The Hells Angels were in fact a natural choice. They had long been part of the Haight Ashbury and underground culture of San Francisco and were close associates of The Grateful Dead (lived across the street from them), Janis Joplin, Bill Graham, The Diggers, Ken Kesey, Alan Ginsberg, etc. Graham always allowed them entrance into the Filmore because their very presence was a deterrent. Even The Beatles were fond of them and in fact George Harrison issued a standing invitation for them to visit him at Strawberry Fields. They did.

In fact The Hells Angels were so entrenched in the Bay Area music scene, it would almost have been rude NOT to invite them. They were considered to be "the people's police", once having dominated the sale of psychedelics in the Haight prior to LSD becoming illegal in 1966.

Years later when the club financed and filmed their own movie, "Hells Angels Forever" Jerry Gracia & company gladly participated. If the Dead's reluctance to play at Altamont caused any ill will, it was short lived.

Scully knew them and there had never been any serious issues with the Angels at any prior venues. In that era, and in that culture, the Hells Angels were top of the food chain to the extent they were loved, feared and admired. Their word on things was law. To get an essence of this Google the names "Chocolate George" and "Terry The Tramp". Numerous rock posters by a Hells Angel named "Gut" give a glimpse of the Hells Angels interaction with Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Blue Cheer, The Grateful dead, etc as the Angels would often host their own concerts at the Longshoreman's Hall or any number of venues. They had previously supplied security for Janis Joplin as well.

Peter Coyote the actor was once a Digger. The Diggers were a street theatre group who also ran a free food bank in the Haight. They were well respected and Coyote says that the Hells Angels were very amenable to helping social causes such as the famous "Clap Clinic" concert they hosted to raise money for the Free Clinic. Their was an understanding between the underground community and the Angels, even after Barger and others assaulted anti war protesters in 1965.

As Grace Slick, who was no stranger to the Hells Angels said "people get weird sometimes and you need people like the Angels to keep things in line". Peter Coyote relates in his book "Sleeping Where I Fall" that Sonny Barger, upon arrival at Altamont was incredulous at the scene and asked "are we supposed to control THIS?"

As previously stated, the mere presence of Hells Angels have served as a deterrent in the past, and violence was not necessary because the reputation of the Hells Angels was threat enough under NORMAL circumstances.

But nothing about Altamont fell within the range of "normal"

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Baboon Bro

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@#$%&
who brings a gun to a concert anyway?? that's just stupid.

Who brings a pool stick?
Who bring the Angels as Security?

[
I have a personal interest in the truth, no more no less.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-10-05 05:17 by Ravallion.

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Ravallion

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sweetcharmedlife

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Ravallion
sweetcharmedlife: Why do I have to be either?

You don't. But you just sound like you have some personal involvement in this. Just wondering that's all.

Only because I can remain anonymous. I am not a member of the Hells Angels or law enforcement. I have strong relationships with long time members of a certain motorcycle club. I am friends with Alan Passaro's cousin. Certain family members of a very famous member of a certain famous motorcycle club are very close with me and my family.

I have a personal interest in the truth, no more no less.

Ok. Fair enough.

Everytime I see this thread I realize that my mind doesn't look at the word "crocheted" as sounding like Cro-shayed, instead I hear it as Crotch-et-ted.

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CindyC
Everytime I see this thread I realize that my mind doesn't look at the word "crocheted" as sounding like Cro-shayed, instead I hear it as Crotch-et-ted.

What a dirty mind have 'ye!

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Edith Grove

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CindyC
Everytime I see this thread I realize that my mind doesn't look at the word "crocheted" as sounding like Cro-shayed, instead I hear it as Crotch-et-ted.

What a dirty mind have 'ye!

She's not dirty. She just types that way.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

There was always a little wishful thinking involved in the way the San Francisco hippy movement tried to claim the Angels as part of their own; The common-ground between the two movements was a desire to live free and reject the existing society of the time, but apart from that, they were poles apart politically...

Reading Sonny Barger's book, you realise that the idea that the Angels were the 'psychedelic security' of the counter culture was always a one-way dream; the Angels themselves were not interested in that role, and their interactions with the hippy scene were always for their own benefit only (and mostly revolved around selling or buying drugs). Let's not forget that one of the incidents that first brought the Bay Area Angels to mass attention was attacking a march against the Vietnam war...

