Review of Gimme Shelter (2013) by Fiona M — 01 Feb 2008

A rock n' roll show that ends up being a lot more...

One fateful night in 1969 at the Altamont Speedway in San Fransisco the Rolling Stones culminated their '69 US tour with a free concert in California.

Things go mortally awry, however, when the impromptu security duties for the evening are delegated to the local chapter of the Hell's Angels. Plagued from the beginning by fighting between concertgoer and bikers ultimately leads to the stabbing death of one fan at the hands of an over-zealous drunk Hell's Angel.

In retrospect, there were so many things wrong with the evening. Whoever came up with the idea of having the Angels work security was certifiably deranged - and all of the youthful hippies flailing about on the lawn should be wholly embarassed with themselves. Obvious drug use and free-wheeling attitude is all of the more stupid and painful to watch knowing the wake of destruction the so-called "counter-cultural" movement would leave behind for decades to come.

...I thought this was a movie about the Rolling Stones. Sure, there's plenty of Mick Jagger footage, but I hope there are better examples of the band's energy in performance than this documentary.