Photos by Omar Kasrawi
Intimate and unplugged. Probably not the first two words that come to mind when you think of Billy Idol and Steve Stevens. I mean, let’s face it, when it comes to these punk rock legends of the 80s, you think of danceable tunes, snarls, howls, frenetic guitar riffs, and some of the best songs and music videos of all time. But on Wednesday night (March 27th) at Manhattan’s Town Hall the longtime duo made intimate and, let’s face it, actually, a little plugged in, into a can’t miss rocking night.
Idol and Stevens regaled the audience with a slew of hits, covers and plenty of stories. There were stories of the first time Idol saw everyone in a New York bar dancing to his first smash hit “Dancing With Myself” to the movie that inspired “Sweet Sixteen” and much more. But the most poignant story of the night was a lengthy tale about his relationship with his father, explaining the pain and the love between them, and how his father died listening to Idol’s song “Ghost in my Guitar”.
Idol sounded fantastic and was endlessly charming while storytelling. And it wasn’t just his night. The evening also belonged to his long time friend and musical partner, Steve Stevens. Stevens is a masterful guitarist who deserves to be mentioned with the best of his peers. When Idol turned the microphone over, it was Stevens’ turn to show he’s an equally gifted storyteller, describing his days as a rebellious New York City high schooler. And Stevens’ guitar mastery was on full display throughout the night. Whether it was shredding on a cover of the Kink’s “I’m Not Like Everbody Else”, or his signature riff from “Rebel Yell”, or an intense and minutes long solo performed while Idol took a break, it was clear that Stevens is still one of the best out there.
This was a night when two legendary rockers felt like they had invited you into their living room and then proceeded to melt the place down with a set of whiplash smiles.
Find a full photo gallery from the performance posted below, along with the setlist.
Billy Idol and Steve Stevens setlist:
1. Dancing With Myself (Generation X song)
2. Catch My Fall (Billy Idol song)
3. Twenty Flight Rock (Generation X cover)
4. Kiss Me Deadly (Generation X song)
5. I’m Not Like Everybody Else (The Kinks cover)
6. Sweet Sixteen (Billy Idol song)
7. Ghost in My Guitar (Billy Idol song)
8. Eyes Without a Face (Billy Idol song)
9. Steve Steven’s Acoustic Guitar Solo
10. Don’t Need a Gun (Billy Idol song)
11. To Be a Lover (William Bell cover)
12. Rebel Yell (Billy Idol song)
Encore:
13. White Wedding (Billy Idol song)
14. Shakin’ All Over (Johnny Kidd and The Pirates cover)
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