Altamont in 1969: The Day the Music Died

Livermore is known worldwide for its wine industry, but the city's history and lore are marred by one of the darkest days in rock-and-roll history. This week marked the 40th anniversary of the infamous Altamont Speedway Free Festival, headlined by the Rolling Stones and immortalized in the film, Gimme Shelter.

The Altamont concert was held 4 months after the Woodstock Music Festival, a peaceful 3-day celebration in Bethel, New York.

In contrast to Woodstock, the 1969 Altamont event was thrown together in a matter of days -- something that could never happen in today's litigious society. The site of the concert was confirmed a mere two days before the event, after deals fell through with two other locations (Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma County). Among other things, Altamont lacked medical facilities and staff, an adequate number of latrines, and sufficient parking space. Many concertgoers simply abandoned their cars on the freeway, creating gridlock for miles.

In yet another unfortunate decision, the concert's security force was bartered for with alcohol. Hells Angels protected the area around the stage in exchange for $500 worth of beer. Most of the spoils were consumed on the premises, and ultimately, 50 Hells Angels proved no match for 300,000 energized fans surrounding a 4-foot-high stage.

Bill Graham, the most widely known northern California concert promoter, warned organizers that the Altamont venue would be unsafe, and refused to promote the event. His advice was ignored, and by the end of the concert four people would be dead.

Forty years later, organizers and fans refer to Altamont as a tragedy, many noting that the 1970 rockumentary Gimme Shelter only hinted at the concert's widespread violence and mayhem. The death of one gun-wielding fan who was fatally stabbed by Hell's Angel Alan Passaro was captured on film and included in the documentary. Passaro was acquitted of murder charges, and many credit him for preventing further violence from Meredith Hunter, who was high on methamphetamines at the time. The Rolling Stones continued to play eight more songs after Hunter's death, concluding, ironically, with Street Fighting Man.