“Well, I’m dancing with myself, ah, oh, oh-oh” – Billy Idol

Billy Idol is 68. There is nothing to prove anymore to anyone except maybe to himself. For his fans, he is past that unknowable, invisible, life mile-marker that we typically create within our minds in the later stages of our careers or lives. It’s a particularly notable thing bestowed upon our famous athletes, actors, musicians, etc. “They have nothing left to prove!” But in reality, are any of us really ever past the point of “nothing to prove,” because if we are then what’s the point? Isn’t it our humanly innate desires and ambitions that continue to drive us to try new things or take on new challenges with something to prove even if it’s just to use the tired and worn phrase of “been there, done that”?

Aren’t the best athletes, musicians, students, employees ones that still carry that proverbial chip on their shoulder? Those that still want to prove something. Why would I be still posting a bunch of words on this site? Why would older adults go back to school or people leave nice jobs to start a new business? Why would 68 year old rockers still kick out new music? What am I still trying to prove? What are you still trying to prove? Whatever your answer or motivation for doing so may be, just keep going.

My friend Chris and I attended Billy’s concert in Tulsa last week where the half-Irish grandfather blitzed through 14 songs in just under 90 minutes. Despite his age and a troublesome foot, Billy Idol was still Billy Idol – the fist pumps, the snarl, the leather, and the “f-you” punk attitude that has served him well taking him out of England and turning him into an American rock superstar over 40 years ago.

We sat on the fourth row. Yes, it was a premium price for a premium artist past his prime, but like Chris and I realized – we’re not paying 2024 ticket prices in hopes of seeing 1984 Billy Idol. We’re paying premium ticket prices in 2024 because we couldn’t afford them back in 1984 when we were young and broke. Now, it’s more as a way to thank he and Steve for their many years of service and their many years of outstanding music.

You have nothing left to prove, Billy, but I and your legions of fans sure don’t mind if you keep trying.

If you believe the all-knowing, Wikipedia, the name “Billy Idol” was inspired by a schoolteacher’s description of him as “idle.” Maybe that describes his lack of willingness or care about his Chemistry class all those years ago, but it certainly does not describe his life as a performer, because Billy has been out to prove he is more “idol” than “idle” continuing to tour and continuing to put out solid music. Over the past 10 years, see: “Bitter Pill,” “Bitter Taste,” “Cage,” “Save Me Now,” and “Running From the Ghost,” for just a few of his better songs over that timespan.

In 2020 I posted a Billy Idol song during one of the worst times in our world history – the COVID pandemic, and I’ve always felt a little bad about that, because I somehow feel in my head I tainted Billy’s image a little. Of course if any rock star is tough enough to take it, it’s Billy, a man who has survived drug overdoses and motorcycle crashes. Now that we’re a few years removed from those horrible pandemic days, I’m circling back to Billy Idol because of my first time seeing him in concert.

“So let’s sink another drink
And it’ll give me time to think”

Today’s song has long been my favorite Billy Idol song, and music video of his for that matter. The song was originally written by Billy and his bandmate, bassist Tony James, for their group Gen X. It was released on their 1981 album “Kiss Me Deadly” to very little fanfare in the UK peaking at just #62. The inspiration for the song came along somewhere during a late 70’s Gen X tour where Billy and his mates were struck by the sight of the young crowd in a Tokyo discotheque dancing with their own reflections in mirrored walls rather than with one another. Idol added that “the song is really about people being in a disenfranchised world where they’re left bereft dancing with their own reflections.”

After Billy left the band and headed to the States for his solo career, he remixed it and re-released it later the same year and it became Billy’s first hit peaking at #27 on the U.S. dance charts. Still too low in my opinion, but the video for the song was in heavy rotation by the time it was released in 1983 shortly after the launch of a brand new television station called MTV. And why wouldn’t it be? The video was directed by British horror filmmaker Tobe Hopper and features Billy on top of a skyscraper fighting off dancing 80’s zombies. Yes, please!

His autobiography of the same name (which I haven’t read yet) was published in 2014. So, once again, a toast to you, Billy Idol, and to your legendary collaborator and lead guitarist, the Grammy award-winning Steve Stevens, and a toast to the long career you’ve built and may you continue to prove something to yourself and may you continue touring and opening up with your classic and my favorite, “Dancing With Myself…”

“Sweat, sweat, sweat, ow!”

sincerely,

the80’s

Added bonus: Here is the opening 3:46 of his concert in Tulsa at the Hardrock Casino and Hotel from my seat just four rows deep last week in case you haven’t seen or heard Billy in about 20, 30, 40 years…