee; I’ll get you $3 million for a site fee and we’ll keep all the money for the pay-per-view.” And they agreed. I hadn’t told them completely what I had in mind, which is one of the rare times I wasn’t completely up front. I went around Las Vegas, and they didn’t really want it. They didn’t get it, they didn’t like rock music yet.

They didn’t follow it. And, unfortunately, the only person I could get to kind of agree to the site fee we needed and to work it through was Donald Trump. Now I had one of those, “Oh God, how am I going to do this?” moments.
And I opened my big mouth in the meeting with The Rolling Stones where they go, “This is all great, but we’re not going to be affiliated with Donald Trump. At all. Screw you.” And I go, “I will control Donald Trump! Don’t you worry!”

So, we signed the contract. Donald agrees that he will not be in any of the promotion except in Atlantic City, and he will not show up at the gig! Holy shit! Well, the quick version is we go on sale. Eric Clapton was there, Axl Rose, Slash, John Lee Hooker – we had a fantastic show; sell out three shows.
Are you ready for the punchline? Three-hundred dollar tickets. That’s where they originated -- $300, $250, $150 and it worked. It was spectacular. And that’s how it happened.

The Stones agreed to that ticket pricing in Atlantic City. It didn’t have the happiest of endings, though. It’s the night of the show.
The Stones had such power in those days that the 6:40 p.m. slot on the national evening news was going to be an interview with the Stones to talk about and promote the pay-per-view. At about 5:50 p.m. I get word that I have to come to the press room in the next building. I run to the press room in the next building and what do you think is happening? There’s Donald Trump giving a press conference, in our room!

I give him the [come here gesture]. “Come on, Donald, what are you doing? A) You promised us you wouldn’t even be here and, you promised you would never do this.” He says, “But they begged me to go up, Michael! They begged me to go up!” I say, “Stop it. Stop it. This could be crazy. Do what you said you would. Don’t make a liar of yourself.”

I go back to the dressing room. Five minutes later, he’s back up. They call me back over there. Holy shit. I call him out (again). Same thing happens. I say, “Donald. I don’t know if I can control this. Stop it.” I go back to the dressing room. And I leave my walkie-talkie on in the dressing room. Moronic, on my part.

They call me back, at which point Keith pulls out his knife and slams it on the table and says, “What the hell do I have you for? Do I have to go over there and fire him myself? One of us is leaving the building – either him, or us.” I said, “No. I’ll go do it. Don’t you worry.”

I run over. He’s up there again! I go [gives the come here gesture]. We go into the hallway. I said, “Donald. You lied. You broke your promise. One of two things is going to happen. You’re going to leave the building and, at 6:40, The Rolling Stones are going to speak on CBS News, or you’re not going to leave the building and I’m going to go on and do an interview to explain to the world why the pay-per-view was canceled. I know it’s your building and…” – and in my head I’m going, this is so crazy, right? I’m trying to throw Donald Trump out of his own building.

But, anyway, the bottom line is I look at Donald and said, “You and Marla (Maples) have to go. You’re fired.” He looks at me and goes berserk.

“You don’t know anything! Your guys suck! I promote Mike Tyson! I promote heavyweight fights!” And I notice the three shtarkers he’s with, in trench coats, two of them are putting on gloves and the other one is putting on brass knuckles. I go on the walkie-talkie and I call for Jim Callahan, who was head of our security, and I go, “Jim, I think I’m in a bit of trouble.” And he says, “Just turn around.”

I turn around. He’s got 40 of the crew with tire irons and hockey sticks and screwdrivers.

“And now, are you gonna go, Donald?”

And off he went.

And that was the night I fired Donald Trump.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-08-12 21:51 by mnewman505.

Classic story! Thanks. Not sure what to think about the Callahan part, do you think that actually happened?

I do believe the Stones approved the $300 tickets, an unfortunate foreshadowing of things to come. lol

great story

fun read, thanks for posting.

the fact that Trump is a contender at the moment for president is beyond funny, though.

oh wait, not supposed to talk about that..

For a very fleeting moment, I fell in love with Michael Cohl. But I'm over it!

