Live
Billy Idol
Wembley Arena
24 June 2025 (gig)
25 June 2025
With a rebel yell on a sultry night hot in the city, Music News headed to Wembley to catch some retro pop-punk vibes with Billy Idol and guitar legend Steve Stevens on their current tour, promoting new album Dream Into It. Despite a setlist that included several contemporary numbers from Idol’s recent catalogue, it was still a show rooted in nostalgia with those famous 80s hits of his still blisteringly evocative after all these years.
Another good reason to be at Wembley on a Tuesday night was because Billy had invited New Model Army to fill the support slot. A band well lauded by Music News and who after over 40 years are still making intelligent, emotive music. They have a fiercely committed following and when they took to the stage, despite the arena still more than half empty, the loyal were there ready to sing every lyric of every song with hands held high.
New Model Army usually have their own headline slot albeit in a smaller venue, and supporting Billy Idol was an odd left-turn from their current tour across Europe promoting their 16th album Unbroken. With so many great tunes to choose from they often perform two distinct setlists on consecutive nights.
Tonight, playing beneath an LED image of their iconic logo, the five-piece led by lead vocalist and songwriter Justin Sullivan, delivered well chosen, tight set, showcasing a small selection from their 300 plus back catalogue. It was a captivating hour that included more recent songs like First Summer After, Winter, Never Arriving alongside a few of their anthemic early classics such as Purity and Green & Grey. Yet another great performance from a legendry band.
With a musical overture announcing his arrival Billy Idol and the band sauntered onto stage under a graphic effigy on the LED screen of the spikey haired pop-punk singer before kicking into recent single Still Dancing. Nostalgic through and through, it’s a song that makes it clear that Billy Idol and his partner, guitar maestro Steve Stevens, are still in the game, or at least want to be.
The setlist that follows is mixed with regards to energy and emotion, falling a little flat at times. Flesh for Fantasy from his early years grooves with a touch of funk whereas Too Much Fun from the new album is not far off from being a parody, with the schoolboy lyrics pasted in big letters on the screen. Steve Stevens resurrects that 80s guitar god vibe with virtuoso guitar breaks and solos (including that Top Gun theme). Backing singer Jessica Childress steps out front to provide duet on a cover of Gimme Shelter, and the first set ends on the Rolling Stones inspired anthem Rebel Yell which stood shoulders above everything else that had been before. A timeless rock anthem which culminated with Idol flaunting his torso to thunderous applause, he's in amazingly good shape for 69.
Generation X bassist Tony James joins in for the encore that includes Ready Steady Go and Dancing with Myself, rolling the years right back to the late 1970s. ‘Hey Steve, show them how a hit record sounds’, Billy says before White Wedding lifts the roof one last time. A very enjoyable evening was had by all.
Billy Idol Setlist
Still Dancing
Cradle of Love
Flesh for Fantasy
77
Too Much Fun
Eyes Without a Face
Steve Stevens Guitar Solo
Mony Mony (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
Dream Into It
Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones cover)
People I Love
Blue Highway
Rebel Yell
Encore:
Ready Steady Go (Generation X song with Tony James)
Dancing With Myself (Generation X song with Tony James)
Hot in the City
White Wedding
New Model Army Setlist
White Light
Echo November
First Summer After
Winter
Devil's Bargain
Never Arriving
Here Comes the War
Stormclouds
Before I Get Old
Purity
Wonderful Way to Go
Green and Grey
Another good reason to be at Wembley on a Tuesday night was because Billy had invited New Model Army to fill the support slot. A band well lauded by Music News and who after over 40 years are still making intelligent, emotive music. They have a fiercely committed following and when they took to the stage, despite the arena still more than half empty, the loyal were there ready to sing every lyric of every song with hands held high.
New Model Army usually have their own headline slot albeit in a smaller venue, and supporting Billy Idol was an odd left-turn from their current tour across Europe promoting their 16th album Unbroken. With so many great tunes to choose from they often perform two distinct setlists on consecutive nights.
Tonight, playing beneath an LED image of their iconic logo, the five-piece led by lead vocalist and songwriter Justin Sullivan, delivered well chosen, tight set, showcasing a small selection from their 300 plus back catalogue. It was a captivating hour that included more recent songs like First Summer After, Winter, Never Arriving alongside a few of their anthemic early classics such as Purity and Green & Grey. Yet another great performance from a legendry band.
With a musical overture announcing his arrival Billy Idol and the band sauntered onto stage under a graphic effigy on the LED screen of the spikey haired pop-punk singer before kicking into recent single Still Dancing. Nostalgic through and through, it’s a song that makes it clear that Billy Idol and his partner, guitar maestro Steve Stevens, are still in the game, or at least want to be.
The setlist that follows is mixed with regards to energy and emotion, falling a little flat at times. Flesh for Fantasy from his early years grooves with a touch of funk whereas Too Much Fun from the new album is not far off from being a parody, with the schoolboy lyrics pasted in big letters on the screen. Steve Stevens resurrects that 80s guitar god vibe with virtuoso guitar breaks and solos (including that Top Gun theme). Backing singer Jessica Childress steps out front to provide duet on a cover of Gimme Shelter, and the first set ends on the Rolling Stones inspired anthem Rebel Yell which stood shoulders above everything else that had been before. A timeless rock anthem which culminated with Idol flaunting his torso to thunderous applause, he's in amazingly good shape for 69.
Generation X bassist Tony James joins in for the encore that includes Ready Steady Go and Dancing with Myself, rolling the years right back to the late 1970s. ‘Hey Steve, show them how a hit record sounds’, Billy says before White Wedding lifts the roof one last time. A very enjoyable evening was had by all.
Billy Idol Setlist
Still Dancing
Cradle of Love
Flesh for Fantasy
77
Too Much Fun
Eyes Without a Face
Steve Stevens Guitar Solo
Mony Mony (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
Dream Into It
Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones cover)
People I Love
Blue Highway
Rebel Yell
Encore:
Ready Steady Go (Generation X song with Tony James)
Dancing With Myself (Generation X song with Tony James)
Hot in the City
White Wedding
New Model Army Setlist
White Light
Echo November
First Summer After
Winter
Devil's Bargain
Never Arriving
Here Comes the War
Stormclouds
Before I Get Old
Purity
Wonderful Way to Go
Green and Grey