Listen to AC/DC’s First Boston Show: The Paradise, 1978
AC/DC‘s first Boston show was at the Paradise Rock Club on August 21, 1978. Let’s go back in time and straight into the gig.
First, though, some background. It took AC/DC a few years to make it to America. They had dates scheduled stateside in late 1976 as part of their “High Voltage” Tour, but those dates were cancelled. They wouldn’t make their American debut until July of 1977, kicking off a handful of “Let There Be Rock” Tour dates in Austin, TX.
Then came the “Powerage” World Tour in 1978. Five years on and AC/DC was finally making inroads outside of their native Australia. The North American leg of the tour found the band in the U.S. that summer. And that was when Boston got their very first taste of AC/DC live: at the Paradise Rock Club on Comm. Ave., August 21, 1978.
Listen to AC/DC’s First Boston Show: The Paradise, 1978
The show has gone down as one of the greatest rock gigs in Boston history, thanks to the fact that it was broadcast live on WBCN (and, therefore, bootlegged extensively). When I worked at BCN in the 2000s, every weekday at noon I would have a theme lunch. One day I’d feature grunge bands, the next female lead singers. Every Thursday was the Live Lunch.
I played this one a handful of times back in those days, at it was always a crowd-pleaser. It’s ’78, so it’s Bon Scott-era AC/DC, of course. Bon is in rare form, the band is tight as can be, and the performance really does a great job of capturing the late-’70s era of the band and the energy they brought to the stage. Check out the setlist below, then give it a listen.
Set List:
1) Live Wire
2) Problem Child
3) Sin City
4) Gone Shootin’
5) Bad Boy Boogie
6) The Jack
7) High Voltage
8) Rocker
9) Dog Eat Dog