guwapo_rocker
04-27-2005, 01:26 PM
Eighties rocker Billy Idol in concert? Don't sneer.
Actually, sneering would be highly appropriate, as Idol twisted his face into his iconic contortion throughout Tuesday night's sold-out show at the House of Blues.
The man who scowled his way through a string of hardcore hits is back, promoting his latest album, Devil's Playground.
Although he has battled drug addiction and suffered a severe motorcycle accident that left him using a cane for a time, Idol showed himself to be in fighting shape as he approaches 50.
Still trim, and eager to show off his toned torso, he exuded energy as he bounced around the stage, bellowing songs such as "White Wedding" or "Flesh for Fantasy," familiar to anyone who wanted their MTV 20 years ago.
Idol's winning formula is eerily unchanged from two decades ago. It's as if he never grew up, like Peter Pan with a bad attitude. A flash of his shock of peroxide blonde hair here, a suggestive tongue gesture there, and then the sneer that makes girls swoon. Don't forget that sneer.
The tracks from Devil's Playground are similar to his biggest hits in that they have a hard enough edge to approach the sound of metal, a quirkiness that diverts them to the realm of punk and enough catchy pop hooks to plant them solidly in the Top 40.
The new songs were well received by the crowd, as Idol chose to perform the hardest-rocking tracks from the CD, including "Rat Race" and "Body Snatcher."
"I'm going to give you something to scream about," he announced as he launched into "Scream," peeling off his tank top. Throughout the two-hour show he wore several different shirts - which were invariably removed to screams of delight from the crowd's female contingent, many of whom tried to re-create their fresh look of the '80s, even if it took a bit more effort than it used to.
Idol opened the concert with the first track on Devil's Playground, "Super Overdrive," but he immediately threw in an old favorite, launching into "Dancing With Myself."
Roars of approval greeted every hit, including "Eyes Without a Face" and "Sweet Sixteen."
During "Flesh for Fantasy," the younger faces in the crowd had trouble pumping their arms in the air at the right time. It could have been the alcohol ..... or the fact they were in diapers when it was first released.
Idol's voice held up well, even during the more demanding punk-flavored numbers "Ready, Steady, Go" and "World Comin' Down," which he left till late in the show.
His throaty growl has the same appeal and raw strength it always did. But the sound mix Tuesday did him no favors as his lower register was easily lost among the jangling guitars.
The first set closed with his signature tune, "Rebel Yell," which had the audience shouting along. Idol took the opportunity to once again strip off his shirt. And sneer.
The encores included a Caribbean-infused "Hot in the City" and a 15-minute version of Idol's biggest hit, "Mony Mony," during which the band led the callback shout-out known to everyone in high school in 1987, but unprintable in a family newspaper.
For his final song, Idol rocked out to a cover of Van Halen's "Jump."
It may not quite have been the midnight hour, but the still-screaming fans would have welcomed More! More! More!
Link (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/orl-bkbillyidol042705,0,2243491.story?coll=orl-calmusictop)
Actually, sneering would be highly appropriate, as Idol twisted his face into his iconic contortion throughout Tuesday night's sold-out show at the House of Blues.
The man who scowled his way through a string of hardcore hits is back, promoting his latest album, Devil's Playground.
Although he has battled drug addiction and suffered a severe motorcycle accident that left him using a cane for a time, Idol showed himself to be in fighting shape as he approaches 50.
Still trim, and eager to show off his toned torso, he exuded energy as he bounced around the stage, bellowing songs such as "White Wedding" or "Flesh for Fantasy," familiar to anyone who wanted their MTV 20 years ago.
Idol's winning formula is eerily unchanged from two decades ago. It's as if he never grew up, like Peter Pan with a bad attitude. A flash of his shock of peroxide blonde hair here, a suggestive tongue gesture there, and then the sneer that makes girls swoon. Don't forget that sneer.
The tracks from Devil's Playground are similar to his biggest hits in that they have a hard enough edge to approach the sound of metal, a quirkiness that diverts them to the realm of punk and enough catchy pop hooks to plant them solidly in the Top 40.
The new songs were well received by the crowd, as Idol chose to perform the hardest-rocking tracks from the CD, including "Rat Race" and "Body Snatcher."
"I'm going to give you something to scream about," he announced as he launched into "Scream," peeling off his tank top. Throughout the two-hour show he wore several different shirts - which were invariably removed to screams of delight from the crowd's female contingent, many of whom tried to re-create their fresh look of the '80s, even if it took a bit more effort than it used to.
Idol opened the concert with the first track on Devil's Playground, "Super Overdrive," but he immediately threw in an old favorite, launching into "Dancing With Myself."
Roars of approval greeted every hit, including "Eyes Without a Face" and "Sweet Sixteen."
During "Flesh for Fantasy," the younger faces in the crowd had trouble pumping their arms in the air at the right time. It could have been the alcohol ..... or the fact they were in diapers when it was first released.
Idol's voice held up well, even during the more demanding punk-flavored numbers "Ready, Steady, Go" and "World Comin' Down," which he left till late in the show.
His throaty growl has the same appeal and raw strength it always did. But the sound mix Tuesday did him no favors as his lower register was easily lost among the jangling guitars.
The first set closed with his signature tune, "Rebel Yell," which had the audience shouting along. Idol took the opportunity to once again strip off his shirt. And sneer.
The encores included a Caribbean-infused "Hot in the City" and a 15-minute version of Idol's biggest hit, "Mony Mony," during which the band led the callback shout-out known to everyone in high school in 1987, but unprintable in a family newspaper.
For his final song, Idol rocked out to a cover of Van Halen's "Jump."
It may not quite have been the midnight hour, but the still-screaming fans would have welcomed More! More! More!
Link (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/orl-bkbillyidol042705,0,2243491.story?coll=orl-calmusictop)