Altamont 69

[Wayne LaFoy]

Since we're coming on the 40th anniversary, of this legendary concert, held at Altamont Speedway, back in 69, with the Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Santana & the Flying Burrito Brothers, I wanted to put my two cents worth in. Altamont was a disaster from the start, because it wasn't organized well, the stage was way too low & having the Hell's Angels as bodyguards, was a nightmare waiting to happen. I blame Rolling Stone magazine, since a writer thought tickets were to high, at the time & suggested the Stones do a free concert. It was just a bad day with bad vibes, from the hippies, the Angels & the drugs. Michael Lang, who did Woodstock, five months before, should have done a little bit more, as far as I'm concerned. Altamont will always be known as the darkside of Woodstock & I believe Meredith Hunter would have assasinated Mick Jagger onstage, since he had a gun. I blame the Hell's Angels, I blame Jerry Garcia for suggesting them & I don't blame the Stones at all. I think the Angels got carried away with their image, because they weren't rowdy at Monterey, back in 67. All you have to do is watch Gimme Shelter, of the Stones 69 U. S. tour, which I saw for the first time, back in the late 70's, too see it for what it is.