Billy Idol

At Rogers Place on Thursday night for the Rebel Yell Canada 2024 tour, the singer and his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens took a six-piece band through a set of hits and deep cuts from the now 40-year-old album, interspersed with a few other notable songs from his career. Idol had no intention of giving up the goods right at the start. The band kicked off with (Do Not) Stand in the Shadows, an overlooked track from Rebel Yell, before dipping into radio standby Cradle of Love. Flesh For Fantasy was where the run of hits kicked off, the audience heartily singing along to the anthemic chorus. Cage, a more recent number that Idol explained as a reaction to the Covid-19 lockdown, was mind-numbing alt-rock landfill. Idol’s voice was phenomenal!!! By the time Idol brought the band into full lockstep groove with Mony Mony you could see hints of the young Idol peeking through. Stevens had his moment in the spotlight with the requisite solo guitar, plucking acoustic for a few flamenco exercises that felt like he was impressing everyone at the music shop. Genuinely a great guitarist, but you have to wonder what purpose this serves beyond allowing the singer a rest. Openers Platinum Blonde were a perfect fit as the evening’s warm-up act. Now pared down to a three-piece with vocalist Mark Holmes taking on bass duties, they’re still happily dishing out their ‘80s hits. It seemed like they had an unending well to draw from, and Thursday night’s 40-minute show gave you every single inescapable song from Canadian radio: Situation Critical, Crying Over You, Standing in the Dark, Doesn’t Really Matter. From one perspective they all blended into a single song with endless choruses, but from another the band was tight, Holmes was a stage dynamo, and Sergio Galli a rock on guitar. Holmes sound remarkable!! Hasn’t missed a beat since the 80s….Well one song…he openly admitted to making a mistake, but it’s LIVE. What do you expect.

The concert itself was excellent!! The less-than-perfect rating is due to the very misleading “VIP Meet & Greet”. Be transparent. Call it what it is: a socially-distanced photo with a huge road equipment case between us. Could basically see their heads and that’s it. Had I known this very important detail beforehand, I wouldn’t have spent my hard-earned money on this treat to myself. When I did the meet & greet 5 years ago at his unplugged show at The Vogue, I came away with my favourite photo of my favourite moment in life: me in between Billy Idol and Steve Stevens, all with our arms simply behind each others backs. I understand that health-wise the artists have every right to take photos the way they want to, but LET US KNOW THAT VERY CLEARLY BEFORE we hit “purchase”. I’d see BFI again, but I’ll hang onto my photo from 2019 and never spend on another “meet & greet” because that’s not at all an accurate description. (Also hypocritical that security shouted for us to cram together in the VIP line “nose to ear” and then said because of the uptick of COVID the photo is socially-distanced.)

I worked security back stage when Billy came off stage he was in pain you sure couldn't tell when he was performing he was amazing what a rockstar I hope everything was ok with him one of the best shows I have worked love you Billy please come back to st. Louis billy!!

It should be Billy Idol/Steve Stevens as Steve steals the show with his electric guitar licks all night long. Billy is the man, Steve is too, go watch a show and you'll have a new level of appreciation for this band. Sounds really good live and billy does a great job interacting with his fans.

Billy Idol put on a fantastic show! This venue was very tightly sold out. Any attempt to move, even from the back of the general admission crowd, to use a bathroom and return to your original space, was met with a lot of hostility.

Billy rocked the OLG Stage like a veteran rocker! Steve Stevens shredded his guitar like a master! The set list was amazing and Billy played many great songs on his hit list. Flesh for Fantasy, Rebel Yell and Blue Highway were my favourites. He just needed to add Rebel Like You and that would have topped it off for me.

Great - a very different set from previous years, with some good new songs, 100 Punks, Speed and even a bit of Johnny Thunders. Good fun - minus a half star because they still insist on playing Cradle of Love, which is pants.

Billy was awesome! He’s totally still got it. He added a couple guitarists since the last time we saw him in addition to Stevie and the sound was studio quality. It was our first time at Thunder Valley. The sound was pretty great. I’d go back.

When I first heard of this double bill I immediately thought it was an odd pairing. I grew up in the 80’s MTV generation and it was beautiful to witness the soundtrack of my youth. Both performers exceeded all of my expectations and delivered high caliber performances with no signs of slowing down. I really hope they tour again in the near future!

