In late 1969, the Rolling Stones headlined a free concert at the Altamont Speedway, located outside San Francisco. It was billed as the Western Woodstock, in comparison to the legendary music festival held just a few months before.
And the two concerts had many things in common. Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead performed at both, there were hundreds of thousands of fans in attendance, illicit drugs were rampant, there was disorganization and transportation problems, and many fans decided that they would enjoy the concert more if they took off all their clothes.
But there was a significant difference between Woodstock and Altamont: violence. Whatever faults Woodstock may have had, it was peaceful. There were four deaths at Altamont, including a gun-waving fanatic stabbed and beaten to death by Hell's Angels.
The violence begins when the Stones arrive for the concert. Mick Jagger is punched in the jaw by a crazed hippie before he can reach his trailer. Even during the warm-up acts, the Hell's Angels, foolishly hired as security, are clubbing concert attendees, especially those rushing the stage or messing with their motorcycles. Airplane lead singer Marty Balin is mistakenly assaulted by a Hell's Angel. By the time the Stones are performing, there is a constant melee in front of the stage, causing Jagger to break off singing to plead uselessly for an end to the fighting.
This story is jumbled with other scenes involving the Rolling Stones. We see them leaving their room at a dumpy Holiday Inn (these guys needed better managers), watch them listen with dazed expressions to playbacks from upcoming album "Sticky Fingers", and watch them watch themselves on monitors, post-concert. Jagger and drummer Charlie Watts do the talking, guitarist Keith Richards and the others are mostly seen smoking cigarettes or playing onstage.
Among the concert performers is Tina Turner, who treats her microphone like a giant phallus symbol. Among the many cameramen, some of whom were themselves assaulted, was a young George Lucas. (69/100)
Called the greatest rock film ever made, this landmark documentary follows the Rolling Stones on their notorious 1969 U.S. tour and features definitiv...More at Buy.com
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