Altamont

December 6, 1969 was the date of the Altamont Speedway Free Festival in northern California. It was moved from the Sears Point road racing course at literally the last minute. This was a free West Coast version of Woodstock where 300,000 heard bands like Crosby, Stills and Nash, Jefferson Airplane and Santana. The Grateful Dead pulled out, citing crowd control issues. The Rolling Stones closed the show, hiring the Hells Angels as security. That became a huge mistake, as a Hells Angel allegedly stabbed a crowd member to death who jumped the stage. A riot ensued which shut down the concert. At the murder trial, the biker was acquitted. A film clip (included in the Stones documentary “Gimme Shelter”) was too out of focus and too grainy to clearly identify the defendant. Regardless, Altamont became a quite disappointing end to the peace, love and rock and roll of 1960’s Woodstock Nation.