Nas' Kidnapped Concert Promoter
I'M FINALLY FREE!!!
 49 days after he was kidnapped in Angola following a derailed Nas concert, a U.S. concert promoter is now free to go home ... TMZ has learned. A rep for Patrick Allocco tells us, “An order was entered today by Angolan authorities lifting the travel ban which prevented [Patrick] and his son from leaving the country for 49 days after [Nas] failed to show for a New Year's Eve concert." According to the rep, Patrick and his son, Patrick, were immediately escorted by U.S. Embassy Officials on a flight to Lisbon. The two men are expected to arrive in Newark, NJ Saturday afternoon. TMZ broke the story -- Allocco was kidnapped by an Angolan concert promoter last month and held by Angolan authorities, after the Angolan promoter wired Allocco $300K to secure Nas for a concert abroad ... and the rapper no-showed. Nas paid the money back weeks ago -- but there was a lot of back and forth since ... and the ordeal dragged on. Patrick's rep adds, "We are relieved that this nightmare is over and are looking forward to coming home to our family and friends who have supported us with their prayers and optimism during this ordeal." Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2012/02/17/nas-kidnapped-concert-promoter-free/#ixzz2YUwdfFOj Visit Fishwrapper: http://www.fishwrapper.com
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Allocco's 'Open Letter To The Concert Industry'
03:01 PM Wednesday 2/1/12
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Promoter Patrick Allocco of AllGood Entertainment has been the unwilling guest of the African nation of Angola since two scheduled New Year's Eve concerts by rapper Nas failed to materialize. Allocco and his son, Patrick Jr., have been detained in the country since then over a money dispute with the local promoter.
Accounts vary as to exactly what happened to result in the Alloccos' continued detention, but they remain under "house arrest" while the U.S. State Department and Angolan officials work out the dispute.
Publicist Ron Grevatt forwarded an "open letter to the concert industry" on February 1 to tell Allocco's side of the story, which follows.
An Open Letter to The Concert Industry
One month ago, my son and I were abducted at gunpoint, taken into custody, and interrogated for nearly seven hours in a 100 degree, fly-infested building: all because a rapper named NAS and an opening act, Jemiah Jai, failed to board their flights to Angola for a concert I had arranged and promoted, despite the fact that they'd received payment in full. During the interrogation, I was handed my cell phone to call NAS's management; I used the opportunity to text my location to the local American Embassy. They had been looking for us all day, since at the time of the abduction I called them and left the phone open during the ambush. The Embassy security detail and the Vice Consul quickly arrived at our detention facility and removed us to the safety of the Embassy. My son and I spent New Year's Eve in an undisclosed safe house, while NAS performed in South Beach for Lebron James' Party--instead of in Angola, as agreed.
On New Year's Day, the Embassy arranged for two tickets to Dubai and escorted my son and me to our Emirates flight. After clearing security, our passports were confiscated and we were told that we could not leave the country, due to a criminal investigation. We were now under "de facto detention" in Angola, because of two no-show acts.
When the story broke on TMZ, I contacted a friend at Live Nation and told him that "this might be a good time for Live Nation to help get us out of here." He responded, "You have a better chance of Santa Claus coming down there to save you." Thus, my question: where has the concert industry and entertainment industry been for the past month?
Our issues here in Angola transcend any solitary "deal gone bad" appearance that this incident might have invoked. Indeed, our continued captivity should shine a spotlight on freedom of safe passage for any traveling artist, actor, musician or crew - the world's ambassadors of good will. Unbeknownst to us, our visas were improperly issued to us by the local promoter, so upon entry to the country we were immediately deemed "illegal" and our passports were confiscated (the first time) at immigration. We could not have fled the country if we wanted to. Every move was a set-up by the local promoter and his "friends in government" to ensure that we could not exit the country unless he was satisfied with the outcome.
To be certain, this was not the first time this has happened. I have since learned that 50 Cent, DMX, Fat Joe and others have experienced similar treatment. Promoters Howard Pollack and David Osborn were also detained for prolonged periods; the latter was abducted with a machine gun in his mouth and dragged to a holding room.