The problem was that the hippies had romanticised what the bike gangs were all about - Altamont forced them to realise what the Angels were really like. To be fair to the Angels, as someone has said here already, they never pretended to be anything other than what they were, with no apologies to anyone...

Bringing it back to the Stones, again from Barger's book, the thing that he was most pissed off about is that he considered that his gang had saved Mick Jagger's life that night, and rather than being thanked, they had been vilified by the band...

The incident which brought the Hells Angels to the public's eye was the famous rape allegations which made headline news all over the world in 1964. medical evidence of rape being absent and a failed polygraph reuslted in all charges being dropped, yet Califronia Attorney General Thomas Lynch began an investigation into the group which again, made wolrd wide headline in eraly 1965.

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Ravallion
Califronia Attorney General Thomas Lynch began an investigation into the group which again, made wolrd wide headline in eraly 1965.

Ironic surname this guy has!

Patty Bredehoft:

Apparently Rolling Stone magazine got it wrong by accident or on purpose. This is the legal name she teitifed under oath with.

Sam Cutler's book gives a great account of the events leading up to the concert, and what happened during the previous night, during the morning of the concert and what happened when the Stones went on to play.
Having 100,000 people get to the site the night before, drinking and the rest was a recipe for disaster...also people handing out bad acid etc was dangerous!

I'm sure people have rocked up to a party sober and you mingle with people who are very drunk...it's a pain in the a**se with people constantly banging into you and causing trouble. You can only imagine if you banged into an Angel that day!

[www.youtube.com] After watching this documentary, my son and I visited Merediths' grave.

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vincentwhirlwind


After watching this documentary, my son and I visited Merediths' grave.

vincentwhirlwind,

That was good of you. I am glad this film was made. Meredith's story has never
been told. I hope to help out with that in my dpcumentary , Altamont 360°.

Living in San Francisco (and working not far from Berkeley High School where
Meredith Hunter went to school) has put me in contact with people who knew him.

- swiss



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-07 05:07 by swiss.

Thinking about Altamont a bit this week and with all the police brutality stuff in the news lately I thought about what would have happened if the modern day police had been security at that show.

After seeing a gun, they would have probably shot Mr. Hunter in a heartbeat then jumped on him with their knees in his face shouting "quit resisting, quit resisting", and then been cleared of any wrong doing. Of course they would have probably done the same to a few of the Angels too.....

peace

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Naturalust
Thinking about Altamont a bit this week and with all the police brutality stuff in the news lately I thought about what would have happened if the modern day police had been security at that show.

After seeing a gun, they would have probably shot Mr. Hunter in a heartbeat then jumped on him with their knees in his face shouting "quit resisting, quit resisting", and then been cleared of any wrong doing. Of course they would have probably done the same to a few of the Angels too.....

peace

Or first jumped on him and then unarmed shot him never mind it's late and bed time.........

__________________________

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NICOS
It's a pity that 300.000 or more visit Altamont and we have a handful of reaction from people who know people who went to Altamont ......what about those chicks in front.......

I have spoken and otherwise corresponded with dozens of people who were there
at this point, NICOS. I am producing 2 documentaries on Altamont---"The Night
Before Altamont" radio documentary and Altamont 360° film.

I have interviewed one of "those chicks in front" for The Night Before
Altamont, and she has introduced me to the "girl" standing next to her, as well.

There are many, many stories and narratives of Altamont, as you say. That's why
I am working on these projects.

- swiss

I thought Keith had the final comment on this a long long time ago. When you pull a gun, he said, you open a door and you better be ready for what comes through.

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vincentwhirlwind
[www.youtube.com] After watching this documentary, my son and I visited Merediths' grave.

Is it still unmarked? Christ. We should all do something!
Maybe kickstarter?

"In 2006, filmmaker Sam Green released a short documentary titled Lot 63, Grave C (Hunter's gravesite), which revolves around the last day of Hunter's life and the unmarked grave where he was buried. After the film screened widely at film festivals, several people sent donations to the cemetery to buy Meredith Hunter a headstone. The headstone was installed in 2008."




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-08 08:58 by swiss.

Poor young Meredith. RIP