Live Review: Billy Idol, The Delta Riggs

Billy Idol's status as an English rock legend is undeniable, even if it is not often reiterated. The frontman of Generation X may not be as great a punk symbol as say, the leader of the Sex Pistols or Public Image Ltd, but Idol, crashing into the '80s MTV consciousness, has a back catalogue of global hits and new wave swagger. And today the OG pop-punk – with those signature lip curls, spiky peroxide hair and rockabilly fashion – is headlining the Australian Open's AO Live Stage, his first tour in Aus since 2015.

In recent years, Idol has been less prolific as a recording artist. In 2014 he released Kings & Queens Of The Underground, his first original album in nearly a decade, largely produced by Trevor Horn. He's since dropped a remix compilation, Vital Idol: Revitalized, with contributions from The Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold and the more modish Shiba San. 

These days, Idol hangs out with Miley Cyrus in the studio and, at the AO, the audience is made up of Generation Billie Eilish as much as Generation Billy Idol. Opening for the Brit is the local band The Delta Riggs, who might be '90s Aussie festival rockers. They perform an energetic slot, though frontman Elliott Hammond's attempts to reproduce Freddie Mercury's improvised vocal runs don't connect.

Delta Riggs @ AO Live. Photo by Renee Coster.

Billy Idol's show is, in fact, a double-act, as he's accompanied by his longtime American guitarist cohort Steve Stevens – who apparently has his own stans. Idol bursts on stage, bejewelled and cloaked in a huge, black-studded, neo-punk jacket – demonstrating a level of commitment to his aesthetic in the sweltering Australian summer. He launches the set with Cradle Of Love, like a glam-rock Elvis Presley number, off 1990's Charmed Life album. In a nostalgic mood, Idol also pulls out songs from his early days fronting Generation X, notably Dancing With Myself – subsequently a solo hit.

Billy Idol @ AO Live. Photo by Renee Coster.

Idol is chatty with punters. He acknowledges that Australians have had a "hard time" with the bushfire crisis, stating, "We're just gonna keep on rockin'." (The star is assisting fire relief efforts by donating proceeds from his merch, plus auctioning meet and greets.)

Among the highlights are Idol's rock ballads – which accentuate his resonant voice. Idol performs a compelling Flesh For Fantasy and, later, the magnificent, proto-emo Eyes Without A Face – both from 1983's mega Rebel Yell LP. For Eyes Without A Face, the versatile Stevens plays acoustic guitar. Idol dons a guitar himself for his rendition of The Doors' LA Woman. The evening takes an emotional turn when Idol prefaces Ghosts In My Guitar, a Kings & Queens Of The Underground song. Idol relates how his father, not always attuned to his music career, latched onto the album – actually listening to it as he was dying from lung cancer. Ghosts In My Guitar becomes a poignant tribute. It winds down as an extended instrumental with synths and Stevens' sensitive guitar.

Towards the close, Idol goes back in time again to Generation X. He revisits their 1977 single Your Generation, which isn't far from being a YUNGBLUD anthem, then Ready Steady Go (the latter off Generation X's self-titled premiere, helmed by future Human League producer Martin Rushent and reissued in 2019). Next, Idol rocks out with the banger Rebel Yell.

Billy Idol @ AO Live. Photo by Renee Coster.

Idol changes attire several times on stage, teasing a bare chest. Eventually, he's wearing one of his own T-shirts. Idol is surprisingly relaxed in the implausible, sedate and unpunk surrounds of the AO, following the tennis himself. He encores with his most enduring of enduring hits in White Wedding, from 1982's eponymous solo debut – the crowd yell-singing along, Saturday night karaoke-style. Ever gracious, Idol finishes by archly introducing his band. Alas, Idol's set feels too transitory. He excludes some classics: Hot In The City and his covers of Mony Mony and To Be A Lover (not to forget Catch My Fall, another lingering ballad, only with sax, on Rebel Yell). Besides, Idol ignores his albums from the mid-'90s (the underrated Cyberpunk) and 2000s. However, as a performer, Idol is in brilliant form – and eternally cool.