London, UK · punk-pop · new-wave

Billy Idol

1 upcoming festival

Sneer, fist, peroxide — punk attitude welded onto arena rock and never once dialled down, with 'Rebel Yell' and 'White Wedding' still detonating on cue.

Billy Idol came out of the London punk scene of the late 1970s, first as a member of Generation X, before moving to New York and launching a solo career at the start of the 1980s. Working closely with guitarist Steve Stevens, he built a sound that combined punk's snarl with hard rock riffs and the synthesizers and drum machines of the era.

Songs including "White Wedding," "Rebel Yell" and "Dancing with Myself" became staples of early MTV, where his bleached hair, leather and curled-lip delivery made him one of the channel's most recognisable figures. He has continued to tour and record for decades, with Stevens still a regular collaborator.

punk-popnew-wave