Gimme Shelter

The Maysles brothers wanted to make a registration of the World Tour the Rolling Stones made in 1969. But things took a different turn. Footage of only two of the concerts has been incorporated in this re-released documentary: the show in Madison Square Garden and the free concert in Altamont. Incidents at the latter show caused the makers to change their film completely. While this concert went on, there were fierce outbursts of violence, the lowest point being the murder of the eighteen-year-old Meredith Hunter by the Hell’s Angels, who had been hired as security officials. In GIMME SHELTER, the Maysles brothers show scenes from that concert to the members of the band, who suddenly seem to have aged. A concert of which, in hindsight, many people think that it marked the end of the hippie and love era.