Event: Bat For Lashes at London’s HMV Forum
Photographer: Nathan Dainty
What Nathan Says: “Natasha Khan is a fascinating though challenging subject. She commands the stage, forever on the move and this shot hopefully captures some of that highly focused energy.”

Event: Florence + the Machine at Austin City Limits 2012
Photographer: Allyce Andrew
What Allyce Says: “Photos of Florence Welch typically involve flowing dresses and nymph-like smiles, so this shot really struck me because it showed a different side of this talented lady.”

Event: Joana Newsom at Treasure Island 2012
Photographer: Ted Maider
What Ted Says: “Even though her performance was interrupted, it seemed like nothing could bring Joana Newsom down from the high she was feeling on stage at Treasure Island. Her music combined with an epic sunset left everyone as happy as she is in this photograph.”

Event: Local Natives at Los Angeles’s the Satellite.
Photographer: Phillip Cosores
What Phillip Says: “The small size of the venue and the density of the crowd for this hometown show made moving around impractical, so I shot side-stage hoping for something close to a full-band shot. The touring bassist stood directly in front of me for 90% of the shooting time, but I managed to catch this angle shooting through his equipment and got the picture I was hoping for. Obviously, there were more colors in real life.”

Event: M83 at Austin City Limits 2012
Photographer: Allyce Andrew
What Allyce Says: “I felt like I was blissfully lost in space with M83 and was thankful to have my camera along to document my journey.”

Event: Metallica at Voodoo 2012
Photographer: Karina Halle
What Karina Says: “The coveted photo pass for Metallica at this year’s Voodoo Festival was the holy grail among the photographers there. Imagine my surprise when I was actually granted one. This was my first time shooting the band and I was blown away by how easy and fun they were to shoot. Hetfield is a great showman and the band really plays to the crowd and to photo opportunities – you don’t normally get both with bands. The only challenge was trying figure out which one of the four to shoot. Luckily, they all converged for a couple of beats and I was able to snap the metal legends rocking out together.”

Event: Smashing Pumpkins at Rosemont’s Allstate Arena
Photographer: Michael Roffman
What Michael Says: “I snapped over 300 shots and walked away with maybe two I was happy with. There wasn’t a photo pit; instead, I had to push through really, really devoted Pumpkins fans who looked like they wanted to kill me. That’s how I managed this one, which isn’t too bad, I guess.”

Event: Treasure Island 2012
Photographer: Summer Dunsmore
What Summer Says: “Attendees of the Treasure Island Music Festival watch a gorgeous sunset framed against the San Francisco skyline – a memorable moment for sure.”

Event: Two Door Cinema Club at Chicago’s Riviera Theater
Photographer: Jeremy Larson
What Jeremy Says: “Working with back-lighting is hard, especially when they’re LASERS. My camera was acting up that night and was kind of lucky to get that shot. Maybe you don’t like it because you can’t see their faces? I dig it because of the LASERS.”

Event: Voodoo 2012
Photographer: Karina Halle
What Karina Says: “One reason why Voodoo Fest is hard to beat is the eccentric, flavorful atmosphere. From concertgoers in full-on Halloween costumes, to legit Voodoo priestesses, you never know what you’ll find. I was shooting the approach of the New Orleans Noisicians parade – a gathering of noise-making instruments and people decked out in circus gear and storm trooper uniforms – when this crazy-looking man got closer, and closer, and closer in my viewfinder. By the time I put my camera down, he was in my face. Then veered off into the parade like nothing happened. ”