Billy Idol Delivered

By Darryl Andrews. The icon of the “Second British Invasion” proved to the fans he still has every bit of the audacity and pluck he was known for throughout the 80s.

Pictured at right: Billy Idol. (C) Darryl Andrews 2015

Forget that Billy Idol is 59 years old. Forget that “Rebel Yell” was a bullet on the charts in 1984. And if you can’t get past that, then one song into the Rebel Rocker’s two-hour set would convert all non-believers. The velvet sneer, the freakish rock-grating abs, the energy and showmanship of this prize-fighter; it is clear William Michael Albert Broad can certainly go ten rounds.

When he darted from the dark shadows to the front of the stage bounding with a force that pushed the audience back, it was immediately obvious… this was his house and Idol delivered!

He doesn’t have the nickname Bleached Elvis for no reason. Idol could easily swap his trademark leather for silk scarves and give them out to his adoring fans without a hint of cheesy shtick. Launching into “Rebel Yell,” he had the entire sold out crowd rammed into his tightly clenched fist and he didn’t let go.

Perhaps the passing of his dear friend, ‘80s new-wave confrere Steve Strange, just hours earlier added an extra charge and it did for the crowd when Idol tenderly dedicated his 1987 single, “Sweet Sixteen.”

Idol is on tour supporting songs from his new album, Kings and Queens of the Underground, which were a perfect fit to his catalogue. Having written an autobiography, Dancing with Myself, Idol is showing some real depth in his song writing without losing his knack for writing catchy tunes. All the favourites were performed from “Rebel Yell,” “Flesh for Fantasy,” “Cradle of Love,” “Eyes Without a Face,” “White Wedding,” and of course the irresistible sing-along show stopper, “Mony Mony.” Idol songs include it all; aggression, sleaze, subtlety, romance, and roar. Perhaps more so than in his heyday in the 1980s, Idol, now having come full circle with his life, is actually more authentic as the Champion of Cyberpunk.

Vancouver was the last Canadian stop on Idol’s 2015 Tour, but the tour continues in the United States before going to Australia in March.