The Hells Angels may have started out just in California, but by 1961 they were going global. The very first charter which opened outside the US was in Auckland, New Zealand. After that, the motorcycle club began popping up all over the world. The first European charter opened in London in 1969.
These days, Europe alone houses over 275 charters. Since the ’70s, charters have been founded in Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Eastern Europe, and more. The club is always on the lookout for new areas for expansion.
The Hells Angels and Counterculture
In the 1960s, the Hells Angels were heavily involved with the counterculture movement, particularly in California. They fit right in with the need to challenge authority, embrace individualism and promote social change. They were widely known in the famous Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco and often attended local concerts and social gatherings.
Various club members were also connected to the primary leadership of the counterculture movement. They often met with musicians and thinkers such as Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, Allen Ginsberg, Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and others.
A Few Rotten Apples
The Hells Angels and some other motorcycle clubs do not wish to be known for their bad rep. They call themselves a one percenter biker club. That title, which is more than 50 years old, is based on the old expression that 1% of troublemakers give a bad name to 99% of bikers. They hope that this description will help the public separate them from the many negative stereotypes associated with biker gangs in general and the Hells Angels in particular.
Public relations aside, it is true that more than a few members have been convicted of various crimes, from dealing drugs to murder.
The Dress Code
Hells Angels are not shy about their membership in the club and make sure people know about it. Members almost always wear a leather or denim “cut”, which is their lingo for a motorcycle vest. The cut features different patches, many of which have Hells Angels written on the back plus the name of their local charter on the bottom.
If the cut belongs to a full-fledged member, it will also feature the red and white-winged “death head” logo, the letters HAMC (Hells Angels Motorcycle Club) and the number 81. The 81 represents the letters H and A. H being the eighth letter of the alphabet and A being the first. A member may earn other patches during his time in the club.
Joining the Club
It is not easy to become a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club. You must have the right personality, know the right people and basically want to live on your motorcycle. Even then, the initiation process may take years, if you even make it that far. To get started, you need a valid motorcycle license, own a Harley Davidson motorcycle over 750 CC, although sometimes other American motorcycles may be accepted, and have a personality that fits the club profile.
Your past cannot include accusations of child molestation or applications to become a police officer or prison guard. There are more than likely other requirements, but they are not known to the public.