Altamont free Concert
Transcript: Presented by: Diane Awad Sanjit Bhalru Stacie Hammer Leon Isaac and Michelle Lund By the time the Grateful Dead were supposed to perform, the violence had escalated. Hearing about the widespread violence, alcohol consumption and drug use, the band refused to perform and chose to leave the venue completely. The Rolling Stones went on to perform, although later than they were scheduled to. It was during their set that Meredith Hunter was killed, by a member of the Hell’s Angels, who were acting as venue “security”. The Stones were aware of the altercation, as it happened in front of the stage, but did not know that someone had been stabbed and killed. They decided to keep on playing, as they felt that if they stopped and left, the situation could escalate, and lead to more violence and riots. (Reilly, 2010) The video you are about to see is a clip from the 1970 documentary Gimme Shelter. It depicts the altercation between concert goer Meredith Hunter and Hells Angel Alan Passaro. Hunter, who pulls a gun during the Stones' performance of "Under my thumb" is attacked and stabbed by Passaro. The horrific events occurring at Altamont can be reduced to poor planning and inadequate intervention by security officials. Hiring the Hell’s Angels to secure the perimeters of the stage was questionable and not an insightful move made by the event planners. Event planners were in need of more research and understanding of the impacts the Hells Angels could have on a free rock concert. Hell’s Angel had extensive reputation with murder, rape and violence, which became evident during the event. There was no contingency plan to deal with emergencies at all. In fact the poor venue layout and excessive traffic led highway police to tow cars, as they blocked the roads and made it impossible for emergency vehicles to enter the site (Reilly, 2010). They did, however, have a medical tent, manned by 19 doctors and 6 psychiatrists, who were there to treat a number of drug overdoses, as well as deliver 4 premature babies. During the Planning Process: Research different venue locations according to the size and scale of the event to accommodate the estimated number of attendees. Confirm venue location at least 5 months prior to the event date in order to properly prepare the site for attendance numbers, traffic and parking, stage size and location, washroom facilities, service locations, including medical services and food and beverage services, etc. Security: Provide adequate security at the entrance of the event to prevent event attendees from entering with weapons. Furthermore, ensure the number of security or police are able to withstand the number of expected attendees. There should be adequate security stationed at the stage at all times to prevent crowd control issues and ensure safety of the audience members and the performers. Bibliography 1.A&E Television Networks. (2012). Music: The Altamont Festival brings the 1960s to a violent end. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-altamont-festival-brings-the-1960s-to-a-violent-end 2.Anderson, S. (2011). Week in Rock History: Altamont Ends in Tragedy. Retrieved January 26th 2013 from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/week-in-rock-history-altamont-ends-in-tragedy-20111205 3.Barger, A. (2006). The Rolling Stones' Altamont Music Festival, December 6, 1969: The Anti- Woodstock. Retrieved from http://blogcritics.org/video/article/the-rolling-stones-altamont-music-festival/ 4.Morgan, J. (2011). From the archive, 8 December 1969: Life and death as the Stones roll on. Retrieved January 26th 2013 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2011/dec/08/rolling-stones-concert-altamont-1969 Woodstock 99 was marred by violence, rape and fires, which ultimately brought the event to a close. It was better organized and planned than the Altamont concert, but a combination of “oppressive heat,” price gouging by vendors and insufficient facilities caused increasing tension among concert goers that errupted into total chaos Gimme Shelter, a documentary of the Rolling Stones 1969 North American tour captured the implausible events that occurred at Altamont “neither blames the Stones nor lets them off the hook.” The documentary explores the roll of the rock stars during the concert and the bewilderment that occurs when they lose grasp on the crowd. Taubin (2012) quotes “and we see it dawn on him (Jagger) that he may be complicit in the violence that has crossed the line from collective fantasy to reality.” We agree with the critics, as the complexity of events that occurred during the event can be blamed on a mix of rock music, gang culture and an open environment that was highly influenced by drugs and alcohol. policies prohibiting the use of narcotics •Hiring of sufficient medical staff •Consultation with EMS providers and experts on injury prevention •Planning and coordinating with police and ambulance services to draft procedures for transporting injured spectators •Rules
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