Altamont Free Concert: The Infamous 1969 Show That Inspired ‘Gimme Shelter’ Documentary

The concert you’re thinking of is the Altamont Free Concert, headlined by the Rolling Stones on December 6, 1969. It was meant to be a West Coast answer to Woodstock, but instead became a symbol of the 1960s’ violent end. The event was filmed and later released as the documentary Gimme Shelter, named after the Rolling Stones song that plays over the closing credits.

The security mishap was catastrophic: the Stones hired the Hells Angels motorcycle gang to provide crowd control for $500 worth of beer. During the set, tensions escalated, and an 18-year-old fan named Meredith Hunter was stabbed and beaten to death by Hells Angels after he pulled a gun near the stage. The entire incident was captured on film, making it one of the most notorious concert documentaries ever made.