BILLY IDOL // OVO HYDRO, GLASGOW
Post-punk prominence prevailed in Glasgow with the powerhouse performances of Billy Idol, Killing Joke and Toyah Willcox.
★★★★☆ (4/5)
BILLY IDOL PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S OVO HYDRO - 21.10.2022
PHOTOCREDIT: CALUM BUCHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
As the 1980s took off, mainstream was uncool but the days of cookie-cutter punk bands were well and truly over. Straight up rock just wasn’t cutting it and the need was for a new high. People were waiting on something snappy, punchy and damn exciting and this brought forth a new wave of hungry creatives that were ready to push their style to the limits of possibilities. With nothing off the table, bands like Talking heads, Joy Division and XTC found their feet in a musical world where you could say and do anything.
Glasgow’s OVO arena was Scotland’s host of the post-punk royalty event. Toyah Willcox was first in line to the stage and undeterred by the small crowd, likely due to the early time of her set, she performed with such gusto and energy. She hopped back and forth across the stage while giving powerful vocals and uplifting the crowd. She is still as gorgeous as she was in the peak of her career, perhaps even more so as she continues to grow into herself. Her short set was a flash of brilliance and her charming humour shone out. Toyah still uploads regularly to her YouTube channel and appears to have no shortage of spring in her step.
As leather and studs continued to funnel in, the stage was reset for the dark anthems of Killing Joke. The English band, who easily sells out their own tours, was an incredible delight to see in the arena lights. Jaz Coleman, the group’s vocalist, was impossible to take your attention away from. He twisted his body around on stage like a contortionist. With an uneasy energy, Coleman was the chaplain of darkness, the leader of the gothic congregation who hung on his every word. With little break, Killing Joke blasted out their heavy sounds with some amount of force.
As the stage lit up for the night’s final act, it was clear attendees were grateful to see their man. Idol is relentless in his no-nonsense approach as a new wave punk but as he has aged, it’s clear that his once dubbed ‘Sneer of Year’ by Rolling Stone magazine has been replaced with an occasional smile. Idol has not had it easy and has made a soaring success of his talents despite his trials.
Billy Idol, birth name William Michael Albert Broad, was first noticed by the industry when he formed Generation X in the middle of the 1970s. The group found success in the UK but most crucially Idol found his place as the charismatic centre of attention. Idol made the move to a solo career in 1981 and by 1983 his second album had gone double platinum and multiple smash hits had propelled him to complete international stardom.
Idol had made it big and by the middle of the 1990s, he was looking to slow down. Facing drug addiction and the recovery from a grievous motorcycle accident, Idol needed some headspace. He had certainly made it, but now he needed to make something else of himself. Idol released he resurgence album Devil's Playground in 2005 and was looking every bit as jaw dropping as he did a decade before. Off the mind bending substances and on the path of music again, he found his creative feet and went on to release two more albums and very recently two more EPs.
The attendance of Steve Stevens was also a huge highlight of the night. Stevens is a world renowned guitarist who must not be able to go a day without name-dropping from his huge array of famous contacts. He has played with Robert Palmer, Ric Ocasek and Micheal Jackson. He won a Grammy for his soaring anthem for the movie Top Gun and his work on smash hit ‘Dirty Diana’ will live on for decades still to come. Stevens has worked with Idol since the 1980s but, with a career history so extensive and varied, it is harder to find someone in the genre that he is not connected to. In the 90s he joined ex- Mötley Crüe vocalist Vince Neil’s band as Neil launched his solo career and he is a regular feature in rock supergroups. His riffs are world famous and it stands to wonder where Idol would be if he had never partner with Stevens. However, the pairing today is looking as strong as it did 40 years ago.
Idol promised the crowd a night of oldies, newbies and some covers and he did not disappoint with his setlist. Opening with the shaking riff of ‘Dancing With Myself’ the crowd was thrown to their feet and the enjoyment was palpable. The more recent ‘The Cage’ and ‘Running from the Ghost’ blended perfectly with older classics; however the maturity of his style was evident in these tracks. Covering The Heartbreaker classic ‘Born to Lose’ is the memory fans will brag about as their own unique moment only to be share by other tour attendees. The show was closed with ‘White Wedding’ and Billy Idol stood punching the air in victory – and victorious he was with a stellar performance.
Going from one Idol to another, the night was a roaring triumph. Although Idol shows few signs of slowing down, he can hold his head high knowing if he does ever hang up his leathers that he certainly made his fans happy.
REVIEW BY: KATRIN LAMONT
PHOTOS BY: CALUM BUCHAN
SETLIST:
OVO HYDRO, GLASGOW
DANCING WITH MYSELF - GENERATION X (SONG)
CRADLE OF LOVE
FLESH FOR FANTASY
CAGE
SPEED
BITTER TASTE
EYES WITHOUT A FACE
MONY MONY - (TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELS COVER)
RUNNIN’ FROM THE GHOST
ONE HUNDRED PUNKS - GENERATION X (SONG)
BLUE HIGHWAY
REBEL YELL
ENCORE:
REBEL LIKE YOU
BORN TO LOOSE - (THE HEARTBREAKERS COVER)
WHITE WEDDING