Line-up

Headliner
Billy Idol Last time in Wichita: 21 years ago

Venue

Orpheum Theatre

200 N. Broadway, 67202, Wichita, KS, US

wichitaorpheum.com/

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Additional details

Doors open: 19:30

Concert in your area for Rock, Pop, and Folk & Blues.

Find out more about Rock and Pop.

Billy Idol biography

Born in Middlesex, UK, Billy Idol was a child of punk, first fronting the band Generation X before becoming a worldwide, MTV-generation star in the 80s.

After packing in the English degree he was working towards at Sussex university, in 1976 Billy joined up with The Bromley Contingent, a group of Sex Pistols fans who went on to have an impact of their own after it formed Siouxsie and the Banshees and Generation X.

Billy became the lead singer of Generation X and made no attempt to hide the fact that they were going to do things a bit differently from other punk acts. Whilst peers such The Clash and The Sex Pistols wrote off the 60s pop of acts like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, Generation X embraced it as their primary influence. This pop influence allowed them to become the first punk act to be featured on Top of The Pops and the band released 3 albums before disbanding.

This freed up Billy to pack his bags, head to New York City and pursue a solo career. Fusing his punk image with a hint of glam, Billy soon began to pump out the hits with songs like ‘White Wedding’ becoming an MTV staple. Billy unintentionally found himself becoming a part of the ‘Second British Invasion of the United States’, a period where numerous British acts found great success overseas fueled by the relatively new platform of MTV.

With the release of his next album ‘Rebel Yell’, Billy’s transformation into international super star was complete. Today he still plays sold out arenas globally and is a testament to what a young punk from Middlesex can achieve.

Live reviews

Just from the image of Billy Idol you can expect that you are going to see a highly energetic performance when you attend one of his concerts. Billy Idol is one of a few musicians who can step on stage and immediately captivate the audience by his presence. His signature bleached spiked hair, his black leather jacket, and his macho like attitude are all important in creating the atmosphere for his performance. Although his appearance is highly engrossing, his music is what wins the audience’s hearts. Billy Idol has a highly dynamic style of performance. One moment he will take the role of a crooner, gently singing emotive songs such as “Eyes Without a Face”, and the next moment he will tear off his shirt and run fiercely around stage belting out the lyrics to the rock anthem, “Rebel Yell”. Billy Idol is backed by a very talented band consisting of guitarist Steve Stevens, who has been touring with Billy Idol since 1981. Steve Stevens is a well-versed guitar player having performed with many talented musicians including Michael Jackson, when he provided guitar for his album, Bad. Billy Idol’s music is also very interesting due to his use of synthesizers in his music. The synths provide a unique atmospheric sound that is often uncommon in hard-rock music. The whole band is very energetic when performing, especially Billy Idol who is constantly inciting the crowd to act wild and join in chanting his songs.
His setlist is sure to please the crowd with him performing most of his hits including “White Wedding” and “Love and Glory”. He will please diehard fans as well by playing older songs from his days in the band, Generation X. Billy Idol has proven to be a suitable name for him, as he is surely regarded as an idol of rock and roll performances.

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