Mick Jagger and Keith Richards look out on the crowd nervously from the stage at Altamont
Much has been made of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock this year in print, on the Internet, on television and even in theaters with that forgettable movie by the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon dude. The peace, love and happiness vibe was just too much of a landmark event to ignore; it epitomized everything about the late 60s youth ideals and was viewed as a step in the right direction by many.
But just four months later, the Woodstock moment in time officially passed with the disaster at Altamont where many of the same bands played, but the atmosphere was hostile and deadly. It was a tragic turn of events that took place 40 years ago this month, and it isn’t likely to be celebrated, nor receive the widespread anniversary coverage its predecessor did this summer.
Taking place at the Altamont Speedway in Northern California, The Rolling Stones organized what they envisioned as sort of a Woodstock West to close out the band’s highly successful 1969 tour of the States.
The Grateful Dead, Santana and Crosby Stills & Nash were among the acts scheduled to play. It all seemed like a good intentions on paper, and a great way to closeout the 60s, but then someone had the brilliant idea to bring in the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang as security, to keep an eye on the respective band’s equipment – the reason they were there is unclear to this day, but it all went horribly wrong in the wake of the decision.
Gimme Shelter, the superb Maysles Brothers documentary, captured the event as it unfolded in all of its death and glory.
The Hells Angels are shown arriving on their ubiquitous motorcycles, plowing through the crowd as they ride toward the stage, ignoring the concertgoers scrambling to get out of the way. Jefferson Airplane took the stage early in the afternoon, and as one of many scuffles broke out, singer Marty Balin attempts to cam things down, only to get knocked unconscious by a Hell’s Angel. Later, Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead show up, but split as soon as they hear about the assault, and the band never ends up performing.
The Stones hit the stage as night fell, but the set was plagued by fits and starts as Mick Jagger tried to calm the crowd down lest the pool cue wielding Hell’s Angel’s continue mercilessly beating on anyone who looked remotely offensive to them. Then, during “Under My Thumb,” another disturbance broke out in front of the stage. Eighteen year-old Meredith Hunter pulled out a gun and was immediately descended upon by a Hell’s Angel who stabbed him five times, killing him.
During the Gimme Shelter documentary, a clearly shaken Jagger is shown raw footage of the murder and says, “So horrible…”
Dixie Ward, Hunter’s older sister, told More Magazine a few weeks back that the gun her brother brandished wasn’t even loaded, despite one frame of film that seems to show it going off and representatives from the Alameda County sheriff's office confirming the gun was indeed loaded. 
Either way, the one certainty is that the Altamont concert represented the end of innocence and the death of the 60s that had become so promising in the years prior, and hinted at the change coming in the ensuing years as Nixon got comfortable during his first term, the Vietnam War escalated and the energy crisis loomed on the horizon.
Today, Altamont is spoken of almost in hushed tones, and not really celebrated like its summertime counterpart in Woodstock, with its logo featuring a white dove sitting calmly on a guitar neck symbolizing peace.
Fittingly, the de facto Altamont logo is a similar design except the bird has a knife stuck in its back and each of its eyes represented by an "x" - no joke. You can pick up a shirt at Hollywood Loser.
Comments