There is an unmatched, chaotic energy in band photography from the late 70s, right before massive stadium tours smoothed out the rough edges. Looking at AC/DC between 1976 and 1979 is the perfect example—they don’t look like global rock gods yet, just a gang of guys who plugged into a wall and turned it all the way up. We need to get better at archiving this specific era of photography on the wiki. The unpolished, cramped-stage, cigarette-smoke-in-the-lens shots are pure history. The stadium years are documented to death, but the club days are where the actual story is. Who has the best pre-1980 band photos? Drop your favorite unpolished shots of legendary bands before they blew up.

It is time to pick your favorite in this alternative rock matchup between Green Day and System of a Down. Both California bands bring distinct sounds, from late 80s Bay Area punk to 90s Glendale heavy metal. Cast your vote now before voting closes! Cast your vote on the contest page, then make your case here — why does your pick take it?

Going to SNW for the first time? Here's what veterans wish they knew: Getting There: There is NO on-site parking. Zero. Don't even try to drive to the festival grounds. Rideshare drop-off is at 810 Circus Circus Dr (south end of grounds) The Las Vegas Monorail stops at Sahara Station — short walk to the entrance from there After the show, Las Vegas Blvd gets closed. Walk to nearby hotels/casinos to call your ride Hotels: Resorts World is the move — walkable to the venue, nice rooms Circus Circus is the budget option but you get what you pay for Surviving the Day (11 AM to midnight): Late April = 80s F desert heat. Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses are non-negotiable Free water stations throughout the grounds — use them constantly Gates open at 11 AM but first band starts at 11:10 AM. If you want to catch openers, be in line EARLY Merch lines have historically been 2-4 HOURS. Decide if that's worth missing sets Wear broken-in shoes — you're standing for 13 hours on turf and concrete What to Bring: Empty water bottle or hydration pack Sunscreen (reapply!) Earplugs (protect your hearing, seriously) Portable phone charger Light jacket for after sunset — desert temps drop fast What NOT to Bring: Professional cameras Outside food/drinks Oversized bags (small clear bags or backpacks only) What tips would you add? Drop them below for the first-timers!

Video attached

A recently resurfaced photo from a legendary Metallica gig in California 23 years ago is a brutal reminder of the band's unmatched live energy during that era. Looking back at the raw crowd shots and setlists from the early 2000s, it's wild to see how global titans playing massive venues still carried the ferocious hunger of a gritty garage act. They just had this rare ability to make a sprawling arena feel like a sweaty, claustrophobic club show. Archiving these specific eras—the deep-cut setlists, the tour lore, and the nights where everything just clicked perfectly on stage—is exactly why we're building out their wiki over on The Band Index. It’s too easy to lose the history of these defining shows, and digging into their gig archive is the absolute best kind of rabbit hole.

Is it worth going?

Everyone's going to see SOAD and Korn. Here are 5 acts lower on the poster that could be the highlight of your day: 1. Acid Bath — This is their reunion after 28 YEARS. They broke up in 1997 after bassist Audie Pitre was killed by a drunk driver. If you're into sludge metal, this might be the most important set of the entire festival. Don't sleep on this. 2. Knocked Loose — Arguably the hottest heavy band on the planet right now. Their live show is a wrecking ball. Get there early if you want to survive the pit. 3. Glassjaw — Post-hardcore legends who never got the mainstream recognition they deserved. If you know, you know. 4. Carpenter Brut — Synthwave/darkwave that sounds like a John Carpenter movie came to life. Completely different energy from everything else on the lineup — in the best way. 5. Poison the Well — Early 2000s post-hardcore that influenced half the bands on this lineup. A perfect "I was there" moment. Who else are you adding to this list? Drop your underrated picks

Before getting hired by Circus magazine, Mark Weiss was just a high school kid stuffing a camera under a baggy sweatshirt and paying the Madison Square Garden door guy three bucks to sneak in. He was literally selling 8x10s out of his locker before landing a gig shooting Van Halen at the Asbury Park Convention Hall on August 11, 1979. He eventually became their go-to guy. By the 1982 Hide Your Sheep tour in Chicago, David Lee Roth was calling Weiss's hotel room to demand he come take photos of him climbing a tree to rescue a stuck kite. It makes you wonder how much incredible, unauthorized rock history is still sitting in some guy's attic because he snuck a camera into a legendary gig. Who are the modern-day rogue photographers doing this right now at your local venues? Drop their names, I want to dig through their archives.

In 1968, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham crammed into a tiny basement room on Gerrard Street in London. Page was just trying to salvage the remains of the Yardbirds. They ripped through "Train Kept A-Rollin'" and, according to Page, immediately realized it was a life-changing musical communion. Within weeks, they were touring Scandinavia. Within months, they were recording the debut album that changed rock forever. The official "Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin" photo book has actual shots of these earliest gigs, showing them sweating it out in small clubs before they became stadium gods. What other band had a first rehearsal or early gig where they instantly knew they had lightning in a bottle? Drop the stories below.

It's Ohio vs Los Angeles in this week's alternative rock battle! Will you choose the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, or the quartet of Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante? Cast your vote before voting closes to decide the winner! Cast your vote on the contest page, then make your case here — why does your pick take it?

Credit: Static-X

{"error":"Unauthorized","message":"Valid authentication token required"}

They’ve been working on this Travis Barker documentary for 10 years. *Louder Than Fear* covers the whole timeline—from being a trash collector in Laguna Beach, to filling in for Scott Raynor, to surviving that horrific plane crash. We all know he’s the machine behind Blink-182 and The Transplants, but getting a raw look at his recovery and how he got back on the kit is going to be heavy. It hits Disney+ in August. In honor of the doc dropping, let's settle this: what is the absolute best Travis Barker drum track? Is it something off *Enema of the State*, a Transplants deep cut, or a Box Car Racer track? Drop your picks below.

Everyone talks about the massive 90s comeback or the Armageddon soundtrack, but early 70s Aerosmith out of Boston was entirely different. They were gritty, unpolished, and arguably the most dangerous rock band in America at the time. Look at any live shot from the 'Toys in the Attic' or 'Rocks' era—it's pure chaos. Are we in agreement that 1975-1976 was their absolute creative peak, or does someone want to make a serious argument for the late 80s 'Pump' era?

We always talk about The Cure like they arrived fully formed as these untouchable goth pioneers, but looking back at their actual early years, it’s a miracle they survived at all. Their first label was a German disco imprint that dropped them because the music was too depressing. Then there’s the time they got kicked off a Generation X tour because Lol Tolhurst stumbled into a backstage bathroom and accidentally peed on Billy Idol. Even when they hit their creative stride recording 'Pornography', they were basically living in a literal mountain of empty lager cans and sleeping on the floor of the record label office. And let's not forget Robert Smith's dad making him go back on tour after he quit during a fistfight with Simon Gallup in Strasbourg. It makes their massive stadium success later on feel even more insane. What’s your favorite unhinged story from a band’s early days? Is there any group that had a messier come-up than early Robert Smith and co?