The Infamous Concert- Altamont Quiz

Answer: Candlestick Park

Candlestick Park, which was home to the baseball Giants and football 49ers, was not considered as a site. San Jose State had recently hosted a music festival, and the City was not receptive to another one so soon. A permit to use Golden Gate Park was not issued just days before the concert was scheduled. Agreements over several financial issues could not be resolved with the ownership of Sears Point Raceway. So, when the owner of Altamont offered his site, it was accepted.

Answer: 300,000

With no tickets, and no turnstiles, it was not possible to get an exact count. However, the consensus of those that have reported on the event is that the attendance was near 300,000. Of course, the facility did not have adequate toilet facilities, seating, parking, or aid facilities for a crowd of that size.

Answer: Low stage height

The stage was just three feet high, which would not have been a problem at Sears Point, because there it would have been on top of a rise, and therefore well above the crowd. However, at Altamont it meant that the crowd was right on top of the performers, which led to conflict, with numerous attendees going on stage, or attempting to.

They already had the stage, and a larger one was not available.

Answer: False

Despite the popular notion, that was not actually the case. The Hells Angels were asked to guard the generators, and, eventually, asked to keep people from coming on stage. The actual payment was $500 to pay for the beer the Angels brought with them. Granted, the Angels are not solid citizens, but they were put in a dangerous situation, badly out numbered by a crowd that included a lot of hostile members.

Answer: Grateful Dead

Jerry Garcia decided that the Grateful Dead would not perform after hearing about the violent incidents occurring during Jefferson Airplane's performance. Ironically, it was Garcia who suggested using the Hells Angels as security.
Santana was the opening act. The Flying Burritos were a country type act, and it was during their performance that the crowd settled down temporarily. Crosby, Stills and Nash also performed.

Answer: Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane

Balin was decked when he threw a tambourine at, and went off the stage to confront, a Hells Angel who was fighting with crowd members. Mick Jagger was punched in the face by a concert goer before he took the stage.

Answer: Alan Passaro

Alan Passaro, a Hells Angel pledge, stabbed Hunter five times. In the film "Gimme Shelter", the initial attack was caught on camera, as a space cleared around Hunter, wearing a green suit and pointing a gun, was rushed by Passaro.
Sonny Barger, the president of the Angels' Oakland Chapter, was present at the concert. Lou Dobkin was the founder of the Pagans MC, and John Davis was the founder of the Outlaws MC. Passaro was acquitted in court after the jury saw the film of the attack. Several years later he was found dead, floating in a reservoir.

Answer: Under My Thumb

Though many believe it was "Sympathy for the Devil", they actually were playing "Under my Thumb" at the time of the incident. Earlier, they had to stop performing during "Sympathy for the Devil" because of fighting breaking out in the crowd near the stage, which the Angels had to break up. Following the Hunter stabbing, the Rolling Stones finished "Under My Thumb", and then presented the first live performance of "Brown Sugar", and went on to complete the rest of their set.

Answer: Three

Sadly, three others died during the concert. One drowned in a canal, and two were run over by cars.

Answer: Insufficient stage height

The stage at Woodstock was high enough to not cause problems. However, three people did die during the concert, there were terrible traffic and parking problems, and they did not have adequate facilities for the size of the crowd or the three day duration of the concert. But, they had a good movie made, and excellent spin doctors.

After Woodstock, the Town Superintendent that okayed the festival lost his next election, and an ordinance was passed to prohibit large gatherings of that nature.