I’ll always remember 1978 as the year I saw Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, when they were touring behind You’re Gonna Get It.
I’ll also remember it for that time Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham took me backstage when the band opened for Styx at the Coliseum.
Unfortunately, I’ll also remember ’78 as the year I arrived late to the Aerosmith show at the Coliseum on July 25 and missed backup band AC/DC, featuring Bon Scott.
The Gods of Rock were not looking out for me that day. Thanks a bunch, Gods of Rock.
Back on the Streets: Gary Moore (“Parisienne Walkways”, “Don’t Believe a Word”, “Flight of the Snow Moose”)
Bring It Back Alive: Outlaws (“Song For You”, “Hurry Sundown”, “Green Grass and High Tides”)
The Cars: The Cars (You’re All I’ve Got Tonight”, “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Just What I Needed”)
Cold Chisel: Cold Chisel (“Juliet”, “Home and Broken Hearted”, “Northbound”)
Comes a Time: Neil Young (“Human Highway”, “Lotta Love”, “Four Strong Winds”)
Dire Straits: Dire Straits (“Down to the Waterline”, “Sultans of Swing”, “Lions”)
Drastic Plastic: Be-Bop Deluxe (“Love in Flames”, “New Mysteries”, “Panic in the World”)
Excitable Boy: Warren Zevon (“Werewolves of London”, “Lawyers, Guns and Money”, “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner”)
Face to Face: The Angels (“After the Rain”, “Marseilles”, “Take a Long Line”)
Give ‘Em Enough Rope: The Clash (“Safe European Home”, “English Civil War”, “Tommy Gun”)
Heaven Tonight: Cheap Trick (“Surrender”, “California Man”, “Auf Wiedersehen”)
If You Want Blood You’ve Got It: AC/DC (“Riff Raff”, “Whole Lotta Rosie”, “Let There Be Rock”)
I’m Ready: Muddy Waters (“I’m Ready”, “Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl”, “That’s Alright”)
Infinity: Journey (“Wheel in the Sky”, “WInds of March”, “Lights”)
Larry Carlton: Larry Carlton (“Room 335”, “Don’t Give It Up”, “Point It Up”)
The Last Waltz: The Band (“The Shape I’m In” “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down”, “Mystery Train”)
Live and Dangerous: Thin Lizzy (“Still in Love With You”, “Cowboy Song”, “Suicide”)
Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll: Rainbow (“L.A. Connection”, “Gates of Babylon”, “Kill the King”)
Move It On Over: George Thorogood and the Destroyers (“Cocaine Blues”, “It Wasn’t Me”, “Move It On Over”)
Obsession: UFO (“One More for the Rodeo”, “Only You Can Rock Me”, “Hot ‘n’ Ready”)
Open Fire: Ronnie Montrose (“Town Without Pity”, “Heads Up”, “My Little Mystery”)
Outlandos d’Amour: The Police (“So Lonely”, “Roxanne”, “Can’t Stand Losing You”)
Parallel Lines: Blondie (“Hanging on the Telephone”, “One Way or Another”, “Heart of Glass”)
Photo-Finish: Rory Gallagher (“Shin Kicker”, “Cloak & Dagger”, “Shadow Play”)
Powerage: AC/DC (“Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation”, “Sin City”, “Gone Shootin'”)
Power in the Darkness: Tom Robinson Band (“Up Against the Wall”, “Long Hot Summer”, “The Winter of ’79”)
Some Girls: Rolling Stones (“When the Whip Comes Down”, “Respectable”, “Shattered”)
Stranger in Town: Bob Seger (“Still the Same”, “Till it Shines”, “Feel Like a Number”)
Van Halen: Van Halen (“Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love”, “Eruption”, “Little Dreamer”)
White, Hot and Blue: Johnny Winter (“Divin’ Duck Blues”, “E.Z. Rider”, “Messin’ WIth the Kid”)
You’re Gonna Get It: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (“When the Time Comes”, “Magnolia”, “Listen to Her Heart”)