It was supposed to be the West Coast version of Woodstock. Instead, it turned deadly as a total of four died, one of whom the Hells Angels stabbed to death during the middle of the Rolling Stones' set.
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" The wildness just in front of the phase was unbelievable , " Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones withdraw of The Altamont Speedway detached concert on Dec. 6 , 1969 in Livermore , Calif. The fete was intended to be an epic event — and it certainly was , but for all the improper reasons .
The festival was meant to bring the radically counter - cultural1960sto a glorious end . Instead , the fete that meant to capsulize theSummer of Loveended in cataclysm when four people go bad , including 18 - twelvemonth - oldMeredith Hunterwho was knife by a Hells Angel .
Eager rock fans storm the gate at Altamont Speedway well in advance of the scheduled opening. A colossal traffic jam developed as rock fans converged on the site 50 miles southeast of San Francisco.
What leave to this disastrous show ? Most think it was a lethal compounding of grave disorganization and poor determination making by the fete ’s orchestrator , which let in none other than fabled rock stria The Rolling Stones .
Of all their mistakes regarding the show , perhaps the greatest of all was the Stones ' determination to lease the Hells Angels as their certificate for the Altamont concert .
The Altamont Speedway Free Concert
The band wanted to bring the magic of Woodstock — the iconic 1969 New York music festival — to the country ’s West Coast . In fall of that same year , the Stones feel inspire to prepare just that .
What they did n’t do — that Woodstock ’s organizers did — was plan ahead .
The idea for Woodstock was conceived in January 1969 . This meant that the team responsible for for tack together what ’s been called the exclusive great live music issue in history had nearly seven months to contrive and prepare for it .
Robert Altman / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty ImagesMick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones perform at the festival .
On the other hired man , the Rolling Stones tried to whip up the Altamont Free Concert in a thing of week . The venue was n’t even sorted out until just a duad of day before the festival was slated to happen .
Local line owner Dick Carter offered up his Altamont Speedway as a locale at the last minute . Because the production team was pressed for clock time , they were ineffective to set up the stage decent , making the locus insecure for both performers and attendees .
The destitute concert did promise the carrying out of such iconic artists as Santana , Jefferson Airplane , The Flying Burrito Brothers , and Crosby , Stills , Nash & Young , though at the disbursal of prophylactic and preparedness .
The electric discharge Light Within were n’t set up above the stagecoach ; or else , they were prop up on box . In addition , there was n’t enough time to fructify up a roadblock between the crowd and the stage . All the Altamont Concert used was a thin slice of R-2 to keep the concertgoers away from the degree .
Keith Richardssaidthat they " had them [ the Hells Angels ] at the suggestion of The Grateful Dead " . They arranged for the rockers , spearhead by Hells Angels leaderSonny Barger , to sour for all the spare beer they wanted , an offer they merrily admit .
From the very start , the mob ’s front was unwelcome by both festival goers and the musical Acts of the Apostles . The topsy-turvy Angels were rough and often used a " take no prisoners " approach to their security effort .
Robert Altman / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty ImagesMarty Balin of the band Jefferson Airplane ( on the ground in the white-hot hat ) is wall Hells Angels , act as both security and hoodlums .
One gang member bump Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin unconscious in a scuffle , but the concert continued . While the Rolling Stones would be the headlining readiness of the night , the striation wound up name headlines for all the wrong reasons .
The Murder Of Meredith Hunter
Meredith Hunter was unrestrained to attend the Altamont Speedway costless concert after he had receive the love and positive energy that the Monterey Jazz Festival offered . His baby , Dixie , warn Hunter that he should n’t go . Hunter went anyway , though he did contribute a gun . He recruited his lady friend Patti Bredehoft , and the couple shoot off to Altamont .
When the couple arrived at the Altamont Speedway , they were surprised to discover themselves in a sea of utter topsy-turvyness . They witness some Angels much run people over with their motorcycles , overreach music fans with pool cues , and generally inciting violence .
After staying the afternoon at the concert , the couple retreated to their machine . Bredehoft was ready to exit , but Hunter convert her to go back in for the headlining turn .
Rolling StoneMeredith Hunter at the Altamont concert .
Little did Hunter make love that a song by the Rolling Stones would be the last one he ’d ever hear .
When the band finally appear onstage , lead singer Mick Jagger acknowledged the craziness that was happening flop in front of him . " There ’s so many of you . Just keep cool down in front and do n’t push around . Just keep still , keep together " , he pleaded to the crowd . But it was mainly his own security causing the trouble , not the fans .
hunting watch climbed atop a jury-rigged loudspeaker system stand to get a skilful coup d’oeil at the band . He was at the front of the phase now , at the feet of the band and on camera . As " Under My Thumb " play , the Hells Angels teem the crowd . One of them pull at Hunter to get down from the speaker , but he fought back .
The Angel grabbed him again , and again Hunter attempted to fight him off . The pack member punched him in the face , pink him to the ground . More Angels joined the aggressor and continue to punch and quetch Hunter .
Hunter commence back on his feet and sample to run away through the gang as Angels came after him . He pulled out his gun and pointed it backwards at the Hells Angels — and towards the stage . Hunter ’s girlfriend pleaded with him to drop the gun , but it was too late .
When Bredehoft finally catch up to her young man , he was at the clemency of the Hells Angels . Bystanders attempted to save Hunter ’s living by tending to his wounds and carrying him to the medical collapsible shelter . Unfortunately , their efforts were bootless .
The Aftermath At Altamont
Most of the incident at the Altamont Speedway was beguile on video recording and feature in the rock’n’roll documentaryGimmie Shelterby brothers Albert and David Maysles , which is mostly regarded as one of the greatest rock documentary .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmAJpgkvjNM
" I did n’t go there to police nothing , man . I ai n’t no cop , I ai n’t never gon na ever make to be a copper . This Mick Jagger like fuc*in ' put it all on the Angels , man . Like , he used us for dupe man . And as far as I ’m concerned we were the biggest sucker for that idiot that I could ever see . And you bang what , they told me if I could sit on the bound of the stage so nobody would climb over me , I could wassail beer ' till the show was over . And that ’s what I went there to do . But you know what , when they started mess over our bikes , they started it . I do n’t know if you call back we pay off $ 50 for them things or steal ‘em or bear a lot for them or what — ai n’t nobody gon na plain my bike . "
Passaro , who prod and killed Hunter , run low on trial but was deport on ground that he stabbed Hunter in self - defence mechanism .
The concert ultimatelysawthe accidental death of three other attendees : two were killed in a tally - and - run and another by drown — allegedly while on drug and trying to enter the concert via a shallow irrigation canal .
In the dusk out of the scandal , it ’s beenrevealedby the FBI that the Hells Angels put out a hitting on Mick Jagger to revenge the bedlam at Altamont that he blame on the bike work party .
It come up to question who really is at rap : the Rolling Stones for their ill - preparedness or the Hells Angels for their exhortation of violence ? The free concert at the Altamont Speedway certainly prove to be the end of thehippie earned run average , however not in the way anyone had anticipated it would be .
After this look at the Altamont Speedway costless concert , check out these images that capture theHells Angels bike gang . Then , read about theIsle of Wight Festival , Britain ’s result to Woodstock .
Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesMick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones perform at the festival.
Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesMarty Balin of the band Jefferson Airplane (on the ground in the white hat) is surrounded Hells Angels, acting as both security and hoodlums.
