Forgetting Altamont

Last week’s Fryday remembering Woodstock struck a chord (pun intended) with many readers, though, alas, none admitted to being there.  Two further little-known facts about that festival: there were two deaths—one from an overdose predictably and one, somewhat less predictably, from being run over by a tractor. There was also one reported birth, which doesn’t quite balance it out, but is nevertheless good news.

If Woodstock is the acknowledged high point of outdoor music festivals, their nadir was to come just four months later on the other side of the United States at Altamont Speedway in Northern California.

Instigated by the Rolling Stones as a free concert to end their United States tour and to counter criticisms that their concert ticket prices were too high, Altamont was touted as “Woodstock West” and would feature, as well as the Stones, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Flying Burrito Brothers, Santana and Crosby Stills Nash & Young.

Held on Saturday, December 6, 1969, the day turned into a logistical and tragic nightmare. Rolling Stone magazine described it as “rock and roll’s all-time worst day.” There were four deaths, scores were injured, many cars stolen and extensive damage. But the concert is notable mostly for the violence, much of it captured on film by Albert and David Maysles in their documentary Gimme Shelter.

That film has graphic footage of the most infamous of those deaths—the stabbing  of Meredith Hunter by the Hells Angels. 

The Rolling Stones hired the Angels to handle security, reportedly on the recommendation of The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, both of whom had previous used the motorcycle gang in that capacity. Ironically, the Angels beat up Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin and the “Dead” refused to take the stage…because of the violence!

By the time the Rolling Stones took the stage that night the mood was ugly. The Hells Angels, who had been paid $500 worth of beer for their services were drunk and intimidating as they ringed the stage.

The unruly situation visibly intimidated Mick Jagger, who had already been punched in the head by a concertgoer within seconds of emerging from his helicopter, and urged everyone to, "Just be cool down in the front there, don't push around."

During the third song, Sympathy for the Devil, a fight erupted in the front of the crowd at the foot of the stage, prompting the Stones to pause their set while the Angels restored order. After a lengthy pause and another appeal for calm, the band restarted the song and continued their set with no incident until the start of Under My Thumb.

Some of the Hells Angels got into a scuffle with Meredith Hunter, age 18, when he attempted to get onstage with other fans. One of the Angels grabbed Hunter's head, punched him, and chased him back into the crowd. Following his initial scuffle with the Angels,  Hunter returned to the front of the crowd and drew a revolver from inside his jacket. Hells Angel Alan Passaro, seeing Hunter drawing the gun, drew a knife from his belt and charged Hunter from the side, stabbed him twice, and killed him.

The Stones say they were unaware of the killing at the time and that’s probably correct. Nevertheless the band (most of them) were clearly rattled and ended their set early and were helicoptered out from the site in a hurry.

Characteristically, Keith Richards was relatively sanguine about the show, calling it "basically well-handled, but lots of people were tired and a few tempers got frayed” and "on the whole, a good concert."

Maybe.

But the three (or four) days of peace and love that had occurred on the east coast four months earlier are still celebrated today and even Woodstock’s down-sides—the mud, the overdoses, the rain—are remembered reverently.

But Altamont? Altamont was different. And perhaps best left forgotten.