Not solely is Billy Idol nonetheless dancing, he’s nonetheless rocking — and three months’ shy of his seventieth birthday, the music icon hasn’t misplaced a step, as he proved with a rousing present on Wednesday night time (August twentieth) at New York Metropolis’s Madison Sq. Backyard. Together with a stellar help set by fellow rock legend Joan Jett, it was one helluva double invoice.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts kicked off the night with a 15-song set, together with a pair tunes by her groundbreaking ’70s band The Runaways (“Cherry Bomb” and “You Drive Me Wild”). Different standouts included her covers of The Replacements’ “Androgynous,” Sly & the Household Stone’s “On a regular basis Folks,” and Tommy James’ “Crimson & Clover,” in addition to a pair tunes that started off as covers however have since turn into signature songs for Jett: “Do You Wanna Contact Me (Oh Yeah)” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
All through the night, Jett shared tales of her early days in New York Metropolis, the place she began her solo profession after The Runaways broke up. She ended the night time with the classics “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and “Unhealthy Status,” receiving a really heat response from the practically full Madison Sq. Backyard crowd.
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It was then time for the principle occasion, as Billy Idol’s backing band took the stage, led by longtime guitarist Steve Stevens. A second later, the veteran punk rocker appeared to an enormous ovation, launching the set with “Nonetheless Dancing,” the lead single from his new album, Dream Into It.
The early a part of the present was highlighted by classics like “Cradle of Love,” “Flesh for Fantasy,” “Eyes And not using a Face,” and “Mony Mony,” together with a blistering solo by Stevens, who’s an absolute virtuoso on the guitar. The largest shock was an unimaginable cowl of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” that includes mind-blowing vocals by backup singer Jessica Childress.
At one level, Idol yielded the stage to his guitarist Billy Morrison to pay tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne. Morrison was a detailed pal of the metallic legend, having co-hosted a present on SiriusXM and collaborated on songwriting lately. The guitarist led an “Ozzy, Ozzy” chant at Madison Sq. Backyard, as a picture of the Prince of Darkness appeared on the massive display screen serving because the stage’s backdrop.