Aah the good old days. That's a funny story. Although I never knew that part of the story, that was a good day for me... Although it took the pay-per-view to do it, that was "my first Stones show" (finally saw them in person in '94). I had my wisdom teeth removed earlier that day and then Mom & Dad bought the pay-per-view and gave me the run of the family room to watch the show while I recovered from the surgery. I knew dad was a music fan but to see the glee in his face as he hooked up the big stereo so we could play the simulcast louder than the TV would go is a good memory for me.

Peace,
Mr DJA

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SomeTorontoGirl
For a very fleeting moment, I fell in love with Michael Cohl. But I'm over it!

I used to bitch and moan and complain about Cohl, but I miss him greatly being tour "Papa" if you will over the nameless conglomerate AEG running the show lately. At least we all knew what to expect from Cohl.

Oh, please...no no no no no. I come here to escape hearing about this man (and the others) no matter how Stones related the story is. Nice story, though.

The blade came in handy...

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Naturalust
Not sure what to think about the Callahan part

Yeah, but it is a great part of the story eh

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Keep On Rolling

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ColonialstoneNZ
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-04 06:39 by colonial.

They call me back, at which point Keith pulls out his knife and slams it on the table and says, “What the hell do I have you for? Do I have to go over there and fire him myself? One of us is leaving the building – either him, or us.” I said, “No. I’ll go do it. Don’t you worry.”


This is so great. Thanks for posting.

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ColonialstoneNZ
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-04 06:38 by colonial.

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colonial
Donald trump has funny hair do Americans really want a President with funny hair?

John Adams

that was a great story. I love they disliked the Donald so much.

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ColonialstoneNZ
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-04 06:38 by colonial.

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colonial
Donald Trump must envy some of America's great Presidents that had a good head of hair JFK and Ronald Reagan

somehow I don't think envy is part of Trump's repertoire..

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duke richardson

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colonial
Donald Trump must envy some of America's great Presidents that had a good head of hair JFK and Ronald Reagan

somehow I don't think envy is part of Trump's repertoire..

I guess the guy suffers at least his surname isn't Dagobert...

Anyway,great read,thanks for posting.

That time Donald Trump was fired by Canadian concert promoter Michael Cohl and the Rolling Stones

Republican Party frontrunner Donald Trump has always been a self-promoting blowhard. But being an extremely rich one with loose morals has sheltered him from such mundane life benchmarks as being laid off for ineptitude.

Which is why, when a story of just such a moment surfaces it’s worth highlighting, if only for the mammoth dose of schadenfreude.

Last February, Canadian concert promoter Michael Cohl was giving a keynote speech about his illustrious career inventing the blockbuster tour for the likes of Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones when he recalled just such an incident. While talking about the Stones’ infamous 1989 Steel Wheels tour, which grossed an unheard of $100 million, Cohle paused. “By the way, do you want to hear about the night I fired Donald Trump?” he asked.

At which point Keith pulls out his knife and slams it on the table’
The 67 year-old went on to explain that the two crossed paths at the end of the Wheels tour. Cohl was planning a pay-per-view event based on the Vegas boxing model, which would net the Stones and himself a tidy sum. The only problem was that Vegas had yet to pick up on the power of Rock, so the promoter found himself turing to Atlantic City and that meant Trump.

“I opened my big mouth in the meeting with the Rolling Stones where they go, ‘This is all great, but we’re not going to be affiliated with Donald Trump. At all. Screw you.’ And I go, ‘I will control Donald Trump! Don’t you worry!'”

To satisfy all parties a deal was struck that Trump would not be on hand for the sold out shows, nor would he promote himself associated in any way with the Stones. But Trump being Trump, things didn’t go according to plan.

Below is a truncated transcript of Cohl’s recollection, courtesy of Pollstar:

It’s the night of the show.

At about 5:50 p.m. I get word that I have to come to the press room in the next building. I run to the press room in the next building and what do you think is happening? There’s Donald Trump giving a press conference, in our room!

I give him the [come here gesture]. “Come on, Donald, what are you doing? A) You promised us you wouldn’t even be here and, you promised you would never do this.” He says, “But they begged me to go up, Michael! They begged me to go up!” I say,

I go back to the dressing room. Five minutes later, he’s back up. They call me back over there. I call him out (again). Same thing happens. I go back to the dressing room. And I leave my walkie-talkie on in the dressing room. Moronic, on my part.