Please do not think that this is a money-related issue. It is not. The promoter has written three letters to Osborn stating that even if the Allocco's pay back all of the money, they are going to "rot in Angola jail". This is entirely about making an example out of us for all of the agents who have pocketed nearly 7 million US dollars from this Angolan promoter without sending the acts. The most recent example is R. Kelly. Kelly was paid $750,000 by this promoter last year; Kelly's people alleged a breach of contract and consequently did not perform the date (but kept all of the money). An agent took a $1 million deposit for Beyoncé; she turned down the offer, but the agent kept the deposit. These are the true reasons why we are still here.
This was not our first international event. We have promoted events in Tobago, Mexico, Dubai, South America and San Juan; while each place had its own challenges, none exploited local corruption and government connections to hold the act, crew or promoter hostage (well, perhaps Mexico). My point, however, is that when a situation like ours arises, the industry needs to lend its collective voice to help bring the matter to a safe resolution. I could be any other promoter with any other act. What my son and I have lived through for the past month is unconscionable. The concert industry and entertainment industry as a whole should should protest vociferously that this sort of behavior towards a promoter or an act will not be tolerated. I call upon each of my colleagues to boycott Angola until my son and I are returned home safely and until Angola recognizes the rights of musicians, artists and promoters to travel without fear of safe passage and without fear of personal harm.
Patrick Allocco
February 1, 2012
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Concert Promoter Says
He Was Kidnapped Because
NAS No-Showed in Angola
 An American concert promoter claims he and his son were abducted at gunpoint in Angola ... all because rapper Nas failed to show up for a heavily promoted New Year's Eve concert. A rep for AllGood Entertainment CEO Patrick Allocco tells TMZ ... Patrick and his son were snatched by hired goons working for a local "concert impresario" named Henrique “Riquhino” Miguel ... who anted up big bucks for the NYE show. Allocco's people claim Nas and opening act Jemiah Jai were paid $315k to perform two shows ... but failed to board their flights in the U.S. in time to make it on stage in Angola. According to Allocco's team ... Miguel was PISSED ... and didn't want Allocco to leave the country without resolving the whole money issue ... so he sent his people to take them into custody at gunpoint. Allocco's people claim Patrick and his son were handed over to local authorities, where they were detained and interrogated for nearly seven hours. The local U.S. Embassy finally stepped in and got them sprung. A rep for the U.S. Embassy confirms ... Patrick and his son are now "in residence" at a local hotel while the two sides try to resolve the money situation. Allocco's people gave up this statement from him ... "The hope is that Nas and Jemiah Jai will return all of the monies that were wired to them immediately so that our ransom may be paid and our safe return to the United States may be facilitated." Calls to Nas and Jai have not been returned. Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2012/01/03/nas-kidnapping-angola-new-years-eve/#ixzz2YUvx8f3A Visit Fishwrapper: http://www.fishwrapper.com
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| AllGood's CEO Speaks Out on Geraldo Rivera About Michael Jackson |
AllGood Makes Good On MJ Threat
Posted on Wednesday June 10, 2009 at 01:01 PM - POLLSTAR
AllGood Entertainment made good on its promise to file suit claiming Michael Jackson reneged on an agreement to rejoin his musical family for a reunion concert in Texas in 2010.
A federal suit filed by the company June 10 seeks a minimum of $20 million each in compensatory and punitive damages, and an order preventing Jackson from performing this summer’s London residency.
The King of Pop announcing his O2 Arena concerts.
March 5, 2009 (AP Photo)
AllGood also accuses Anschutz Entertainment Group of interfering with its agreements with Jackson. AEG and AEG Live are both named as defendants along with Jackson and Dileo Entertainment and Touring.
AllGood’s suit claims that Jackson and manager Frank Dileo secretly teamed up with AEG Live knowing full well that Jackson committed to doing the family concert first.
AEG Live and Jackson have booked 50 concerts in London’s O2 arena beginning next month. Allocco previously told Pollstar that Jackson had not only committed to the family reunion concert first, but signed a non-compete that would prevent him from negotiating for any other shows for an 18-month period.
“This is a case where the little guy followed the rules and was pushed aside by industry giants AEG and the Jacksons for the promise of bigger money and movies,” AllGood attorney Ira Meyerowitz said in a statement.
