Idol ready to pump up Super Bowl crowd
Billy Idol normally takes advantage of riding his motorcycle on the open road knowing there’s hardly any traffic because millions are glued to watching the Super Bowl.
But this year, the legendary British rocker will be strolling onstage to headline a pre-game concert in Las Vegas ahead of the big game Feb. 11 just outside Allegiant Stadium, where the NFL’s two best teams face off later that day.
Idol, 68, is expected to perform some of his biggest hits, including “Dancing with Myself ” “Mony Mony” and “Rebel Yell” during a 35-minute set on two stages.
It’s the second time Idol has done a pre-Super Bowl show. He rocked out with Miley Cyrus three years ago in Tampa, Florida.
This interview with Idol has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: What will be your mentality heading into your show hours before the Super Bowl?
A: It’s about adding excitement to the event. You’re pumping people up. That’s a fun feeling. You can tell the people are excited, what’s going to happen and you’re entertaining them in those moments before it really happens.
Q: You celebrated the 40th anniversary of your album “Rebel Yell” and had a five-night residency in Las Vegas last year. How does it feel to have your music still resonating today?
A:
When we were starting out, I couldn’t have imagined the effect of (our) music. We were living one day at a time. The songs were for that time period. They were just for that moment. But the songs have legs. It’s like, “Wow, people have really embraced this crazy idea I had years ago.” They’re still enjoying it, and I am too. Who would have thought that 40 years later? I’m still pinching myself.
Q: Will you drop any new music soon?
A:
We have a new album coming out in October this year. We’re still carrying on and enlarging what my music is about. I enjoy doing it. Me and (guitarist) Steve (Stevens) are still finding ways to excite ourselves. We’re not out there going through the motions. We’re actually out there taking prisoners. That’s how we feel.
Q: What inspired you to perform at Hoover Dam? A:
It was something like I would see in movies when I was a child. There was an Alfred Hitchcock movie that referenced Hoover Dam. There was another film “711 Ocean Drive” that ended on the Hoover Dam. You know, it had a shootout. For someone like me, growing up in England, I saw this iconic place in movies then I got to play in front of it. Hoover Dam was right behind me with my logo on it, which was insane.
Q: Have you ever thought about doing Broadway? A:
Of course, we have. We haven’t quite worked out our direction. That’s what’s fun about having a catalog. It does resonate with a lot of people, and there are possibilities like that in the future.