They call me back, at which point Keith pulls out his knife and slams it on the table and says, “What the hell do I have you for? Do I have to go over there and fire him myself? One of us is leaving the building – either him, or us.” I said, “No. I’ll go do it. Don’t you worry.”

I look at Donald and said, “You and Marla (Maples) have to go. You’re fired.” He looks at me and goes berserk.
I run over. He’s up there again! I go [gives the come here gesture]. We go into the hallway. I said, “Donald. You lied. You broke your promise. One of two things is going to happen. You’re going to leave the building and, at 6:40, the Rolling Stones are going to speak on CBS News, or you’re not going to leave the building and I’m going to go on and do an interview to explain to the world why the pay-per-view was canceled. I know it’s your building and…” – and in my head I’m going, this is so crazy, right? I’m trying to throw Donald Trump out of his own building.

But, anyway, the bottom line is I look at Donald and said, “You and Marla (Maples) have to go. You’re fired.” He looks at me and goes berserk.

I notice the three shtarkers he’s with, in trench coats, two of them are putting on gloves and the other one is putting on brass knuckles. I go on the walkie-talkie and I call for Jim Callahan, who was head of our security, and I go, “Jim, I think I’m in a bit of trouble.” And he says, “Just turn around.”

I turn around. He’s got 40 of the crew with tire irons and hockey sticks and screwdrivers.

“And now, are you gonna go, Donald?”

And off he went.

And that was the night I fired Donald Trump.

Already posted, but still a good read nonetheless (regardless of truth)!

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latebloomer

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colonial
Donald trump has funny hair do Americans really want a President with funny hair?

John Adams

Andrew Jackson

In response to a 1992 Carla Bruni story in VANITY FAIR Donald Trump wrote a letter to the editor in which he wrote that Bruni called Trump “incessantly from Atlanta, where she was holed up in Mr. Jagger’s hotel room...Carla wanted me to break up with Marla Maples, whereupon she would leave Mick, a man she was desperately stuck on. I thought this was ridiculous… She was trying to get me to leave Marla, something I had in mind anyway, and she was using every psychological trick in the book"....their romance went sour when he declined, for business reasons, to visit her family in the South of France. "Her constant calling became a total pain...In the end, Carla became a woman who is very difficult to even like."

And in Trump's book Surviving at the Top he relates his Atlantic City encounter with Mick and the Stones, and completely slams them, suggesting the Stones were jealous that the press were more interested in him (yeah, right). Good to read Cohl's side of the story.

God we need Trump for President. Not afraid to ask the tough questions and not PC like everyone else.

So does this mean Keith will not vote for Donald Trump if he is running for election?

Bjornulf

Got me wondering if Keith is an American citizen or still can vote in U.K. as a British citizen or resident.

I don't think you can vote in two different countrys.

I may be completely wrong.

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Stones50
God we need Trump for President. Not afraid to ask the tough questions and not PC like everyone else.

I'm 100% with you! Just hoping the current regime does not completely ruin the country first.

And since political dialogue now seems to be acceptable...

Why did the chicken cross the road?

SARAH PALIN: The chicken crossed the road because, gosh-darn it, he's a maverick!

BARACK OBAMA: Let me be perfectly clear, if the chickens like their eggs they can keep their eggs. No chicken will be required to cross the road to surrender her eggs. Period.

JOHN McCAIN: My friends, the chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: What difference at this point does it make why the chicken crossed the road?

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either with us or against us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken.

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white?

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he is acting by not taking on his current problems before adding any new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross the road so badly. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a NEW CAR so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way the chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for us.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heartwarming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2014, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents and balance your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2014. This new platform is much more stable and will never reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

[conservativetribune.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-08-13 23:37 by josepi.

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bv
So does this mean Keith will not vote for Donald Trump if he is running for election?

Exactly the opposite

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Stones50

Quote
bv
So does this mean Keith will not vote for Donald Trump if he is running for election?

Exactly the opposite

I'm reading the new Allen Klein biography (with its own IORR thread) and the way Keith praised Klein kind of because he was a pushy jerk, you might have a point...

Thanks

Quote
bv
So does this mean Keith will not vote for Donald Trump if he is running for election?

Keith is running for election ???