20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
The summer 2021 concert season is roaring back after more than a year of empty stadiums and amphitheaters, and some of the headliners gaining attention are acts that sold out venues more than 30 years ago: hair metal bands. Guns N' Roses is kicking off a North American tour in late July; M?tley Crüe’s Vince Neil performed over Memorial Day weekend and reportedly stormed off stage. They still got it! Of course, the '80s and '90s were peak hair metal. Here are 20 photos from that era that show some of the backstage debauchery for which these bands were known.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Jon Bon Jovi and his band have a drink (many of them) backstage at the Monsters Of Rock festival in Mannheim, West Germany, on August 3, 1986.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
M?tley Crüe—Mick Mars, Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, and Nikki Sixx—strike a pose backstage on April 19, 1982 at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Tommy Lee of M?tley Crüe poses backstage with wife Heather Locklear in 1985.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Guns N' Roses—Duff McKagan, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Axl Rose, and Steven Adler—pose for a portrait backstage on March 21, 1986 at Fenders Ballroom Long Beach, California five days before they signed to Geffen Records.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Dee Snider from Twisted Sister and Ronnie James Dio from Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio pose backstage at the Donnington Festival on August 20, 1983.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Steven Tyler of Aerosmith backstage at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Steven Adler and Slash of Guns N' Roses backstage at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium after opening for Ted Nugent on August 30, 1986.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
C.C. Deville of Poison backstage in 1993.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Def Leppard, chillin', in 1983.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Slash backstage at the Troubadour on February 28, 1986 in Los Angeles.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Steven Tyler and Stephen Pearcy of Ratt at the 1987 MTV Awards.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Nikki Sixx of M?tley Crüe and Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister at the M?tley Crüe After Concert Party on August 14, 1985.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Bret Michaels of Poison in 1991.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Bon Jovi backstage before a performance at the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois on May 20, 1984.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Vince Neil and Tommy Lee of M?tley Crüe pose backstage at a Quiet Riot concert at the Forum on September 29, 1984 in Inglewood, California.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Sebastian Bach of Skid Row with Dimebag Darrel of Pantera at the Limelight in NYC in 1993.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Skid Row backstage in 1995.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Def Leppard in 1980.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
A USSR soldier and Kaus Meine of the Scorpions backstage at the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989.
20 Rarely Seen Backstage Photos of Guns N' Roses, M?tley Crüe, and Other Hair Metal Bands
Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee of M?tley Crüe backstage at the Monsters Of Rock festival.
The '80s and '90s were boom times for the style of music known as hair metal. And these band members sure lived it up.