The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter

The event that threatened to crush the Stones

Back in ’69 the Stones were a dangerous proposition. At Madison Square Garden, Jagger performs Satisfaction as if close to implosion; but a celebration of their US tour this is not, with MSG footage intercut with the organisation of their infamous Atlamont free concert. Often pinpointed as the moment the 60s died (it was 6 December 1969, so not far off), Altamont haunted the Stones for years. Apparently, among 300,000 revellers, there were four births and four deaths. The most reported, of course, remains Meredith Hunter, a young black kid stabbed to death by Hells Angels “security” after brandishing a gun. “I didn’t go there to police nothin’,” Angel head honcho Sonny Barger tells a radio station afterwards. “[Jagger] used us for dupes.” None of this is as exciting as it sounds: pre-headliner footage of hippies and Jefferson Airplane is dull; the Stones are muted at the main event. Ultimately, the blame does lie at Jagger and co’s feet. Their ridiculously low stage invited crowd invasions, while asking the boozed-up Angels to watch over a crowd of hippies was always going to be a bad idea. Most unnerving among the pool cue beatings are off-camera screams where you can’t see the commotion. After watching the footage of Hunter’s stabbing again, Jagger concludes, “They’re so horrible.” No shit.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Warners Home Video | DY 75597

Reviewed by Jason Draper
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