Very cool how 'intimate' the show was with the storytelling, the smaller venue and just the two of them on stage. After going to several of his concerts over many years (decades. Last one 2013), this was a sweet little change up and almost seems to have been created just for his longtime, diehard fans. That would be my best girlfriends and I - total Idolizers! We started seeing him about 37 years ago together and were together for this one, too!!! Billy Idol's vocals are still as kick-ass as they were the very first time we heard him! And Steve Stevens? Just sick! Oh, and he told his own story on stage, too! So funny! They were freaking incredible! Rad af, entertaining storytelling (some will get ya right in the ticker) and just an all around killer show! My besties and I are hoping to see them in October.

Too many rude middle aged people, drunk and talking over Billy Idol. Guess they were too wasted to remember this was a "turned on, turned in and unplugged" where the description says he shares some of his stories from his past. Tsk. Tsk. Billy's still got his great voice though!

This show was one of the greatest shows of my whole entire life and by so far one of my favorites because Billy Idol and Steve Stevens are amazing, I felt like I was part of the 80s throughout the night. It was one to remember forever, and it was the best birthday gift I have ever gotten!

Billy Idol and Steve Stevens still have it! The show was amazing and the set list was what you would expect with some surprising inserts! The venue at the Pearl Concert Thester at The Palms Resort Casino was phenominal and my seats were the best in the house, box Sect 115 row C seats 1&2 that had no one behind us, a bar top in front of us and exceptional bar service from Sarah with a perfect view with no obstruction just left of center to the stage. Everyone was very nice at the Palms as well. Overall a great value for the price to see a legend and rock out in Vegas baby!

Billy, Steve and the guys bring it every time. He’s probably the only other artist I fangirl for besides NKOTB (yes, you read that right) and he’s just a genuinely nice person at the meet at greet. Thank you, Billy, for always making the concert an extremely enjoyable one!

The sound quality for first 3 songs was fine then it sounded like Billy had ingested a cannister of helium!!!!😥😥it was just so wrong the bass disappeared, it was better up the back at the bar, I'm really sad to say for the first time ever I left a gig early😥😥😥😥sorry, I have followed Billy Idol for years and it was just a shame! There were a surprising number of really tall me at the gig and they blocked a lot of the view, don't think I would go back to 02 in aBirmingham probably go Brixton next time, hope they get the sound sorted for tonight, The Professionals were excellent, no problems with their sound quality but due to the really long queues and bag and body searching we missed the start of their set so was pissed off with that for a start, don't think that put me in good fettle for the rest for the gig! Would love to be going to Brixton tonight, hope it goes well for everyone going😘

the venue seating and sound was pretty bad. why the hell did I pay for 100$ per ticket to take my grandma to see Billy idol an no one sits down...an she's short , doesn't help, maybe have a dedicated seating area to pay for ? I would've paid more for her to have a better experience. the sound quality was terribly echoey In the worst way/ first half of show could not head the vocals..wtf? but **** it's Billy idol so still she had a good time.

ALWAYS an awesome show!!!! The entertainment level is right at the top. Billy’s vocals and Steve’s guitar are a match made in heaven!! I love getting my money’s worth and haven’t ever been disappointed by this duo. The rest of the band is great too! Billy Morrison is a rocker in his own right.

That was one helluva fist-pumping, guitar-lickin' good time! I would have given it 5 stars if he'd played a Gen X song (which he usually does)... He did a Tarzan yell at the end that had me laughing 'cuz it was it was just such a Billy Idol thing to do... Steve Stevens is a rock god! Billy Idol rules the school of cool! He sounded awesome, too...

I give Billy Idol 5 stars, even though the shading only allows me to give 4 1/2 stars. Billy rocked First Avenue along with his guitarists Billy Morrison and Steve Stevens and the entire band. It truly was an epic show and I will be going to see them again soon.

Billy was great! He sounds better then ever looks better then ever. I don't know how one man can be so sexy! Steve was great! The whole band, the show, amazing! Love the entire album "Kings & Queens of the Underground!" Idol / Stevens /Morrison, what great song writing trio! I hope they keep writing is great songs ??