Beggars Banquet: The Fanzine That United Hardcore Stones Fans

Before the internet, if you wanted deep Stones lore, you subscribed to Beggars Banquet. Launched in 1976 by Bill Trujillo, it wasn’t the official fan club magazine—it was a scrappy, passionate fanzine that became the central hub for hardcore collectors, bootleg traders, and gig obsessives. Each issue packed rare photos, set lists, interview transcripts, and obsessive discography corrections.

The fanzine ran for over a decade, outlasting many of its peers by sheer dedication. Trujillo’s network of contributors mailed in concert reviews from every tour, and the letters section was legendary for settling arguments about alternate takes or B-side details. For fans who thought Rolling Stone magazine didn’t cover the band deeply enough, Beggars Banquet was the real thing—printed on cheap paper but stuffed with gold.