When Billy Idol took on what was essentially Las Vegas’ first punk rocker residency, he initially planned on it lasting from March through May before embarking on a summer tour. Billy Idol: Forever! appears to have been good to the 60-year-old singer, as he proceeded to extend his engagement at House of Blues in Mandalay Bay through the fall. Idol found the House of Blues residency invigorating enough to make rehearsals for his summer dates unnecessary, and rode a wave of acclaim for his live shows from headlining an Ottowa blues festival to tearing up the stage at Taste of Chicago.
Idol has never been one to lack confidence, but the momentum carrying him through this career stage will likely make the performances during the second act of his House of Blues residency even more electric than the first. Idol launched his March 16 debut with “Shock to the System” from his 1993 album Cyberpunk, which would be his set opener for the summer tour, before proceeding through a 17-song set that ranged from early classics such as “Dancing with Myself” and “Eyes Without a Face” to covers of The Doors’ “L.A. Woman” and gems from Idol’s Generation X days to set closers “White Wedding” and “Mony Mony.”
Pyrotechnic guitarist and classic-era collaborator Steve Stevens’ presence is crucial to the formula, of course. Idol is still Idol without him, but “Rebel Yell” wouldn’t be the same and Stevens’ Led-Zeppelin-quoting guitar solos have been concert highlights.
What’s also becoming apparent is Idol’s place in the rock ’n’ roll pantheon. While from all appearances, Idol burst forth fully formed from the Sex Pistols’ early pogo-dancing fan base, the lad christened William Broad was born into the rock ’n’ roll era and was consumed by music from the time The Beatles first appeared on the BBC.
Young William actually participated in the late-’60s/early ’70s youth subculture he would later rail against, attending Black Sabbath and Deep Purple shows and smoking hash-laced cigarettes at outdoor festivals. His family had lived in New York long enough for him to temporarily lose his British accent, but he embraced his origins again after a friend invited him to a Pistols’ concert. Idol became part of the core of early punk rockers that would go on to form their own bands, and when he showed up at an audition for a band that would evolve into Generation X he won the gig based on sheer punk presence.
The young firebrand that once hurled verbal taunts at Led Zeppelin now lets his guitarist quote “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “Stairway to Heaven,” and proudly kicks off his sets with a cut from an album that was criticized for departing from Idol’s established sound.
To catch Idol live is to witness the legacy of Elvis, Roy Orbison, John Lennon and other dynamic performers channeled through an original punk rocker. His famous lip-curling sneer can’t disguise his musical soul.
House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, 7 p.m. Sept. 7 & 9-10, starting at $79.50 plus tax and fee, 18+. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster