As both a sports and concert photographer, Michael Zagaris might be a bit of an adrenaline junkie.
"When you come on to the field, you feel not only the eyes of the people; you feel the energy in every molecule of the body ... The same with a rock and roll show," he recently told Business Insider.
In his new book, "Total Excess," Zagaris holds nothing back, sharing all of the gritty details of what life was like for bands like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and The Who in the '70s, when they were at the top of the world of rock 'n' roll.
The photos are also appearing in a gallery show at Milk Gallery through December 18. They show a previously unseen behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be a rock star, from both the front of the stage and behind it.
Zagaris first photographed The Rolling Stones in 1972. After several failed attempts at getting a photo pass to their shows, Zagaris landed the job by calling Mick Jagger's personal assistant pretending to be a photo editor from Vogue.
The trick worked, and Zagaris was able to photograph a few of the band's first shows during their '72 tour. Zagaris described the rowdy experience in his book as "one of the last tours where the backstage life was everything everyone had ever imagined and much more."
According to Zagaris, Roger Daltrey is "the heart" of The Who. "When he took the stage he was a dynamo always in motion, looking like a young Adonis," Zagaris wrote.
However it's Pete Townshend that is "the soul" of the band, Zagaris said. Feeling claustrophobic during this show due to the psychedelic drugs he had taken with drummer Keith Moon, Zagaris moved up to a balcony. He almost missed this shot of Townshend throwing his guitar into the air.
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