The Rolling Stones were playing JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, now site of the Wells Fargo Center, in 1981.
Per the contract and per usual, the Stones wanted to collect all their merchandise money in cash that night from Nilon Brothers, the stadium merchandise and food service purveyor.
Peter Luukko was regional VP for Spectacor Management Inc. at the time and was advancing the show. This is how he remembers it:
It’s about 9 p.m. The band is on stage. The merchandise guy repping the Stones is looking for the merch money.
“We’re not quite done yet. We’ll get it a little later,” the local merch guy says.
Around 10 p.m., same thing.
“We’re still doing the final count, yada yada yada.”
And again, 11 p.m., same thing.
Now the concert settlement is underway and it gets to be 1 a.m. The traveling merchandise guy comes back again and is told:
“Sorry, we’ll have to get it to you in the morning.”
“What do you mean?”
“The money is in the safe and I don’t have the combination.”
At which point the Stones’ merchandise rep calmly pulls out a gun.
“Open up the goddam safe.”
All of a sudden, this guy knows the combination, opens the safe, and gives him the money.
And rep from Electric Factory, the promoter, deadpan, says:
“Why didn’t you do that at 9 o’clock?”
Luukko calls it one of the greatest lines ever.
LESSONS LEARNED: It’s just a fun story, but if you insist, how about “keep your sense of calm and humor.” — Based on a true story as told to Linda Deckard
PHOTO: Peter Luukko with the Rolling Stones at a later date. (Courtesy of Ike Richman)