Looking back - the Bev Bevan diaries
OK, I'm looking back in my diaries this week to exactly 30 years ago - the second week of July 1978, which finds me in the middle of an American tour with ELO.
July 8th
Atlanta , Georgia. Got up early and got in 2 hours of tennis before returning to the Hyatt hotel in time for our 2 hour drive to Birmingham, Alabama in the fleet of limos. Good show and crowd. No "Spaceship" tonight.
July 9th
Long flight to Lexington, stopping twice on the way. Played cards most of the time. Checked into another Hyatt. Good show, inside the spaceship. Sold out crowd of 11,000.
July 10th
Day off. Flew to Roanoke, then another flight to Greensborough on two "Piedmont" flights, including one through a violent thunderstorm.
July 11th
Strange little hotel this - we seem to be the only people staying here. Went to the gig early to check over my kit and change some heads and had a game of football with the crew. Another good show, to 9,000 people.
July 12th
After another huge American breakfast (why do they give you so much food?, sat out by the pool, reading. Limos for the hundred mile drive to Roanoke. Another good show, without the spaceship and similar crowd to last night, around 9,000.
July 13th
Slept in late. Day off. Evening flight to Cleveland, Ohio.
July 14th
Radio station interview at "WMMS". Day off again, but went to the football stadium where we are playing tomorrow. Massive place and they are expecting over 50,000 people to turn up tomorrow.
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Bev Bevan - Musician and radio presenter
I was there July the 8th 1978 in Birmingham. Great show and still the best concert I have ever seen. Love ELO.
I was too young to go to the July 15th, 1978
concert in Cleveland by myself and couldn't find anyone to take me. I was so bummed and then seeing people walking around with their ELO shirts from the concert made it even worse. I do remember cutting out the review of the show from either the Plain Dealer or the Cleveland Press (can't remember which). '60,000 People See ELO's UFO' was the headline. I think I still have that article in my ELO scrapbook, packed away somewhere at my parents house.
Very cool, I remember them playing in CLeveland in 1978. I was too young to go but I remember it was a big deal. I think it was the world series of rock show. We lived down by Lorain Avenue at the time. Didn't Journey or Boston open for them?