Monterey International Pop Festival:
Held June 16, 17, and 18, 1967, at the Monterey (California) County Fairgrounds, this was the first big rock festival. Total attendance over the three-day period was estimated at 200,000. The festival motto was "Music, Love, and Flowers" (100,000 orchids were flown in for the festival) and advertisements for the festival advised "substantial housing for every guest," "Dress as wild as you choose. But remember that it's sometimes cool in the evenings," and "Bring the family. This is a Festival for all." "San Francisco (Be sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)," written by Papa John Phillips and sang by Scott McKenzie reached the Top 40 the week before the festival. Billed as a non-profit event, with pr going to various charities, the event was organized by Lou Adler and John Phillips. The performers, who played for free, represented a remarkable cross-section of new and established artists. The audience was treated to such diverse talent as The Association, Lou Rawls, Canned Heat, Country Joe and the Fish, The Steve Miller Band, Hugh Masekela, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Booker T. and the MG's, Otis Redding, Ravi Shankar, The Grateful Dead, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Who, and The Mamas and the Papas. This concert marked one of the first times Otis Redding played to a white audience, and it was most Americans' first time to see Jimi Hendrix and The Who's extraordinary (and somewhat shockingly violent) acts. Bill Graham's involvement brought together the San Francisco and LA. music scenes. With 1,100 media people invited to the festival, it's not surprising that it was well chronicled. Additionally, the more-than-expected attendance at the festival insured that record companies would recognize the earning potential of this music. Many new groups, including Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, would be "discovered" here. The film crew missed Janis' set, but the performance was so strong she was asked to do a second performance for the cameras. Jimi Hendrix and the Who tried to outdo each other with their stage theatrics. As John Phillips explains, "The Who knew how good Jimi was and wouldn't be outdone, so they blew the entire stage up with bombs and fireballs and things. That's why Jimi burned up his guitar..." The legacy of Monterey was assured with D.A. Pennebaker's award winning film "Monterey Pop."
TheWoodstock Music and Art Fair:
Held August 15, 16, and 17, 1969, Woodstock attracted between 400,000 and 500,000 fans to Max Yazgur's farm at White Lake, (Bethel) New York. Although the location for the festival was changed, it had never been planned to take place in Woodstock. The name, however, evoked not only a rural atmosphere, but also was associated with a well-known artists' community, and perhaps most importantly, the location where Bob Dylan had recuperated from his motorcycle accident. His collaboration with the Band at Woodstock resulted in "The Basement Tapes" and the "Music from Big Pink" albums. With many more fans arriving than expected or planned for, Woodstock was a potential disaster. Despite the rain, the lack of medical and security personnel, and the shortage of food, the crowd was well-behaved and despite three deaths, the overall impression of the event was that, as Max Yazgur said, a half million kids could have fun and music and "nothing but fun and music." Woodstock was hailed as proof that the counterculture values, when put to the test in a large society (for the weekend, Woodstock was the third largest city in New York) were valid and possible. Like Monterey, Woodstock provided the opportunity for groups to become stars. Santana, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Joe Cocker were pleasant surprises for most of the audience. Other notable sets were performed by Richie Havens, Country Joe McDonald (the "Fish" cheer and "I Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag') Ten Years After, and Sly and the Family Stone. Jimi Hendrix closed the festival Monday morning with a set which included his famous version of the "Star Spangled Banner" By this time, however, most of the audience had left; only an estimated 40,000 witnessed his show.
Also like Monterey, the profits came from sources other than ticket sales. Both the triple album of the concert and the Michael Wadleigh movie "Woodstock" were highly successful. The Woodstock album has been called the soundtrack for that era, for the reputation of the event and the popularity of the album ensured that the music on the album would help define the artists. In addition to the movie, Joni Mitchell's song "Woodstock" also performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, would commemorate the event.
Altamont:
The Rolling Stones, on tour for the first time in three years, decided to hold a free concert in San Francisco at the end of their American tour. Billed as a "thank you" to their fans, but also perhaps an atonement for charges of high ticket pricing, the Stones worked with the Grateful Dead to arrange the concert. Twenty-four hours before the concert, the location was moved to Altamont Speedway, forty miles east of San Francisco. The lineup included Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Dead, and the Stones.
"Security" was provided by the Hells Angels, reportedly in exchange for $500 in beer The vibes of Dec. 9, 1969 quickly turned bad as Hells Angels used cue sticks to beat fans who came too close to the hastily constructed, low stage. Lead singer Marty Balin, of the Airplane, was knocked out by Angels when he tried to intervene during a confrontation between fans and Angels. The Dead, who had ties with the Hells Angels, decided not to play. After a delay, the Stones took the stage. During the fourth song, "Under My Thumb" (following "Jumping Jack Flash" and an interrupted "Sympathy for the Devil") Merideth Hunter was stabbed to death in view of the stage after he started wielding a gun. Fearing what would happen if they stopped, the Stones continued their set, and then ran to a waiting helicopter and escaped. In all, four people died, the other three less violently.
There was plenty of blame to be distributed, but much fell on the Stones. Critics felt they were responsible for the hastily thrown-together event, the poor choice of security, and the dangerous atmosphere created with songs of murder and violence ("Midnight Rambler," "Street Fighting Man," and "Gimme Shelter" in addition to those mentioned earlier). The Maysles brothers' film, "Gimme Shelter" delves into some of the issues, and includes footage of the murder, as well as shots of Mick Jagger later talking about the events.
While a December, 1969 event easily can be over-simplified as representing the end of an era, Altamont did seem to represent that. Noted rock writer Ralph Gleason called Altamont the end of rock innocence. The negative publicity from Altamont virtually ended festival-style concerts as the 1970's began.