“Dileo and the Jacksons must be held accountable for violating plaintiff’s rights under a contract which was signed two full months prior to AEG’s O2 London agreement.”
Jackson reportedly claims his manager may have signed with AllGood but that he never did. AllGood contends the manager speaks for Jackson.
Dileo recently reemerged as Jackson’s manager after several years, and previous manager Dr. Thome Thome has recently made contradictory statements about his place in the Jackson camp pecking order.
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MTV NEWS
Michael Jackson Sued In Attempt To Stop London Concerts
Promoter sues for $40 million, claiming Jackson is under contract not to perform until 2010 family reunion shows.
By Gil Kaufman
If you believe British tabloid reports, there are any number of alleged reasons why Michael Jackson's 50-date run at London's O2 Arena may or may not happen — he's too sick, too weak, he doesn't want to do that many shows. But on Wednesday, a legitimate, legal reason emerged that may force Jackson to rethink his intricately planned comeback.
As threatened last month, promoter AllGood Entertainment Inc. filed a $40 million lawsuit against Jackson claiming breach of contract and fraud in an attempt to stop Jackson from performing in London. The New Jersey-based company filed the suit in federal court in New York stating that it signed a deal with Jackson's manager, Frank DiLeo, in November 2008 that commits the King of Pop to appear at a Jackson family reunion concert in the U.S. this summer.
AllGood CEO Patrick Allocco told MTV News on Thursday morning (June 11) that the contract was for a concert that was originally scheduled to take place this July. "The date we now have on hold is July 3 in Cowboy Stadium in 2010," Allocco said, adding that the contract stipulates that Jackson cannot perform individually before the AllGood show or for three months after the July event.
"The contract was signed by DiLeo on behalf of Jackson, the Jackson 5, [sisters] Latoya and Rebbie, the whole gang," he said. The show is slated to feature Jackson's reunion with siblings Marlon, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Randy, as well as an appearance by younger sister Janet Jackson.
Jackson is slated to kick off his O2 engagement next month, and Allocco said the suit makes clear that the agreement signed by DiLeo predates Jackson's deal with promoter AEG Live for the London shows. "The first I heard of the AEG deal was when an associate told me about it in December," Allocco said.
Jackson, who has been rehearsing for the London shows in Los Angeles, has claimed he never personally signed the papers for the family-reunion show, and AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips has called the AllGood claims "meritless." But Allocco said, "Frank DiLeo is clearly the manager of [Michael] Jackson now, and he signed the deal on his behalf."
TMZ reported earlier this month that Jackson said he would perform at both shows.
The suit seeks $20 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages. A spokesperson for AEG Live could not be reached for comment at press time.
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ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE
By Daniel Kreps
May 11, 2009 4:52 PM ET
In March, Michael Jackson sold out a record-breaking 50 consecutive nights at London's O2 Arena, but now a lawsuit is threatening his historic "This Is It" run before it even hits the stage. That's the word from TMZ, who reports that the This Is It concerts violate a previous contract signed by Jackson's manager that would have brought about a Jackson 5 reunion tour with Michael and Janet Jackson. Under the terms of that contract, Jackson would have been prevented from performing anywhere for 18 months, which Jackson's 50 shows in London clearly violates.
According to TMZ, Jackson 5 tour organizers AllGood Entertainment filed a cease-and-desist lawsuit against the This Is It tour when Jackson's manager Frank Delio allegedly signed the reunion tour contract late in 2008. Jermaine Jackson told the Australian press in October 2008 that the family would get back together for a new album and tour in 2009, which Michael was quick to deny in an official statement the very next day. "My brothers and sisters have my full love and support, and we've certainly shared many great experiences, but at this time I have no plans to record or tour with them," Michael said, adding, "I am now in the studio developing new and exciting projects that I look forward to sharing with my fans in concert soon."
A few months later, the This Is It run was announced and quickly sold out.
While Jackson himself reportedly never put pen to paper on the Jackson 5 contract, his manager Delio did, but in law an agent can sign for his client so the agreement seems like it might be legally binding. So AllGood Entertainment want all the London shows canceled. Jackson's official Website has not yet commented on this new lawsuit. As of now, Jackson's This Is It run is scheduled to kick off July 8th and conclude February 24th, 2010.
