Keith Richards on having Donald Trump as a promoter: 'I pulled out my trusty blade, stuck it in the table and said 'You've got to get rid of this man!'
Band are about to embark on a massive stadium tour
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Your support makes all the difference.Keith Richards has spoken about the Rolling Stones' encounter with Donald Trump before he became president of the United States.
Speaking to the BBC, the legendary guitarist told of how the band loathed working with Trump while he was their promoter in 1989, on their Steel Wheels tour.
“You've got to get rid of this man!” the 74-year-old recalled saying. “He [Trump] was the promoter for us in Atlantic City. It was (billed as) 'Donald Trump presents the Rolling Stones', (which was) in miniature.
“We never have much to do with promoters usually, but this one got me. That was the last time I got angry. I pulled out my trusty blade, stuck it in the table and said, 'You've got to get rid of this man!”'
He told Radio 4's Today programme: “Now America has to get rid of him. Don't say I didn't warn you.”
Richards added: “These days nothing (gets me angry). I can't be bothered to waste the energy on anger. I've got nothing to be angry about. It would almost be gratuitous.... 'What, you've burnt the toast?' What am I going to get angry about?”
Trump famously used the Rolling Stones' song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" during his presidential campaign.
Sir Mick Jagger said: “He used it on every rally through the election campaign.... It's a funny song for your play-out song. When he finished his speech, he played out on this doomy ballad... It's kind of weird if you think about it. But he couldn't be persuaded to use something else. It was odd, really odd.”
The Rolling Stones are about to set out on a massive stadium tour in the UK, which kicks off on 17 May in Dublin at Croke Park, and concludes on 19 June in Twickenham.
They recently announced a wealth of special guests as support acts, including Liam Gallagher, Florence + The Machine, The Vaccines, Richard Ashcroft, Elbow and James Bay.
Additional reporting by Press Association
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