Not only is Billy Idol still dancing, he’s still rocking — and three months’ shy of his 70th birthday, the music icon hasn’t lost a step, as he proved with a rousing show on Wednesday night (August 20th) at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Along with a stellar support set by fellow rock legend Joan Jett, it was one helluva double bill.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts kicked off the evening with a 15-song set, including a couple tunes by her groundbreaking ’70s band The Runaways (“Cherry Bomb” and “You Drive Me Wild”). Other standouts included her covers of The Replacements’ “Androgynous,” Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People,” and Tommy James’ “Crimson & Clover,” as well as a couple tunes that started out as covers but have since become signature songs for Jett: “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
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Throughout the evening, Jett shared stories of her early days in New York City, where she started her solo career after The Runaways broke up. She ended the night with the classics “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and “Bad Reputation,” receiving a very warm response from the nearly full Madison Square Garden crowd.
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It was then time for the main event, as Billy Idol’s backing band took the stage, led by longtime guitarist Steve Stevens. A moment later, the veteran punk rocker appeared to a huge ovation, launching the set with “Still Dancing,” the lead single from his new album, Dream Into It.
The early part of the show was highlighted by classics like “Cradle of Love,” “Flesh for Fantasy,” “Eyes Without a Face,” and “Mony Mony,” along with a blistering solo by Stevens, who’s an absolute virtuoso on the guitar. The biggest surprise was an incredible cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” featuring mind-blowing vocals by backup singer Jessica Childress.
At one point, Idol yielded the stage to his guitarist Billy Morrison to pay tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne. Morrison was a close friend of the metal legend, having co-hosted a show on SiriusXM and collaborated on songwriting in recent years. The guitarist led an “Ozzy, Ozzy” chant at Madison Square Garden, as an image of the Prince of Darkness appeared on the big screen serving as the stage’s backdrop.
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