Freak. Fanboy. Obsessive compulsive. I’ve been called all these names (and more) throughout my life and, to be quite honest, I’m OK with it.
Music has been the guiding force and saving grace in my life, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Without music and the empowerment it’s brought me throughout my life, I might not be here today putting together this heartfelt composition.
An integral figure throughout my adolescence, those formative years during which you don’t feel like you belong into any group no matter how hard you try, was Billy Idol. Through his devil may care attitude, his intense sense of individuality and his message, I started to feel like I was part of something when I was 14 years old. When I took it upon myself to reach back to his catalog with his prior band, the British punk rock outfit Generation X, it changed my life. The sentiments and the liberation I needed to feel when attempting to break out of what was shaping up to becoming mundane teenage years were all buried within the grooves of that band’s three albums. I listened to those records day and night, over and over, and the inspiration I drew from those songs has carried me throughout my entire life to this date. I felt like I could do anything and do it my way thanks to the swagger I walked away with from every listen.
By sheer luck and chance, I managed to get invited to a private event at which Billy Idol was scheduled to appear the night prior to his Tampa concert debut in 1984. A hush-hush gathering where radio contest winners had the chance to meet the blonde, spiky-haired pop punk icon who was already dominating MTV airwaves at an undisclosed location became the first time I’d have the good fortune to see Idol in person and, maybe, hopefully, let him know about the role he’d played in changing the course of my life and making me a more confident, secure person.
As most attendees arrived with their brand new, shiny copies of his most current album at the time, the multi-platinum smash “Rebel Yell,” I thought I’d have to find a way to stand out a bit. Luckily I’d opted to bring all of my Generation X albums as well as all the rare import pressings of Idol’s singles and albums I’d collected to that point. As I impatiently waited in line for a chance to approach the man, a hired hand who was on site to monitor the line and the proceedings attempted to kill the vibe by getting in my face and saying “He’s not going to sign all those” as she looked at the armful of records I clutched nervously. “Oh well,” I said in a surprisingly calm tone, “I’ll be happy with whichever ones he chooses to sign.”
As fate would have it, after making my way through the line and then getting back into the line (which was clearly forbidden) I managed to get each and every record I’d brought signed. Chalk it up to Billy himself being amazed that this kid in the middle of Florida had an obsession with his old band and all his music like maybe no one else he’d expected to see that night had. It was a night that stands as one of the greatest in my life. For that night, I was happy to be the freak and the fanboy as my dedication payed off in the warm, kind manner in which my idol treated me. That was an indescribable feeling.
Fast forward to the current day and, almost like a case of history repeating itself, I again had the good fortune of being invited to another private event where Billy Idol would be appearing. Almost 34 years to the exact date, I was lucky enough, through my role with Creative Loafing, to score an invite to this special, exclusive, unpublicized event where Idol and his band would headline a concert at downtown Clearwater’s lush and cozy Capitol Theater.
As part of the Ruth Eckerd Hall family of venues, the 700-plus seat former movie theater hosted an event benefiting its “Friends of Music” program, which promotes music education in schools for more than 35,000 students per year. For its donors and benefactors, the dedicated folks at Ruth Eckerd Hall organize a series of annual, quarterly concerts as a token of thanks for those who help them achieve their goals and help fund their projects year-round.
A lavish event that featured food, spirits and plenty of good vibes all around was capped off by a full-on, high energy, sweaty and supercharged performance by Idol himself along with his razor-sharp five-piece band. At the helm was Steve Stevens, Idol’s long-standing lead guitar ace and songwriting partner.
The volume was high, the sparks were flying through the air and, without a second wasted, Billy opened this dazzling set with a crunching version of his 1993 single, “Shock to the System.” Energetic, spry, spirited and determined, Idol gave the riled up crowd a show that they won’t soon forget.
Forging through familiar hits like “Dancing With Myself” and “Eyes Without a Face” with the drive of someone half his age, Billy Idol, too, unleashed some less than familiar (and certainly welcomed) numbers like the powerful 1986 rocker “Don’t Need a Gun,” his sturdy hard rock hit from 2005, “Scream,” and, to my delight (and hopefully, to any old Generation X diehards who might have been in attendance), a sizzling version of 1979’s rockabilly rave up “King Rocker” which was Generation X’s highest charting single in England from its sophomore album, Valley of the Dolls. A pair of monster hits, “Rebel Yell” and “White Wedding” ended the night that was more than likely more of an action-packed thrill ride than most attendees were expecting.
A highlight for me came, prior to the show’s start, when I was fortunate enough to run into Billy Idol around the back of the theater prior to the performance. With a prized possession of mine, a photo I had snapped with him at the first private event I attended in his honor, in hand, I asked him if he’d mind posing for a new photo with me to possibly recreate that original photo. He gladly obliged before looking at the photo and chuckling at the youthful images of the both of us captured in that snap. “Look at us!” he mused before we had our new photo taken.
At that moment, and during the dynamite live performance that followed, I didn’t feel my age. I didn’t feel that more than three decades had passed since I’d had my first chance to tell Billy Idol what his presence and his message has meant to me and how’s it continually helped shape and mold who I am today. I was transformed back to the days of studying all those records and having them serve as the badge of pride and individuality I’d wear for a long time…and still do.
That’s powerful stuff.
And, if by some strange coincidence, I find myself in a similar setting in another 34 years and I have the chance to see Billy Idol at another private, exclusive event, you bet your ass I’ll be there again.
Sometimes being a freakishly obsessed fanboy has its pitfalls. But when it comes to the freedom and the empowerment that only rock and roll can bring to your life, it’s the best way to be if it truly and purely comes from your heart.
My life was saved by rock and roll and, thankfully, Billy Idol was right there from early on to convince me that it was OK to be who I was and that’s something that can never truly be expressed or explained to someone who isn’t in this for life.
See you at the next shindig, Billy. I’ll (still) be the guy up front and center singing along with you and pumping my fist like my life depends on it.