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North America
Pollstar Daily News Service
AllGood’s 90210
Posted Monday, October 15, 2007 at 2:30 am
If AllGood Entertainment chairman Patrick Allocco has his way, "90210" will come to mean something besides Beverly Hills in the concert industry.
The independent promoter has adopted the famed zip code as shorthand for an initiative he’s shopping that he hopes convinces artists to eschew massive guarantees.
His 90 percent to ("2") 10 percent offers, instead of a flat guarantee, a 90/10 split on the net after deducting pre-agreed expenses and adding 90 percent of sponsorship money.
It is a daunting proposition, considering how well-trained artists are to take the safe – and many times generous – guarantee. However, Allocco believes not only can an artist potentially walk away with a substantially larger cut of the money in the settlement but promoters can make a fair profit as well.
"There’s plenty of 90/10 offers out there," Allocco told Pollstar. "It’s often difficult when you’re paying seven-figure guarantees trying to meet that guarantee with all the other expenses – it’s not a business, it’s a gambling industry. What I’m trying to do is come up with a fair proposal for the industry."
The promoter recently sent a letter to major agencies and artist managers pitching his model, hoping to pick up some interest in the 90210 plan for artists touring not only the U.S., but in Latin America and Puerto Rico.
In the letter, AllGood offers responsibility for all tour-related expenses, the 90/10 net after agreed-upon expenses, a 90/10 split on sponsorship, and a guarantee to cover all expenses that exceed the original agreement.
"We’ll sit down and discuss the tour expenses – you’ll agree to them; I’ll agree to them," Allocco explained. "After we finish up, I’ll give your artist 90 percent of the net, and we’ll keep 10 percent. But the real thing is that we’ll give 90 percent of the sponsorship – and nobody does that.
"Promoters are living on the sponsorship right now," he continued. "Say in the instance where you have $200,000 in sponsorship for an event, we’re going to throw 90 percent of that sponsorship to the artist. It’s the most generous profit margin in the industry."
Allocco acknowledges it’s not a business model for everyone, but one that a lower-overhead company like AllGood can facilitate.
"If your artist is good enough to command a high six- or seven-figure guarantee then you shouldn’t have any problem playing to my agreement. I’m guaranteeing the expenses; if I go over, I eat it," Allocco said.
At first, it may sound like Allocco is pulling money out of thin air – after all, he’s claiming both the artist and the promoter can make more money from the same show than had the artist simply taken a guarantee. But he’s penciled out the numbers for a typical A-list arena artist playing a show in his Puerto Rican market.
"Typically, your total gross is going to put you around $1.4 million to $1.5 million," Allocco said. "You are going to have sponsorship on top of that, usually in the area of $200,000 to $250,000. That all gets lumped in together. Your typical expenses are going to run about $400,000.
"So let’s say you net $1.2 million. You’re giving 90 percent of that $1.2 million to the artist, and we’re taking our 10 percent in profit. In the state of the current industry, I could be walking away with nothing and the artist walks away with his guarantee and everybody makes money but the promoter."
Acknowledging that concert promotion is always a gamble at best, even for a top-tier artist, why should an artist or his agent forego a guarantee?
"To make more money. Greed. If you are an agent or a manager, and I can tell you that you’re going to make more money doing it my way, then there’s an incentive there for you," Allocco said.
"Instead of the usual offer, which is typically a guarantee plus an 85/15 split of the backend, why not take the shot to make an extra couple hundred thousand with this offer? It’s simply a matter of offering somebody the ability to make more money."
Now that AllGood has cast its idea far and wide, is anyone biting?
Allocco said that he’s currently in negotiation with four "A-list" artists who contacted him after learning of AllGood’s offer. He hopes to be able to make an announcement of agreements within the next few weeks.
"People are out there paying high guarantees and they’re not happy with paying them," Allocco concludes. "At the end of day, it’s like going to Vegas and gambling. There’s no guarantee there for the promoter. All I’m saying is, hey, I’ve paid my dues, let us have a chance at a fair profit.
"Ten percent is fair for us. Our overhead is low, we’re able to work for a lot cheaper than the big guys because our overhead is low, and we’re willing to make this offer to the entire industry."
-- Deborah Speer
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